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
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, facing minor localized threats from habitat fragmentation and road mortality.
Physical Description
Displays smooth scales with a pattern of dark-bordered reddish-brown or black blotches over a gray to tan background body color.
Size & Dimensions
Specimens typically range from 60 to 90 cm in total adult length, with a maximum recorded length exceeding 130 cm.
Habitat
Inhabits open woodlands, fields, rocky hillsides, and agricultural areas, frequently sheltering beneath logs, rocks, and debris.
Diet & Feeding
Preys primarily on small rodents, lizards, birds, and other snakes, utilizing constriction as an active foraging hunter.
Reproduction
Oviparous species that lays clutches averaging 6 to 18 eggs in subsurface cavities or rotting wood during early summer.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, facing minor localized threats from habitat fragmentation and road mortality.
Cultural Significance
Historically associated with folklore regarding milk theft from livestock, and ecologically valuable for controlling rodent populations.
Notable Features
Possesses a distinctive light-colored Y- or V-shaped marking on the back of the head and mimics the coloration of other sympatric species.