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Honduran Milk Snake
Order: Colubrids
Family: Lampropeltis
Genus: Triangulum
Species: hondurensis
Range & Habitat
Milk Snakes range from the northeastern United States west to Minnesota and south, at higher elevations, to northern Alabama. The Honduran Milk Snake is found in Honduras and adjacent areas. Their habitat varies, from river valleys, hillsides, open mountain to lowland woodlands, fields and agricultural areas.
Reproduction & Growth
Milk Snakes are oviparous, the elliptical eggs being deposited beneath stones, in plant debris or in rotted logs. The eight-inch young are brighter in color than adults. Although four-foot specimens have been recorded, the average adult length seldom exceeds three feet.
Diet
In the Wild: Rrodents, small snakes, lizards and occasionally small birds
In the Zoo: Thawed mice
General Information
Called the "Milk Snake" because of a widespread belief that it milks cows, it does frequent barns in search of rodents but not milk. The tropical subspecies of Milk Snakes are much larger than the northern forms. All are secretive animals, spending much time burrowing through loose forest litter. There are over 17 subspecies of the Milk Snake, 10 of which are found in the United States. Banded or blotched with brilliant reds, yellows, white and black, they are often mistaken for the venomous Coral Snake. The Honduran Milk Snake, however, occurs in several color morphs, one being a tangerine.
In the Zoo
The Brandywine Zoo currently has two Honduran Milk Snakes. One male and one female.
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