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Black Milk Snake

black_milk_snake_sm.jpg: Black milk snake
Range: Panama and Costa Rica (in Central America)
Habitat: Forests
Conservation Status: Not listed by IUCN
Scientific Name: Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae

When these snakes are young, they resemble typical milk snakes with their red, black and yellow rings. As they mature, however, their colors darken until the snakes are uniformly black. Some scientists believe the development of black pigments in this subspecies (type) of milk snake is a method of helping control body temperature.