Black Kingsnake vs. Central Ratsnake

Both are big black snakes with pale flecks and a checkered belly. Look at where the pale is: on a Black Kingsnake it is a small yellow or white spot in the middle of many scales; on a Central Ratsnake it is skin showing between the dark scales, often in a net that traces the old blotched pattern. The kingsnake's lips are barred black and white and its scales are smooth and glossy; the ratsnake has a plain white chin and lips and weakly keeled scales.

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

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