Home > Snakes > Milk Snake

Milk Snake

Milk snake is a nonvenomous snake occurring in North America, Central America and South America. The species is mainly nocturnal and terrestrial. There are twenty-four subspecies of this species. The snake is popular in the pet trade.

Scientific Classification
Quick Information

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Subphylum	Vertebrata
Class	Reptilia
Order	Squamata
Suborder	Serpentes
Family	Colubridae
Subfamily	Colubrinae
Genus	Lampropeltis
Scientific Name	Lampropeltis triangulum

Length	20 to 60 in (51 to 152 cm)
Color	Combination of red, black and yellow or white, black and red bands
Distribution	Southeastern Canada, most parts of the United States, Central America, western Ecuador and northern Venezuela (South America)
Habitat	Forested regions, open prairies, rocky slopes
Diet	Lizards particularly skinks, small mammals, birds and their eggs, frogs, fish, other snakes
Hibernation Fact	Undergoes brumation in communal dens in winter
Predators	Raccoons, foxes, skunks, coyotes
Venom Fact	Nonvenomous
Breeding Season	Early May to end of June
Mode of Reproduction	Oviparous (egg laying)
Clutch Size	3 to 24 eggs
Incubation Period	About 2 months
Reproductive Age	3 to 4 years of age
Average Lifespan	Around 12 years
IUCN Conservation Status	Not Listed