Scarlet Kingsnake
Lampropeltis elapsoides • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Lampropeltis, Species: Lampropeltis elapsoides
Southeastern United States, ranging from eastern Louisiana and Mississippi north to Kentucky and Virginia, and throughout Florida and the coastal plains.
Look up Scarlet Kingsnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Lampropeltis, Species: Lampropeltis elapsoides
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Main threats include localized habitat loss and fragmentation due to agriculture and suburban development.
Physical Description
Displays a striking tricolor banded pattern consisting of bright red, black, and yellowish-white or pale yellow rings encircling the body. The snout is typically red. Scales are smooth and glossy, giving the body an iridescent sheen. The head is relatively small and only slightly distinct from the neck, with round pupils.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen pictured appears to be a juvenile or sub-adult, roughly 30 to 45 cm in length. Adults typically reach a total length of 40 to 60 cm, with a maximum recorded length of around 75 cm.
Habitat
Primarily found in pine flatwoods, pine-oak woodlands, and mixed hardwood forests. They are semi-fossorial and frequently hide beneath loose bark, decaying logs, and in leaf litter, typically at lower elevations.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized feeder focusing primarily on other reptiles, including lizards (such as skinks) and small snakes, as well as occasionally small rodents and nestling reptiles. They are active foragers that hunt in hidden microhabitats and use constriction to subdue prey.
Reproduction
Oviparous species. Females typically lay a clutch of 2 to 10 eggs during early summer, usually in decaying wood, beneath logs, or underground in moist soil. Eggs hatch in late summer or early autumn.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with the Eastern Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius) and the Scarlet Snake (Cemophora coccinea). The Scarlet Kingsnake can be distinguished from the coral snake by its red snout and the classic mnemonic pattern where red touches black bands ('red on black, friend of jack'), whereas coral snakes feature red touching yellow ('red on yellow, kill a fellow').
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Main threats include localized habitat loss and fragmentation due to agriculture and suburban development.
Cultural Significance
Famous in North American folklore due to Batesian mimicry complexes involving coral snakes, serving as a classic biology textbook example for evolutionary adaptation and predator avoidance.
Notable Features
Exhibits classic Batesian mimicry, evolving a vibrant color pattern that mimics potentially dangerous species in its environment, providing a strong deterrent against visual predators despite lacking any specialized defensive weaponry of its own.