King Snake Vs MASSIVE Rattlesnake

[@jacobsmith3409]

I applaud you for not disrupting Mr. King Snake. Had he felt threatened he would have abandoned the meal and fled. Impeccable approach to your footage! Well done! I hope this gets 1B VIEWS

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks Jacob! I really appreciate you noticing that. Clearly you've spent some time around animals! We were super intentional about our approach, and waited until we could see the the kingsnake was completely comfortable that we were not a threat (as evidenced by ignoring us entirely, and continuing to work on eating).

[@chonqmonk]

100% agree!

[@valeriestevens5250]

I agree, although California Kings are pretty mellow. I've had a few on my property over the years.

[@busog97641]

And just as many likes.👍

[@charlierobles316]

Wow really I'll bet his life is complete knowing you applaud him.

[@NineteenEighty8]

King Snakes are a blessing! Keeping the venomous snake population in check.

[@Angelica-me4fj]

I have always been fasinated by king snakes. Here in Texas we have coral snakes but also KING snakes colored up like corals. You have to be careful and know your snakes or you might kill a King snake!!!

[@robertm1122]

Amen

[@westy8065]

Yes but in their natural habitation! Over the years people have kept king snakes as pets in Gran Canaria but possible because of restrictions on snakes have let them go! Now the king snake is totally wrecking the ecosystem over there! Even tho the giant lizard is to big for them to eat they are killing them all

[@garymacmillan]

The King is called the King for a reason. They can grow to truly massive size and enjoy many tastey snake meals. Always happy to see a King move in to my place.

[@paulkramer4176]

I believe also that most snakes with a "KING" as part of their name is a snake that targets other snakes. Like King Cobra is a snake eater, King snakes eat other snakes, King Rat snakes, eat other snakes.... I love King snakes, though I don't hate rattlers either.

[@bobechs7234]

Common English naming of snakes designate snakes known to prey on other snakes as "king" snakes Eg., California King Snake, King Cobra, Eastern King Snake, etc.

[@garymacmillan]

@@bobechs7234 Interesting. I always thought it had to do with the enormous length they could attain. Saw 3 in the east well over 12 feet. Never seen one in the west over 6 feet. More rodents in the east?

[@un-commoncents2805]

The reason the king is pulling it into the brush is once it eats that huge meal, it's not moving very well.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Exactly. I've always wondered where that KS ended up, and how long it laid up in one spot!

[@MrKconnell1]

That explains the camouflage.

[@OscarSchneegans]

Like me after Thanksgiving dinner.

[@luke144]

Think of the dump you would be taking.

[@Bob_Adkins]

True, and the KS would also be in danger from the noon day sun.

[@MattSteele-j]

Growing up down south in Alabama we were taught never bother or kill a King Snake. They keep away Timber Rattler, Cotton Mouth, and Copperheads. The Black Rat Snake keeps Copperheads away too.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Awesome! I don't know much about the black rat snakes, but they've come up a couple times in the comments, too, as a snake that's admired. It's been really cool to hear how much love there is out there for these species!

[@shannon1067]

Makes you wanna see the showdown that happened before you stumbled upon them.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Exactly what I've been thinking! Would have loved to see how that all unfolded. Still mind boggling to me

[@DarkVoidIII]

@@caseymcfarland505 Not all that interesting, Usually the King Snake will get a grip on a part of the rattlesnake, and will then walk it's way to the head if not already on the head. They have a technique of figuring out how to find the head or the tail of the rattlesnake, it does not matter if the rattlesnake gets swallowed tail first. The King Snake is immune to the rattlesnake's venom, and therefore can eat it tail first if that's the part it finds first. If a King Snake comes across a rattlesnake it will usually instinctively attack it if it's hungry. I'm not sure what they do if they've already had a meal but they seem to like finding a nice spot to sleep the meal off. A good long thick rattlesnake like that could keep a King Snake fed for a month or more. As for the girth of the rattlesnake, don't worry. Like all snakes, the King Snake can distend itself over the rattlesnake's body by means of flexible cartilage. You may have noticed the King Snake's mouth moving in a somewhat side-to-side manner. This is because the upper and lower rows of teeth on each side can clamp down like a vise with the sharp teeth locking one side whilst the other side moves forward over the rattlesnake. it is how the King Snake will eat many different kinds of prey. They probably also feast on small rodents if they have need of food and rattlesnakes are in short supply. They're a lot like most snakes, they prefer snakes, but will consider other prey if it is suitable for them to eat and food is hard to come by.

