Lampropeltis getulus nigrita Range Southern Ohio, West Virginia to Northern Alabama and Georgia. Often found near streams. Characteristics Generic name means shiny skin . Scales are smooth.
Dorsal pattern is highly variable but frequently consists of dark and light rings.
Behavior Constrictor but often vibrates tail as bluff . Hides under logs or stones. If caught, can be vicious, biting and chewing hard, but after adjusting to captivity, usually becomes quite good-tempered. Because of their snake-eating habits, they are often caged separately in captivity. Sometimes rolls into a ball with its head at the center and everts lining of cloaca as bluff .