Milk Snake

Lampropeltis triangulum

Milk snakes are beautiful tri-colored colubrids native to the Americas, famous for their bold banding patterns in red, black, and yellow or white. Their colors mimic the venomous coral snake in a classic example of Batesian mimicry, though the rhyme "red touches yellow, kill a fellow" only works reliably for North American species. Milk snakes encompass many subspecies with varying sizes - from the smaller Pueblan milk snake at 2-3 feet to the Honduran milk snake reaching 4-5 feet. All share similar care requirements and make excellent intermediate-level snakes. They can be slightly nippy when young but typically calm with regular handling and are reliable feeders once established.