Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This has been a great year for finding hatchlings and adult eastern milksnakes in my yard, basement and now my garage. I'm a little shocked at how late I found this guy (Nov. 11) but it has been mild in central Mass. even though we had 20 inches of snow in a freak storm on Oct. 29.

So I found this adult male eastern in my garage on Friday. He is the lightest colored and slightly brownish in color eastern I have found around my house - they tend to be redder and darker. He has kind of a peach wash all over his body and especially near the tail. Thin black bands. He is 32 inches long (I've seen bigger in my neighborhood).

So I found him, took some photos and then do what I always do with all wild snakes I find - I let him go at the edge of the woods near a wood pile at the rear of my property.

Well, tonight (Sunday) I found him in my garage again. I compared him to the photos I took and it is the exact same snake! So I let him stay in the garage near my wood bin where I found him both times. If he trekked all the way up from the woods and across my yard and somehow found his way in through a crack in the foundation behind the front steps he is welcome to stay in the garage in the foundation for the winter. He obviously has been staying in there for some time. Bonus: My wife was very understanding about this. She actually felt bad I evicted him the first time I found him on Friday.

The photos attached show a full body shot, a head close-up shot and a side body shot to try and show the peach wash and the almost olive colored blotches. He was very calm, though alert, and never tried to bite. It might be because it was only in the upper 40s to low 50s.

I feel pretty lucky.

Rob Haneisen

Very interesting Rob. I have a friend that lived in a house with an old fieldstone foundation that also frequently had milks in the basement.

I was thinking about taking a walk in the woods yesterday with the mild weather we have been having lately to see if anything was active. That is until I saw a few cars where I herp. Forgot it's hunting season.

That guy is very typical of the milks I find in central MA.
-----
Joe

20" of snow? I only had 18 here.

Gerry

Oh,btw... nice snake!

Dude I am so jealous! that is so cool that you find easterns like that. I am glad you decided to let that one winter over with you in your garage. it would be cool for you to track temperatures in your garage so we have an idea of what temps they tolerate in the wild.

thanks for posting some photos that was really cool.
DNS Reptiles - Milk Snakes

I agree with Dave. Problem is the snake is probably finding a way under the cement slab in the garage or getting under the house where I would bet the temps stay in the 50 degree range. If you can find that animal in your garage during winter it would be very interesting to see what temps are tolerated though.

Joe

I found him outside again today, crawling along the foundation outside the garage. I picked him up, said hi and then placed him back down and let him go about his thing. He obviously has a way in and out. I should probably name him at this point. Temperature outside when I found him was about 62 degrees. Fairly warm for mid-November.

I agree that he - and likely others - are denning somewhere under my foundation slab or in the foundation where it probably stays in the upper 40s to low 50s through winter. I suspected I had a good-sized milk living in the garage foundation when I found a decent sized snake poop near my wood bin. When I saw it my first thought was "No garter snake made that."

I am moving to MA! ha ha

keep us posted.

Dave

Very cool story Rob!
Name the snake, and treat him to a Whoopie Pie from a local diner!! LOL!
-----
Genesis 1:1

Pretty cool, Rob! There aren't many wild snakes around my place in suburbia... I'm a little jealous! I have to drive 10 minutes to find milks!
-----
_______________________

-Cole