[@carlschumacher3257]

@@caseymcfarland505 the rattler was trying to outrun the king snake, but to no avail. king snakes eat rattle snakes larger then itself.

Boring as heck.

[@daleburnfart6845]

It wasnt much of a showdown. The King Snake is "resistant" to the venom and just strangles the rattler via constriction.

[@KoryBrooks]

My dad had a California King for nearly 30 years, I was about 7 years old when he got it and I'm 36 now, it passed a couple years ago

[@caseymcfarland505]

Wow! That's awesome. I'm always impressed with how long snakes can live. That snake was a part of the family for a long time! Thanks, that's a cool story

[@nightlightabcd]

What are you doing with a King snake? What did he feed it! I think it should be illegal!

[@KoryBrooks]

@@nightlightabcd calm down dude, it was the 90s. He was fed feeder mice from pet stores. It's not illegal to own any of the king snakes. It is illegal to own many other species. It is also illegal to release king snakes into the wild according to the fish and game laws in California.

[@MarshallFairley]

Amazing things right

[@angelaharris53]

@@nightlightabcd We have a pet king snake. He's our son's first pet. He was bred by a local breeder, never been wild. He eats frozen-thawed mice and the occasional quail egg treat. Plenty of native colubrids (king snakes, corn snakes, bull snakes, etc.) are quite easily kept and bred in captivity and make fantastic pets. At this point, there is no need at all to take any from the wild, they're so easy to keep and breed.

[@claudialunden3691]

Thank you for this! I was riddled with vipers and a couple of years ago, a pair of King snakes started to rid me of my problem. I haven’t seen a viper , except for the sad sidewinder, in two years! I still watch every step I take, because those rattlers are so good at camouflage. But those steps are accompanied by undying gratitude for the king snake. 😊

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks for reaching out! It's been so cool to hear similar stories from all over, and how fond folks are of kingsnakes, and having them as neighbors!

[@southend26]

If you can eat the whole rattler in one sitting, they give you a little king snake t-shirt.

[@dfraz2131]

WOW.....What an amazing opportunity to have filmed. Thanks for sharing!

[@johnmiley458]

We have smaller Black KIng Snakes here in Southern Indiana. The Black King Snakes here don't have the upper white bands just lower white markings. The King Snakes here help control the Copper Heads. Great Video. Glad you got it.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Nice! I just looked them up. Very handsome snake!

[@jimdemilio761]

That is a California king snake

[@ericthompson3551]

Watched a American Bald Eagle aerial dogfighting 5 blue herons , the eagle then at about 100 yards up turned , grabbed a heron and pile drove it into the pond we were at. Then it drug / swam it to shore and let us get about 35 feet from it in a pond boat and watched it eat the heron while it was still alive. Nature is incredible.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Wow, that's quite the sighting! You in the Pacific Northwest? I've seen some eagle/heron dustups up there, but nothing like what you witnessed. Amazing!

[@johnnyskied]

I was driving back to California from Alaska in late November years ago. A baldy snatched up a snow hare right in front of me. Came out of nowhere and slammed it so hard I could see blood. It was a once in a lifetime event.

[@juliolua2104]

Very cool 👍 I've seen a fish eagle and a Bald Eagle in a dogfight hurtling towards earth at about 100-200 mph then at last 10 feet pull out of the dive and just total flight war... like minijets... they're wings even make crazy windsweeping sounds 🦅🦅😀

[@greatplainsman3662]

I knew a falconer who said an eagle can take ANYTHING out of the air it chooses.

