Yazzoo
Milk snake
Lampropeltis abnorma
Born:
2012
Honduras and Costa Rica
Native range:
My story:
Yazoo holds a particularly special place at Wriggly Roadshow because I hatched him myself. His mum and dad have now completely retired from meeting people and spend their days relaxing in their own individual enclosures, leaving Yazoo to continue the family’s work as an animal ambassador.
Yazoo lives in a carefully planted jungle setup and is extremely elusive. He usually remains hidden away until the scent of food begins drifting through his enclosure—at which point he suddenly becomes much easier to find!
Like many milk snakes, Yazoo has an adventurous appetite. He enjoys eating other snakes, lizards, mice and rats, but his absolute favourite food in the world is quail eggs. At night, he can occasionally be spotted climbing through the branches of his miniature jungle. With his glossy scales and extraordinary bands of red, black and cream, Yazoo is undoubtedly one of the most strikingly beautiful snakes you could ever meet.
Did you know?
Yazoo may look dangerous, but his dramatic colours are actually an elaborate bluff. Many harmless milk snakes resemble highly venomous coral snakes, sharing their unmistakable bands of red, black and cream or yellow.
This is called Batesian mimicry: a harmless animal receives protection by resembling one that predators have learned—or evolved—to avoid. Yazoo cannot inject venom, but his striking warning colours may persuade a predator that attacking him simply is not worth the risk.