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Milk Snake — printable fact sheet
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Milk Snake
Lampropeltis triangulum
Lampropeltis triangulum is a constrictor with no venom whatsoever, yet its red, black and yellow banding has kept it alive for millennia by impersonating the deadly coral snakes it shares ground with. The old rhyme "red touches yellow, kills a fellow; red touches black, friend o…
Did you know?
- Milk Snakes can vibrate their tails to mimic rattlesnakes when threatened, even though they are nonvenomous.
- A cornered milk snake will vibrate its tail rapidly in dry leaf litter, producing a buzzing sound that mimics a rattlesnake despite the snake having no rattle at all. The genus name Lampropeltis means "shiny shield," a reference to the glossy, enamel-like sheen of the smooth dorsal scales. Milk snakes are one of the few predators that will readily tackle and eat a rattlesnake, thanks to blood factors that neutralize a portion of pit viper venom.
What I learned
Draw the milk snake
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