The Sinaloan Milk Snake is a non-venomous sub-species of Milk Snake that is native to parts of Northern Mexico.
They are a decent sized snakes with adults growing to around 4 feet in length. They are a docile species that are commonly kept as pets.
Sinaloan Milk Snake Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Sinaloan Milk Snake belongs to the Colubridae or Colubrid family of snakes. This is the largest family of Snakes in the world consisting of many popular species such as Corn Snakes and Pine Snakes.
With around 250 different genera of Colubrids, these snakes can be found on every continent except Antarctica which also makes them the most widely distributed family of snake in the world.
The vast majority of Colubrid snakes are non-venomous, or at least contain a venom that isn’t considered to be medically significant to humans.
However, there are a number of species of Colubrid snakes that contain venom capable of killing humans. This includes species from the Boiga and Rhabdophis genera as well as other snakes such as the Boomslang.
Genus
The Sinaloan Milk Snake belongs to the Lampropeltis genus. This genus contains the New World Kingsnakes and Milk Snakes.
The scientific name ‘Lampropeltis’ comes from the Greek words ‘lampro’ and ‘pelte’ which loosely translates to ‘shiny shield’. This is a reference to these snake’s smooth, enamel-like dorsal scales.
Species
The Sinaloan Milk Snake is a sub-species of Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum). There are currently 24 recognised sub-species of Milk Snake.
Many experts argue that many of the Milk Snake sub-species should be reclassified to full species status. If this happens, the Milk Snake ‘species’ might get upgraded to genera level with the sub-species reclassified as full species.
The scientific name for this species is Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae.
Sinaloan Milk Snake Description
The Sinaloan Milk Snake is a relatively large Milk Snake. A fully grown adult can reach a length of around 4 feet.
These snakes are typically blood red in color with black and cream bands running the length of their body.
The white bands are surrounded on either side by a black band meaning the white bands never touch the red base color.
This is often used to distinguish between Milk Snakes and the venomous Coral Snake. However, while a good indication, there are always exceptions to the rule.
The white bands on the snake are rarely a ‘clean white’ and usually appear more cream or ‘off white’ in color.
The head of the snake is black and is followed by a cream and then a black band on the neck of the snake before the red base color appears.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Sinaloan Milk Snake is native to parts of North-Western Mexico where they can be found in the states of Sonora, Sinaloa and Chihuahua.
Their primary habitat consists of dry, arid and rocky semi-desert regions that get very hot during the day.
They share some of their range with species such as the Ornate Box Turtle, the Mojave Desert Tortoise and the Rosy Boa.
Sinaloan Milk Snake Diet
The Sinaloan Milk Snake will feed on a variety of different animals including mammals, rodents, birds, eggs, lizards, amphibians and invertebrates.
Like the other snakes in the Lampropeltis genus, they will even eat other smaller snakes of a different species.
While these snakes are opportunistic feeders, the bulk of their diet is still made up of rodents and other small mammals.
Behaviour
The Sinaloan Milk Snake is a nocturnal species meaning they are mainly active during the night when they come out in search of food.
They may also be active during the hours of dusk and dawn when the temperatures aren’t too high.
However, during the intense heat of the day, they will usually retreat to sleep beneath loose rocks, in rock crevices, under logs or beneath cactus plants.
They can also be drawn to rural urbanised areas where they will escape the heat by retreating into barns, hiding under loose wood or under other man-made structures.