[@number-1-Saxman]

The subject here is a King snake not Bald Eagles.

[@DougCeleste]

Thanks for sharing the video! I was a parks gardener for the City of San Jose for 20 years and one of my hilltop parks had one or two king snakes that I saw. I always felt VERY secure with them around since I knew they would kill any rattlers in the area.........and I NEVER saw any rattlers in the park. Thank you king snake(s)! 😊 And the king snake in this video had to be full for weeks since the rattler being consumed was one FAT rattler who was eating well, also.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks Doug! It's been so neat to hear how many folks have had similar experiences, and have the same fondness for Kingsnakes.

[@DougCeleste]

@@caseymcfarland505 You are very welcome, Casey! Not sure where you were in the desert but you were MUCH braver than me with the rattlers out there, esp. the Mojave Greens which are HIGHLY venomous. This rattler being consumed looks like a western diamondback but I could be wrong on that. What a catch for you to find! That king snake really had to work hard to digest this huge rattler. Anyhow, they were my friends in my park days at that hilltop park in San Jose.

[@middle-agedmacdonald2965]

I used to ride my mt. bike in Alum Rock park, in east San Jose for 20 years. From about 1990-2010. Saw at least a dozen large rattlers like the one in this video (picked up a bunch of them by the tail, which was dumb), saw even more gopher snakes, and quite a few kings (both CA and common). Always loved to see the kings. The CA king has a red band though, I thought? Maybe I'm mixing them up. Also since I'm reminiscing, saw a full grown mt. lion on the back service road that was closed that goes from the main park to the top of Alum Rock Ave. Plus, too many tarantulas to count! Such a unique park right outside the city. I've lived in St. George, UT since then, and have only seen two rattlers, and one small common king, a gila monster (which was awesome), and many desert tortoise. I'd have guess I would have seen more here. I sure do miss that park. I'd love to go back and visit someday.....

[@DougCeleste]

@@middle-agedmacdonald2965 GREAT post and thanks for sharing! I remember Alum Rock Park so fondly in my younger days. I remember back in the 50's and 60's when it had Sunday symphonies, the zoo, the arcade and snack bar, two INDOOR kiddie rides and the INDOOR swimming pool which were all gone by the early 70's. I also DO remember that west service road out of the park that took you back to Alum Rock Ave. and loved driving and hiking on it. Too bad it was closed due to erosion on the road causing major pothole problems that were too expensive for the city to fix. The east service road was a VERY dangerous and narrow road that led to homes and ranches in the mountains and to Cherry Flat Reservoir before it was closed to the public in later years and open only to residents and city workers at the park. I worked at the park in the winter of 1975 and early 1976 before the rattlers, king snakes and tarantulas came out of hibernation. I also rode my bike in the park which was fun when I was young. When I worked there, we had to bury a dead adult deer along a trail near the waterfalls on the eastern side of the park and not sure how it died. That was NOT easy work! Thank God I never saw a mountain lion ever at the park but I knew they were out there along with other wildlife. I live in Albuquerque now but will always cherish the memories of that park in my city career. I have never been in St. George but have been in other parts of Utah. LOVELY state but I avoid driving in Salt Lake City with the INSANE traffic. I LOVE the area around Price. Cheers from New Mexico!

[@middle-agedmacdonald2965]

@@DougCeleste Oh my gosh, thank you! That's awesome. Yes, I only saw the remnants of what was left of the amazing things they had there. I heard about the zoo, and how popular the sulfer springs were (my sister got flashed by a nudist back in the day there! lol). They even had a train? or I remember seeing old tracks for it if I remember right. An incredible gem of a park, and yes, so cool to have been able to go there and ride the bike after working in techy Silicon Valley for the day. I've passed through Albuquerque, and loved the colorful desert southwest houses out there. We could use a little more color here in St George, it's a little more bland, in my opinion, but I love it here just the same. Great to hear from you, and thanks for taking care of the parks for us! I always thought it would be the coolest thing ever to get to work maintenance at a park like that. Have a great day, and thanks for the original post that caught my eye! My best! Josh.

