Scarlet Kingsnake
Encyclopedia
The Scarlet kingsnake is a species of kingsnake
found in the southeastern and eastern portions of the United States
. They are found in pine flatwoods hardwood hammocks, prairies, cultivated fields, and suburban areas. Long thought to be divergent from other tri-color kingsnakes and milksnakes, Pyron & Bubrink demonstrated the phylogenetic distinction of this species and its closer relationship to the mountain kingsnakes of the Southwest than to milksnakes. These fossorial snakes are among the smallest of all kingsnake
s, usually ranging from 16 to 20 inches at maturity. The maximum recorded length is 68.4 cm (27 inches). Hatchlings range in size from 3.5 to 7.5 inches.
name (Lampropeltis) is derived from the Ancient Greek
lamprós (λαμπρος) meaning "bright" and peltas (πελτα) meaning "shield", after the sheen of their scales. Its specific name, elapsoides, is a Latinization of the Greek
word éllops which refers to coral and is used to describe the genus of the elapids, which includes the coral snake
, a species the scarlet kingsnake resembles.
It was once believed that Scarlet Kingsnakes intergrade with the Eastern Milksnake which produced a variation once named the coastal plains milk snake (Latin: Lampropeltis triangulum temporalis), but this is no longer recognized as a legitimate subspecies
.
, red
, white
, and various shades of yellow
bands that are believed by some to mimic
the venom
ous coral snake
. A method to help differentiate between venomous and non venomous tri-color snakes in North America
is found in the popular phrases "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" and "Red and black is a friend of Billy Jack". While these sayings are helpful, many people become creative with it making it more difficult than useful. There is a much easier way to remember the difference between the Coral Snake and Scarlet Kingsnake in the Southeast. Coral Snakes have a black snout, while Scarlet Kingsnakes have a red snout. No two other snakes in this region can be confused for these two species, so an easier rhyme is "Red face, safe in my space." Note that as one moves westward into western Louisiana, Texas and further west that this simple rhyme no longer applies as many species of milksnakes can have black snouts.
All Scarlet Kingsnakes are born with white banding. With adults that have shades of yellow instead of white, the juveniles develop the yellow, apricot, or tangerine colored banding of their parents as increase in length, with most specimens expressing this beginning around 10 inches.
Scarlet kingsnakes are secretive, mostly nocturnal, fossorial
snakes and are seldom seen by people. Loose bark on rotting pine trees is a favorite place for them to hide during spring or during heavy rains. They are often found at the base of decaying pines below the fallen bark, decaying wood, and soil where they hunt for they favorite prey, skink
s.
Kingsnake
Kingsnakes are a type of colubrid snake that are members of the Lampropeltis genus, which also includes the milk snake along with another four species and 45 sub-species....
found in the southeastern and eastern portions of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They are found in pine flatwoods hardwood hammocks, prairies, cultivated fields, and suburban areas. Long thought to be divergent from other tri-color kingsnakes and milksnakes, Pyron & Bubrink demonstrated the phylogenetic distinction of this species and its closer relationship to the mountain kingsnakes of the Southwest than to milksnakes. These fossorial snakes are among the smallest of all kingsnake
Kingsnake
Kingsnakes are a type of colubrid snake that are members of the Lampropeltis genus, which also includes the milk snake along with another four species and 45 sub-species....
s, usually ranging from 16 to 20 inches at maturity. The maximum recorded length is 68.4 cm (27 inches). Hatchlings range in size from 3.5 to 7.5 inches.
Taxonomy
The genericGenus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
name (Lampropeltis) is derived from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
lamprós (λαμπρος) meaning "bright" and peltas (πελτα) meaning "shield", after the sheen of their scales. Its specific name, elapsoides, is a Latinization of the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word éllops which refers to coral and is used to describe the genus of the elapids, which includes the coral snake
Coral snake
The coral snakes are a large group of elapid snakes that can be subdivided into two distinct groups, Old World coral snakes and New World coral snakes...
, a species the scarlet kingsnake resembles.
It was once believed that Scarlet Kingsnakes intergrade with the Eastern Milksnake which produced a variation once named the coastal plains milk snake (Latin: Lampropeltis triangulum temporalis), but this is no longer recognized as a legitimate subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
.
Description
Scarlet Kingsnakes have a tri-color pattern of blackBlack
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
, red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
, white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
, and various shades of yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
bands that are believed by some to mimic
Mimic
In evolutionary biology, mimicry is the similarity of one species to another which protects one or both. This similarity can be in appearance, behaviour, sound, scent and even location, with the mimics found in similar places to their models....
the venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
ous coral snake
Coral snake
The coral snakes are a large group of elapid snakes that can be subdivided into two distinct groups, Old World coral snakes and New World coral snakes...
. A method to help differentiate between venomous and non venomous tri-color snakes in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
is found in the popular phrases "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" and "Red and black is a friend of Billy Jack". While these sayings are helpful, many people become creative with it making it more difficult than useful. There is a much easier way to remember the difference between the Coral Snake and Scarlet Kingsnake in the Southeast. Coral Snakes have a black snout, while Scarlet Kingsnakes have a red snout. No two other snakes in this region can be confused for these two species, so an easier rhyme is "Red face, safe in my space." Note that as one moves westward into western Louisiana, Texas and further west that this simple rhyme no longer applies as many species of milksnakes can have black snouts.
All Scarlet Kingsnakes are born with white banding. With adults that have shades of yellow instead of white, the juveniles develop the yellow, apricot, or tangerine colored banding of their parents as increase in length, with most specimens expressing this beginning around 10 inches.
Scarlet kingsnakes are secretive, mostly nocturnal, fossorial
Fossorial
A fossorial organism is one that is adapted to digging and life underground such as the badger, the naked mole rat, and the mole salamanders Ambystomatidae...
snakes and are seldom seen by people. Loose bark on rotting pine trees is a favorite place for them to hide during spring or during heavy rains. They are often found at the base of decaying pines below the fallen bark, decaying wood, and soil where they hunt for they favorite prey, skink
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
s.