A widely distributed, brightly banded constrictor whose mimicry of coral snakes inspired the famous "red touches black, friend of Jack" rhyme.
Description
The eastern milk snake is a smooth-scaled snake under a metre long with bold reddish-brown blotches outlined in black on a grey background. Tropical populations are vividly ringed in red, black, and yellow, mimicking coral snakes. The head bears a Y-shaped pale mark.
Behavior
Milk snakes are nocturnal constrictors that hunt rodents and other reptiles, often in barns and on dairy farms — the origin of the old, mistaken belief that they suckled milk from cows. They tame easily and are popular pets, with many bred colour morphs.
Range
The species, broadly defined, spans from southern Quebec south through the eastern United States, Mexico, and Central America to Ecuador and Venezuela. Recent revisions have split this single species into seven or more separate ones.
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Milk Snake starts with M and ends with E. Browse other snakes along the same letter.
Snakes that contain a letter from "Milk Snake":