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Scarlet kingsnake

April 11, 2024

The scarlet kingsnake or scarlet milk snake (Lampropeltis elapsoides) is a species of kingsnake found in the southeastern and eastern portions of the United States.[4] Like all kingsnakes, they are nonvenomous. They are found in pine flatwoods,[5] hydric hammocks, pine savannas, mesic pine-oak forests, prairies, cultivated fields, and a variety of suburban habitats; not unusually, people find scarlet kingsnakes in their swimming pools, especially during the spring. Until recently, and for much of the 20th century, scarlet kingsnakes were considered a subspecies of the milk snake; however, Pyron and Bubrink[6] demonstrated the phylogenetic distinction of this species and its closer relationship to the mountain kingsnakes of the southwestern United States. These largely fossorial snakes are the smallest of all the species within the genus Lampropeltis, usually ranging from 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20 in) at maturity. The maximum recorded length is in Jonesboro, AR 76.2 cm (30.0 in). Hatchlings range in size from 8 to 18 cm (3.1 to 7.1 in). [7]

Scarlet kingsnake
Adult Lampropeltis elapsoides in Florida
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Lampropeltis
Species:
L. elapsoides
Binomial name
Lampropeltis elapsoides
(Holbrook, 1838)
Synonyms
  • Coluber elapsoides Holbrook, 1838
  • Osceola elapsoidea — Cope, 1900
  • Lampropeltis elapsoides
    — Stejneger & Barbour, 1917[2]
  • Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides — Conant & Collins, 1991
  • Lampropeltis elapsoides
    — Pyron & Burbrink, 2009[3]

Taxonomy edit

 
Juvenile, Florida locale
 
Juvenile scarlet kingsnake found swimming in a pool in Davenport, FL

The generic name, Lampropeltis, is derived from the Ancient Greek lamprós (λαμπρος) meaning "shiny" and peltas (πελτας) meaning "shield", after the sheen of their scales. [8] Its specific name, elapsoides, is a Latinization of the Greek word éllops (ελλοπς)[9] which refers to coral and was used to describe the 19th century genus, Elaps (the type genus of the family Elapidae), which included the eastern coral snake (Micrurus fulvius), a venomous species which the scarlet kingsnake resembles and with which the scarlet kingsnake is partly sympatric.[10] The range of scarlet kingsnakes extends considerably further north and northeast than the eastern coral snake.[11][12]

The scarlet kingsnake was once believed to have intergraded with the eastern milk snake, which produced a variation once named as a subspecies called the Coastal Plains milk snake (L. t. temporalis), but this is no longer recognized as a legitimate taxon.[5][13]

Description edit

 

Scarlet kingsnakes have a tricolored pattern of black, red, white, and various shades of yellow bands that appear to mimic the venomous coral snake in a form of Batesian mimicry. A method to help differentiate between venomous and non-venomous tricolor snakes in North America is found in an enormous variety of popular phrases, which are usually some variation of "Red touches black, friend of jack, red touches yellow, kill a fellow", "red on yellow, kill a fellow; red on black, venom lack", or "if red touches yellow, you're a dead fellow; if red touches black, you're all right, Jack". For tri-colored snakes found east of the Mississippi River, all of these phrases can be replaced with the simple phrase, "Red face, I'm safe", in reference to the red snout of scarlet kingsnakes as opposed to the prominent black snout of the eastern coral snake (Micrurus fulvius).[citation needed]

Scarlet kingsnakes are born with white, black, and red banding. As they mature, they develop varying shades of yellow within geographic areas where this is expressed. In addition, the yellowing is not uniform, but rather this pigmentation proceeds from lighter to darker from the lowermost scales upward to the dorsum, or "back", presenting a multiple yellowish band. Early expression of yellowing appears as early as 3 months and continues through the first 3 years. As adults age, a gradual darkening of the yellowish banding occurs. The yellow pigmentation varies from lemon, to school-bus yellow, to tangerine, to apricot. [citation needed]

