 Kenneth L. Krysko photo. |
Adult scarlet kingsnake. |
Scientific name: Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides
Description: Average adult size is 14-20 inches (35.5-50.8 cm), record is 27 inches (68.5 cm). Adults are tricolored, displaying red, black, and yellow rings that encircle the entire body. Both the red and yellow rings are surrounded by black rings, thus the red and yellow rings never touch. The snout is red. The belly pattern is the same as the dorsal color - red, black, and yellow. The scales are smooth, and there are 19 dorsal scale rows at midbody. The pupil is round.
Juvenile colors are like those
of adults, but the yellow rings may
be white.
 Kenneth L. Krysko photo. |
Juvenile scarlet kingsnake. |
Scarlet kingsnake: Left to right: Side of the head; underside
of the head (chin and throat).
Scarlet kingsnake: Front (face view) of the head.
Range: It is found throughout Florida. There have been 2 specimens reported from the keys, one from Key Largo and the other from Key West. Outside of Florida, it is found from eastern Louisiana to southern New Jersey.
Habitat: Locally abundant, it is found in pinelands, and hardwood hammocks.
Comments: 
,
and reluctant to bite. The scarlet kingsnake is active primarily at night.
It is mainly a terrestrial burrower, yet it can climb extremely well.
Although rarely seen due to its fossorial behavior, it can be found under
rocks, inside logs, and under tree bark on dead, standing trees.
It feeds on small lizards, rodents, and other snakes.
It lays eggs. Breeding occurs from March-June. Usually 2-9 eggs are laid between May-August. Newborns are very small, from 3-3.5 inches (7.6-8.8 cm) in length.
Comparison with other species: The scarlet kingsnake is frequently mistaken for the venomous coral snake (Micrurus fulvius) or the non-venomous scarlet snake (Cemophora cocinnea), but it really is easy to distinguish between the three species. A mnemonic rhyme may help you distinguish the coral snake from the two harmless species:
-
'If red touches yellow, it
can kill a fellow' (coral snake)
'If red touches black, it is a friend of Jack' (scarlet kingsnake or scarlet snake)
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