Eastern Milk Snake 

(Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)

The Eastern Milk Snake has a blotchy pattern, with spots that are reddish in hue and have a distinct black outline. It is a nocturnal hunter and lives in a diverse array of habitats, favoring open woodland and meadows. During the day, it seeks retreat, often resting under woodpiles and in barns. The latter habit lends its odd name, as it was once fabled to drink milk straight from cows' udders, a feat incompatible with snake physiology. In reality, its diet consists of small mammals, amphibians, and other snakes. 

Image: Beth Weiler

Eastern Garter Snake

(Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)

The Eastern Garter Snake is a small, docile snake that lives in various habitats, often in open meadows and old farm fields. It subsists mainly on earthworms, occasionally branching out to eat other small amphibians and insects. The snake gets its name from its striped pattern, which resembles old-fashioned sock garters.

Image: Beth Weiler

Northern Red-bellied Snake

(Storeria occipitomaculata)

The Northern Red-bellied Snake, sometimes called a “fire snake,” is a small woodland species. Its belly can range in hue from red to pinkish orange. This snake prefers mesic forest habitats, where it can hide beneath rocks and logs, occasionally emergingto bask. It feasts on slugs, earthworms, and other soft-bodied insects. 

Image: Nick Scobel

Blue Racer

(Coluber constrictor foxi)

The Blue Racer is a large snake with ethereal bluish-teal skin and a black mask around its eyes. It lives in edge habitats, preferring savannas, open fields, and shorelines. There, it feasts on various species, including insects, rats, and other snakes. 

Image: Nick Scobel

Butler’s Garter Snake

(Thamnophis butleri)

Butler’s Garter Snake (Thamnophis butleri)
Butler’s garter snake resembles the eastern garter snake but can be distinguished by its dark lateral stripe, smaller size, and undefined neck. Less common than the Easter Garter Snake, it is considered a species of concern. These small snakes inhabit wetlands and prairies and spend most of their time underground, living on earthworms and other small insects. Like the massasauga, these small snakes retreat to winter hibernacula in crayfish or rodent dens.

Image: Nick Scobel

Northern Brown Snake

(Storeria dekayi dekayi)

The Northern Brown Snake, also known as Dekay’s Brown Snake, is a secretive, small, terrestrial snake found in various habitats, from forests to grasslands to agricultural fields. It is nocturnal and subsists mainly on earthworms and slugs.

Image: Nick Scobel