Expert Opinions .....

I work construction, and today caught a baby snake. If I hadn't caught it when I did, it probably would be dead now.

I thought it was a Corn snake. It has marking similar to wild corns, it even has black belly checkers. I have been told by several people it may actually be an Eastern Milk snake.

I've googled pictures of Milk snakes and corn snakes and I can see similarities in both. But I also know that baby snakes look totally different than adult snakes, so it's sort of hard to figure out right now.

This snake can't possibly be more than a few days or weeks old. it's so tiny. I would estimate it at about 7 or 8 inches long tip to tip, and maybe as big as a drinking straw in the middle. I honestly don't think this snake could swallow a pinky, so I'll probably have to cut one in half.

I have the snake in a temporary container right now with fresh water, and a warm and cool gradient. I'm just going to let it be for a few days and then I may try to feed it. If I can get it to eat successfully within a week or 2, I'll let it go.

So what do you think? Corn snake or Milk snake?

Definitely an eastern milk snake.

https://snake-facts.weebly.com/eastern-milksnake.html

BTW, I used to catch eastern milks when I lived in Maryland, and even some coastal plains milk snakes in St. Mary's County, MD and in New Jersey. They were actually quite common in spots.

Actually bred the coastal plains for a little while till I got tired of messing with those tiny babies. Seems to me I could get them to feed on the tiniest day old pinky mice I could pull out of the mouse colony we had.

I'm not sure if I've ever caught a Milk snake before or not. When I was a kid, me and my buddies caught snakes all the time. It's pretty obvious if it's a Black Snake, or a Garter Snake, or a Green Snake. But all these red and orange and brown colored snakes with splotches running down their back, we always just called them "Corn Snakes."

Now thinking back, I'm wondering if some of those "Corn Snakes" I caught were in fact Milk Snakes. Apparently we have both here in Tennessee, and this snake is by far the smallest I've ever caught.

I think of a Milk snake looking like a Coral Snake with the colorful bands, and saw the Splotches on this one and just figured I had a baby corn snake.

Anyway, I thank you for your insight, and now I just have to find some really small pinkies, or perhaps try cutting some in half.

Not all eastern milks are nearly as pretty as the one you caught. Some can be downright ugly brown colored things. Matter of fact, in the Loch Raven Dam area in Maryland I caught a pair of them underneath a section of the roadway. The female had flaming red blotches, whereas the male had dark brown blotches. I thought that I had caught a corn snake and a milk snake they were so different looking.

Try decapitated pinky heads for feeding. I can't recall if I had tried that or not, but it would be worth a shot.

Definitely an Eastern Milk

I found one some years back and got it on frozen thawed pinks after one week. put it in deli cup with pink and covered up and left alone. ate the second try. had him for 5yrs

I've read that Eastern milksnake hatchlings eat earthworms, for what it's worth. Don't mean to open that can of worms again though. LOL

Depending on the size of the earthworm, it might kick his ass.

It's a milksnake-phase milksnake!!!

Nanci said:

It's a milksnake-phase milksnake!!!

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Actually, I was leaning towards a "CornSnake Phase" Milk Snake. :laugh:

Rich Z said:

Actually, I was leaning towards a "CornSnake Phase" Milk Snake. :laugh:

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As long as it's not the cornsnake-phase racer. That one is very, very bitey.

Stunning Milksnake!

Update with Milk Snake

This morning I took the Little Milk Snake out for a few minutes of handling. I have no idea right now if it's a Male or Female, it's so small, we'll have to wait a while before we can figure that out.

I tried to feed a Pinky head last night...... No luck.

I tried an earthworm this morning......... No luck.

It's very friendly for a wild caught snake. It goes sort of berzerk when I first grab it, but then calms right down.

I was able to take a few pictures of him/her. I hope I can get it to eat soon. I really like this little snake.

Small lizards or frogs maybe? Cut up some frog legs real small?

Karl, I feed hopper tails to really small corn hatchlings. I start the tail in their mouths and see if the feeding response starts. If not I push it in a little more and they usually catch on.

What a beautiful little one. I hope you’ve had luck feeding it.

Very pretty! Maybe try gecko/lizard scenting?