Scarlet kingsnakes are secretive, nocturnal, fossorial snakes, so are infrequently seen by people. They are excellent climbers. They can be found underneath the loose bark on rotting pines (which is a favorite place for them to hide during spring or during heavy rains), under the bark on dying or decaying pines and their stumps, and decaying wood, where they hunt for their favorite prey, small snakes and lizards, especially skinks. [citation needed]

Hatchling scarlet kingsnakes show a strong predisposition for ground skinks (Scincella lateralis), often to the exclusion of other prey items. One study showed that elongate squamates made up about 97% of these snakes diets, potentially due to their small mouths. Out of those elongate squamates, the aforementioned skinks made up 74%, while colubroid snakes made up only 15%. All prey items ingested in this study were consumed headfirst, and on average prey was 19% of predator mass. It has also been noted that the diet of Lampropeltis elapsoides is unusually narrow compared to adults of most other species.[14]

Reproduction edit

The scarlet kingsnake is polygynandrous, meaning both males and females will mate with multiple partners.[15] Their breeding season is March-June, and females have multiple egg clutches that incubate for 40-65 days. [16]

Lampropeltis elapsoides is an oviparous species of snake that lays eggs in clutches of 4-12, usually under rotting wood and between rocks and logs. These eggs are white and slender, with most adhering to one another. Eggs typically hatch within 2-2.5 months, though times may vary.[17]

In other media edit

Film edit

Scarlet kingsnakes were used to simulate coral snakes in the 2006 film Snakes on a Plane.[18] A scarlet kingsnake also appears briefly as an unidentified venomous snake in an early scene of 2001 film The Mummy Returns.[19]

Television edit

In Season 5 of Peep Show Super Hans rents a scarlet kingsnake as a prop for a house party. Despite Hans' mnemonic stating "Red next to black, jump the fuck back, red next to yellow, cuddly fellow", kingsnakes are not venomous.

References edit

  1. ^ Hammerson, G.A. (2019). "Lampropeltis elapsoides". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T67662850A67662876. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T67662850A67662876.en. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  2. ^ Stejneger, Leonhard; Barbour, Thomas. 1917. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 125 pp. (Lampropeltis elapsoides, p. 88).
  3. ^ The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  4. ^ Willson, J (2023-10-19). "Scarlet Kingsnake / Eastern Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum)". from the original on 2023-08-17.
  5. ^ a b Armstrong, Michael P.; Frymire, David; Zimmerer, Edmund J. (December 2001), "Analysis of sympatric populations of Lampropeltis triangulum syspila and Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides, in western Kentucky and adjacent Tennessee with relation to the taxonomic status of the scarlet kingsnake", Journal of Herpetology, 35 (4), Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles: 688–93, doi:10.2307/1565915, ISSN 0022-1511, JSTOR 1565915
  6. ^ Pyron, R.A.; Burbrink, F.T. (2009), , Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 52 (2): 524–529, doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.02.008, PMID 19236930, archived from the original on 2011-10-06
  7. ^ " "Lakewood Ranch Snake Removal | Nuisance Wildlife Control and Removal Lakewood Ranch Snake Trapping | Lakewood Ranch Animal Control Trapping Removal Service | Attic Repair and Restoration in Lakewood Ranch | Wildlife Trapper".
  8. ^ Tennant, Alan (2006). Lone Star Field Guide to Texas Snakes. Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 193. ISBN 978-1-4616-3564-2. the smooth dorsal scales have an enamel-like surface to which the genus' Latin name, Lampropeltis, or "shining skin shield," refers.
  9. ^ "Virginia Herpetological Society". www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  10. ^ "Scarlet Kingsnake". a-z-animals. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  11. ^ "Species Profile: Scarlet Kingsnake / Eastern Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulatum) | SREL Herpetology". srelherp.uga.edu. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  12. ^ "Species Profile: Eastern Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius) | SREL Herpetology". srelherp.uga.edu. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  13. ^ Williams, Kenneth L. (1988), Systematics and natural history of the American milk snake, Lampropeltis triangulum., Milwaukee, WI: Milwaukee Public Museum
  14. ^ Greene, Harry W.; Zimmerer, Edmund J.; Palmer, William M.; Benard, Michael F. (2010-03-01). "Diet Specialization by the Scarlet Kingsnake, Lampropeltis elapsoides (Colubridae)". Reptiles & Amphibians. 17 (1): 18–22. doi:10.17161/randa.v17i1.16057. ISSN 2332-4961.
  15. ^ Armstrong, Michael P.; Frymire, David; Zimmerer, Edmund J. (2001). "Analysis of Sympatric Populations of Lampropeltis triangulum syspila and Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides, in Western Kentucky and Adjacent Tennessee with Relation to the Taxonomic Status of the Scarlet Kingsnake". Journal of Herpetology. 35 (4): 688–693. doi:10.2307/1565915. ISSN 0022-1511.
  16. ^ Groves, J. D., & Sachs, P. S. (1973). Eggs and young of the scarlet king snake, Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides. Journal of Herpetology, 7(4), 389. https://doi.org/10.2307/
  17. ^ "Virginia Herpetological Society". www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  18. ^ Case, Russ (2011-12-01). "Snakes On A Plane". Reptiles Magazine. from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  19. ^ "The Mummy Returns (2001)". californiaherps.com. Retrieved 2023-06-10.

