Mexican milk snake
| Mexican milk snake | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Lampropeltis |
| Species: | L. triangulum |
| Subspecies: | L. t. annulata |
| Trinomial name | |
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Lampropeltis triangulum annulata Kennicott, 1861 |
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Lampropeltis triangulum annulata, commonly known as the Mexican milk snake, is a nonvenomous species of milk snake.
This reptile is native primarily to the hot semi-arid regions of northeastern Mexico in Coahuila, Tamaulipas and Nuevo León, but it can be found as far north as the United States, in southwestern Texas .
The Mexican milk snake has distinct red, black and cream colored banding, which sometimes leads to it being called a coral snake mimic. Localities indicate cleaner whites to the west, dirty whites to the east and north, and said white turning yellow becoming orange the more south. The underside of annulata is checkered black and white, with southern localities having higher concentrations of black and northern localities having more white . They grow to approximately 24-30 inches (61-76 cm) in length. Lampropeltis triangulum annulata has more girth than most other milk snake subspecies . It is not venomous, contrary to the coral snake which appears fairly similar to this milk snake. The coral snake's red and yellow bands are adjacent, while the milk snake's red and black bands are adjacent. Distinguishing between the two, therefore, is often taught with the mnemonic device "red touches/on black, friend of Jack; red touches/on yellow, kill a fellow". (A variation is: "Red on yellow kills a fellow. Red on black venom lack.")
Mexican milk snakes are generally nocturnal as well as crepuscular, and prefer to hide when the temperatures are higher, becoming most active in the cooler periods of the spring and fall. They eat primarily rodents and lizards, but will sometimes eat other snakes. As with all Lampropeltis genus snakes, however, they will eat most appropriately (or reasonably) sized animals they encounter if voracious enough. Their choice of habitat is semi-arid brush areas, with sandy soils. While these snakes are primarily nocturnal and crepuscular as stated, they will occasionally bask for short periods during the day, and in captivity, if provided with a basking lamp .
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Wikipedia