Milk snake

Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum - nominate

The Milk Snake ( Lampropeltis triangulum ) or milk snake is a snake of the family of snakes ( Colubridae ) and belongs to the genus of the king snakes ( Lampropeltis ).

Features

The individual species show very variable in their coloring, drawing and body size. Your body is built generally slim, elongated oval of the head is hardly on the neck. The nominate Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum has Internasalschilde, which are significantly smaller than the Präfrontalschilde, a slightly longer than broad frontal shield, 7 upper lip shields ( scutum supralabiale ), 9 lower lip shields ( scutum sublabiale ), 21 (rarely 23) oblique rows of smooth dorsal scales around midbody, 182-214 belly boards ( Scutum ventral ) and 35-54 under tail- shields ( scutum subcaudale ) and an undivided anal shield on ( Scutum anal ). The back is marked by brownish saddles, which are separated by light transverse bands. Laterally show brown to black spots. The brown to black and hand to the neck whitish or yellowish head is characterized by a V-shaped, dark- edged drawing in the neck area, an upper side extending dark transverse band between the eyes and a temporal link between eyes and mouth. The bright side of the abdomen is mottled dark or has transverse bands. Young snakes are often more contrast than adult snakes triangle. Depending on the subtype membership vary the overall length of between 60 and 150cm. The largest subspecies is gaigeae with up to 158cm Lampropeltis triangulum.

23 of the 25 sub-species have a poisonous coral snake ( Micrurus ) pattern resembling mostly red, black and yellow or white rings. This fact has long been regarded as a prime example of mimicry. The theory of imitation coral snake poisonous snakes through triangle is it doubted that, because many of the so -colored subspecies show no congruent with similar subscribed poisonous snakes spread area among others.

Way of life

The milk snake performs a largely nocturnal lifestyle. Especially after heavy rains it is partly to be found even during the day outside the shelters. Depending on the occurrence and subspecies is the mating season from February to July. It starts after a 3 - to 6-month hibernation. The species propagates through oviparity, so it is oviparous. The nest, which is applied from June to August with wood, bark or loose in the soil, includes 6-24 oblong eggs. The hatching of the young snakes occurs later in the rule, 40 to 60 days. For the prey spectrum of the milk snake include small mammals, lizards, other snakes, and some different insects.

Taxonomy

The first scientific description of the species was made in 1789 by the French zoologist Lacépède. He arranged the way at that time under the name Coluber triangulum today known as anger snakes genus Coluber to. Edward Drinker Cope convicted in 1860 as Lampropeltis triangula in the genus Lampropeltis.

Internal system

The Reptile Database registered the following 25 sub-species:

  • Lampropeltis triangulum abnorma, ( Bocourt, 1886)
  • Lampropeltis triangulum amaura, ( Cope, 1861)
  • Lampropeltis triangulum andesiana, Williams, 1978
  • Lampropeltis triangulum annulata, ( Kennicott, 1861)
  • Lampropeltis triangulum arcifera, ( Werner, 1903)
  • Lampropeltis triangulum blanc hardi, Stuart, 1935
  • Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli, Quinn, 1983
  • Lampropeltis triangulum celaenops, Stejneger, 1903
  • Lampropeltis triangulum conanti, Williams, 1978
  • Lampropeltis triangulum dixoni, Quinn, 1983
  • Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides, ( Holbrook, 1838)
  • Lampropeltis triangulum gentilis ( Baird & Girard, 1853)
  • Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis, Williams, 1978
  • Lampropeltis triangulum micropholis, ( Cope, 1860)
  • Lampropeltis triangulum multistrata, ( Kennicott, 1861)
  • Lampropeltis triangulum nelsoni, Blanchard, 1920
  • Lampropeltis triangulum oligozona, ( Bocourt, 1886)
  • Lampropeltis triangulum polyzona, ( Cope, 1861)
  • Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae, Williams, 1978 Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae
  • Lampropeltis triangulum smithi, Williams, 1978
  • Lampropeltis triangulum Stuarti, Williams, 1978
  • Lampropeltis triangulum syspila, ( Cope, 1889)
  • Lampropeltis triangulum taylori, Tanner & Loomis, 1957
  • Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum, ( Lacépède, 1789)

Occurrence

The milk snake has a very large distribution area. It comes within North America in Ontario, Canada, and nearly the entire United States of America (with the exception of the far West and Northwest ), in the Central American States, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama and northern South America in Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador before. Within this area are spread wide variety of inhabited both wet and dry habitats and a variety of climates ( temperate, arid, sub-tropical and tropical areas ). Some subspecies, about Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides, Lampropeltis triangulum syspila or Lampropeltis triangulum amaura, live in low-lying and wide plains, others prefer montane regions, such as Lampropeltis triangulum arcifera, which can be found in areas that are 700 to 2,500 meters above sea level lie. Some subspecies are found to be synanthropic and are to be found in a working agricultural area.

Subcaudal scales Lampropeltis elapsoides
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