Further reading edit

  • Conant, Roger. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp. ISBN 0-395-19979-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides, p. 209 + Plate 30 + Map 153.)
  • Holbrook, John Edwards. 1936. North American Herpetology; or, A Description of the Reptiles Inhabiting the United States. Vol. II. Philadelphia: J. Dobson. 130 pp. + Plates I.- XXX. (Coluber elapsoides, pp. 123–125 + Plate XXVIII.)
  • Schmidt, Karl P.; Davis, D. Dwight. 1941. Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 365 pp. (Lampropeltis elapsoides, p. 173 + Plate 6.)
  • Smith, Hobart M.; Brodie, Edmund D., Jr. 1982. Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. ISBN 0-307-13666-3. (Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides, pp. 180–181.)
  • Wright, Albert Hazen; Wright, Anna Allen. 1957. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Ithaca and London: Comstock. 1,105 pp. (in two volumes) (Lampropeltis doliata doliata, pp. 351–355, Figure 106 + Map 31 on p. 338.)

April 11, 2024
scarlet, kingsnake, scarlet, kingsnake, scarlet, milk, snake, lampropeltis, elapsoides, species, kingsnake, found, southeastern, eastern, portions, united, states, like, kingsnakes, they, nonvenomous, they, found, pine, flatwoods, hydric, hammocks, pine, savan. The scarlet kingsnake or scarlet milk snake Lampropeltis elapsoides is a species of kingsnake found in the southeastern and eastern portions of the United States 4 Like all kingsnakes they are nonvenomous They are found in pine flatwoods 5 hydric hammocks pine savannas mesic pine oak forests prairies cultivated fields and a variety of suburban habitats not unusually people find scarlet kingsnakes in their swimming pools especially during the spring Until recently and for much of the 20th century scarlet kingsnakes were considered a subspecies of the milk snake however Pyron and Bubrink 6 demonstrated the phylogenetic distinction of this species and its closer relationship to the mountain kingsnakes of the southwestern United States These largely fossorial snakes are the smallest of all the species within the genus Lampropeltis usually ranging from 40 to 50 cm 16 to 20 in at maturity The maximum recorded length is in Jonesboro AR 76 2 cm 30 0 in Hatchlings range in size from 8 to 18 cm 3 1 to 7 1 in 7 Scarlet kingsnakeAdult Lampropeltis elapsoides in FloridaConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ReptiliaOrder SquamataSuborder SerpentesFamily ColubridaeGenus LampropeltisSpecies L elapsoidesBinomial nameLampropeltis elapsoides Holbrook 1838 SynonymsColuber elapsoides Holbrook 1838 Osceola elapsoidea Cope 1900 Lampropeltis elapsoides Stejneger amp Barbour 1917 2 Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides Conant amp Collins 1991 Lampropeltis elapsoides Pyron amp Burbrink 2009 3 Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Reproduction 4 In other media 4 1 Film 4 2 Television 5 References 6 Further readingTaxonomy edit nbsp Juvenile Florida locale nbsp Juvenile scarlet kingsnake found swimming in a pool in Davenport FLThe generic name Lampropeltis is derived from the Ancient Greek lampros lampros meaning shiny and peltas peltas meaning shield after the sheen of their scales 8 Its specific name elapsoides is a Latinization of the Greek word ellops ellops 9 which refers to coral and was used to describe the 19th century genus Elaps the type genus of the family Elapidae which included the eastern coral snake Micrurus fulvius a venomous species which the scarlet kingsnake resembles and with which the scarlet kingsnake is partly sympatric 10 The range of scarlet kingsnakes extends considerably further north and northeast than the eastern coral snake 11 12 The scarlet kingsnake was once believed to have intergraded with the eastern milk snake which produced a variation once named as a subspecies called the Coastal Plains milk snake L t temporalis but this is no longer recognized as a legitimate taxon 5 13 Description editThis section includes a list of references related reading or external links but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations Please