Harmless · North Carolina
Mole Kingsnake
Lampropeltis rhombomaculata
Secretive brownish kingsnake with reddish blotches that may fade in adults.
At a glance
Size
Usually 30-40 inches.
North Carolina range
Piedmont, Coastal Plain
Habitat
fields, open woods, underground burrows
Diet
Mostly rodents, with occasional lizards, frogs, and snakes.
Pattern
blotches
Venomous
No
How to identify it
Brown or gray-brown snake with reddish-brown blotches that may fade with age; the head is small and not distinct from the neck.
Where to look in North Carolina
Uncommon and scattered across the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.
Open woods, fields, farms, and loose soils where it spends much of its time underground.
Regional maps show broad physiographic provinces, not county-level records.
Photo guide
Use the gallery to check pattern, body shape, and context—not just overall color.
