Eastern Milksnake
Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum
Size
24–36 in
Status
Common
Venomous
No
Region
Statewide
A harmless, glossy, blotched snake often found in barns and basements, where it hunts mice. Its pattern and tail-buzzing lead to frequent, needless copperhead confusion.
Identification
A gray to tan snake with red-brown, black-bordered blotches down the back and a light Y- or V-shaped mark on the neck. The belly has a black-and-white checkerboard pattern. Adults reach 2–3 feet, with smooth, shiny scales.
Habitat & Diet
Adaptable, living in woodlands, fields, farmland, and around old buildings, where it shelters under cover and hunts by night. It constricts mice, other small mammals, and occasionally other snakes.
Conservation in Indiana
Common and secure statewide, and beneficial around farms and homes as a rodent predator. The old myth that it milks cows is entirely false.
Similar Species & Taxonomy
The Eastern Milksnake has reddish-brown blotches edged in black on a gray ground, a Y or V mark on the nape, and a black-and-white checkerboard belly; intergrades with the Red Milksnake occur in Indiana. A milksnake (family Colubridae). A 2014 genetic revision split the wide-ranging milksnake, Lampropeltis triangulum, into several species; Indiana's Eastern and Red milksnakes are retained within L. triangulum.
United States Range Map Distribution
Distribution in Indiana