[@bloodsport5112]

Yes, the King snake is bad ass. They win every time against rattlers. The coolest thing I ever saw was while deer hunting in Arizona, just outside Tucson. I was taking a break and sitting on a large rock just enjoying the view. A Tarantula Hawk lands about two feet in front of me and goes down a den. Out comes the Tarantula and it was fight on. They went at it for over 20 minutes til the Hawk delivered its paralyzing sting. I had see this on video/TV but to see it live literally at your feet was simply unreal. I wish I had my video camera with me but did not. Your video is outstanding!!

[@caseymcfarland505]

That's awesome! I love tarantula hawks... I grew up in New Mexico and they were always a favorite. I still haven't seen one take a tarantula though... what an amazing thing to witness! Thanks for sharing

[@kvl505]

Incredible video. Thank you. Just love King Snakes. When at my ranch house, they (one) have total freedom. They help with keeping the Rattlesnake population under control. Only 2 encounters in 9 years. Before the King, 3-4 a year. King Snakes are awesome. Seemingly docile and cool, they are great to have nearby.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks for sharing! It's been cool to see how much admiration people have for Kingsnakes around the country, and what they've seen occur in local rattlesnake densities.

[@nedmacallen]

In live in Northern California and live on 24 acres and never seems a rattlesnake but I see my king snake a few times a month. Love that guy.

[@jackyparrott]

Amazing. Thank you for taking time to record this intriguing video.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jackyparrott]

@@caseymcfarland505 While hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains I had the privilege of watching a 6 foot; fat rattlesnake pass in front of me. In our backyard in Southern California I had 3 baby rattlesnakes separately and I was able to get it in a bucket and release it in an empty field.

[@TheHelixballerone]

Im a retired ParkRanger from Southern Cal. Ive seen this a few times. We use to keep King snakes and feed them rattlers... lol

[@bovinejoannie9429]

Does the king snake win always? Or mostly?

[@TheHelixballerone]

@@bovinejoannie9429 Always. The King is immune to the venom. Even repeated bites don’t deter the King. I have seen where the Rattler is just too big and the King will call off the attacks. I guess you could call that a win for the Rattler.

[@joaquincortada1483]

​@@TheHelixballerone which park did you see this at?

[@brakesforsnakes757]

That's not funny, it's actually pretty pathetic especially for a park ranger. You suck.

[@jeffnorbert1871]

I had a King that actually had newly healed fang holes in it near what could be called the tail. Not real big, about 4 1/2 feet long.​@@TheHelixballerone

[@dougedwards7995]

Good to see you out there contributing such great content, Casey! Keep the cool vids coming. Cheers, Doug from 02,03.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Doug! How great to hear from you! Hope all is well. Where are you these days?

[@Nirky]

Kingsnake won't have to eat again for months.

[@caseymcfarland505]

That's what I was figuring. Any idea about digestion rates for such larger meal?

[@Nirky]

@@caseymcfarland505 Not sure. I think I've heard in the wild they can go around a month on a rat. This is several rats here.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks! Just looked into a bit more... sounds like the it can take several weeks to digest large meal, and then the snake can fast for several months. Interesting physiology regarding the digestions system that must be completely dormant for so long, and then fire up for a sudden, massive meal!

[@BallPythonPassion]

​@@caseymcfarland505snakes digest their prey within 48 hours. That snake will eat again in about a week

[@Gemstone115]

Never kill a Kingsnake

[@Mr_Joshua73]

Awesome video! I've been a "snake guy" all my life and I'm still amazed at how incredible these creatures are! Great job documenting a rarely seen event!

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks! I'm excited so many people have gotten to see this. It's been a surprise how many views it's had! And really great to hear how many people love kingsnakes across the country : )

[@jlsracing997]

I'm sure he wanted to get out of sight so a hawk didn't interrupt the party.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Exactly!

[@KAZVorpal]

King snakes are immune to American snake venom.

[@adama.steely2415]

This is something I have never seen before or will , a very extraordinary video . Thank you

[@moonmunster]

I like King Snakes

[@caseymcfarland505]

Me too... I'm a fan! They've got grit!

[@charliebrooks2570]

Great video! Those King snakes truly are King!

[@caseymcfarland505]

Yes they are!

[@chonqmonk]

What a great video brotherman! Thanks so much for sharing it. I've had the honor of seeing a few different snakes eating all sorts of things, including a really big coachwhip eating a fat rattler....I stayed for the whole thing. Afterwards the coachwhip slithered right next to me on her way out, and I felt like she was intelligently acknowledging that I meant her no harm. Funny though, she gaped her mouth open to readjust her jaw, and this snake had very large teeth, then when she went by me she tongue sniffed my foot real good, made eye contact, and went on her way. I LOVE SNAKES! All of'm...

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks! And thanks for a great story! It's always awesome to have moments of clear interspecies acknowledgment. I haven't had the pleasure of spending much time around coachwhips, so it's great to hear your experience!

[@davidfalcone4736]

They don't call him King snake for no reason

[@caseymcfarland505]

No doubt! I'd never quite realized the gravity of that title

[@Metoo-y7q]

All snakes with king in their name are snake eaters 😋

[@williamchiafos3889]

​@@Metoo-y7qbobcat beats them both 😉

[@glasshalffull2930]

King Snake, Great White, Killer Whale, Death Valley, Mad Dog……are all things that should be respected.

[@Metoo-y7q]

@@williamchiafos3889 Well probably, they are snake kings, not mammal kings 🤣

[@THE-michaelmyers]

I saw a scarlet kingsnake capture what looked like a small copperhead many years ago. Happened almost the same time the sun came up. It is always interesting to see this happen.

[@consciousobjector2507]

INCREDIBLE!!! Thank you for posting this!!

[@guardianminifarm8005]

Many thanks. Great experience. You likely will not have that opportunity again, very few will. Appreciate you bring it to all of us.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks! Yes, it had to be shared. Really neat to see how many people have enjoyed it!

[@MSDOGS1976]

The King snake will need a big newspaper to read when it's time to poop.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Ha!

[@mcspikes1]

You got that right. King snakes are known for their prodigious pooping. What you witnessed was the normal process of ophiophagy ( snakes eating other snakes). If you want to see some real stretching, check out a Dasypeltis swallowing a hen’s egg.

[@caseymcfarland505]

WOW! I just watched a video per your recommendation. That is incredible! Thanks for sharing, much appreciated!

[@billmoran3219]

It’s good to be the KING ! They are also immune from the rattle snake venom but only if the come from the same region, meaning a king snake from Northern California would have issues with a rattler bite from a snake from the desert region of Southern California .

[@michellecrutchfield8701]

Absolutely AWESOME sight! Thanks for sharing!

[@PeteLeuenberger]

Such a cool share, and yes, the body moving like that highlights how we are "head" centered in a way.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Isn't that the truth! Especially we humans

[@lennardreloza9854]

Nice footage! Well done!👍👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@jameswalker3729]

Nice narration, thanks.

[@Carl-vg5zt]

I have a speckled king snake in my back yard😂

[@martinedwards4522]

i live in calif too and always heard this... thought it was a myth👍🏻.. thanks kingsnakes are beautiful !.. and harmless( unless youre a rattler!)

[@craigbritton1089]

That is a large California King Snake

[@artawhirler]

It's about to be even larger. 😅

[@freeflyer6170]

Very nice video and commentary. Thanks so much!

