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Finding Eastern Milk Snakes?

Brewster320

Brewster320

New member
Once the weather gets better i hope to go looking for some easterns. Any experienced field herpers know what type of areas and what time of year is best for finding these snakes? I'm located in North Eastern MA if that helps any. I don't plan on keeping any (unless I'm lucky enough to find a small juvenile that would be easier to get started) but its a goal of mine to find an eastern since a neighbor of mine caught a large female at her work. Yet every time I go looking for them I can never find them and I'm hoping this season I can complete this goal.
 
I used to find them when I lived in Ontario a lot near the edge of fields where there are trees. Also by flipping over debris where they can hide. They were pretty easy to find.
 
I actually had 2 this year that a customer brought to the pet store I work at.
He found them in and around his chicken coop. Westford, Ma. area. They are beautiful
as babies. He remeberd seeing a large female around his place all summer.
I am still waiting to see one in the wild. That and the Green grass snake also common in Ma. that I never see.
 
I'll be in Mass all spring/summer and am definitely interested in hearing where to find them! The only snakes I see around here are garters and water snakes.
 
Brewster320 said:
Once the weather gets better i hope to go looking for some easterns. Any experienced field herpers know what type of areas and what time of year is best for finding these snakes? I'm located in North Eastern MA if that helps any. I don't plan on keeping any (unless I'm lucky enough to find a small juvenile that would be easier to get started) but its a goal of mine to find an eastern since a neighbor of mine caught a large female at her work. Yet every time I go looking for them I can never find them and I'm hoping this season I can complete this goal.
Click to expand...

Those things are so neat looking. I really like their bellies checker patterns and their neat body markings. I live in NH and they are supposedly up here, but I haven't seen any. Just be careful if you are planning on keeping any. It is illegal to keep native species without a wildlife license thingy!

Good Luck

Wayne
 
medusacoils said:
Those things are so neat looking. I really like their bellies checker patterns and their neat body markings. I live in NH and they are supposedly up here, but I haven't seen any. Just be careful if you are planning on keeping any. It is illegal to keep native species without a wildlife license thingy!

Good Luck

Wayne
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Don't worry, in MA its legal to keep all the native species of snake except for worm snakes, eastern hognoses, timber rattlesnakes, copperheads, and the black rat snake(except for albino, leucistic, and white sided individuals?). I've heard so many stories about how common they are here but the whole time I've been here only seen 2. One my neighbor caught, and one that my dad's friend the animal control officer caught and brought over my house so I could identify it.
 
Tim66/corns said:
That and the Green grass snake also common in Ma. that I never see.
Click to expand...

Calift said:
The only snakes I see around here are garters and water snakes.
Click to expand...

The only snakes I can ever find in here in MA are garters, waters, and little tiny dekay's brown snake. Although my moms seen a large solid black snake, so I'm guessing a racer because the black rat is rare and endangered here, and my brothers have seen a road killed rattler. Ever notice how everyone who doesn't want to find snakes can find. some people get all the luck.
 
Brewster320 said:
Don't worry, in MA its legal to keep all the native species of snake except for worm snakes, eastern hognoses, timber rattlesnakes, copperheads, and the black rat snake(except for albino, leucistic, and white sided individuals?). I've heard so many stories about how common they are here but the whole time I've been here only seen 2. One my neighbor caught, and one that my dad's friend the animal control officer caught and brought over my house so I could identify it.
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I am sorry, but I disagree. If you go to this website, which is the MA wildlife and fisheries website it clearly states that:

"Wild Animals Exempt from Permit Requirements"
These exempt animals must be obtained from a lawful source, may not be captured or taken from the wild in Massachusetts, and may not be liberated to the wild.

Here is the site:

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/regulations/regulations_exotic.htm

or do a search for MA 321 CMR 9.01

Another website of interest regarding this is:

http://www.bornfreeusa.org/b4a2_exotic_animals_state.php?s=ma

It's fun to catch them but if for some reason you are stopped and have one of these animals in your possession and cannot prove where you got it from, you could be in trouble.

Hope this helps,

Wayne
 
Quote from http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/regul...ons_exotic.htm

Snakes:

Lawful (no MassWildlife permit required):
All species of boas and pythons, regardless of size, except rare species, and those listed as Unlawful
Shield-tailed Snakes and Sunbeam Snakes;
Worm Snakes (except rare species), Thread Snakes, and related species;
Several so-called "harmless" snakes, including Brown and Redbellied Snakes, Garter and Ribbon Snakes, Glossy Snakes, Green Snakes, House Snakes, Kingsnakes and Milksnakes, Rat Snakes (except rare species), Water Snakes, the Western Hognosed Snake and certain others.

