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DOI10.47051/NYTD2467 Published January 6, 2024. Open access.

Gallery ❯

Ecuadorian Milksnake (Lampropeltis micropholis)

Reptiles of Ecuador | Serpentes | Colubridae | Lampropeltis micropholis

English common name: Ecuadorian Milksnake.

Spanish common names: Falsa coral ecuatoriana, serpiente de leche ecuatoriana.

Recognition: ♂♂ 160.0 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. ♀♀ 136.2 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail..^1,2 Lampropeltis micropholis can be identified by its distinctive coloration consisting of two black rings separated by a white to cream ring, alternating with a red ring (Fig. 1). Ontogenetic changes may result in the characteristic ringed pattern being obscured in older specimens.¹ Notably, younger, or smaller individuals may display a white band across the prefrontal region.^3,4 Unlike real coral snakes, such as Micrurus ancoralis and M. transandinus, the Ecuadorian Milksnake has large laterally positioned eyes and a loreal scale.⁵

Figure 1: Individuals of Lampropeltis micropholis from Ecuador: Poetate, Azuay province (); Santa Isabel, Azuay province (); Canandé Reserve, Esmeraldas province (). j=juvenile.

Natural history: Lampropeltis micropholis is a terrestrial serpent that inhabits a wide range of habitats, from pristine rainforest to dry shrublands, crops, and urban parks.^2,6 Ecuadorian Milksnakes exhibit both diurnal and nocturnal activity.^6,7 At night and during unfavorable weather, they tend to remain hidden under leaf-litter, among roots, or in blocks, emerging to forage during cloudy days.^2,8 Milksnakes in general feed on small mammals, snakes, and lizards,⁹ but so far only rodents have been confirmed as prey items in Ecuadorian populations.¹⁰ Their feeding strategy consists of biting and progressively constricting the prey until it succumbs to suffocation.¹¹ There are recorded instances of predation on L. micropholis by hawks¹² and by house cats.² Clutch sizes in Lampropeltis range from 5 to 16 eggs, with an incubation period of approximately 35–50 days.¹

Conservation: Least Concern Believed to be safe from extinction given current circumstances..¹³ Lampropeltis micropholis is listed in this category primarily on the basis of the species’ wide distribution, occurrence protected areas, and lack of evidence of widespread threats or decline.¹³ Despite this relatively favorable conservation status, in Ecuador these snakes are usually killed on sight by local people who confuse them with real coral snakes.⁸ The species also faces habitat loss and fragmentation attributable to the rapid urbanization of once wild or rural areas.⁸

Distribution: Lampropeltis micropholis is widely distributed throughout the lowlands of Mesoamerica, the Chocó, and Río Magdalena valley regions. The species occurs from Costa Rica to southwestern Ecuador (Fig. 2). It has also been recorded on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos,⁷ but whether this represents an isolated individual or part of an established population is uncertain.

Figure 2: Distribution of Lampropeltis micropholis in Ecuador. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.

Etymology: The name Lampropeltis comes from the Greek lampro (=brightness) and pelte (=shield).¹⁴ It refers to the distinctive enamel-like characteristics of the dorsal scales. The specific name comes from the Greek mikros (=small) and pholis (=scales),¹⁴ an epithet that underscores the relatively small dorsals.

See it in the wild: In Ecuador, Lampropeltis micropholis is a frequently observed snake in forested peri-urban areas, particularly around large cities such as Guayaquil and Quito.^7,8 Most observations are of individuals crossing roads and trails during cloudy days.

Authors: Gabriela Sandoval^aAffiliation: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador. and Alejandro Arteaga^bAffiliation: Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador.

Photographer: Jose Vieira^cAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.^,dAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador.