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@kyletango]

Once while I was headed to my deer stand during early archery season, I thought that I was looking at some intestines only to realize that a king snake had a copperhead snake wrapped up in a death grip. I continued on to my stand since the king had control of the situation.

[@caseymcfarland505]

That's awesome, I had the same thought as I was walking up to these two, and then thought it was a snake that had been squished

[@johnslade9358]

What an awesome video. Great narration too.

[@danielholloman7087]

Wow amazing and just wow! Thank you for sharing Casey!

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks for watching!

[@hudsonfisk2041]

I opened my shop door the other day to be greeted by a 5’ king snake that just happened to be inside the door. I left the door open thinking he would escape but instead he chose to hide under my tool box. I figure if he can get in, so can rattlers so i say “welcome Mr King, stay as long as you like!” Id much rather bump into him here and there than a rattler i don’t notice till it’s too late.

[@caseymcfarland505]

So true! Sure is nice to have good neighbors!

[@jessekatie8985]

ft leonard wood missouri- the drill sgts told us to make way for the bigger snakes as they were not dangerous and were protecting us from the smaller but deadly diamondbacks

[@WaltBellona]

Thanks lived here in California forever and never got to see it👍

[@dougbuck4043]

That's a big King Snake!

[@caseymcfarland505]

So I hear! I knew it was a good size snake, but not being familiar with them I didn't realize how hefty it was until you all have been mentioning it here in the comments. Thanks, great to know!

[@preachinoldschool5726]

Is the King snake non-poisonous?

[@dbx1233]

If these two snakes were Corporations in the Business World, this would be a Hostile Takeover. (Extremely Hostile.) LOL.

[@martyyoung3611]

It's a rarity to see this in the wild. Great catch!

[@caseymcfarland505]

Right? Definitely hit the lottery on that day!

[@lukeknipe6973]

You narration here is really nicely done.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks Luke, much appreciated!

[@thetigerstripes]

Rattlesnake still rattling....pretending he's still a badass.😂

[@MusicStillRules]

i saw the same thing while mountain biking in so cal, rattler was smaller than this one, amazing sight

[@caseymcfarland505]

Awesome! It's pretty spectacular

[@maxcoatlhunter4322]

Saw a beautiful King Snake a month ago while fishing. My favorite snake!

[@FrankGennari]

I used to have a California Kingsnake, along with various other animals. Any time I found an injured small animal or one of my pets got sick, in the with kingsnake it went. Lizards, other snakes, frogs, rodents, it ate them all. Anything that moved (or I poked with a stick) and was smaller than the snake.

[@lionelroland6674]

King snake is proably my favorite non viper and only snake I would keep as a pet!

[@captainmagpie1446]

A rare but special treat to see this in the wild, hopefully it was not staged, and good job on not disturbing the snake, it was stressed a bit but otherwise seemed fine with your presence...

[@caseymcfarland505]

I appreciate your eye for animal behavior! We were careful in our approach to not disturb the scene. It was interesting to see how quickly the kingsnake determined that we were not a threat, and went on about its business.

[@captainmagpie1446]

@@caseymcfarland505 Thanks, definitely not a common site in the wild, it happens often I bet but it is so rarely observed that it always seems a bit incredible.

[@Ricky-hm3no]

Seen this quiet a few times up at Yorty Creek in Cloverdale California. It's a sight to behold.

[@darrenfike924]

very impressive travel home/trailer combo with that classic K100E ….

[@caseymcfarland505]

Ha! Probably the most classic of all travel/trailer combos ; )

[@user-qm9oo2fd2o]

I had a Cal King for many years until I got a dog that would freak out every time it moved. I gave it to a dear friend who kept it for quite a while himself. RIP Lil' E.

[@jamieeakin1383]

Very impressive, thank you for sharing!

[@WillyBluefield]

Excellent video. I grew up in rural CA a long time ago and as a kid I loved snakes and caught them whenever possible and turned them loose, of course, but this may have been the largest King I ever saw. I'm guessing four feet and the rattler about three?

