First off I am a Python person. I have no experience with Milks or Kings at all. I got a frantic call from my grandparents saying there was a four foot snake in their back yard. Snakes of any kind are very uncommon in the city. I rushed over there, and was only able to see the last inch of the tail, which was banded black and red. I assume that it was probably a Milk that got away from someone as they are not native to this area. I went back later and caught a 42" Oregon Red Spotted Garter which was not the snake I saw earlier. Is it possible for a Milk to be living here? It regularly gets below 45 degrees at night.
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Milk Snake Living in Portland OR?
hefte
May 22, 2004 04:01 PM
Replies (3)
Jeff Schofield
May 22, 2004 05:17 PM
Mt kings replace milks in that part of the country.Jeff
rtdunham
May 22, 2004 10:44 PM
>>. Is it possible for a Milk to be living here? It regularly gets below 45 degrees at night.
try posting on the kingsnake forum, someone may be able to give you real specific feedback. don't let the temp mislead you--i've heard stories of people running across pyros (arizona mountain kings) while there were still patches of snow on the ground, and i think the same thing is true of zonatas (the west coast mtn kings).
terry
pituophis_chris
May 25, 2004 10:06 PM
If it was in Portland, it was someone's escaped pet; I know of no L. zonata (or kings of any kind) north of Roseburg or south of the Columbia at Hood River. Milks and kings are pretty common pets, and I myself have a 3.5' Pueblan milk that was caught in Sheridan (just south of McMinnville). So it happens.
A good way to catch a snake like that is to put a mouse (or shavings soaked in mouse urine) in a standard crawdad/minnow trap, cover it with a piece of cardboard, and leave it where the snake's been hanging around. Good luck with your efforts!!
best,
chris 
