Herp of the Day: Lampropeltis pyromelana

There are a lot of Colubrid snakes in the southern US that have various patterns of red, black, and white or yellow banding and blotching patterns, often considered coral snake (Elapidae: Micrurus) mimics. Most of these are a plethora of kingsnake, milksnake, and corn snake subspecies. I have never had much attraction to these guys, but once in a while one really strikes my eye. This time that one is a captive-bred Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelana), a species from the southwest, that my friend Amanda owns. Check out the hotness: