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Milk Snake

(Lampropeltis triangulum)

Identification: Black, whitish, and red or orange bands around body; upper scales smooth (unkeeled); belly with much dark banding; anal scale single; two rows of scales on underside of tail; total length generally less than 85 cm (33 inches) in the western Great Plains region and less than 72 cm (28 inches) in western Colorado.   

Colorado Distribution: Throughout most of Colorado at elevations primarily below 8,000 feet. Generally scarce or at least hard to find, but locally fairly common.

Habitat: Wide variety of habitats in Colorado, including shortgrass prairie, sandhills, shrubby hillsides, canyons and open stands of ponderosa pine with Gambel oak in the foothills, piñon-juniper woodlands, arid river valleys, and abandoned mines; generally stays hidden, except at night; found under discarded railroad ties in sand-hill regions. Hibernation sites include rock crevices that may be shared with other snake species.    

Life History: Females produce a clutch of eggs between mid-June and mid-July. Hatchlings emerge in late August-September. This constrictor preys on a wide assortment of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, including the eggs of reptiles and birds. Most foraging occurs on the ground surface or in burrows.