Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can someone pllleeeaaassseee explain to me the difference between a milksnake and kingsnake. All other people that I talk to pretty much claim they are the same snake in a way. Just minor differences. Is their any difference in their temperment? Preferably only captive bred information if possible. Thanks

Unfortunately, common names do not have to make phylogenetic sense. That's one of the reasons why I suggest that people learn the Latin names.

Most (but not all) milk snakes are subspecies of the species _Lampropeltis triangulum_. Most (but not all) king snakes are in the genus _Lampropeltis_ but are not subspecies of the species _Lampropeltis triangulum_.

The common names were applied around 300-400 years ago in what is now the eastern USA. There was the king snake (now the eastern king snake, _L. getula getula_) which was black and yellow. And there was the milk snake (now the eastern milk snake, _L. triangulum triangulum_) which was black, whitish, and reddish. Things got more complicated over time.

That's about the best I can do here. Check the reference books for the differences between _Lampropeltis triangulum_, _L. getula_, _L. pyromelana_, etc.

Paul Hollander

Kings and milks belong to the genus Lampropeltis. There are several species in this genus. Common kings (such as California, Eastern, Brooksi kings) are Lampropeltis getula. Milksnakes all belong to L. triangulum. The different types of milks, like black milks, eastern milks, honduran milks, are all subspecies of L. triangulum.

So basically, a milksnake is just one of the several species of kingsnake.

Hope that helps,

Andy

Yeah man,

That does help alot. Thanks for the help.

Paul and thenerve are correct. They are all members of the genus Lampropeltis. They are also all technically Kingsnakes, which was a generic common name applied because they are ophiophagous, meaning they will eat other snakes. The King Cobra got his common name the same way (the scientific name Ophiophagus hannah also obviously comes from his habit of eating other snakes).

The Kingsnakes are subdivided into two separate groups (genera) both by taxonomy and (mostly) common names, the Milk Snakes and the Kingsnakes. For the most part Lampropeltis getula are the common Kingsnake and it's variants and Lampropeltis triangulum are the Milk Snakes. It would be nice if the division was clear, but it's really not. There is some crossover use of common names between the groups, such as the Scarlet King Snake Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides, a snake with a King Snake common name and Milk Snake taxonomy. Most of the Milk Snakes are tri-colored and most of the King Snakes are not. The King Snakes are usually black or brown with white or yellow bands, stripes or speckles. One (of a few) groups that throw a wrench into the idea of clarity here are the Mountain Kingsnakes, Lampropeltis pyromelana and Lampropeltis zonata. They are tricolored and by common name, King Snakes.

The truth is that there are several different "types" of King Snakes. There are the Common Kingsnakes, the Milk Snakes, the Mountain King Snakes, the Mole King Snakes L. calligaster, the Gray Banded Kingsnake and it's variants L.mexicana, and Ruthven's King Snake L. ruthveni.