In North America, we can find many different types of snakes – some venomous, some are not. In order for our walks in nature to be safe and for us to know how to react correctly when we encounter them, it is essential to understand how to distinguish venomous from non-venomous snakes.

The Louisiana milk snake or Lampropeltis triangulum amaura is a snake that can be encountered in Louisiana. It is 16 to 24 inches (40 to 69 cm) long and has alternating red, black, and yellow bands. Although it closely resembles venomous coral snakes, it is non-venomous and not dangerous to humans.

I’ll present more interesting facts about the Louisiana milk snake in this article. I’ll also explain how to differentiate it from coral snakes, making your long nature walks a little safer and a little bit more interesting.

All About Louisiana Milk Snakes

Milk snakes are the species of kingsnakes, and the Louisiana milk snake is one of the 26 subspecies of milk snakes. This beautiful snake got its name from the myth that farmers believed for centuries – that when the cows gave less milk, it was because snakes were suckling the milk. 

In reality, the snakes that were found in the barns were there to hunt mice and rats, making them a valuable part of farm life and not pests, as people often thought of them. Here are some more facts about this particular species of milk snake, the Louisiana milk snake:

Habitat

This rarely-seen milk snake can be found in the states of Louisiana and Texas and from southwest Arkansas to southeast Oklahoma.

The Louisiana milk snake likes damp and sandy low, wooded areas, hardwood lowlands, and rocky grasslands and can often be found hiding under rocks, logs, or in the bark of tree stumps around the woods.

Size and Appearance

The Louisiana milk snake is one of the smaller subspecies of king snakes and grows to about 16 to 24 inches (40 to 69 cm) long. It has a black pointed head and shiny scales over its slender body and is as wide as a quarter. 

Its coloring consists of alternating red, black, and milky or yellow bands in black-red-black-yellow-black order, with the red bands wider than the rest. They have, on average, 16 triads of red, black, and yellow bands. 

The order of the bands is important to note since it is the thing that distinguishes them from the coral snakes their coloring mimics. While coral snakes have red bands bordered by yellow, the Louisiana milk snake’s red bands are bordered by black.

A coral snake is also bigger than a milk snake and has a solid black head with a yellow band behind it, while milk snakes have black heads with white smudges around the mouth and the nostrils.

Venom

The Louisiana milk snake is non-venomous – it is a constrictor. It strikes fast and seizes its prey, then wraps itself around it until its heart stops from the lack of blood flow, effectively suffocating it.

Diet

On the menu of a Louisiana milk snake, you can find small lizards – dactyloidae, skinks, whiptail lizards, and fence lizards. It also eats earthworms, mice, and small snakes. The width of its prey can be a maximum of 125% of the snake’s width, otherwise, it regurgitates it.

Behavior

The Louisiana milk snake has rarely been seen in the wild since it is a burrower and has a nocturnal lifestyle. Unlike other snakes, it will rarely be found basking in the sun, and it will choose to spend its day hiding under rocks or in burrows. 

It is scared of humans, and if confronted, it will run away or become utterly motionless in the hopes of not being noticed. If it feels it has no other course of action, it will try to bite a few times in quick succession and vibrate its tail tip. 

It is not necessarily the best choice for a pet since it doesn’t like to be held and will exude feces and musk from the cloaca if bothered too much.

Lifespan

The Louisiana milk snake can live for 15 years in the wild. In captivity, the longest this snake has been recorded to live was 20 years and seven months. 

It reaches its sexual maturity in two to three years and incubates its eggs for 62 days.

Conclusion

The Louisiana milk snake is a harmless and beautiful snake that can rarely be seen in nature because of its fearful disposition. Due to its intense coloring in a red, black, and yellow combination, it is easy to mistake it for a venomous coral snake despite being completely harmless. 

Even though with our instructions, it is possible to distinguish a coral snake from a milk snake, it is always better to keep your distance when stumbling upon a snake. And if, despite being careful, you happen to be bitten by a snake, always seek medical help.