scarlet king snake

noun

: a king snake of the eastern and southeastern U.S. that is reddish with black and yellow or whitish bands and is typically 14 to 27 inches (36 to 69 centimeters) in length

Note: The scarlet king snake is either considered a separate species (Lampropeltis elapsoides) or a subspecies (L. triangulum elapsoides) of the milk snake. It resembles and is often mistaken for the venomous coral snake (genus Micrurus) but can be distinguished from it by the presence of black bands which separate the red from yellow whereas coral snakes have red and yellow bands that are touching.

Examples of scarlet king snake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For example, the scarlet king snake mimics the venomous coral snake, while the viceroy butterfly mimics the monarch butterfly, which is poisonous. —Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined above