As a child I was terrified of snakes. Now I love them. Just the other side of the same fascination I think….
Mama milksnake comes slowly for a visit
We live right beside an old quarry, which garter snakes love. Last weekend though, this lady graced us with her presence. she may have come to hunt garters, or mice, which we have in abundance.
They're often mistaken for rattlers, because they rattle their tails when alarmed. They're harmless, though, and beautiful.
Some very brief milksnake information here (ROM): http://www.rom.on.ca/ontario/risk.php?doc_type=fact&id=291
She's not too terribly long - I'd guess around 24" - they can grow to 1 metre.
And more here – apparently they are part of a group of constrictors called King Snakes – so called because they will eat other (even venemous) snakes, as well as small rodents, birds (?!), eggs and fish, frogs and other small amphibians. This is a good article from Chicago area:
http://www.chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/fall2002/milksnake.html
