California milk snake (SciiFii)

The California milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum californianus) is a subspecies of milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum) that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the wetlands, forests, and open woodlands across the western United States and Mexico to help boost biodiversity. The California milk snake's base color is red with distinct rings or bands of black and bright yellow. The California milk snake is one of the larger subspecies of milk snake, attaining a length of 48 inches in the wild and some captive specimens reaching a length of 5 feet. The California milk snake has a resemblance to the coral snake and this similarity in color, known as Batesian mimicry, helps protect the snake from potential predators. The California milk snake is nonvenomous and uses constriction to kill its prey and tends to be opportunistic when it comes to its diet; they eat other snakes (ophiophagy), including venomous snakes, lizards, rodents, birds and eggs. In captivity they are kept successfully on a diet of mice and rats. California milk snakes become sexually mature at 18 months. The females are oviparous, laying an average of 7–22 eggs per clutch in late May. The eggs incubate for approximately two months, and hatch in early or late August. The hatchlings are 8 inches long and darker in color than their parents when they emerge from the eggs. California milk snakes adapt well to captivity due to their relative ease of care and docile nature, and their moderate size and brilliant colors make them impressive and attractive pets. Unlike all king snakes and other milk snakes, they are not cannibalistic, and they can be housed either alone or in groups, even outside the breeding season. The conservation status of the California milk snake is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the California milk snake's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii