Reptile & Amphibian Forums

milk snakes are nocturnal right? i live in massachusetts so we got easterns up here. if i went to a place i know they live at night with a spot light or flashlight would i find any you think? and whats the best places they hide in the day? under logs and such?

thanks

In some parts of the country road cruising at night can produce good numbers of milk snakes if conditions are right. I've heard of folks finding an occasional milk by walking around at night with flashlight, I've tried it with no luck before. I've never herped up that way, but my guess is that daytime flipping boards and other AC and rocks is probably what will give best results.
Give night hunting a try a couple of times, you never know.

Scott

You will not find any at night this time of year. Your best bet is to look under cover during the spring.

If you know that they exist in an area with little night time traffic then go for it. The middle of may through september will be best as long as the temps are right. You should come up with a few over time.
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Steve W.

I've caught quite a few easterns. I live in Ohio. I've never seen one while road hunting, although I did once find a 52-incher crossing a dirt road in the early evening. Easterns are usually found in fields or clearings with man-made debris (tin, plywood boards, etc.).

They seem to favor areas where other snakes (DeKay's, garters, ringnecks) live. They probably eat the other snakes, although rodents frequent these habitats as well.

I reckon it's a bit early to be snake hunting in the northeastern states. May is probably a more reasonable starting time.

Tim

I agree about finding them near man made debris. I found an eastern last year inside of a bag of soil in an old greenhouse . In this area you can see garter snakes and mice running around daily. I noticed that it was very warm weather and instead of basking the snake curled up inside a very nice hot bag which I would imagine keeps its temperature over night.

I think they may be hard to find at night with a light since they could be ambushing or searching burrows. To me the best way to find them would be to setup some boards or randon debris to give them some daytime hiding spots as well as habitats for their prey.

I also think the weather will play a big role in how active they are, especially at night. To me they would only be roaming on the warmest of nights unless they are very young. Also time of year such as breeding season could be a big factor as well. Around this time of year you may find one roaming at night who knows.

Good luck and keep us posted on how you do. I would like to find more milksnakes but they really do seem hard to seek out.

Eastern Milksnakes are a difficult snake to find in general. I have been snake hunting my whole life and ive only come up with 2 Easterns. I live in Ma so i know what the conditions are like. my first one was back when i was 15 i founding under a board, it was close to 4.5 feet. the next one i found was when i was a freshman in college inbetween timbers on a 5 foot retaining wall. this was a baby about 18 inches long. im 19 now and they are my fav snake to hunt n catch!!

where in mass are u from? the place i catch them is on the north andover/boxford line, if u know where that is. they are often out in the open but next too rocks to make a quick get away. i saw a couple last year, couldnt tell if they were male or females, but they were both 30 inches. so i figure if i can see them out in the open in the day there i wonder if theyll be even easier to find at night. i also found one that was about 8 inches long in my cousins basement on the cape, lot of ringnecks too.

You reference about garters and mice runnin' about, just curious... thanks

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Matt from Minnesota

North shore of Lake Erie ... what you guys don't have mice and garter snakes over there? haha ... garter snakes are everywhere here and they are the only real daytime snake to be seen besides some rarities. and well mice are everywhere are they not?

Snow just dissapeared here this week, so I expect the snakes are starting to come out as it has been in the 50s!! yah!
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Matt from Minnesota