Scarlet kingsnake
Not venomous · Lampropeltis elapsoides
HarmlessNot dangerous to people
Not venomous.
- Lives in
- 6 states
- Size
- 14–20 in
- Open US records
- 783
- Group
- Snake
How to identify it
- Red, black and yellow rings; red touches black
- Red snout
- Rings may not cross the belly
Size: 14–20 in (total length). Habitat: Pine woods of the Southeast, often under bark of rotting stumps.
Also called king snake.
Where it lives
- Lives here
- Rare records
- Gone
- Not here
When it is out
Look-alikes
- Coral Snake vs King Snake Eastern coral snake: dangerous
State by state
| State | Status | Open records | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Lives here | 311 | 8 |
| Florida | Lives here | 172 | 32 |
| North Carolina | Lives here | 137 | 15 |
| South Carolina | Lives here | 79 | 7 |
| Alabama | Lives here | 30 | 18 |
| Louisiana | Lives here | 16 | 4 |
| Mississippi | Rare records | 13 | 2 |
| New York | Rare records | 7 | 2 |
| Tennessee | Rare records | 5 | 0 |
| Virginia | Rare records | 5 | 1 |
| Michigan | Rare records | 2 | 1 |
| Texas | Rare records | 2 | 1 |
| Illinois | Rare records | 1 | 1 |
| Kansas | Rare records | 1 | 1 |
| Kentucky | Rare records | 1 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | Rare records | 1 | 0 |
States not listed have no open records and are outside the range.
Questions
Where does the scarlet kingsnake live?
In 6 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina. Rare records also come from Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi and New York and other states.
Is the scarlet kingsnake dangerous?
Harmless. Not venomous.
How do you identify a scarlet kingsnake?
Red, black and yellow rings; red touches black. Red snout. Rings may not cross the belly.
When is the scarlet kingsnake most active?
Most open US records fall in March to June, October.