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Lampropeltis triangulum syspila
Milk snakes grow 20 to 60 inches (51 to 152 cm) long.[1] They have smooth and shiny scales and their typical color pattern is alternating bands of red-black-yellow or white-black-red.[1]However, red blotches instead of bands are seen in some populations.[1] Some milk snakes have a striking resemblance to coral snakes and this mimicry (known as Batesian mimicry) likely scares away potential predators. While both milk snakes and coral snakes possess transverse bands of red, black and yellow, a common mnemonic can be used to properly distinguish between the deadly coral snake and the harmless milk snake:
Across the wide range of this species, habitat varies. Typically, milk snakes live in forested regions; however, in some regions they can be located in open prairies. In various parts across its distribution, milk snakes often abide in rocky slopes.[1]
Spotted on Jun 28, 2015
Submitted on Jun 30, 2015
1 Comment
This is not the red milk snake, so please remove the subspecies name from the scientific name. Looks much more like a pueblan milk snake found in Mexico. Either way, including a photo of the entire snake would be most helpful, as well as providing a description and habitat in your own words, not copyrighted from other internet sources that you didn't credit.