Further Observations on Louisiana Captive Snakes

LONGEVITY OF Lampropeltis triangulum amaura.-Information as to the life span of snakes, especially of the smaller forms, accumulates slowly. Major S. S. Flower has summarized all the records known to him of life span of vertebrate animals in a useful set of papers published in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London (1925-1937). Of the harmless snakes listed, a garter snake was credited with 11 years and a pilot blacksnake with 14 years, these being the longest periods that individuals of these American species were known to have lived. In general 20 to 29 years was the life span of the longest lived large snakes. Pope (1937: 28) points out that the records seem to indicate that pythons live longer than the smaller snakes, but that this may be because the smaller snakes are more easily replaced and hence do not receive the care afforded the larger pythons and boas. However, Pope cites a note by Schumann of a European leopard snake that lived in the Sofia Zoo for 25 years, the longest known life span for any snake. As the leopard snake (Elaphe situla) is seldom more than a yard in length, Pope concludes that a generalization on the relationship between long life span and size of species is unwarranted for snakes. No records are given for the very small species and it is therefore of interest to report on two specimens of Lampropeltis triangulum amaura in my collection, one of which died on July 22, 1944, after 12 years in captivity. The second snake, which has lived for 9 years in the same portable cage (12" x 15" x 12") with the first one, is still in excellent condition. Notes on the life history and habits of these relatively rare "scarlet king snakes" were reported some years ago (COPEIA, 1940: 165). At that time it was stated that from the size of these two snakes when captured (14 inches and 10 inches respectively) and of several others that have been in my possession, it was inferred that the older snake was two years old when captured and the younger, one year old. Based on these conservative assumptions, the snake that died may have been 14 years old and the second is now thought to be 10 years old. Both snakes, as reported previously, are females. The older specimen was 231/2 inches long at time of death, having gained only 212 inches in 5 years. It was quite slender (about one-half inch in diameter) but not emaciated, and had fed regularly on Anolis to the last week. For a year and a half (since March, 1943) this snake had shown no visible tongue motions whatever. When this was first noticed it was believed that death would soon follow but there appeared to be no change in feeding habits or in health and condition up to the end. Especially noticeable was the ease and regularity of moulting, as remarked in the previous article. The gentle, quiet disposition of this snake throughout its long captivity was in direct contrast to that of the surviving cage mate, which is nervous and irritable and resents handling.