How to cite? Sandoval G, Arteaga A (2024) Ecuadorian Milksnake (Lampropeltis micropholis). In: Arteaga A, Bustamante L, Vieira J (Eds) Reptiles of Ecuador: Life in the middle of the world. Available from: www.reptilesofecuador.com. DOI: 10.47051/NYTD2467

Literature cited:

1. Savage JM (2002) The amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica, a herpetofauna between two continents, between two seas. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 934 pp.
2. Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
3. Ruane SB, Byrson RW, Pyron RA, Burbrink FT (2014) Coalescent species delimitation in milksnakes (Genus Lampropeltis) and impacts on phylogenetic comparative analyses. Systematic Biology 63: 231–250. DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syt099
4. Lotzkat S (2014) Diversity, taxonomy, and biogeography of the reptiles inhabiting the highlands of the Cordillera Central (Serranía de Talamanca and Serranía de Tabasará) in western Panama. PhD thesis, Goethe-Universität in Frankfurt am Main, 931 pp.
5. MECN (2010) Serie herpetofauna del Ecuador: El Chocó esmeraldeño. Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales, Quito, 232 pp.
6. Almendáriz A, Brito J (2011) Biodiversidad de los valles secos interandinos del Ecuador. Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, 60 pp.
7. Cisneros-Heredia DF (2018) The hitchhiker wave: non-native small terrestrial vertebrates in the Galápagos. In: Torres MdL, Mena CF (Eds) Understanding invasive species in the Galápagos Islands. Springer, New York, 95–139.
8. Cisneros-Heredia DF, Touzet JM (2007) On the distribution and conservation of Lampropeltis triangulum (Lacepede, 1789) in Ecuador. Herpetozoa 19: 182–183.
9. Williams KL (1988) Systematics and natural history of the American Milk Snake, Lampropeltis triangulum. Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, 258 pp.
10. Cárdenas-Ortega MS, Herrera-Lopera JM, Ramírez-Chaves HE (2018) Lampropeltis micropholis (Ecuadorian Milksnake, Falsa coral interandina): diet. Herpetological Review 49: 549.
11. Vogt RC (1981) Natural history of amphibians and reptiles of Wisconsin. Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, 205 pp.
12. Gerhardt RP, Harris PM, Vásquez-Marroquín MA (1993) Food habits of nesting Great Black Hawks in Tikal National Park, Guatemala. Biotropica 25: 349–352. DOI: 10.2307/2388794
13. Rivas G, Schargel W, Urbina N, Ramírez Pinilla M, Lavin P, Ines Hladki A, Mendoza-Quijano F, Renjifo J (2022) Lampropeltis micropholis. The IUCN Red List of threatened species. Available from: www.iucnredlist.org. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T67662806A217811917.en
14. Brown RW (1956) Composition of scientific words. Smithsonian Books, Washington D.C., 882 pp.

Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Lampropeltis micropholis in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used.

Country	Province	Locality	Source
Colombia	Ñariño	Cumbitara	iNaturalist; photo examined
Colombia	Ñariño	San Andrés de Tumaco	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Azuay	Chilcaplaya	MZUA.Re.0061; examined
Ecuador	Azuay	Jubones	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Azuay	La Unión	MZUA.Re.0109; examined
Ecuador	Azuay	Old bridge over the Leon river	Reptiles of Ecuador book database
Ecuador	Azuay	Poetate	Reptiles of Ecuador book database
Ecuador	Azuay	San Rafael de Sharug	MZUA.Re.0242
Ecuador	Azuay	Santa Isabel	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Azuay	Yunguilla	Reptiles of Ecuador book database
Ecuador	Bolívar	Vía a Echeandía	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	El Oro	Machala–Girón road	Cisneros-Heredia 2007
Ecuador	El Oro	Piñas	Photo by Amanda Quezada
Ecuador	El Oro	Reserva Biológica Buenaventura	Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2004
Ecuador	El Oro	Sendero, Zaruma	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Esmeraldas	Canandé Reserve	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Esmeraldas	Montalvo	Photo by Diego Piñán
Ecuador	Esmeraldas	Reserva Itapoa	Reptiles of Ecuador book database
Ecuador	Esmeraldas	Río Verde	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Esmeraldas	Viche	Pazmiño-Otamendi 2020
Ecuador	Guayas	Balzar	USNM 211026; VertNet
Ecuador	Guayas	Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Guayas	Bosque Protector La Prosperina	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Guayas	Capeira	Photo by Eduardo Zavala
Ecuador	Guayas	Estero Salado	USNM 62811; VertNet
Ecuador	Guayas	Finca Elba	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Guayas	Isla Mocoli	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Guayas	Isla Santay	Cruz-García et al. 2023
Ecuador	Guayas	La Aurora	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Guayas	Represa Daule Peripa	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Guayas	Samborondón	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Guayas	Subestación Chorillos	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Guayas	Urbanización Altos del Río	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Guayas	Vía a la Costa	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Imbabura	Bosque Protector Golondrinas	UMMZ 83696; collection database
Ecuador	Imbabura	Cuellaje	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Imbabura	Imbiola	Photo by Diego Piñán
Ecuador	Imbabura	Lita	AMNH 13429; examined
Ecuador	Imbabura	Peñaherrera	UMMZ 83694; collection database
Ecuador	Imbabura	Santa Catalina de Salinas	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Loja	Chaquinal	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Loja	Chiguango	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Loja	Valle de Catamayo	Parker 1938
Ecuador	Loja	Vía a Santa Isabel Uchucay	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Loja	Vía Pindal–Alamor	Pazmiño-Otamendi 2020
Ecuador	Los Ríos	Babahoyo	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Los Ríos	Bosque Protector Pedro Franco Dávila	Cruz-García et al. 2016
Ecuador	Los Ríos	Dole María Jose	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Los Ríos	Hotel Palmar del Sol	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Los Ríos	Lechugal	MZUA.Re.0190; examined
Ecuador	Los Ríos	Quevedo	USNM 211025; VertNet
Ecuador	Los Ríos	Recinto La Muralla	Pazmiño-Otamendi 2020
Ecuador	Los Ríos	Río Vinces	Reptiles of Ecuador book database
Ecuador	Los Ríos	Ventanas	Reptiles of Ecuador book database
Ecuador	Manabí	Cocosolo	Photo by Carlos Robles
Ecuador	Manabí	Hacienda María Luisa	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Manabí	Maicito	MHNG 1379.052; collection database
Ecuador	Manabí	Membrillo	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Manabí	Presa La Esperanza	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Manabí	Quiroga, 3 km W of	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Carcelén Bajo	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	Central Térmica Gualberto Hernández	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	Chacapungo	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Chipal	Reptiles of Ecuador book database
Ecuador	Pichincha	Club Jacarandá	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	Cóndor Ilaló	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Conocoto	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	Cráter del Pululahua	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Cumbayá, Av. San Francisco de Pinsha	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Cumbayá, Calle Buganvillas	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Cunuyacu	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	El Andrango	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	El Chaquiñán	Reptiles of Ecuador book database
Ecuador	Pichincha	El Potrero de Cumbayá	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	El Tingo	Fernández Liger & Margarisca Mogro 2022
Ecuador	Pichincha	Hacienda La Hesperia	Brouwer 2018
Ecuador	Pichincha	Hostería Jumbo	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	Huertos del Ilaló	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Jardín Alado Ilaló	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Jardines del Valle	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	La Armenia	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Llano Chico	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Lomas de Cumbayá	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	Lumbisí	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	Lumbisí, Av. Intervalles	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Mirador del Pululahua	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Miravalle, Av. Oswaldo Guayasamin	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Nanegal	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Parque Algarrobos	Photo by Tristan Schramer
Ecuador	Pichincha	Parque Central de Cumbayá	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	Parque Metropolitano Guanguiltagua	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Parque Metropolitano La Armenia	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Perucho	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Perucho, 2 km E of	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Pintag, 7 km N of	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Plaza Pampite	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Puéllaro	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Puerto Quito	Reptiles of Ecuador book database
Ecuador	Pichincha	Quito, Av. Colón y 6 de Diciembre	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	Quito, Av. Colón y Reina Victoria	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	Quito, Av. Río San Pedro	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Quito, Calle Cruz del Sur	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Quito, Río San Pedro	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Quito, sector Monjas	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	Reserva Geobotánica Pululahua	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	Reservorio de Guangopolo	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	San Alfonso	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	San Antonio de Pichincha	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	San Antonio de Pichincha, 13 km N of	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Tanlahua	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Tumbaco	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	Tumbaco, calle Juan Bautista	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Tumbaco, Calle Juan Montalvo	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Valle Hermoso	Cisneros-Heredia 2007
Ecuador	Pichincha	Vía a San Patricio	Valencia et al. 2017
Ecuador	Pichincha	Vía Charhuayacu	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Volcán Ilaló	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Pichincha	Zoológico de Guayllabamba	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas	Bosque Protector La Perla	iNaturalist; photo examined
Ecuador	Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas	Reserva Otongachi	Reptiles of Ecuador book database
Ecuador	Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas	Santo Domingo, 4 km W of	USNM 211027; VertNet

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