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Why do the Sonoran coral snake, the Sonoran Mountain kingsnake, the milk snake, and the Sonoran shovel-nosed snake look so similar?

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We think they look alike because it protects them from predators.

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They are brightly colored. This is aposematic coloration which tells predators that their bright colors act as a warning that they may be toxic or dangerous to consume.

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Sonoran Coralsnake (Micruroides euryxanthus) - Reptiles of Arizona

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communities ranging form Sonoran, Mohave, and Chihuahuan desertscrubs, through Semidesert Grassland, and into the lower reaches of the woodlands. It is usually encountered above the flats in or near rocky or gravelly drainages, mesquite lined washes, and canyons.BEHAVIOR: This ground-dwelling snake is primarily nocturnal or crepuscular but it can be active around the clock when conditions are favorable.

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All three snakes look alike for their protection and safety. Only one of the snakes is venomous but the other two look so similar to the first one that all 3 are more protected from predators. They all 3 are not eaten by 3 different predators very often; less than 1 of each is consumed by each predator daily.

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Sonoran Shovel-nosed Snake (Chionactis palarostris) - Reptiles of Arizona

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community. It is usually found in or near gravelly washes that carve their way through mildly sloping, rocky bajadas. It inhabits terrain that is more rugged and rocky than that of the Western Shovel-nosed Snake.REPRODUCTION: Mating takes place in spring. A clutch of up to 5 eggs is laid in summer.Snakes of North America: Western Region.

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Their habitats are very similar meaning they are around the same predators. Since one of the three species is venomous then the other two easily look like they are also venomous since they all look alike. Predators will avoid all 3 species even if only one species is venomous since they all look alike.

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They don't get eaten a lot.

Raptor Dietary Components | Units Consumed/Day
Milk snake | 0.02
Shovel-nosed snake | 0.03
Coral snake | 0.01

Weasel Dietary Components | Units Consumed/Day
Milk snake | 0.02
Shovel-nosed snake | 0.03
Coral snake | 0.04

Badger Dietary Components | Units Consumed/Day
Milk snake | 0.01
Shovel-nosed snake | 0.00
Coral snake | 0.02

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Lampropeltis triangulum, commonly known as the or milksnake, is a species of kingsnake; 24 subspecies are currently recognized. Lampropeltis elapsoides, the scarlet kingsnake, was formerly classified as a 25th subspecies ( L. t. elapsoides), but is now recognized as a distinct species. The subspecies have strikingly different appearances, and many of them have their own common names. Some authorities suggest that this species could be split into several separate species. They are not venomous to humans.

Milk snakes can be found from the southeastern extreme of Canada through the eastern half of the United States.

Across the wide range of this species, habitat varies. Typically, milk snakes live in forested regions; however, they can also be found in swamps, prairie, farmland, rocky slopes, and sand dunes/beaches. In some situations, milk snakes also migrate seasonally, during the winter they move to higher and drier habitats for hibernation and moister habitats for the summer. Milk snakes enter hibernation from late October or November to mid-April.

There is a significant amount of variation among milk snakes in terms of size. Depending on subspecies, they can be as small as 14" (36cm) or as large as 72" (183cm) long. Adults in the wild apparently average from 38 to 225 g (1.3 to 7.9 oz) in North America. However, unusually large milk snakes can become rather bulkier than average-sized adults and potentially weigh up to 750 to 1,400 g (1.65 to 3.09 lb), though high weights as such are generally reported from captivity. Males typically are larger than females in maturity, although females can be bulkier than males similar in length as well. Generally more tropical populations, from Mexico and further south, reach larger adult sizes than milk snakes living in the temperate zones.

Milk snakes have smooth and shiny scales and their typical color pattern is alternating bands of red-black-yellow or white-black-red; however, red blotches instead of bands are seen in some populations. Some milk snakes have a striking resemblance to coral snakes, in Batesian mimicry, which likely scares away potential predators. Both milk snakes and coral snakes possess transverse bands of red, black, and yellow. Experts now recognize that common mnemonics that people use to distinguish between the deadly coral snake and the harmless milk snake are not 100% reliable. Some coral snakes do not have the typical banding colors or patterns. Examples of unreliable mnemonics commonly used:

"Red on yellow kill a fellow. Red on black venom lack"

"Red touches black, it's a friend of Jack. Red touches yellow, it's bad for a fellow."

Due to the many colors of the eastern milk snake ( L. t. triangulum), it can resemble the coral snake, corn snake, fox snake, scarlet snake, and most importantly, the venomous snake genera Agkistrodon and . Milk, fox, and scarlet snakes are killed because of a resemblance to the venomous pygmy rattlers. Juvenile milk snakes, which are more reddish than adults, are often killed because they are mistaken for copperheads. Enough distinction exists among the five to make the eastern milk snake fairly easy to identify. The eastern milk snakes also have a light-colored V-shaped or Y-shaped patch on their necks. One subspecies, L. t. gaigeae, is melanistic (almost all black) as an adult.

Milk snakes are mostly nocturnal, especially during summer months. They are primarily terrestrial and attempt to blend in with ground litter. However, they are able to climb and swim. These snakes tend to be secretive and remain hidden. When threatened, a milk snake will usually first try to escape. If cornered or harassed, it may vibrate its tail and strike energetically, though of course they are non-venomous, have only tiny teeth and their tails lack a rattle. Unless frightened, milk snakes move slowly. They are often fairly docile.

Young milk snakes typically eat crickets and other insects, slugs, and earthworms; in the western U.S., juveniles also feed on small lizards. Adults' diet is primarily small mammals, but frequently includes lizards (especially skinks). They are also known to eat birds and their eggs, frogs, fish, and other snakes.

Milk snakes are much more opportunistic eaters than the fox snake or corn snake. Although the diet of adult milk snakes primarily consists of rodents, they also have been known to consume a variety of other animals: birds and their eggs, other reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.

They are nocturnal hunters and are often found resting during the day in old barns and under wood. An old fable about milk snakes is that they suck cow udders to get milk. The story is entirely false, and is discredited by the fact that the milk snake is not physically capable of sucking milk from a cow's udder; however, milk snakes are frequently found in and around barns, making use of the cool and dark environment for a resting-place during the day, and the easily accessible infestations of rodents for a convenient food supply. This preference for barns, and consequently the company of cows, presumably gave rise to the fable.

Milk snakes are oviparous, laying an average of about 10 eggs per clutch, although that number may vary by region. The milk snake mates from early May to late June. In June and July, the female lays three to 24 eggs beneath logs, boards, rocks, and rotting vegetation. The eggs are oval in shape, and white in color. Eggs range from 2.5 cm to 4.2 cm (1 to 1.7 in) in length. The eggs incubate for about two months, and hatch around August or September. The average hatchling in Virginia measures 20.9 cm (8.2 in) in total length and weighs 4.1 g (0.14 oz).

Milk snakes typically live around 12 years, or up to 21 years in captivity. They reach maturity within three or four years.

The milk snake is listed as of least concern by the IUCN (a wildlife conservation union), but in some areas, they may face significant pressure due to pet-trade collection. Because of this species' attractiveness in the pet trade, many subspecies are now being bred in captivity for sale.

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Lampropeltis triangulum , commonly known as the or milksnake, is a species of kingsnake; 24 subspecies are currently recognized. Lampropeltis elapsoides, the scarlet kingsnake, was formerly classified as a 25th subspecies ( L. t. elapsoides), but is now recognized as a distinct species.