Milk Snake

Fun Fact!  

Frequenting farms and barns, it was once believed that the Milk Snake milked cows. They even went so far as to blame them for the years of low milk production. Its English name Milk Snake comes from this belief.    

Special Traits   

This snake is dotted with large reddish spots with black borders, as its name in French suggests: couleuvre tachetée (spotted snake). In Canada, this snake measures between 60 and 90 cm. The longest individual measured 1.3 meters, the average height of a 9-year-old child. 

Life in the Marsh  

It feeds mainly on small rodents, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and invertebrates making the marsh a perfect home. The Milk Snakes can be seen in the marsh but they are less likely to be in the water, they are found more on land.  

Protection and Threats  

The Milk Snake is prey to mammals such as raccoons and foxes. It also is threatened by humans who mistake the snake to be poisonous. Further, because they are more on land, roadways are a huge threat.