![]() ![]() Throughout, there are widely different conditions of climate (precipitation and temperature), elevation, topography, and interactions with many other species. Western Mass Milksnake populations are near the northern edge of a huge geographic range that extends well into South America. I have seen them leaf basking on windy days where their color and pattern make them difficult to see and only rarely have I found them fully exposed on the surface. It appears that Milksnakes are diurnal mostly in spring and autumn while they are decidedly nocturnal during summer. Of course, disturbance of these human-made egg incubators could spell the demise of an entire year’s cohort. Several snakes (most likely females) often gather here in late spring dozens of eggs are frequently uncovered in mid summer-suggesting communal nesting. Presumably the heat from the decaying vegetation is more than ample for the developing embryos. Milksnakes and their eggs are often found in woodchip or compost piles. A remarkable moment in time, captured and preserved. The two, still together, are sitting in a jar of ethanol on my desk. He found a young Milksnake that died (suffocated?) while in the process of eating an adult Red-bellied snake (which also was dead from the predation). Milksnakes are powerful constrictors that feed on small mammals and other snakes. Since Milksnakes vibrate their tails vigorously when cornered, people have even mistaken them for timber rattlesnakes-silly if you look at the photos, but understandable to those who know little about snakes. Perhaps the most persecuted snake in Western Massachusetts, the Milksnake is commonly mistaken for copperheads and other species that aren’t found anywhere near here. ![]()
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