[@caseymcfarland505]

That's cool to hear, Willy. Wish kids would were doing more of that these days! Yea, that's a good assessment of size. I'm betting that Rattler was right around 3 feet, which would out the king at around 4.5' to 5'. Right around minute 1:56 in the video is the best perspective I could see for comparison. Thanks!

[@awesomeaustin2348]

I love King Snakes !!

[@conniewolf7300]

That's a big king snake. We have the same kind of king snakes here in SW Arizona!

[@ToesOverKauai]

I had a King Snake for a pet for about a year. Found him on a piece of property that was getting dozed for another suburban neighborhood in the Fremont area around 1958. Fed him pinkies, live mice. Ended up donating it to a nature preserve to live free. I loved that snake. Thanks for the memories.

[@caseymcfarland505]

So cool! Thanks for sharing. Wonder how old he got to be there at the reserve. Neat to think you gave him a whole new world

[@michaeldaltonsr8954]

TY!! While fishing one time( East Coast mtns) a friend & I saw a Black Snake & Copperhead battle/ the Black Snake won!! Surprised us!

[@allankang7374]

Black racers hunt and eat copperheads and rattlers, too

[@JamesKing2understandinglife]

Thank you for sharing what you saw with us who will most likely never have such an opportunity .

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks for watching!

[@jimhardy-p3i]

I love King Snakes. I had many for pets and they make great pets. Very docile and mild mannered. Never was bit by any of the ones I had.

[@joepromedio]

I was a framing carpenter in 1979. One day I saw a group of men trying to kill a king snake they thought was a Rattle snake. I recognized it as a King snake and walked over and picked it up. Brought it home. But my wife freaked out. So when I saw it was ok I took it out to the National Forest and released it.

[@redfaux74]

You can see at around 2.45 that the rattler has had a decent meal in the last few days also. It's rattle is still working even after being halfway down the throat of the King Snake.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Nice observation! I forgot to mention in the video that there was an occasional breeze that would quiver the rattle. It could have been the nervous system still firing, too, but took a while to figure out!

[@redfaux74]

@caseymcfarland505 - Their nervous systems take hours to die. I have seen people handle their heads after, hours after, and the heads will still try to hit in that direction of activity. They can even inject venom after. It's bizarre. And I'm not talking about a little movement. I'm talking about the entire mouth opening fully and biting. Be careful if you try it. Get it on video. It's crazy. Assume the worst possible scenario for safety sake.

[@piercehawke8021]

Either that or the Rattlesnake was a gravid female

[@caseymcfarland505]

Interesting, hadn't considered that.

[@bryanhauschild4376]

Thank you so much for sharing!

[@artawhirler]

Amazing video!! Thanks for sharing it!!

[@caseymcfarland505]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@sajordan3428]

Also, the king may be trying to get out of the direct sun

[@davidgraham2673]

I feel the sudden urge to let my belt out a couple of notches, and take a weeklong nap.

[@partymarty5207]

How does the king kill the rattler? Constriction?

[@caseymcfarland505]

Correct. That first clip in the video shows how the KS had wrapped the Rattler up. Another commenter informed us that death via constriction actually occurs from "ischemia" wherein blood flow is cut off from vital organs, rather than by suffocating the victim. Apparently very quick!

[@tymz-r-achangin]

Cool footage! Just wished you could of showed up sooner to record the battle

[@caseymcfarland505]

Me too!!

[@jkbc]

when Snake kill another snake, do they always swallow the weaker opponent?

[@yestervue4697]

I've seen this scenario with different snakes thrice in life involving king snakes. I love to watch the best show you can ever see better than and far more imaginative than any special effects or CGI effect scenes and that is nature in the middle of being itself.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Isn't that the truth!

[@paulsmodels]

And this is why it is called the California KIng Snake.

[@Whocares.........]

