Herpetofauna: One Life's List

Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides
Scarlet Kingsnake

Liberty Co., Florida. October 25, 2004.

The last time I was here on this road, in this place, it was pouring rain and 53 degrees.  It was not the ideal situation for reptile life, and yet even so we managed to turn up a Brownchinned Racer.  This time weather conditions in the Apalachicola were much more favorable - sunny with temperatures in the mid-seventies.

Scarlet Kings like to hide under tree bark, and this one was under a slab of bark on a dead tree.  What a beautiful creature!  This snake was about fourteen inches long, and tough solo wrangle for pictures - a plastic potted plant saucer came in handy for calming down the little wriggler.