Milk Snake
|
|
| Milk Snake | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Lampropeltis triangulum Lacépède, 1789 |
The Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum) is a species of king snake. There are several subspecies among the milk snakes, including the Scarlet Kingsnake Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides. The subspecies have strikingly different appearance and many of them have their own common names.
Some milk snakes have a striking resemblance to a coral snake and use this mimicry as a form of self defence. However, the Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum) does not resemble a coral snake; instead it tends to have similar markings to that of several other snakes, particularly the fox snake. There is enough distinction to make the Eastern Milk Snake fairly easy to identify.
The name of this medium sized snake has been given because of its tendency to be found near milk houses searching for rodents.
Milk Snakes are much more opportunistic eaters than the fox snake or corn snake. They have been known to consume a variety of animals including rodents, eggs, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. Nevertheless the diet of an adult Milk Snake still primarily consists of rodents.
Like other members of the king snake family, the Milk Snakes sometimes eat other snakes, and do have at least some immunity to their venom. nl:melkslang