Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I live in Toledo Ohio, Lucas County, I have been an avid snake collector for many years now and keep several species of colubrids and a few pythons....My question is, can anyone tell me of a place in particular in my area where I can find Eastern Milk snakes? I have found every other snake that is local to my area and was even lucky enough to find 2 massasaguas in the last couple years in an adjoining county, and several Eastern Fox snakes, ( a very underated awesome snake by the way ) but for some reason the Eastern milk has eluded me, noone locally has been able to help me, not even anyone from the Herp society here, If anyone can help I would really appreciate it. I do have a license to own 12 snakes also just so anyone wondering knows. Thank you very much in advance for any help.

Nobody is going to give out specific locality info for Eastern Milks on a public forum, and I doubt any one will even email you this info. When people find their own herp 'hot-spots' where they can depend on finding herps pretty-much all the time, they never want to tell people about it if they don't know them very well. The person they tell could be an illegal collector, and there's a chance of the person being an irresponsible herper (ex: not putting back items that they flipped, littering, etc.).

I am assuming you have done a lot of research on the species, right? So just keep searching in ideal habitat with the right techniques and eventually you will find your own hot-spot. Try flipping boards and rocks in 'edge' habitats, such as places where fields meet forest, and try searching rocky hillsides in good weather.

Second of all, why would you want to collect Eastern milks? From what I have heard, they are extremely hard to acclimate, and often they are hosts of multiple parisites. If you catch one, but can't get it to eat, please(!) release it. Good luck!

James

P.S. When you are looking for snakes like this (that you haven't found yet), it can be help to concentrate more on finding the perfect habitat rather than concentrating too hard on finding the actual snake.

Thank you for the response, but I do have to say that a lot of people have responded through email with lots of help, and to all of those people thank you very much, I also have shown some people where to find and observe E. Fox snakes. As for people hoarding their "hotspots" I know that is the case and trully feel sorry for people that feel that way. I feel that herping is a wonderful and insightful hobby, and am more than happy to take new people as well as veterans to my hotspots to help to promote it. As for my intersts in the E. Milk snake, I believe it is a extremely beautiful snake and am a bit worried about its survival in my area, The last actual census that was done on them in this area was in the 50's. I am concerned that we are losing this beauty in this area. Over the past 15 years I have watched the E. Fox snake population decline year after year and it worries me that the E. Milk may be just about gone from my area. No more than 5 or 6 years ago I listened to everyone say it was darn near impossible to acclimate a E. Fox snake, when in fact it was a hardy and docile captive. It saddens me that herping is such a individualized and secret hobby. As for me, if anyone wants to see a awesome and beautiful colubrid ( ie. the E. Fox snake ) in its natural environment, then send me an email, I would be more than happy to get to know you and help you as much as posible. Regardless of what others may feel, to me herping should be shared with our fellow herpers, and I will stand behind that belief. Thank you.

Unfortunately, many people just don't seem to care or show respect.

Perhaps the person that you actually give directions/take to you site may be ethical. But what about people that that person may tell. Also, I've met several "herpers" that put on a good front about respect, but when you aren't present, they talk trash and pillage sites with reckless abandon.

When you see bark peeled from stands of trees and left in disarray, you will burn in your heart.

When your tin is thrown helter skelter, and not placed in areas to receive sun, you will bare you teeth in frustration.

When all the loose shale in the rock cuts are found smashed or removed from prime basking areas, you will curse the names of those that you benevolently and foolishly showed your spots.

When you see animals that you observed countless times in their natural habitats encased in deli cups at a local swap meet labeled in such lies as "long term captive," or "proven breeder,"
perhaps you will shake with rage as your "herping friend" collects 1, 5, 10 and 20 dollar bills with a smile and fills up his or her gas tank for yet another to pillage.

I hope you learn quickly, as there is not much time left for yourself, or the herps, and may the pain you receive be gentle in its wrath.

Keep those fox snakes sacred.

Later,

Neil

Wow, although very morbid I must thank you for takeing the time to respond to my posts, I will say however that I have been herping for over 15 years now, and all of the herp destruction I have seen ( in my area anyway ) has been due to progresive building and cultivation. Dont get me wrong, I am not saying "bad" people are not out there, I know they are, But I will never let those people make me paranoid of sharing this wonderful hobby with other people who would not generally be able to see a Eastern Fox snake in the wild. Once again, I know the bad guys are out there, but I trully belive most of us just want to enjoy our hobby. Although I know there is a very good posibility that I may be burned by someone at some point, I cant let that ruin it for the good ones that I get to meet and share with. I just cant help but think most of us herpers are good people, and I myself enjoy sharing what I know with other herpers. Thank you, Mike

P.S. I in no way intended any of this to offend anyone, I also am not saying my way is the right way. I am only stateing what I believe and what I feel. Thank you, Mike