Well done! Thanks for that!❤

[@tomsettles6873]

I came home from school in 1976-77 and our dog and cat had cornered a huge fat 7-8' king snake on our front porch. 3" in diameter. It had a couple bite/scratch marks from the cat. I fed it a couple mice from a pet store and let it go in a field that night. I have never seen a king snake close to the size of that guy.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Wow! So cool. Where was that?

[@markmoore4088]

I doubt a cat would mess with a 7 to 8 foot kingsnake, which makes me think it was not as big as you remember.

[@tomsettles6873]

@@markmoore4088 How dare you question the courage of our family cat Puffer. She was badass. And yes it was over 7' long. My brother and I measured it.

[@mg42lover]

Wow! I’m even more impressed with King snakes! That’s not just a rattlesnake but it looks like a Mojave rattler and they’re just wicked snakes. Super potent venom.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Interesting! Thanks, that's cool to hear. I'll look them up!

[@joeul7]

I caught king snake when I was a teen, took her home, and used to carry her on my shoulder, but one day I took her outside place her on a hanging plant when back inside only for a sec, when I came back out, it was gone never found her, king snakes eat rats mostly never thought they ate other snakes

[@davemitchell6281]

You were lucky to see this I have only seen a couple king snakes this big, look up the king snake they caught in the Santa Monica mountains 7ft sorry I forget the date, the thing is massive.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks for the tip Dave! I just looked that snake up... holy SMOKES what a beast! Incredible, I had no idea. What a beaut

[@davemitchell6281]

@@caseymcfarland505 I would only be so lucky to see one like in your video that big, I have been in the back country for years in So. Cal. and I have only seen a few.

[@shafqatishan437]

Anyone know what happens if kingsnake faces musurana (c.clelia)? Also coral snake vs milksnake (a fight not difference)

[@HogMan2022]

Excellent video. Thank you for sharing. 🙋

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks for watching!

[@_andrewvia]

When I was a kid I found a book at the library - a novel about the life of a king snake, from birth to death, called "The King Snake." Good book.

[@caseymcfarland505]

I love books like that... those are the ones that stick with us!

[@Whitpusmc]

What did the King snake do to kill the rattlesnake?

[@KAZVorpal]

I think it was retreating into the brush because you were hanging around watching it.

[@gregj831]

No one messes with the mighty Kinger!

[@peaceful4you408]

I have a crazy neighbor that owns a very large green anaconda in her basement. She feeds it frozen pigs. Just went over there to see it eat about 2 weeks ago. She said she feeds it pigs once a month. It’s insane watching it eat. She told me and my wife she has been keeping reptiles since she was 5 years old. She once had a huge lizard too but it got loose out its cage and ended up dying outside in the winter time. She use to feed the lizard rats. It was a huge lizard. Almost the size of a dog.

[@chrissolfromatoz5928]

They have both of them in Texas. Some of the biggest diamondback rattlers you ever saw. And plenty of King snakes to keep their population in check.

[@daleburnfart6845]

One snake you never hurt is a California King Snake.

[@Jaded7981]

I have spent much of my life outdoors & have only seen 2 King snakes ever.

[@shannonkohl68]

Saw a much smaller King snake eat a water snake when I was a kid. When the King snake finally crawled off it still had the tail of the water snake hanging out of its mouth like a toothpick.

[@peggynulsen1365]

Very cool video. Thanks for putting this out. Love snakes.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks for watching! It's been really neat to see how many people have enjoyed seeing this

[@peterhanahoe4913]

Amazing video, thanks for sharing.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Thanks for watching!

[@ivanruiz2218]

I was walking my dog once and I saw a California king snake. We had accidentally stumbled upon it walking past a bush and startled it. And then it started what i thought was giving birth to a baby. No, it was throwing up the rattlesnake it ate. I think it did so as a way to escape the danger it felt it was in.

[@caseymcfarland505]

Whoa! That must've been somewhat shocking : )

[@psoon04286]

Not something seen by us city folks. Mesmerizing to say the least👍👍😄

[@caseymcfarland505]

Mesmerizing indeed!