Corn snake in the wild in Massachusetts

[radstusky]

A friend of mine was hiking in a park in MA and saw this snake, see the pics below. Obviously this is a corn snake (aka red rat snake), whose natural range if I'm not mistaken, should extend to about New Jersey, not Massachusetts. My guess is that it's possibly an escaped pet, and I was interested to hear what others opinions are about this? Has any one else seen this species this far north?


http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/Stuart_Miller/photo21.jpg (http://s998.photobucket.com/user/Stuart_Miller/media/photo21.jpg.html)
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/Stuart_Miller/photo11.jpg (http://s998.photobucket.com/user/Stuart_Miller/media/photo11.jpg.html)

[jpsteele80]

Nice little find :D, could have been a runaway

[FWK]

This one can be tricky but I'm pretty sure it's an Eastern Milk Snake. The easiest way to be sure with these guys is to look up its skirt. Corns have a divided anal scale, Kings/Milks do not. The heads are slightly different as well, a Corn Snakes head is more distinct from the neck. Kings/Milks are less shapely. The way the animal moves is a dead giveaway as well, Kings/Milks and Rats are very different behaviorally.

[Zoo Nanny]

I had one get in my house about 5 years ago. It was very calm and I assumed it was an escapee. I released it after talking with Ma Fish and Wildlife. They said although rare we do get them in Southern Massachusetts.

[poison123]

I agree with eastern milk.

[sharthun]

I agree with eastern milk.

+1 Eastern Milk

[Sublimeballs]

That makes 5 of us. Milk snake.

[Jim Smith]

Make that 6 thinking it's an Eastern Milk Snake. I used to catch them occasionally in Massachusetts when I lived there as a kid.

[IW17]

Eastern milk. I catch them all the time in my family's barn.

[wrecker45]

Yep eastern milk.

[amandajamie27]

It looks just like a Corn Snake or Even Milk Snake!!! :)

[StudentoReptile]

Eastern Milk

[Pareeeee]

I agree with everyone else - definitely an eastern milksnake. The head is the wrong shape and the pattern is similar, yet distinctly different than a corn.

Very nice find!

[radstusky]

Hey thanks everyone. Obviously I was a bit hasty to call it a corn snake! I agree it's definitely an eastern milksnake, after checking out some pics online. I'm sure that he ventral surface would have been a dead give away.