2003 37c Reptiles & Amphibians: Scarlet Kingsnake

U.S. #3814
37¢ Scarlet King Snake
Reptiles & Amphibians
Issue Date: October 7, 2003
City: San Diego, CA
Quantity: 700,000,000
Printed By: Avery Dennison
Printing Method: Photogravure
Perforations: Serpentine Die Cut 11
Color: Multicolored

This stamp was issued as part of a set of five stamps picturing reptiles and amphibians found across the United States, released at a time when many species in these groups faced growing pressure from habitat loss and environmental change. Amphibians in particular were noted as especially vulnerable, since their porous skin makes them highly sensitive to pollutants in their surrounding environment. The set aimed to draw attention to these often overlooked animals through colorful, detailed stamp art.

The scarlet kingsnake is a small, harmless snake found across the southeastern United States, typically growing between one and a half and two and a half feet in length. Its banded pattern of red, black, and yellow closely resembles the venomous eastern coral snake, though the two species differ in the order of their colored rings. This resemblance is a well documented example of Batesian mimicry, in which a harmless species evolves to look like a dangerous one, discouraging predators from attacking it even though the kingsnake itself poses no threat.

Scarlet kingsnakes are nocturnal and spend much of their time hidden beneath bark, logs, or leaf litter, making them a species people rarely encounter despite their wide range across the eastern United States. Remarkably, researchers have found that in areas where the coral snake has disappeared entirely, the scarlet kingsnake's resemblance to its venomous counterpart has continued to grow more precise over time, rather than fading as evolutionary theory might predict. This small, secretive snake offers a striking example of how mimicry can continue shaping a species long after the animal it imitates has vanished from the same landscape.