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What is the coolest temps you have found eastern milksnakes active at? I'm thinkin' of going to look for them tomorrow as it's been in the 70's the last 2 days (while at work) but going up to only 62 F tomorrow on my day off.

A.C.

On a recent trip afield I have noted that despite a windy 65 deg day that the temp of the cover was in the 80's!! The corresponding temp where I found a milk was 83!! I highly advise using the new laser temp guns in the field because of these readings. Also, I have been hunting DEER in December in Mass when it was in the 30-40s and have found baby milks active on the surface.While I thought it likely that these were doomed animals now I am not so sure. Remember they are active underground anyway for quite a while while the temps drop and they are that much easier to find when you do get a couple warm days after a rain. Good luck,Jeff

Jeff,

very true! I went out there today...air temps in the mid 70's. Found salamanders as well as Thamnophis ans Nerodia active on top of the cover. No sign of triangulum or Agkistrodon. It was way too moist under the rocks as witnessed by the sallies and the plethora of HUGE night crawlers we found. Oh well...maybe next time!

Where were u at the show? Didn't see u or the herp society table! I was looking to buya field hook/temp gun/female northern pine and couldn't find any!

The best and easiest times to find these guys is when they are driven out of their hides with heavy rains. They will be looking for a warm dry spot.....if you face a piece of cover in the sun facing southward on a slope(for drainage)you would be surprised what you find.....Jeff

I wasnt at the table because they had no table. A temp gun is as good of a tool as you can have in the field, it can tell you to quit early or stay late,Jeff