![]() ![]() “They can frequently be found under rocks and debris in abandoned agricultural areas and grassy meadows, and under logs in and along the edges of woodlands,” Whit Gibbons wrote in his book, Snakes of the Eastern United States. ![]() These snakes live in both forested and more open habitats. These sites may include stone walls, barns, or basements. Milksnakes survive our northern winters by retreating into hibernacula. The snake’s range extends south into Georgia and as far west as Oklahoma. However, unlike rattlesnakes, eastern milksnakes lack a physical rattle and are non-venomous.Įastern milksnakes live throughout the Northeast, except in the uppermost reaches of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. When a milksnake vibrates its tail very quickly in dry leaves, it sounds very similar to the noise of a rattlesnake’s rattle. Milksnakes can sometimes be confused for rattlesnakes due to their tapered tails and quick tail movements. Milksnakes in our region tend to be more brown-colored, while western milksnakes are reddish in hue. Normally 2 to 3 feet in length, some milksnakes may grow to 4 feet or more, and the average size reported in Vermont is 40 inches, according to the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas. A light-colored Y- or V-shaped marking on a milk snake’s head points toward its tail. The eastern milksnake ( Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum) is brown or gray with red-brown blotches on its back and a black-and-white checkerboard pattern along its belly. Milksnakes are secretive and largely nocturnal. This was my first encounter with the species, and while I spotted another milk snake two years later, I might be hard-pressed to see one again. I knew this wasn’t a gartersnake, a familiar visitor to my garden, and later identified the reptile as a milksnake. Covered in colorful splotches, it quickly slithered across the pavement and out of sight. Walking down my road on an early June afternoon several years ago, I spotted a snake attempting to cross into the underbrush. ![]()
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