Adult black milksnake3/10/2023 Not listed on CITES or the IUCN Red List of Threatened and Endangered Species. Red touches yellow, you're a dead fellow." Conservation status Two rhymes that describe the stripe pattern of these snakes are: There are several rhymes to help people remember the color difference between harmless milk snakes and the poisonous coral snake. Andean milk snakes use this bright coloration to fool potential predators into believing that they are also venomous, and too risky to eat. These bright colors are similar to those of the coral snake, a venomous elapid (which includes cobras and mambas) that lives in the same areas as the milk snakes. It has 24 to 32 red rings which may be broken up with black in the mid- dorsal section and the rings may not completely cross the venter. It has white scales on its snout with black sutures and often a large amount of white on the cheeks. The white and red scales are frequently clearly tipped with black. Unlike most nonvenomous snakes, which are mottled gray and brown for camouflage, Andean milk snakes are brilliantly colored (although adults are often duller than juveniles, having an almost dusky appearance) in red, yellow, and black. Like most snakes, milk snakes only need to eat once every one or two weeks. Young milk snakes mostly eat insects, while larger milk snakes eat small mammals, birds, eggs, amphibians, and other reptiles, including venomous snakes. Like all snakes, Andean milk snakes are carnivores. The captive lifespan can be more than 15 years. Hatchlings are 8 - 10 inches long, but reach an adult length of 38 to 70 inches. Life historyįemales may lay up to four clutches of eggs per year, with 12 - 20 eggs per clutch. Milk snakes often come out of their dens in the afternoon or evening to hunt. They spend much of the time in burrows or under logs, where they are safe from predators and from cold weather. BehaviorĪs mountain dwellers, Andean milk snakes can tolerate much lower temperatures than most snakes. HabitatĪndean milksnakes inhabit high altitude forests and grasslands, up to 9,000 feet (2,700 m) in elevation. The Andean subspecies of milk snake occurs in the Andes mountains of Colombia and Venezuela. Milk snakes range throughout the Americas, from Canada south to Ecuador. At up to 6 feet (1.8 m) long, this is one of the two largest subspecies of milk snake. If they are kept at temperatures between 80 - 85 degrees, they metabolize their food much more quickly than other colubrids, and can become overweight very easily.These colorful snakes are covered in stripes of red, black, and yellow, often with black speckles on each scale. Since they dwell in high elevations in the wild, they do well with their temperatures between 72 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. They will readily accept mice as hatchlings, and as adults may consume medium sized rats. They are typically very hardy snakes in captivity. They typically live up in the wet, high mountain cloud forests at elevations between 50 feet in Costa Rica, and 4300 - 6500 feet in Panama.īlack Milk Snakes typically eat mice, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, reptile eggs, birds, and bird eggs in the wild.īlack Milk Snakes can make excellent pets for many people. Males tend to be longer than females.īlack Milk Snakes are native to Costa Rica and Panama. Adult Black Milk Snakes tend to average out between 48 - 76 inches (4 feet - 6 feet 4 inches) but some have been known to grow up to 7 feet in length. When they are between 6 and 10 months of age, the Black Milk Snake will begin to change colors, and start to turn black as they grow to adulthood. They are red, black, and white or yellow as hatchlings. Black Milk Snakes are found in the mountains of Costa Rica and Panama.Īs hatchlings, Black Milk Snakes hatch out at anywhere between 12 and 16 inches in length. It is the largest known Milk Snake with adults averaging between 48 - 76 inches (4 - 6+ feet) but some can grow as large as 7 feet or more. The Black Milk Snake (Lampropeltis Triangulum Gaigeae) is a subspecies of Milk Snake.
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