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Nelson's milksnake (''Lampropeltis triangulum nelsoni'') is a
The snake has 13 to 18 red rings and commonly has a dark-flecked light snout (in rare cases, the snout is mostly black). While the red bands are quite wide, the black ones are noticeably thinner, and the white is very thin. There is practically no black tipping on both the white and the red scales. Albinism and pattern aberrancies are established. It has 19 to 23 rows of smooth scales and a single anal plate.
Until noted by Williams in 1978, it was not recognized that the '' L. t. sinaloae'', or Sinaloan milksnake, found near
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of king snake
Kingsnakes are colubrid New World members of the genus ''Lampropeltis'', which includes 26 species. Among these, about 45 subspecies are recognized. They are nonvenomous and ophiophagous in diet.
Description
Kingsnakes vary widely in size and ...
that is found in Mexico from southern Guanajuato
Guanajuato (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato), is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 46 municipalities and its capital city i ...
and central Jalisco
Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...
to the Pacific Coast
Pacific coast may be used to reference any coastline that borders the Pacific Ocean.
Geography Americas
Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western or southwestern border, except for Panama, where the Pac ...
. It is also found on the narrow plains of northwestern Michoacán
Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...
and on the Tres Marias Islands
Tres may refer to:
* Tres (instrument), a Cuban musical instrument
* Tres, Trentino, municipality in Italy
* "Tres" (song) by Juanes
* "Tres", a song by Líbido from their album ''Hembra''
* TrES, the ''Trans-Atlantic Exoplanet Survey''
* Templi R ...
. The range of this snake appears to be tied to the proximity of watercourse
A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams are ...
s, including ones utilized for irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...
and agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
. It is a subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of the milksnake
The milk snake or milksnake (''Lampropeltis triangulum''), is a species of kingsnake; 24 subspecies are currently recognized. ''Lampropeltis elapsoides'', the scarlet kingsnake, was formerly classified as a 25th subspecies (''L. t. elapsoides'' ...
, ''Lampropeltis triangulum''. It is similar in size to other king snake
Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...
s, averaging long, and like them, it is nonvenomous.
This species is named in honor of Edward W. Nelson who worked for the U.S. Biological Survey
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with oth ...
from 1890, becoming chief in 1916.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Lampropeltis triangulum nelsoni'', p. 188).
Characteristics
Size: Adults average long. Habitat: Semi-arid coastal thorn scrub and interior tropical deciduous forests. Prey: Nelsons are opportunistic feeders. They will eat birds, smallrodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...
s, lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
s, amphibian
Amphibians are tetrapod, four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the Class (biology), class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terres ...
s, and other snakes, including venomous species. It has a natural tolerance to the venoms of many native snakes.
Appearance
The snake has 13 to 18 red rings and commonly has a dark-flecked light snout (in rare cases, the snout is mostly black). While the red bands are quite wide, the black ones are noticeably thinner, and the white is very thin. There is practically no black tipping on both the white and the red scales. Albinism and pattern aberrancies are established. It has 19 to 23 rows of smooth scales and a single anal plate.
Until noted by Williams in 1978, it was not recognized that the '' L. t. sinaloae'', or Sinaloan milksnake, found near Mazatlán
Mazatlán () is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding ''municipio'', known as the Mazatlán Municipality. It is located at on the Pacific coast, across from the southernmost tip of ...
, Sinaloa
Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...
, Mexico, is a subspecies of milksnake distinct from the less common ''L. t. nelsoni''.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2382700 Lampropeltis Reptiles of Mexico