Lampropeltis Triangulum: Introduction Species Description Taxonomy: Names and Namers What They Look Like Biogeography: Range Habitat How and What They Eat How They Reproduce Other Resources Journals and Other Citations Museums and Specimens Zoos and National Parks Links

Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae Photo by High Mountain Reptiles

Eastern Milk Snake

Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum Photo by Troy Hibbitts

[Roger Conant, A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1958) 170.]

Back to Top

Other Subspecies

Amaura
Head: The head is usually black except for white mottling on the supralabials, the internasals, and sometimes part of the frontals. Along the Mississippi River valley, genetic influence from syspila shows in the presence of red pigment on the heads of many specimens. In many places in central Texas, particularly near College Station, intergrades with annulata can be found that have mostly black snouts.
Dorsal: From 13 to 21 triads of red, black and white; the average is 16. The white rings are usually about 2 scales wide, the black rings range from one and a half to 3 scales wide, and the red body rings usually are from 3 to 10 scales wide, with 5 the average.
Hatchlings tend to have white rings which are very bright and uncluttered with black flecking, while in most adults these bands darken considerably. In some specimens, the white is tinted with yellow or cream. The red, too, varies from individual to individual, as well as within populations. In some specimens, the red is a vivid "candy-apple" color, in others it can be fairly dull to nearly brown, while still other specimens have a very deep red color.
At least one anerythristic (lacking red) specimen has been collected, as well as a hypomelanistic specimen (reduced black). Anerythristic specimens are available commercially.
Ventral: The ventral surfaces of most amaura are mostly white. The red rings are bordered near the edge of the ventrals by black pigment, leaving the center of the triad (on the ventrals) white. Near the intergrade zone with annulata, much black encroaches into this white area in many specimens.

Lampropeltis triangulum andesiana Photo by Steve Hammack

Andesiana
A tri-colored Milksnake with red rings sometimes tipped with black. This species tends to be dark.
Head: White snout with black scale margins.
Dorsal: 24 - 37 red dorsal rings, white & red scales will normally have some24 - 37 red dorsal rings, white & red scales will normally have some black tipping. black tipping.
Ventral: All rings cross the body, white rings will sometimes some black blotches.

Annulata
Head: Black head with a post-ocular band that is orange, yellow, or white followed by a black band. The nose is often peppered white and the head is white ventrally. The iris of the eye is generally brown, but sometimes black.
Dorsal: Generally 14-25 yellow, dirty white, or occasionally tangerine orange bands, bordered by black bands. These are separated by wide rings of dark red. (Separation is appx. twice that of the Blk/Wht/Blk bands). The black rings are wider near the mid-dorsal line. The coloration is geographically variable to an extent, with cleaner whites to the west, dirty whites to the north and east, cleaner oranges to the south. The red rings are brighter in the western part of the range.
Ventral: Ventral scales are predominantly black in the southernmost part of the range and predominantly white in the northern part. Red does not crossover ventrally, but black bands may cross white ventrals or white bands may cross over black ventrals.

Campbelli
Head: Normally displays a light indistinct u on the frontal scale. Balance of head is black with the first band encroaching on the head and occasionally covering the nearly the entire head. (sockheads)
Dorsal: A number of very variable color morphs are known such as typical tri-colored animals, apricot and tangerine phase animals. The red/orange bands and the white/apricot/tangerine bands are approximately twice as wide as the black bands on majority of body. Many specimens tend toward melanism with scales showing varying amounts of black tipping. This is more apparent in the white/yellow bands.
Ventral: Black and white/yellow bands extend onto belly area with about half of the red bands being present.

Celaenops

Lampropeltis triangulum celaenops Photo by Troy Hibbitts

Head: The head is usually black except for white mottling on the supralabials, the internasals, and sometimes part of the frontals. Some specimens have much more extensive white on their heads, especially on thier snouts, temporals and supralabials. On occasional individuals, there are scattered red flecks in the black area of the head; rarely, individualswill have large red patches or extensively red heads.
Dorsal: From 17 to 25 triads of red, black and white; the average is 21. The white rings are usually about one and a half to 3 scales wide, the black rings range from one and a half to 3 scales wide, and the red body rings usually are from 2 to 5 scales wide.
Many celaenops have white rings of intense "styrofoam white", unmarred by black flecking. In some specimens, the light rings are cream to yellow in color, while on some individuals the white rings are heavily invaded with black flecking, producing a grayish color. The red, too, varies from individual to individual, as well as between populations. In some specimens, the red is a vivid "candy-apple" or "fire-engine" color, in others it can be fairly dull to nearly brown, while still other specimens have a very deep red color.
Several anerythristic specimens have been collected, and these pattern variants are being bred commercially.
Ventral: The white dorsal rings generally cross the ventral surfaces uninterrupted, while the red rings are bordered on the edges of the ventrals by black pigment producing a central light area, which in many specimens is invaded by black, although usually not as dark as in annulata.:

Elapsoides
Head: Red head with a black line across the posterior portion of the parietals.
Dorsal: Normally has 12 - 22 red rings, alternating with yellow and black. This little snake is a mimic of the Eastern Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius fulvius) which also occurs throughout the same range. The Scarlet Kingsnake always has a red snout with the yellow rings being seperated from the red rings by black. In the Coral Snake, the snout is black and the yellow and red rings touch. In the northern portion of their range, specimens tend to have narrower yellow rings than those animals found further south. Some specimens from southern Florida exhibit wider black rings, sometimes even bridging the red rings dorsally.
Ventral: The red, yellow and black ringed pattern normally crosses the belly.

Gaigeae
This is a very unusual subspecies in that it under goes a complete ontogenetic color change from birth to maturity.

Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae: Juvenile Photo by the Western Herpetological Research Institute

Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae: Adult Photo by the Western Herpetological Research Institute

Juvenile: Black Milksnakes are typically tricolored at hatching not unlike most other Central and South American triangulum subspecies. They have about 17 to 22 red body rings. The red rings are bordered by black rings and separated by white rings. The first red ring ranges from 9 to 13 scales long. The rest of the red body rings range between 3 to 9 scales in length. The snout pattern is highly variable. Some specimens have a complete white nose band while others have only white mottling and remnants of a nose band. Black tipping of the scales is moderately evident in some juveniles but is nonexistent in others. Most juveniles are so brightly colored and attractive at birth it is hard to believe they will become so dark as they mature.

Adult: The darkening of growing gaigeae seems to be a gradual process that doesn't have a definite rule. It appears how fast they turn black could be a genetic trait governed by the individual gene pool. I have observed hatchlings from three different gene pools through this process.

Of all juveniles one of the first to start showing signs of darkening was the smallest and youngest at about six months of age and 24 inches in length. Some of the larger, older hatchlings didn't begin darkening until they reached 8-10 months of age and 30 inches in length. One juvenile still hasn't shown any darkening at 11 months of age. I guess it would be safe to say that most juveniles start turning dark between 6 and 10 months of age. The change doesn't appear to be size dependent as much as age and locality dependent. The gaigeae from the same localities tend to turn dark in the same manner. In some specimens the white rings are the first to start darkening. The black tipping will gradually get more intense until the white rings are completely obscured giving the snake a bicolored appearance similar to some of the other triangulum subspecies (hondurensis). Others will show signs of darkening starting with the red rings. The black tip on some of the red scales will gradually get so large as to completely obscure the red coloration on the scale. When they start darkening this way (red first) the juveniles go through phases where they take on the appearance of other triangulum subspecies such as andesiana and stuarti.
It is interesting to note that as the different color change phases occur that gaigeae exhibits color patterns similar to several of its other triangulum cousins. Things that make you go hummm..... In any event, the darkening process continues until the entire snake is black and any remnants of pattern is obliterated by black. This process is usually completed during the second year of life and when the snake has reached about 3 feet in length.
In a few specimens some faint remnants of pattern can still be discerned if the snake is closely examined especially in the throat and belly area. For the most part, large adults are uniformly black all over and closely resembling an Indigo Snake.

