The short answer is "yes". However, under normal, natural circunstances, the answer is "no". All members of a species (all milksnakes are currently recognized as one species) will preferentially breed with members of their own species. Under captive conditions, some of the natural parameters that keep species separate are removed, and members of different species (i.e. California King and a Pueblan Milk) can be tricked into mating with one another. While it's likely that milks could breed with all members of tribe Lampropeltini (includes the genera Lampropeltis, Pantherophis [Elaphe], Pituophis, etc.) which have the same number of chromosomes, it's unlikely they could reproduce with all members of the family Colubridae (King snakes, ratssnakes, garter snakes, egg-eating snakes, etc.).



Hope this helps more than it muddles the waters...

-Cole

[ Hide Replies ]

• milk snake crossbreeding - joecop, Mon Aug 25 23:56:57 2008
• RE: milk snake crossbreeding - joecop, Mon Aug 25 23:58:49 2008
• RE: milk snake crossbreeding - milksandbeer, Tue Aug 26 06:01:52 2008
• RE: milk snake crossbreeding - tspuckler, Tue Aug 26 08:14:45 2008
• RE: milk snake crossbreeding - joecop, Tue Aug 26 13:31:34 2008
• Well... - Sunherp, Tue Aug 26 14:20:02 2008
• RE: milk snake crossbreeding - DMong, Tue Aug 26 16:15:30 2008