The scales on the back of the head and back of the giant snake are black, with king markings, round pupils, and the snout scales are visible on the back of the head.

The back of the king snake is black, mixed with yellow spots, like cauliflower, so it is called the cauliflower snake. Head and back brownish yellow, scale margins and scale grooves black. The ventral surface is yellow, with black spots on the posterior edge of the ventral scales. The dorsal surface of the larvae is grayish-olive, the scale margins are blackish, and there is a short longitudinal stripe behind the occiput, black. The belly is flesh-colored. The body color markings are very different between the juveniles, and it is easy to be mistaken for another species, so be careful.