Unlawful: Emerald Tree Boa, Green Tree Python, African Rock Python, Reticulated Python, and all Anacondas; Black Rat Snake; other rare species, any other snake not specified as lawful. Possession of ALL venomous ("poisonous") snakes is prohibited.
 
also quoted from the site

The only exempt wild animals which may be taken from the wild in Massachusetts are certain reptiles and amphibians (321 CMR 3.05). Such animals may be kept as personal pets, but may not be sold, bartered, or exchanged. The possession limit is 2 on each of these reptiles and amphibians. Allowable species include the American Bullfrog, American Toad, DeKay's Brownsnake, Eastern Gartersnake, Eastern Musk Turtle, Eastern Newt, Eastern Racer, Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Eastern Ribbonsnake, Fowler's Toad, Gray Treefrog, Green Frog, Milksnake, Mudpuppy, Northern Dusky Salamander, Northern Two-lined Salamander, Northern Watersnake, Painted Turtle, Pickerel Frog, Red-bellied Snake, Smooth Greensnake, Snapping Turtle, Spring Peeper, and Wood Frog.
 
Brewster320 said:
also quoted from the site

The only exempt wild animals which may be taken from the wild in Massachusetts are certain reptiles and amphibians (321 CMR 3.05). Such animals may be kept as personal pets, but may not be sold, bartered, or exchanged. The possession limit is 2 on each of these reptiles and amphibians. Allowable species include the American Bullfrog, American Toad, DeKay's Brownsnake, Eastern Gartersnake, Eastern Musk Turtle, Eastern Newt, Eastern Racer, Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Eastern Ribbonsnake, Fowler's Toad, Gray Treefrog, Green Frog, Milksnake, Mudpuppy, Northern Dusky Salamander, Northern Two-lined Salamander, Northern Watersnake, Painted Turtle, Pickerel Frog, Red-bellied Snake, Smooth Greensnake, Snapping Turtle, Spring Peeper, and Wood Frog.
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You are absolutely right! It says that on the site and I missed it. My Muck Up!! I know it's illegal to take these animals in NH and I assumed it was in MA. See what happens when you assume! I am sorry!!
 
medusacoils said:
You are absolutely right! It says that on the site and I missed it. My Muck Up!! I know it's illegal to take these animals in NH and I assumed it was in MA. See what happens when you assume! I am sorry!!
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Its ok lol. Reading this though I realized I'm breaking the law right now by owning 3 green frogs that I caught last summer! shhhhhh don't tell on me! One of them though is a "rare" blue phase so maybe it doesn't count:crazy01:
 
Brewster320 said:
Its ok lol. Reading this though I realized I'm breaking the law right now by owning 3 green frogs that I caught last summer! shhhhhh don't tell on me! One of them though is a "rare" blue phase so maybe it doesn't count:crazy01:
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It's illegal no matter what you do. You cannot release it back to the wild either! LOL!!

Wayne
 
We are supposed to have a healthy population here but I have yet to flip one.We are not allowed to keep ANYTHING native to Ontario, other wise I'd love to keep one.I'm dying for the day I find afox snake though.That's my prize catch!!:)
 
No matter... who would see it in your home ;) We had a little garter guy that looked like he was right out of the egg. He ate earth worms and was soooo darn cute. There have been a lot water snakes which are real pretty in our area and I'm not sure if it has to do with the flood during the spring? Never saw them like we do now. We have a river right next to the house. One scared the bejesus outta me one time when I went to the veggie garden. There are Moccasin so it squiggled towards the river and I squiggled home ;) We learned later what they where. We sent in pictures to the NH Herpetological Society and they thanked us. Guess you don't find to many further south in the state by how they reacted.
Also have seen some black rat snakes in local pet stores but they mark them as black rat racers. We where told though they where illegal in Mass.
They didn't seem flighty or biting. Just sat in our hands with a corn temperament. This is NH though but we are like 10mins from the mass border "shrugs"

When we lived up north in Ossipee I think the garters where ribbon snakes? I know they are all pretty much the same but they did look very different then the one's we kick up down here in Salem in the yard. "Shrugs"

No matter, I love seeing our little wild guys :)
Have fun!
 
Hey, I have caught about 4 last year and i found a 3-4 footer. we found some under pieces of wood, anything you can flip is a good place to look. But i found the big one just out in the open hunting.
 
Petruga said:
Hey, I have caught about 4 last year and i found a 3-4 footer. we found some under pieces of wood, anything you can flip is a good place to look. But i found the big one just out in the open hunting.
Click to expand...

Do you look near the city or do you have a secret herping spot you might share with me:)
 
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