Gentilis
Head: The head ranges from solid black, to black with a white flecked snout, to having the snout all white with scattered black flecks. The temporals are also oftern white.
Dorsal: From 20 to 32 triads of red (or orange), black and white; the average is 26. The white rings are usually from one and a half to four scales wide (usually 2 or 3), the black rings range from one and a half to four scales as well, and the red rings range from zero to five scales wide. Often, the red rings are interrupted middorsally by black pigment.
Hatchlings tend to have white rings which are very bright and uncluttered with black flecking, while in most adults these bands darken considerably, often appearing gray. In some specimens, the white is tinted with yellow or cream. The red, too, varies from individual to individual, as well as between populations. In most specimens, the red is a dull to bright orange in color, in others it can be nearly brown, while still other individuals, it can have a very deep red color. Often the orange is flecked with black pigment, further obscuring the color of the snake.
Several anerythristic (lacking red) specimens have been collected, but have have not been widely bred and are not available commercially.
Ventral: The ventral surfaces of most gentilis are blotched with black on white. Usually, the white corresponds with the dorsal white rings and the black corresponds with the black and orange triads. However, this pattern can be offset, and occassional individuals have all white or all black venters.

Hondurensis
A number of color morphs, such as typical tri-colored animals, tangerines, anerythristics, albino's and all variations in between, are being captive bred in fair numbers.

Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis Photo by High Mountain Reptiles

This is one of the most beautiful and variable Lampropeltis triangulum subspecies found in collections, in this authors opinion. Two color forms are found in the wild. The normal tri-color phase and the orange tangerine phase.
Head: Normally displays a broad snout band of yellow or white and a second band at the base of the head of the same color with the balance of the head being black.
Dorsal: This is a banded animal. In the normal tri-colored phase, the bands are black red/orange and either yellow or white. In the tangerine phase the bands are black, red/orange, and orange. The black bands normally don't touch on the spine. Both phases have black tipping on their scales, covering anywhere from 5% to 40% of each scale.
Ventral: Bands of black, red/orange and yellow in the normal tri-colored phase that extend across the entire belly area. In the tangerine phase, bands of black, red/orange and orange extend across the ventral scales.

Multistrata
Head: The head of the pale milk is usually mostly white, with the black largely confined to the parietals and rear portions of the frontals. The snout, labials, and temporals are often flecked with black. In some individuals, there are large areas of red or orange on the head, particularly on the parietals (often partially replacing the black).

Lampropeltis triangulum multistrata Photo by Kirk Setzer

Dorsal: From 22 to 32 triads of red or orange (usually orange), black and white; the average is 27. The white rings are usually from one and a half to four scales wide (usually 2 or 3). The black and orange portions of the triads usually form blotches or bands that do not reach the ventral scales. The black ranges from one to two scales wide, and the orange ranges from one to three and a half scales wide. Usually, the orange is not interrupted by black middorsally, but this pattern can be found in occassional individuals.
Hatchlings tend to have white rings which are very bright and uncluttered with black flecking, while in most adults these bands often appear gray. Some specimens have their white tinted with cream. The orange blotches vay from individual to individual, as well as between populations. In some specimens the orange is very bright, while in others it is faded and very pale. Occassional snakes have the orange more red, but the red is rarely as bright as is seen in other subspecies. An orange and white pale milk, marked with very little black, is a very striking snake indeed.
Ventral: The ventral surfaces of most multistriata are white with small black marks. Usually, the the black is much reduced; in some specimens, the black is missing entirely, making the belly all white.

Stuarti
A richly colored tri-colored Milksnake with wide red rings in the triads.
Head: Snout black with a narrow white V .
Dorsal: 19 - 28 red body rings with little black tipping, white scales will normally have some black tipping.
Ventral: All rings cross the body, Black and white rings will sometimes have reverse color encroaching, with red rings displaying very little if any tipping.

Syspila
A richly colored tri-colored Milksnake with wide red rings borderd in black on a whitish background.
Head: Head pattern varies greatly; in most animals the head is marked by a large red blotch--edged in black. The snout, labials, and chin are cream colored with black at the sutures. A pair of supraocular light spots infringe on the red dorsally; sometimes the spots connect to form a narrow, light-colored crossband which transects the red.
Dorsal: The body pattern also varies; typically display from 19-30 crimson, red-brown, or rust colored dorsal saddles margined with black. The ground color varies between white, gray, cream, and tan. Dorsal blotches extend ventrally to the second or first scale rows, occasionally reaching the sides of the ventrals. A row of lateral spots occurs ventrolaterally; this row may be prominent on some specimens while almost absent on others. The black spots usually contain red centers, but not always. On the tail, the dorsal blotches extend onto the venter, becoming rings that number 4 to 8. The young exhibit the adult pattern but often display brighter colors.
Ventral: The ventral scales are marked white with a varying amount of black checkerboard. Red is absent in most specimens.