Ventral markings of Milk Snakes
Moderator: Scott Waters
Ventral markings of Milk Snakes
Few if any field guides show photos of the bellies of Milk snakes. I am in Missouri and we have Red Milk snakes. These have a strong dorsal pattern. However I have found one without any patters. So I am trying to find data on any and all Milk snake species and subspecies which are good of any ventral or belly pattern.
Re: Ventral markings of Milk Snakes
I don't know of any single source that shows the variation in milk snake ventral patterns. The 15-20 'red' milks that I've seen were variable in both dorsal and ventral patterns, but none had a pure white venter.
Have you considered that your white-bellied milk might be a scarlet snake, Cemophora coccinea? Their dorsal coloration is similar to other tricolor snakes, but their venters are patternless white, and, they occur in Missouri.
Jeff
Have you considered that your white-bellied milk might be a scarlet snake, Cemophora coccinea? Their dorsal coloration is similar to other tricolor snakes, but their venters are patternless white, and, they occur in Missouri.
Jeff
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Re: Ventral markings of Milk Snakes
I live in Missouri also and have found over 1,000 Red Milk Snakes over the years. I have found maybe a dozen that didn't have any markings on the belly. A few years ago, I found one that had an almost solid black belly. The rest of the Red Milks I have seen varied from a few markings on the belly, about 75% black.