Not much is known about milk snake communication. They may use chemical cues to detect sex during their spring mating. They use sight, hearing, touch, and smell to perceive their environment. Right before and right after hibernation, they can be seen basking in the sun in large groups. The only time these snakes are found in groups is during hibernation. A favorite hunting ground is around barns or other human locales, lying in wait to feed on the small rodents commonly found in such areas (Vogt 1981). They usually hide under rotting logs or damp trash, but can be found still active at high temperatures, when other snakes seek refuge from the heat. triangulum is rarely seen in the open during the day, but is often seen crossing roads at night. ( Canadian Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Network, March 1999)Ī solitary species, L. Specific data on lifespan is not given, although it is known that one individual caught as an adult lived another 21 years in captivity. Once the eggs are laid there is no further parental care. Milk snake females choose nest sites that are warm and humid. Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male) 3 to 4 years.Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female) 3 to 4 years.Breeding season Breeding occurs in spring and early summer, from April through June.Breeding interval Milk snakes breed once yearly.( Canadian Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Network, March 1999 National Audubon Society Inc, 1979 Vogt, 1981)
Milksnake wild range full#
It takes 3 to 4 years to reach full maturity. The young are always brightly colored, though color dulls as maturity is reached. Eggs hatch after an incubation period of 28 to 39 days with hatchlings measuring from 14 to 28 cm long upon hatching. These eggs are laid in clutch sizes of 2 to 17, usually about 10 (Vogt 1981). Milk snakes lay elliptical eggs in rotting logs or humus in the spring or early summer (Audubon 1979). They mate in spring before emerging and dispersing to their summer ranges. Milk snakes probably mate while still in their hibernacula. triangulum has 19 to 23 rows of smooth scales and a single anal plate (Audubon 1979). There are no reported color differences between males and females. The neck has a light collar with colored, black bordered bands separated by light rings.
There are 25 different subspecies known throughout the snake's geographical range, all with slight color variations. Black bordered "blotches", brown or rust colored down the sides of the body are common as are red, orange, yellow, or white "blotches" with colorful borders, depending on the subspecies.
Milksnake wild range Patch#
Its body may be gray or tan, having a light Y or V shaped patch on the neck. In the United States lengths are most often 60 to 130 cm. triangulum have been found in lengths ranging from 35 to 175 cm, with the neotropical populations achieving the greatest lengths. Range elevation sea level to 2600 m to 8530.18 ft.( National Audubon Society Inc, 1979 Vogt, 1981) They can be found anywhere from sea level to 8000 feet (Audubon 1979). These snakes do not fear human proximity but are secretive, so are rarely observed (Vogt 1981).
They are usually found around coniferous or deciduous forest edges, but they can also be found in tropical hardwood forests, open woodland, dry or wet prairies, savannahs, rocky hillsides, small streams or marshes, and agricultural or suburban areas. Milk snakes can thrive in a variety of habitats. ( National Audubon Society Inc, 1979 Williams, 1994) They are also found in Mexico and Central America in any non-arid area (Williams 1994). In Canada, they range from southcentral and southeastern Ontario to southwestern Quebec. They can be found in the United States almost anywhere east of the Rocky mountains (Audubon 1979). Milk snakes, Lampropeltis triangulum, have a wider geographical range than most other species of snake.
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