Eastern milk snake


Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum, commonly known as the eastern milk snake or eastern milksnake, is a subspecies of Lampropeltis triangulum. The nonvenomous, colubrid snake is indigenous to eastern and central North America.

Geographic range

The eastern milk snake ranges from Maine to Ontario in the north to Alabama and North Carolina in the south. It was once thought by herpetologists to intergrade with Lampropeltis elapsoides, the scarlet kingsnake, in a portion of its southern range, but this has been disproved.

Common names

Additional common names for L. t. triangulum include the following: adder, blatschich schlange, chain snake, checkered adder, checkered snake, chequered adder, chequered snake, chicken snake, common milk snake, cow-sucker, highland adder, horn snake, house snake, king snake, leopard-spotted snake, milk sucker, pilot, red snake, sachem snake, sand-king, scarlet milk snake, spotted adder, and thunder-and-lightning snake.

Description

The eastern milk snake averages in total length, although specimens as long as in total length have been measured. It has smooth and shiny scales. The dorsal color pattern consists of brownish dorsal saddles, which are edged with black. The dorsal saddles are sometimes reddish or reddish brown in southern areas of its range. The pattern on the top and sides of the snake has also been described as three series of black-bordered brown blotches along the length of the snake on a gray or tan ground. The blotches in the dorsal series are large, while the blotches in the two lateral series are smaller. The belly pattern is black and white checks.

Captivity

Like many species of milk snakes, the eastern milk snake is often bred in captivity for the pet trade. It is generally docile and rarely attempts to bite, though may attempt to do so if feeling restrained. This subspecies, like most milk snakes, tends to acclimate well to terraria, though a larger enclosure is generally needed for larger species. As with most captive snakes, it tends to thrive on a diet of pre-killed rodents, with the occasional picky neonate requiring a pinky mouse scented with the smell of a lizard.

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