Photo: Kathryn Stewart.ĭescription: The Eastern Milksnake (Figure 1) is a slender medium-sized snake, up to 92 cm snout-vent length (Row and Blouin-Demers 2006a), with large brown or reddish brown dorsal blotches on a grey or tan (sometimes pinkish) background (Harding 1997). Adult eastern milksnake from Massasauga Tract, Queen's University Biological Station. The common name comes from the false belief that milksnakes would enter barns at night and milk cows however their jaw and needle-like teeth are unsuitable for sucking (Ernst and Barbour 1989).įigure 1. ( Lampropeltis means “shiny shield” (Tyning 1990) in reference to the smooth unkeeled dorsal scales (Logier 1958) triangulum comes from the Latin triangulus, meaning “triangle” and refers to the shape of the first blotch on the head of the Eastern Milksnake (Williams 1994). Species: Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum (Lacépède, 1788). Eastern Milksnake / Couleuvre tachetée ( Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)ĭepartment of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON Canada K7L 3N6Įmail: Class: Reptilia. lindheimerii (Baird & Girard, 1853) in their Illinois list.SPECIES ACCOUNT. 9 (2): 105-124) used molecular data to show that the genus Elaphe as recognized is paraphyletic and assigned the New World members of the genus to Pantherophis Fitzinger, 1843. Davis & Rice (1883) listed the names Coluber obsoletus obsoletus, C. ![]() (2002. Molecular systematics and phylogeny of Old World and New World ratsnakes, Elaphe Auct., and related genera (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae). spiloides is the species inhabiting Illinois. Utiger et al. obsoleta into three species, with no subspecies. Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of the polytypic North American rat snake ( Elaphe obsoleta): A critique of the subspecies concept. Evolution 54(6):2107-2118) split E. However, using molecular and morphological data, Burbrink et al. Smith (1961) presented it in this manner. Nomenclatural History: In the recent past, the nominal species inhabiting Illinois was considered to be Elaphe obsoleta (Say, 1823) with two subspecies, E. Original Name: Elaphis spiloides Dumeril, Bibron, & Dumeril, 1854 Erpetologie generale ou histoire naturelle complete des reptiles. Status: Locally common, especially in southern counties.Įtymology: Pantherophis- ? spiloides – spilos (Greek) meaning spot, speck, blemish -eidos (Greek) meaning form, reference. Carnivorous mammals and raptors are the main predators of juveniles. Large adults have few predators other than humans. 30-35 cm TL) hatch late July to September. Mates in April or June and l0-20 eggs between early May and July. Natural History: This arboreal constrictor often suns and prowls on tree limbs and rock outcrops where it feeds on birds, their eggs, and small mammals. Common around farm buildings and abandoned houses. ![]() ![]() Habitat: Variety of forest, shrub, and edge habitats. ![]() Adults have white, orange, or red skin between the dark scales. The ground color between blotches darkens with age, obscuring most of them by 80 cm TL, except in extreme southern counties where remnants of the juvenile pattern are retained throughout life. Subspecies: None recognized, but see Nomenclatural History below.ĭescription: Large (up to 175 cm TL), dark snake with a highly variable pattern that ranges from a series of light blotches to completely black. Juvenile resembles many blotched snakes: Milksnake, young of Yellow-bellied Kingsnake. See the Key to Illinois Snakes for help with identification. Juvenile distinctly marked with dark back and side blotches on a white or gray background. Key Characters: Sides unusually straight, forming a sharp corner with the belly back scales weakly keeled anal plate divided. Phillips Gray ratsnake, Fayette Co., IL photo by C.A. Pantherophis spiloides (Dumeril, Bibron, & Dumeril, 1854) Gray ratsnake, Marshall Co., IL photo by C.A.
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