help improve this section by introducing more precise citations May 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message nbsp Scarlet kingsnakes have a tricolored pattern of black red white and various shades of yellow bands that appear to mimic the venomous coral snake in a form of Batesian mimicry A method to help differentiate between venomous and non venomous tricolor snakes in North America is found in an enormous variety of popular phrases which are usually some variation of Red touches black friend of jack red touches yellow kill a fellow red on yellow kill a fellow red on black venom lack or if red touches yellow you re a dead fellow if red touches black you re all right Jack For tri colored snakes found east of the Mississippi River all of these phrases can be replaced with the simple phrase Red face I m safe in reference to the red snout of scarlet kingsnakes as opposed to the prominent black snout of the eastern coral snake Micrurus fulvius citation needed Scarlet kingsnakes are born with white black and red banding As they mature they develop varying shades of yellow within geographic areas where this is expressed In addition the yellowing is not uniform but rather this pigmentation proceeds from lighter to darker from the lowermost scales upward to the dorsum or back presenting a multiple yellowish band Early expression of yellowing appears as early as 3 months and continues through the first 3 years As adults age a gradual darkening of the yellowish banding occurs The yellow pigmentation varies from lemon to school bus yellow to tangerine to apricot citation needed Scarlet kingsnakes are secretive nocturnal fossorial snakes so are infrequently seen by people They are excellent climbers They can be found underneath the loose bark on rotting pines which is a favorite place for them to hide during spring or during heavy rains under the bark on dying or decaying pines and their stumps and decaying wood where they hunt for their favorite prey small snakes and lizards especially skinks citation needed Hatchling scarlet kingsnakes show a strong predisposition for ground skinks Scincella lateralis often to the exclusion of other prey items One study showed that elongate squamates made up about 97 of these snakes diets potentially due to their small mouths Out of those elongate squamates the aforementioned skinks made up 74 while colubroid snakes made up only 15 All prey items ingested in this study were consumed headfirst and on average prey was 19 of predator mass It has also been noted that the diet of Lampropeltis elapsoides is unusually narrow compared to adults of most other species 14 Reproduction editThe scarlet kingsnake is polygynandrous meaning both males and females will mate with multiple partners 15 Their breeding season is March June and females have multiple egg clutches that incubate for 40 65 days 16 Lampropeltis elapsoides is an oviparous species of snake that lays eggs in clutches of 4 12 usually under rotting wood and between rocks and logs These eggs are white and slender with most adhering to one another Eggs typically hatch within 2 2 5 months though times may vary 17 In other media editFilm edit Scarlet kingsnakes were used to simulate coral snakes in the 2006 film Snakes on a Plane 18 A scarlet kingsnake also appears briefly as an unidentified venomous snake in an early scene of 2001 film The Mummy Returns 19 Television edit In Season 5 of Peep Show Super Hans rents a scarlet kingsnake as a prop for a house party Despite Hans mnemonic stating Red next to black jump the fuck back red next to yellow cuddly fellow kingsnakes are not venomous References edit Hammerson G A 2019 Lampropeltis elapsoides IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019 e T67662850A67662876 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2019 2 RLTS T67662850A67662876 en Retrieved 6 June 2022 Stejneger Leonhard Barbour Thomas 1917 A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press 125 pp Lampropeltis elapsoides p 88 The Reptile Database www reptile database org Willson J 2023 10 19 Scarlet Kingsnake Eastern Milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum Archived from the original on 2023 08 17 a b Armstrong Michael P Frymire David Zimmerer Edmund J December 2001 Analysis of sympatric populations of Lampropeltis triangulum syspila and Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides in western Kentucky and adjacent Tennessee with relation to the taxonomic status of the scarlet kingsnake Journal of Herpetology 35 4 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles 688 93 doi 10 2307 1565915 ISSN 0022 1511 JSTOR 1565915 Pyron R A Burbrink F T 2009 Neogene diversification and taxonomic stability in the snake tribe Lampropeltini Serpentes Colubridae Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 52 2 524 529 doi 10 1016 j ympev 2009 02 008 PMID 19236930 archived from the original on 2011 10 06 Lakewood Ranch Snake Removal Nuisance Wildlife Control and Removal Lakewood Ranch Snake Trapping Lakewood Ranch Animal Control Trapping Removal Service Attic Repair and Restoration in Lakewood Ranch Wildlife Trapper Tennant Alan 2006 Lone Star Field Guide to Texas Snakes Taylor Trade Publishing p 193 ISBN 978 1 4616 3564 2 the smooth dorsal scales have an enamel like surface to which the genus Latin name Lampropeltis or shining skin shield refers Virginia Herpetological Society www virginiaherpetologicalsociety com Retrieved 2023 10 19 Scarlet Kingsnake a z animals Retrieved June 10 2023 Species Profile Scarlet Kingsnake Eastern Milksnake Lampropeltis triangulatum SREL Herpetology srelherp uga edu Retrieved 2023 06 11 Species Profile Eastern Coral Snake Micrurus fulvius SREL Herpetology srelherp uga edu Retrieved 2023 06 11 Williams Kenneth L 1988 Systematics and natural history of the American milk snake Lampropeltis triangulum Milwaukee WI Milwaukee Public Museum Greene Harry W Zimmerer Edmund J Palmer William M Benard Michael F 2010 03 01 Diet Specialization by the Scarlet Kingsnake Lampropeltis elapsoides Colubridae Reptiles amp Amphibians 17 1 18 22 doi 10 17161 randa v17i1 16057 ISSN 2332 4961 Armstrong Michael P Frymire David Zimmerer Edmund J 2001 Analysis of Sympatric Populations of Lampropeltis triangulum syspila and Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides in Western Kentucky and Adjacent Tennessee with Relation to the Taxonomic Status of the Scarlet Kingsnake Journal of Herpetology 35 4 688 693 doi 10 2307 1565915 ISSN 0022 1511 Groves J D amp Sachs P S 1973 Eggs and young of the scarlet king snake Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides Journal of Herpetology 7 4 389 https doi org 10 2307 Virginia Herpetological Society www virginiaherpetologicalsociety com Retrieved 2023 06 11 Case Russ 2011 12 01 Snakes On A Plane Reptiles Magazine Archived from the original on February 3 2023 Retrieved 2023 06 10 The Mummy Returns 2001 californiaherps com Retrieved 2023 06 10 Further reading editConant Roger 1975 A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America Second Edition Boston Houghton Mifflin xviii 429 pp ISBN 0 395 19979 4 hardcover ISBN 0 395 19977 8 paperback Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides p 209 Plate 30 Map 153 Holbrook John Edwards 1936 North American Herpetology or A Description of the Reptiles Inhabiting the United States Vol II Philadelphia J Dobson 130 pp Plates I XXX Coluber elapsoides pp 123 125 Plate XXVIII Schmidt Karl P Davis D Dwight 1941 Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada New York G P Putnam s Sons 365 pp Lampropeltis elapsoides p 173 Plate 6 Smith Hobart M Brodie Edmund D Jr 1982 Reptiles of North America A Guide to Field Identification New York Golden Press 240 pp ISBN 0 307 13666 3 Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides pp 180 181 Wright Albert Hazen Wright Anna Allen 1957 Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada Ithaca and London Comstock 1 105 pp in two volumes Lampropeltis doliata doliata pp 351 355 Figure 106 Map 31 on p 338 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Scarlet kingsnake amp oldid 1215557189, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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