Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So how come know one else works with Eastern Milks? Is it because of the collecting laws that protect them in just about every state they are native in? I can collect them pretty easy but I have to go outta state to do it legally Grrrrr!!! So I dont even keep them anymore. But they are such cool milks. And the babies are beautiful.

Chris Flowers

Personally, I love easterns but,here in Va. you can't legally breed them.I've never found one here(Lunenburg Cty.)but,they are plentiful in W.V. where I like to hunt.That one you have there has some super borders!! Jeff

Hey Chris,

Great question... likely answers are that they can be somewhat common is some areas, you're right about the indigenous species laws, and well some of the darker specimens are less than appealing aesthetic-wise. Plus they can be a pain like all other smaller milks. I've always liked them -- although I didn't grow up with them in my yard. Great job on the clutch! Any locale info on those guys?

they female in the pic and the 7 hatchlings came from a w/c pair I collected a long time ago here in Iowa... I can find them know that I know where to look but the darn laws freak me out. I think I can collect them legal from Missouri but I could be wrong.... I have a herping trip planed there for the memorial weekend
Chris

..sweet snake...

..If you live in one state where they are illegal , you cannot go to a legal state and then keep them.....once you cross the border they are in the wrong state..........

......Pa I cannot sell , trade ,or barter them.......I may keep one I think....would have been 2 if I would have gotten a permit before the last June's deadline and still couldn't have transfered the permit to another person unless they paid for a new one and couldn't have sold babies or even kept them I don't think.......limit would still have been 2..and not legal to let them go either actually......they want you to turn them in ......

.....and as said.they can be a pain......some......the female I have here ate 6 times last year.she ate 6 times this year so far then regurged a small amount and hasn't eaten since......about a week ago.......we'll see what she does......she may go back to the park she came from...downtown Columbia......

......now to get Tyrell's...........aaaaa
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I think the market for them is very small and they don't sell for much money compared to other milks.
I sure do like them though, but I live in Ohio and it's too much hassle to work with them (PIT tags, annual fees, inspections, etc.).

Tim

Third Eye

I applied to NYS for a license to collect and possess and a license to possess and sell Eastern Milks. I asked for 4.4(yep, they want to know how many of each sex). I am told the permits are never given out but I applied for one anyway. I'd rather be completely legit or I simply won't keep them. Thanks and if and when I start to field collect my keepers, I'll post photos. Mike Panichi
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honesty is my only policy

Wish you the best of luck w/ that endeavor!

Chris

I grew up in eastern Massachusetts and they were, and probably still are, plentiful. I currently have an CB adult that is originally of New York stock that I bought at a reptile show in Albuquerque back in 1997. I have always liked Eastern's but they can be a pain to get feeding. I've never had luck with hatchlings and most wild caught snakes would refuse to eat mice and only occasionally would eat a smaller snake and then would switch to mice.

I wish they were bred more often in captivity. To me they are what a milk snake should look like. They are beautiful, and they adults are relaxed and fun to hold. They seem to like going between your fingers and often stay on one hand for as long as you hold them.

I used to dabble in them from time to time.Very cool little snakes.Had one once that was 52".Should have kept that one.
I still like to hunt for them but don't have any right now because of the laws in Pa.
Here is a pic of one I found under a fallen barn door.

Here are a few of 11 hatchlings that came from a gravid female found in a basement by a pest control friend of mine.All fed on domestic mice pinks.

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"Upon Thy Belly Thou Shalt Go"

Although I hadn't been looking, I hadn't seen one in MA in probably close to 20 years, and then found this one late last spring. I've been pretty lucky as he began to eat f/t right away. He's gone through eating "spurts" and has grown quite a bit in the last 9 months.

June 2007

Today (just after a shed)

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Joe

I can't wait till you breed that guy.

=]
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.kingpinreptiles.com

You found that specimen in the wild?

Kind regards,
Wayne A. Harvey

our critters

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1.2.9 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garter Snakes
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - common Garter - Princess
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua"
0.1.10 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snakes
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
0.1.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" CB
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
1.2.0. Feline"Felix" "Kaja" & "Silver"
0.1.0. calico RAT
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

Yes, actually similar to your description. We were doing yard work, and thought one of the kids dropped a "pixie" stick in the grass!
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Joe

I'm glad to see so much size on him... now just to catch a locale match female! Good luck this year!

Chris

Thanks Chris. It's finally starting to warm up a little up here. Hope to get out to do some flippin soon.
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Joe

wow if i didnt know it was a milk i'd think it was a corn or something, wow nice i love easterns.

Guys, I have been keeping and breeding easterns in Mass for 15 years. I have only kept wc from 1 locale and caught a couple every year til I had my colony FINALLY established. My DNR has known what I was doing from the beginning, establishing a captive population from a heavily used island. The state simply cant afford to do such things, and my voluntary yearly treks actually track encroachment, pollution and other more subtle variations in a extremely sensetive population and environment.
I think with the new establishment of MORPHS within this ssp. it will be much easier to not only get specimens from breeders, but it SHOULD be allowed by other states as these animals cant be mistaken for a "normal"wc local snake. They have allowed albino corn snakes in pet stores in MD and I think NJ too.....so if you really want to get into easterns there should be a way to do it. They are NOT rare anywhere they are found, they are just difficult to find. I am going to help Joe find a female or 2 for his albino(I think the nicest albino of any kind of milk found to date!)soon. And I even picked up a different locale when another fellow was getting out of milks and had a cb pr of het for anerys from NJ.
With Joes albino, Teds whiteside, my anerys and others there should be enough different easterns soon available. I will further contend that breeding across locales to select for morphs will make this breed more widely LEGAL, which I think is more important right now than locale. Maybe this deserves its own thread, but I want you guys to follow up with your ideas and efforts to bring this idea to your local and state DNRs.Jeff

I had a nice pair of LTC easterns but can't have them yet, they are being held on by a buddy I just moved and My inlaws who let me stay won't allow snakes..... here is a pic of the pair

and the male

wayne

Wayne, what locale?? I would guess Indiana or maybe Michigan?? Not too common being that white...I like.

not even close they are from oswego county NY and are far and few between with these colors i'd say 1 in 20 or so.
wayne

I am usually pretty good at it too,lol. Color and patterns are just so variable with these, its a wonder more people dont work with them. Here is a pic from about 10 years ago when I took Carl Bartlett hunting for a weekend. We kept a pr each and let the rest go, but there were reds, oranges, browns, the big "glow in the dark" green one that wraps its way all the way around the bottom of the bucket and a little anerythristic. I gotta get out in the field soon....

Wow.... those are nice! Do you happen to have the locale? Just curious... how old are those? Very, very nice again -- thanks!

Chris

Those are stunning... wow to see animals that bright and with such contrast... brilliant. So when you gonna get them back and start producing some of those bad boys?!?

Chris

well, I'm gonna get the male back as soon as I find a place to live, the female I let him keep for helping me out. gotta get another female. I'm hoping to breed them in about 2 years, did i mention they grow slow......
wayne