Eastern Milksnake
Lampropeltis triangulum • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Lampropeltis, Species: L. triangulum
Widely distributed across eastern North America, ranging from southeastern Canada down through the eastern and midwestern United States.
Look up Eastern Milksnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Lampropeltis, Species: L. triangulum
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, facing localized threats from habitat loss and road mortality.
Physical Description
Features alternating dark brown or reddish blotches bordered in black along a lighter grayish or tan background, with smooth scales and a moderately slender body.
Size & Dimensions
Specimens typically range from 60 to 90 cm in total length, with maximum records approaching 130 cm.
Habitat
Inhabits diverse environments including open woodlands, fields, rocky outcrops, and agricultural areas, frequently seeking cover beneath logs and rocks.
Diet & Feeding
Preys primarily on small rodents, lizards, birds, and other snakes, utilizing constriction as its primary hunting strategy.
Reproduction
Oviparous species that typically deposits clutches of 6 to 15 eggs in hidden, damp subterranean microhabitats during early summer.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, facing localized threats from habitat loss and road mortality.
Cultural Significance
Acts as an effective natural regulator of rodent populations in agricultural and rural ecosystems.
Notable Features
Exhibits a Batesian mimicry pattern resembling certain sympatric snake species, aiding in predator deterrence.