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Milk Snakes
Milk Snake
Lampropeltis triangulum (Milk snake) is a species of Kingsnakes. There are 25 subspecies among milk snakes.
The milk snake is a medium sized snake that is 20 – 60 inches in length. They are distributed from southeastern Canada, through most of the continental United States, to Central America, down to western Ecuador and Northern Venezuela of northern South America. Milk snakes are nonvenomous.
Milk Snakes have smooth and shiny scales and their typical color pattern is alternating bands of red-black-yellow or white-black-red. Some milk snakes have a striking resemblance to venomous coral snakes. A common mnemonic can be used to properly distinguish between the deadly coral snake and the harmless milk snake:
• "Red touches yellow, you're a dead fellow. Red touches black, you're okay, Jack." or;
• "Red touch black, friend of jackl;Red touch yellow, kill a fellow." or;
• "Red next to black, is a friend of Jack; red next to yellow, will kill a fellow."
However, the Eastern Milk Snake (L. t. triangulum) does not resemble a coral snake; instead it tends to have similar markings to that of several other snakes, particularly the fox snake. There is enough distinction to make the Eastern Milk Snake fairly easy to identify. Eastern Milk Snakes also have a light colored v-shaped or y-shaped patch on their neck. One subspecies is melanistic (almost all black).
Snakes have no eyelids and instead have a transparent covering that rests over their eyes called brilles to protect their eyes from dust and dirt. The brilles give them a "glassy-eyed" blank appearance.
Milk snakes are most often seen in Rocky hillsides. Farmlands, grasslands bordering woodlands, and rock outcroppings, especially near waterways, are used. Milk snakes are also found in woodlands and in the loess hills, but here they are rarely discovered unless they are found hit on the road or crossing a trail.
Food
Young Milk snakes eat slugs, insects and earthworm. Adult Milk snakes feed on a wide variety of animals including mice, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, reptile eggs, birds and birds eggs and other snakes. Milk Snakes are at least partially immune to the venom of the venomous snakes in their range and many venomous serpents will use defensive tactics other than biting to protect themselves from kingsnakes.
Milk snakes are constrictors and kill their food by suffocation. Milk snakes are so named because it was once believed that these snakes would enter barns and steal milk from cows. This is false; snakes only drink water. They would become sick if they were to drink cow's milk. Snakes also have sharp teeth; no cow would stand still for that! The milk snakes were in the barns actually helping the farmers by looking for rodents to eat.
Milk snakes are diurnal in the spring and fall becoming largely nocturnal in summer. They are very secretive and are rarely found in the open. Milk snakes spend much of their time hiding beneath logs, rocks, boards, bark, and other debris.
Milk snakes are usually apt to coil, strike and bite when captured, especially during cold weather. They strike with a short, forced hiss and try to quickly slither away and under cover when they get the chance. Even after they are picked up, Milk snakes may casually turn and chew on fingers or the arm of the person holding it. They also vibrate their tails and release musk.
Milk snakes are oviparous, laying an average of about 10 eggs per clutch, although that number may vary by region. The milk snake mates from early May to late June. In June and July, the female lays three to twenty-four eggs beneath logs, boards, rocks, logs and rotting vegetation. The eggs incubate for approximately two months, and hatch around August or September. Milk snakes typically live around twelve years.
