Red Milk Snake
Lampropeltis triangulum syspila
A tricolor milk snake subspecies from the central US, known for its vivid red, black, and white/yellow banding that mimics venomous coral snakes.
- Venomous?
- Non-venomous
- Adult length
- 0.6-1.0 m (2-3.3 ft)
- Range
- Central United States (Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and surrounding states)
Found a snake like this?
Identify any snake from a photo, free.
Overview
The Red Milk Snake is one of many milk snake subspecies exhibiting the classic tricolor banding pattern used as a mimicry strategy against predators that avoid venomous coral snakes. It ranges through the central Great Plains states.
Despite its bright colors, it is entirely harmless and often mistaken for dangerous species due to its resemblance to coral snakes.
How to identify it
- Bright red or orange saddles bordered by black, separated by white or yellowish bands
- Smooth, glossy scales
- Small head barely distinct from the neck, round pupils
- Slender body form
- Look-alikes: coral snakes (red touches black in milk snakes rather than yellow, per traditional rhyme) and copperheads; overall pattern and head shape aid distinction
Habitat & range
Found in prairies, rocky hillsides, open woodlands, and agricultural edges across the central Great Plains. It shelters under rocks, logs, and debris, often near rodent burrows.
Behavior, diet & reproduction
Primarily nocturnal and secretive, especially active in warmer months during evening hours. A constrictor, it feeds on small mammals, lizards, and other snakes. Females lay eggs in early to mid-summer.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Red Milk Snake venomous?
No, it is completely non-venomous.
How can you tell it apart from a coral snake?
In milk snakes, red bands typically touch black bands, differing from the red-touches-yellow pattern of coral snakes, though this rule varies by region.
Where does it live?
It is found across the central Great Plains states of the United States.
What does it eat?
Small mammals, lizards, and other snakes, killed by constriction.
Red Milk Snake guides
In-depth guides for identifying and understanding Red Milk Snake.
