Animals of The Florida Scrub

scarlet kingsnake
Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides

The milk snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum) have the largest distribution of any New World snake species, ranging from Canada through South America. The scarlet kingsnake is the subspecies that occurs in the southeastern US. Scarlet kings occur in a variety of terrestrial habitats including Florida scrub. These beautiful little snakes (up to 20") eat lizards and smaller snakes that they kill by constriction. They spend most of their time out of sight under logs or under the bark of dead trees. Note the red snout and the color pattern of red-touching-black. Poisonous coral snakes have a black snout and a color pattern with red-touching-yellow. Remember this little ditty:

"Red to yellow, Kill a fellow; Red to black, Venom lack"


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