Eastern Milksnake

For at least a couple years Duke Farms has had educational meadow posters that talk about the Eastern Milksnake. While I've had to confess to passersby that I've never seen one at Duke Farms, I've now seen them elsewhere in the county: at Washington Valley Park. (I always mention that it's hard to know everything that's going on in the middle of a meadow.)

This snake is pretty distinctive with its brownish-red blotches outlined in black, though the "Y" or "V" pattern on the back of the head is also a good field mark.

Unlike our 2 most common (AFAIK) snakes - the Eastern Garter Snake and the Northern Watersnake - the Eastern Milksnake is oviparous (egg-laying). They generally hatch in the autumn at around 4 inches in length, but if they live long enough they can get a little over 4 feet long. The one in my pictures was pretty small and so must have been 1-2 years old.

The Eastern Milksnake constricts its prey to subdue it, a little like a very small boa or python. No venom is used when they eat.

I'm told that they got their name from the belief that they would drink milk from cows. This isn't true, and I'm assuming people believed this because snakes tend to hang around dairy barns looking for rodents to eat.

June 21, 2022 at Washington Valley Park
Photo 211724366, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

June 21, 2022 at Washington Valley Park
Photo 211724349, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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