Lampropeltis elapsoides, commonly known as the scarlet kingsnake, is a species of kingsnake found in the southeastern and eastern portions of the United States. Like all kingsnakes, they are nonvenomous. They are found in pine flatwoods, hydric hammocks, pine savannas, mesic pine-oak forests, prairies, cultivated fields, and a variety of suburban habitats; it is not unusual for people to find scarlet kingsnakes in their swimming pools, especially during the spring. Until recently - and for much of the 20th century - scarlet kingsnakes were considered a sub-species of milksnakes. However, Pyron & Bubrink demonstrated the phylogenetic distinction of this species and its closer relationship to the mountain kingsnakes of the southwestern United States. These largely fossorial snakes are the sm