- Louisiana Milk Snake
- Lampropeltis triangulum amaura
- Size:
- Hatchling: 5 - 8 in.
- Adult: 16 - 34 in.(normal)
- Scalation:
- Dorsal: 21 scale rows at midbody
reducing to 19 or 17 at the vent.
- Ventral: 171 - 201 in males
178 - 204 in females
- Sub caudal: 39 - 53 in males
39 - 55 in females
- Infra labial: 8 - 10 (usually 9)
- Supra labial: 7 - 8 (usually 7)
- Anal Plate: Single
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Gallery Photo by Jeff Hardwick
click to enlarge |
Written by Troy Hibbitts
Coloration:
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.
Behavior:
Amaura can be found from February to late October or early November. It is
usually only surface active at night, but probably hunts within hollow logs
and under rocks during the day. Most amaura field collected are collected
from Feb. through May. I have personally collected amaura under limestone
rocks, boards, corrugated sheet metal, old carpets, railroad ties, and in rotted
stumps (one was 7 feet above ground under bark). I have also found them crossing
roads at night.
Amaura are usually fairly nervous and jumpy snakes. Many will not settle
down in captivity and continually strike and buzz their tails. Some specimens will
jerk spasmodically when held, smearing musk and feces about while biting their captors.
Other specimens calm down quite nicely.
Breeding:
Amaura require a 3 month brumation period in order to stimulate breeding, much
like other temperate species of kingsnakes. Breeding will usually commences
shortly after the animals are warmed up. The male will usually bite the female
behind the head while copulating, and copulation can occur for an extended period of
time (several hours). A clutch of 2 to 9 eggs will be laid 30-40 days after fertilization.
Egg size (and therefore neonate size) depends largely upon the size of the female.
Incubation usually takes about 60 days at 82 degrees Farhenheit.
Range:
This subspecies is found from the west banks of the Mississippi River
in Louisiana west into eastern Texas to College Station and Waco. Its range
extends north into the Red River valley region of southeastern Oklahoma and
southwestern Arkansas.
Habitat:
Amaura predominantly inhabits hardwood lowlands, but may also be found
in pine flatwoods, oak-hickory hillsides, and, to the western edge of its
range, in grassland areas interspersed with rocky, limestone outcrops. In hardwood
river bottoms, amaura is generally difficult to field collect, as it is very
secretive, and there are many hiding places. However, in one study of the
herpetofauna of the Big Thicket, amaura was found to be the most common species
of Lampropeltis collected (using drift fences and pitfall traps). In certain
areas of the blackland prairies, amaura can be found fairly commonly under rocks
in the spring. However, in most places, amaura can be found most easily by
looking under boards and other human debris.
Prey:
Most wild amaura probably eat mostly lizards: Skinks (Scincella and Eumeces),
Anoles (Anolis), Fence Lizards (Sceloporus), and racerunners (Cnemidophorus).
Small snakes (Tantilla, Virginia, and Storeria) are probably also eaten, as are
small mice (Peromyscus, Baiomys, Ochrotomys). In captivity, juveniles can usually
be started easily on meals of ground skinks (Scincella), and can usually be
switched to mice (persistence, persistence, persistence!). Wild caught adults
typically feed readily on pre-killed lab mice (fuzzies or small weanlings).
Literature Cited:
Conant, R. and J.T. Collins. 1991. Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern/Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, Co., Boston.
Irwin, K. and T.J. Hibbitts. 1996. Pers. communication.
Williams, K.L. 1988. Systematics and natural history of the American milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum), 2nd revised edition. Milwaukee Public Museum.
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