Honduran Milk Snakes

Scientific Name: Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis Their latin name translates to “Bright Shield Tri-colored Snake from Honduras”. Bright Shield refers to the bright colors of their pattern, which acts as a ‘shield’ from predators.

Description: Hondurnan milk snakes hatch at about 8 inches long and can grow to be 4-5 feet in length! They are mainly found in 2 color morphs. The tricolor has black, red and white stripes while the tangerine morph has red, orange and black stripes. Often, tricolor milk snakes can be mistaken for the venomous coral snake. This is known as ‘Batesian mimicry’. Honduran milk snakes received their common name from the misconception that they would steal milk from cows in the barns they were often found in. Truthfully, these snakes were instead hunting the mice, rats and other pests that would steal grain and other food from the barn.

Behavior: Honduran milk snakes can live into their early twenties under human care, but often have shorter lifespans in the wild due to predation. They have evolved to mimic venomous snakes, with their bright colors and fast movements. These quick snakes will also shake their tails to the point of vibration. When in leaf litter, this creates a sound similar to a rattlesnake tail rattle. Being predators themselves, they hunt small vertebrates and sometimes consume eggs. The snake will strike and bite their prey to get a firm grip before coiling around to constrict around the prey animal and – like all snakes – swallow their prey whole. Milk snakes are primarily nocturnal and are mostly terrestrial. They will often burrow under leaves or somewhat underground as well. Milk snakes females will lay 3-20 eggs in a warm, dark space usually early in June. The eggs will hatch August through September. The babies are precocial, meaning they can care for themselves without any parental supervision or assistance.

Diet: Carnivores- they eat a variety of small mammals, amphibians and other reptiles, including venomous snakes. Sometimes these snakes will eat eggs as well.

Range and Habitat: Honduran milk snakes can be found in the rainforest areas of Nicaragua, Honduras and Northeastern Costa Rica.

Conservation: IUCN has not yet evaluated the conservation status of the Honduran milk snake.

How you can help: Milk snakes deal with habitat loss, like many species nowadays. They are often mistakenly killed when humans assume these milk snakes are venomous by their colors. It is important to educate the differences between milk snakes and truly venomous snakes. Additionally, if you come across a snake, it is best to leave it be if at all possible. All snakes, including venomous snakes, play an important role in the environment.