Eastern Milksnake

Eastern (aka Red) Milksnakes are found in a wide range of the northeast US, and can be found in northeast MS and in the Mississippi River delta. Morphology is highly variable throughout their range; in Mississippi they are generally blotched red and cream color, with black outlining the red patterns. Snout is usually cream-colored, but may be red. Venter is usually white or cream with dark checkering. Habitats include rocky hillsides, bottomland hardwood forests, wetlands, and pine forests. They are highly secretive and usually only active at night. They may be found resting during the day beneath rocks and logs. Eastern Milksnakes eat small mammals, frogs, snakes, and lizards.

The Eastern Milk Snake ranges throughout much of the northeastern United States from Maine southward in the Appalachians, and westward to parts of Minnesota and Iowa.

The Eastern Milk Snake suffers from one of the myths about snakes, that it milks cows. That belief/story plainly is not true. Also, people sometimes kill Eastern Milk Snakes because of their resemblance to the Northern Copperhead Snake. Actually, the Eastern Milk Snake is a beneficial animal, especially on farms. It actively seeks out and feeds on mice and other small rodents that infest barns and other farm buildings.
The Eastern Milk Snake usually is secretive and hides under objects such as logs, boards and stones.