Milk snake
| Milk snake | |
|---|---|
| Red milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum syspila) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Lampropeltis |
| Species: | L. triangulum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lampropeltis triangulum (Lacépède, 1788)
| |
| Subspecies | |
|
24 subspecies, see text | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The milk snake or milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum), is a species of kingsnake; there were once up to 24 subspecies recognized, however fewer are officially recognized today. Lampropeltis elapsoides, the scarlet kingsnake, was formerly classified as a 25th subspecies (L. t. elapsoides), but is now recognized as a distinct species. The previously delineated subspecies have strikingly different appearances, and many of them have their own common names. Morphological and genetic data suggest that this species could be split into several separate species, and it has been by several authorities. Lampropeltis gentilis, Lampropeltis annulata, Lampropeltis abnorma, Lampropeltis polyzona, and Lampropeltis micropholis have been elevated to the species level. Milksnakes are not venomous.