This trait is shared by eastern milk snakes, which can be found in deciduous forests, swamps, fields, rocky hillsides, farmland, barns, etc. They also inhabit coniferous forests and several other habitats. In the colder months, they can be dens or limestone crevices. Copperheads are often found in rocky outcrops, deciduous forests, abandoned buildings, and swampy regions. Eastern Milk Snake: Habitatsīoth snakes occupy a variety of habitats. Younger eastern milk snakes might be a bit skittish, but they become accustomed to handling rather easily as they get older. However, they are docile and often kept as pets. Consequently, they are more likely to spray musk defensively. Their teeth are rather small and inward bent, so a bite from them would result in only a little scrape. With smaller animals, however, once they are clamped between a copperhead’s jaws, it’s pretty much game over.Įastern milk snakes differ from copperheads in this regard. Copperheads bite more people than any other snake in the USA and still kill an average of 1 person every four years, which is very low compared to other snakes. This doesn’t mean that copperheads do not kill people they do, but if the bite is reported soon enough, there is a good chance of survival. Luckily, their venom is not extremely toxic. However, since copperheads are venomous, there is a good chance that they could bite instead. This musk is often mixed with feces, enhancing its repugnant stench, which is very hard to get rid of. Eastern Milk Snake: Modes of Defense Eastern milk snakes, like copperheads, emit musk when threatened or picked up.Ĭopperheads and eastern milk snakes emit musk defensively when threatened or picked up. Then, they tighten their hold, which prevents the prey from inhaling and kills them. When eastern milk snakes are wrapped around their prey, they wait until the prey exhales to breathe. If you’re wondering how they achieve this, considering that they aren’t as thick as other known constrictors, such as bull snakes, the answer is simple: they suffocate their prey without really squeezing. They sweep in and wrap their bodies around their prey, suffocating them to death. Although eastern milk snakes are opportunistic feeders, they are also adept hunters. They are subspecies of kingsnakes, a species of constrictors notorious for eating other snakes. When they swoop in on their prey, they clamp down with their solenoglyphous fangs and bite them to inject their hemotoxic venom into their bodies.Įastern milk snakes, on the other hand, are constrictors. This gives them an edge when hunting and surviving in the wild. On one hand, copperheads are venomous stalk and ambush hunters, and because of their pit organs which all pit vipers have, they have infrared vision. This means that both snakes go after and kill their prey differently. Let’s discuss some of these differences and similarities in detail.Ĭopperheads are a pit viper species, while eastern milk snakes are a colubrid species. However, they are of similar lengths and have similar diet choices. The major differences between the copperhead and eastern milk snake lie in their families, modes of attack and defense, their temperaments, and of course, their looks. Key Differences Between The Copperhead and Eastern Milk Snake They freeze when humans come near, and this causes people to unknowingly step on/near them and get bitten. Mice, birds, eggs, small mammals, lizards, small snakes, and even other eastern milk snakes Toads, small mammals, frogs, lizards, rats, small snakes, and even other copperheads Variety of habitats such as deciduous forests, fields, rocky hillsides, farmland, barns, abandoned buildings, etc Hourglass-shaped markings that are colored copper to reddish-brownĭeciduous forest, rock outcroppings, mixed woodlands, and occasionally swampy regions Comparing the Copperhead and Eastern Milk Snake Copperheads and eastern milk snakes are North American snakes. Below, we will explore the major differences between the copperhead and the eastern milk snake. Despite this, they have unique similarities, such as their cannibalistic tendencies. Although both snakes are North American species, copperheads are pit vipers, while eastern milk snakes are colubrids, and this is perhaps where the majority of their differences stem. The copperhead and the eastern milk snake have many differences and similarities between them.
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