Species
Scarlet kingsnake
Lampropeltis elapsoides
A small, brilliantly banded kingsnake that imitates the coral snake and lives under bark.
Photo Unknown photographer (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC0 1.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- Usually 35 to 50 cm long
- Habitat
- Pine woods, especially under the bark of dead pines and in stumps
- Diet
- Lizards, especially skinks; small snakes
- In Georgia
- Statewide except the higher mountains
- Venomous
- No
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Rings of red, black and yellow encircling the body, with red touching black; red snout
- Told apart from
- Eastern coralsnake, whose red rings touch yellow and whose snout is black
- Where to look
- Under loose bark of dead pines and in rotting stumps
Behaviour
It is secretive, living under bark and in decaying logs, where it hunts skinks. Its colours mimic the venomous coral snake, which may protect it from predators.
Why they matter
It is a classic example of mimicry, and a small predator of lizards in pine forests.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Eggs — Usually 2 to 9
Nest — In rotting logs
Incubation — About 60 days
Hatchlings — Brightly banded
Maturity — In two to three years
Lifespan — Several years
Living around people
- It is harmless; leaving dead standing pines gives it shelter.
Misconceptions
- It is a coral snake. Red touching black means a harmless mimic in the Southeast.
Related species
Seasonal activity
When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | Sheltering | Sheltering | Emerging | Active | Mating | Laying | Active | Hatching | Active | Active | Sheltering | Sheltering |
Where it lives
Recorded in 8 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
If you found one
Answer a few questions and you will get a specific answer for what you are looking at.
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