Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am looking to catch a scarlet king snake to photograph.
any info on where and when to look would be appreciated. I know that they are a nocturnal snake but am hoping that someone can point me in the right direction on which cover they tend to be found in.

Hello,

A lifelist is a wonderful thing. I have never been to the native range of the scarlet kingsnake, but I will go in the future. In the future I will go everywhere. Most of the books that I have read state that the scarlet kingsnakes commonly climb up into rotting stumps and under dead bark after a heavy rain, to get out of the muddy water.
Several authors claim that they have had a great deal of success from "debarking" dead trees. From what I understand, peeling back the bark commonly reveals both scarlet kings and scarletsnakes.

Top three United states snakes that I want to encounter the most:

Kirtland's snake
Blue racer
Eastern worm snake

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DAVE

1.0 Western green toad
1.1 green treefrogs
1.0 Florida blue garter snake
1.1 Oriental fire-bellied toads
1.0 American bullfrog
0.1 Spanish ribbed newt
0.0.1 Eastern ribbon snake
1.1 red-cheeked mud turtles
0.1 Dubia day gecko
1.0 Sonoran gopher snake
1.1 rough green snakes
1.1 giant African black millipedes
1.0 Okeetee corn snake
0.1 Albino African clawed frog
1.0 Kenyan sand boa
0.0.1 Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
0.0.1 African bullfrog
1.0 yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
1.1 Western hognose snakes
1.2 fire salamanders
1.1 scarlet kingsnakes
0.0.1 scarlet snake
0.0.1 Argentine horned frog
1.1 Southern ringneck snakes
0.0.1 night snake
0.0.1 Florida brown snake
0.1 Pine woods snake
1.0 rough earth snake
0.1 (parthenogenic) Brahminy blind snake
0.1 Northern brown snake

I am somewhat hesitant to reply to this post, but if I don't, I'm afraid you may get advice that will send into the forest destroying hundreds of trees.

In the early spring (Mid February-mid April, depending on latitude) Scarlet Kings can be found under the bark of dead pine trees and stumps. HOWEVER, it is not necessary, nor is it herpetologically ethical to peel the bark off the tree to find them.

If you can gently pull the bark a few centimeters away from the tree and peek under it you can usually see them. If you do this correctly, you won't remove the bark from the tree. If you see one, I guess you will have to pull the bark back further to catch it, but don't go just stripping bark off hundreds of pine trees because you will destroy the habitat for SKs and many other creatures. If you can't pull the bark gently back like that and you can't see under it otherwise, there aren't SKs there anyway. You almost never find them under tight bark.

That said, it may be too late in the year for this to be very productive. They can be found by roadhunting forested areas on warm summer nights. You can also find them under trash in openings in forested areas.

You say you are only looking to photograph and I take you at your word. I will say to others who are reading this post that Scarlet Kings (in spite of their attractiveness) do NOT make good captives. They are high strung, escape artists, and generally insist on skinks for meals unless they are really large specimens.
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Chris Harrison

Hello,

I did not mean to make it sound as if I was encouraging people to destroy the beautiful forests of the Southeastern United States. In my post, I was simply writing what I had read in field guides and such. I also discourage the idea of tearing so many trees apart, and destroying so many valuable habitats.
I own a 1.1 pair of scarlet kings, but I would love to see these attractive little snakes in the wild, much more than keep them in captivity. I agree that conservation is very important, and I discourage commercial collecting of this species, as well as many others.
It is my goal for the future to protect the habitat of this animal, as well as many others, and I can only imagine the thrill of seeing such a gorgeous and diminutive gem, coiled snugly beneath the brown pulp of a decomposing log.
Everyone needs a lifelist.
-----
DAVE

1.0 Western green toad
1.1 green treefrogs
1.0 Florida blue garter snake
1.1 Oriental fire-bellied toads
1.0 American bullfrog
0.1 Spanish ribbed newt
0.0.1 Eastern ribbon snake
1.1 red-cheeked mud turtles
0.1 Dubia day gecko
1.0 Sonoran gopher snake
1.1 rough green snakes
1.1 giant African black millipedes
1.0 Okeetee corn snake
0.1 Albino African clawed frog
1.0 Kenyan sand boa
0.0.1 Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
0.0.1 African bullfrog
1.0 yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
1.1 Western hognose snakes
1.2 fire salamanders
1.1 scarlet kingsnakes
0.0.1 scarlet snake
0.0.1 Argentine horned frog
1.1 Southern ringneck snakes
0.0.1 night snake
0.0.1 Florida brown snake
0.1 Pine woods snake
1.0 rough earth snake
0.1 (parthenogenic) Brahminy blind snake
0.1 Northern brown snake

In regards to the post sent by chrish. I am a very respetful individual when it comes to nature. I agree that people should not damage habitats more than what they already are in order to find a reptile to add to their lifelist.

I am not some backwoods hick..... I merely asked for some advice in order to PHOTOGRAPH a live specimen.

Hello,

I hope you can find one. If you photograph one, I would love to see the picture. Few photos are nicer than a natural shot of a scarlet king. This summer, I absolutely have to find a Kirtland's snake. It is my big goal. A photograph of me with a Kirtland's in my hand, beside a wet Ohio meadow habitat, would be perhaps the most precious non-living thing that I own.
-----
DAVE

1.0 Western green toad
1.1 green treefrogs
1.0 Florida blue garter snake
1.1 Oriental fire-bellied toads
1.0 American bullfrog
0.1 Spanish ribbed newt
0.0.1 Eastern ribbon snake
1.1 red-cheeked mud turtles
0.1 Dubia day gecko
1.0 Sonoran gopher snake
1.1 rough green snakes
1.1 giant African black millipedes
1.0 Okeetee corn snake
0.1 Albino African clawed frog
1.0 Kenyan sand boa
0.0.1 Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
0.0.1 African bullfrog
1.0 yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
1.1 Western hognose snakes
1.2 fire salamanders
1.1 scarlet kingsnakes
0.0.1 scarlet snake
0.0.1 Argentine horned frog
1.1 Southern ringneck snakes
0.0.1 night snake
0.0.1 Florida brown snake
0.1 Pine woods snake
1.0 rough earth snake
0.1 (parthenogenic) Brahminy blind snake
0.1 Northern brown snake

An alternative to ripping bark in the north Florida area is to look under bridges, (in the gap between the base and the bridge where the expansion joint is), and also around culverts that use sand bags to secure them. Look between the cracks. Sometimes you will even see them out sunning, which would make a great photo opportunity. You will also find young Elaphe as well as Micrurus in these same locations. And please, just as with bark hunting, don't start pulling loose the sand bags. These man-made areas are great for finding herps, but I have seen areas where "herpers" have literally destroyed the sand bags leaving the county no choice but to "repair" the area in a way that destroys it for herps, (not to mention the ones that probably get killed by the workers themselves).
Remember, always think conservation, and leave the area like you found it so you can return and others can enjoy as well.
Bob