''Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae'', commonly known as the Sinaloan milk snake, is an

egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...

-laying

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 nonvenomous

colubrid Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ever ...

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 ...

. It is one of the most commonly bred

milk snake 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'') ...

s in captivity. It is a fairly docile

and will rarely bite. However, if handled, it may discharge a pungent smelling exudate from the cloaca as a warning. The Sinaloan milk snake inhabits the rocky and semi-arid

drylands Drylands are defined by a scarcity of water. Drylands are zones where precipitation is balanced by evaporation from surfaces and by transpiration by plants (evapotranspiration). The United Nations Environment Program defines drylands as tropical ...

of southwestern

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

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 ...

, and southwestern

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

(

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Description

The Sinaloan milk snake is predominantly blood red with distinct rings or bands of black which have thinner cream-colored, whitish, or (rarely) light cream-yellow bands within the black bands. The red rings are bordered near the edge of the ventrals by black pigment, leaving the center of the triad (on the ventral side) with a creamy white. The Sinaloan milk snake is easily distinguished from other

because of the very broad bands of red which are much more prominent than in most other

(far wider than the black bands). The head is black with a cream-colored band just behind the eyes across the top of the head. The belly is creamy-white. Fully grown adults can reach a length of approx. 120 cm. or more in some cases. Like other milk snakes, the Sinaloan milk snake is very agile.

Habitat

The Sinaloan milk snake inhabits the dry, arid and rocky semi-desert regions in southwestern

and southwestern Chihuahua,

. They are often found during the day resting beneath loose rocks, in rock crevices or beneath cactus plants. In areas close to urbanization, they are also found in barns and under piles of wood. Like other milk snakes, the Sinaloan milk snake is nocturnal and feeds after dark and at night. Milk snakes are much more opportunistic eaters than fox snakes or corn snakes. They have been known to consume a variety of

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...

s including rodents,

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

reptile Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians ( ...

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

invertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

s. Nevertheless, the

diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

of an adult milk snake still primarily consists of rodents.

Reproduction

The Sinaloan milk snake mates from early May to late June, sometimes twice a year. The

brumation Dormancy is a period in an organism's life cycle when growth, development, and (in animals) physical activity are temporarily stopped. This minimizes metabolic activity and therefore helps an organism to conserve energy. Dormancy tends to be clos ...

period is between November to February. The female lays an average of 5-15 elongated eggs beneath rotting wood, boards, rocks and rotting vegetation. The eggs hatch after about 60 days. Like other members of the king snake family, the Sinaloan milk snake sometimes eats other

s and does have at least some immunity to their

venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

In captivity

Sinaloan milk snakes adapt well in captivity if kept between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, with a nighttime temperature drop of 5 to 10 degrees. Temperature control is important, as it maintains the animal's feeding response and digestion. Cages should be escape-proof and fresh water provided at all times.

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 ...

s and milk snakes must be housed separately (except during the breeding season) because they are

cannibalistic Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species In biology, a species is the basic ...

. They can be flighty and will typically defecate when initially handled, though they will rarely bite. They become more docile with regular handling.

References

External links

*
Milk snake information
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2007956 Lampropeltis Reptiles of Mexico Reptiles of the United States Taxa named by Kenneth L. Williams