Eastern Milksnake
Lampropeltis triangulum • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Lampropeltis, Species: L. triangulum
Found throughout eastern North America, ranging from southern Ontario and Quebec south to North Carolina, Kentucky, and west to the Mississippi River.
Look up Eastern Milksnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Lampropeltis, Species: L. triangulum
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. Threats include habitat destruction, road mortality, and intentional killing due to misidentification with other species.
Physical Description
Slender body with smooth scales. Displays a distinct pattern of dark blotches or rings (black or dark brown) bordered in black on a gray, tan, or whitish background. Head typically has a light-colored 'Y' or 'V' shaped mark on the back.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen shown appears to be a juvenile approximately 35-50 cm in length. Adults typically range from 60 to 90 cm, with a maximum recorded length of around 132 cm.
Habitat
Found in a wide variety of habitats including fields, forested regions, rocky hillsides, agricultural areas, and near human habitation. They often shelter under logs, rocks, and boards.
Diet & Feeding
Diet consists of small rodents, lizards, amphibians, birds, and other snakes. They are active hunters that use constriction to subdue their prey.
Reproduction
Oviparous species. Females lay clutches of 2 to 24 eggs in rotting wood, under rocks, or in loose soil during early summer. Eggs incubate for about two months before hatching.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. Threats include habitat destruction, road mortality, and intentional killing due to misidentification with other species.
Cultural Significance
Historically the subject of folklore, including the myth that they milk cows, hence the common name. Ecologically beneficial as natural rodent controllers.
Notable Features
Possesses a cryptic coloration pattern that provides excellent camouflage in leaf litter and rocky terrain. When threatened, they may vibrate their tail rapidly in dry leaves to mimic rattlesnakes.