Description: The back and sides of the body of the Milksnake are marked with whitish, black, and reddish or orange bands, with the reddish-orange bands bordered by the black; the snout is blackish and sometimes with whitish flecking. The bands often extend across the belly, but sometimes may be incomplete or absent, in which case the belly is whitish. Dorsal scales are smooth (unkeeled). The anal scale is not divided, as are most of the scales on the ventral surface of the tail. The neck is relatively short and thick. Total length of adults in the western Great Plains is usually 39 to 85 centimeters. Hatchlings are similar in appearance to adults, and 16 to 29 centimeters in total length. Eggs are slightly granular and range from 29 to 44 millimeters by 13 to 16 millimeters in length and breadth, depending on locality.
Habitat: Little specific information is available. Milksnakes have been reported in areas of open sagebrush-grassland habitat and ponderosa pine savannah with sandy soils, most often in or near areas of rocky outcrops and hillsides or badland scarps, sometimes within city limits.
Range: Range extends from Utah, eastern Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska south through portions of Wyoming, western and eastern Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma to southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, southern Texas, southern Arkansas, and Louisiana west of the Mississippi River. Elevational range extends from near sea level to around 2,740 meters.
Diet: A carnivorous species, Milksnakes eat mostly small vertebrates, including snakes, lizards, reptile eggs, birds, bird eggs, small mammals (especially mice), and occasionally insects and worms.
Reproduction: Courtship and mating are believed to occur in spring, generally in May. Milksnakes lay clutches of 2 to 17 eggs; typical clutches in Colorado and adjacent areas are 4 to 6 eggs. Eggs are laid usually in mid-June to mid-July. Eggs hatch in about 6 to 9 weeks, beginning in late August and most often in September. Some females reach sexual maturity in their 3rd or 4th year (45 to 50 centimeters snout-vent length) in Kansas, and evidence indicates this is also the case in Colorado.
Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population and extent of occurrence, large number of locations, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.
Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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