Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Sorry i dont have any pics. A while ago i found a milk snake in the local crick, oddly though it was wrapped around a rock underwater swimming about. I didn't see it come up for air once in the 3 minutes i noticed it. When i got it with a stick i definitely recognized the milk snake colorings, any ideas on what milksnake would spend a lot of time in the water? After i got it with the stick i tried to fling it up on the grass, unfortunately he jumped off the stick and into the water. I chased him but never found where he went. Thanks!

Doug: Without knowing perzackly where your "local crick" is, you better wish this board a whole lotta luck.

Secondly, there remains the possibility that what you saw was a Nerodia. Some of the young ones have enough reddish coloring to perhaps confuse you.

~~Greg~~

ya, the best way to tell is scales IMO milksnakes have smooth and shiny scales, and water snakes have keeled scales. Ive caught tons of milksnakes and still occasionaly from a distance confuse brightly colored water snakes with eastern milks especially juvenile waters around here. tell us where you are and I'm sure we can help
Wayne

Sorry guys for not providing an area, i live just north of philadelphia in pennsylvania. Thanks!

The Eastern Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum) is the subspecies in your area. Though it doesn't really sound like milksnake behavior.

As to what subspecies, we could tell you if you'd bothered to say where you live.