![]() ![]() Their regular proximity to barns contributed to the false belief that milksnakes drink cow’s milk. “They can frequently be found under rocks and debris in abandoned agricultural areas and grassy meadows, and under logs in and along the edges of woodlands,” Whit Gibbons wrote in his book Snakes of the Eastern United States. These snakes live in both forested and more open habitats. These sites may include stone walls, barns, or basements. Milksnakes survive our northern winters by retreating into hibernacula. The snake’s range extends south into Georgia and as far west as Oklahoma. However, unlike rattlesnakes, eastern milksnakes lack a physical rattle and are non-venomous.Įastern milksnakes live throughout the Northeast, except in the uppermost reaches of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. When a milksnake vibrates its tail very quickly in dry leaves, it sounds very similar to the noise of a rattlesnake’s rattle. Milksnakes can sometimes be confused for rattlesnakes due to their tapered tails and quick tail movements. Milksnakes in our region tend to be more brown-colored, while western milksnakes are reddish in hue. Normally 2 to 3 feet in length, some milksnakes may grow to 4 feet or more, and the average size reported in Vermont is 40 inches, according to the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas. A light-colored Y- or V-shaped marking on a milk snake’s head points toward its tail. The eastern milksnake ( Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum) is brown or gray with red-brown blotches on its back and a black-and-white checkerboard pattern along its belly. Milksnakes are secretive and largely nocturnal. This was my first encounter with the species, and while I spotted another milk snake two years later, I might be hard-pressed to see one again. I knew this wasn’t a gartersnake, a familiar visitor to my garden, and later identified the reptile as a milksnake. Covered in colorful splotches, it quickly slithered across the pavement and out of sight. Davis & Rice (1883) used Ophibolus doliatus triangulus and Garman (1892) used Ophibolus triangulus.Walking down my road on an early June afternoon several years ago, I spotted a snake attempting to cross into the underbrush. Nomenclatural History: Kennicott (1855) used the combination Ophibolis eximus (Harlan, 1827). Original Name: Coluber triangulum Lacapede, 1789. For syspila, Ophibolus doliatus syspila Cope, 1888. Type Locality: Not known. For syspila, “Richland, Illinois” Histoire naturelle des quadrupeds ovipares et des serpens. Red milk snakes may be over-collected for the pet trade at some localities.Įtymology: Lampropeltis – lampros (Greek) meaning bright, brilliant, radiant pelta (Latin) meaning small shield triangulum – triangulus (Latin) meaning ‘having three angles’ syspila – sys (Greek) together and spilos (Greek) spots. Status: Not commonly seen, except perhaps in the Chicago region and portions of the Shawnee Hills, because of its secretive nature. Predators include birds of prey and mammals, but many more probably are killed on roads by vehicles.ĭistribution Notes: Probably occurs statewide, with triangulum in the northern third of the state, syspila in the southern third and an intergrade zone in the middle third. Diet includes small mammals, birds and bird eggs, reptiles and reptile eggs, frogs, and fish. The young hatch in August or early September at 20-25 cm TL. Mates in spring and lays 8-20 eggs in June in rotting logs, tree stumps, or other rotting vegetation. Natural History: Usually found in rotting logs, under bark of stumps, or under logs, rocks, and other surface debris. Habitat: A variety of habitats from rocky, wooded hillsides and glades to old fields and wetlands. syspila has 19-26 red blotches on the back and 4-8 red rings on the tail. ![]() triangulum has 33-46 brown blotches on the back alternating with 1-2 rows of spots on the side. Phillipsĭescription: Medium-sized (up to 110 cm TL) snake with variable color pattern. Milksnake, Woodford Co., IL photo by C.A. Subspecies: Eight subspecies are currently recognized in North America, but only two are known from Illinois, Eastern Milksnake, L. Similar Species: Prairie kingsnake, Great Plains Ratsnake. See the Key to Illinois Snakes for help with identification. Key Characters: Black-bordered red or brown blotches or rings belly white with sharply contrasting black spots back scales smooth anal plate not divided. ![]()
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