Eastern Milksnake
Lampropeltis triangulum • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Lampropeltis, Species: L. triangulum
Eastern North America, ranging from southern Ontario and Quebec south to northern Georgia and Alabama, 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.
Physical Description
Features a pattern of dark brown, black, or reddish-brown blotches or saddles edged in black on a gray or tan background. The belly is usually checkered with a black and white or yellowish pattern. Scales are smooth and glossy.
Size & Dimensions
Typical adult size ranges from 60 to 90 cm (24 to 36 inches), with maximum lengths occasionally exceeding 130 cm (51 inches).
Habitat
Found in a wide variety of habitats including forests, fields, rocky outcrops, and agricultural areas. Often hides under logs, rocks, boards, and can enter human dwellings or basements.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds primarily on small rodents, lizards, birds, and other snakes. Hunts actively or by ambush and subdues prey via constriction.
Reproduction
Oviparous species, laying clutches of 2 to 24 eggs in rotting wood, leaf litter, or loose soil during early summer. Eggs typically hatch after about two months.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. Threats include habitat destruction, road mortality, and intentional killing due to misidentification.
Cultural Significance
Historically associated with folklore claiming they could milk cows, though this is biologically impossible. They play an important ecological role in controlling rodent populations.
Notable Features
Exhibits Batesian mimicry, bearing a strong color resemblance to other species within its range, which helps deter potential predators.