THE REPTILES OF OHIO 69 



of Rushtown (DOR); Shawnee Forest, Union Twp. (OSM 206). Seneca CountY: 

 Venice Twp. (TZS ]00l). Shelby County: Kettlersville (UMMZ 44337). Sum- 

 mit County: Akron (Morse. 1904); Ira (OSM 91, 93, 203, 212). Trumbull 

 County: Vernon Twp. (TZS 1013-4). Tuscarawas County: Zoarville (MC) ; 

 Dover (TZS 2283). Vinton County: Near Praitsville (DOR). Washington 

 County: Barlow Twp. (DOR); Marietta (MC). Wood County: Grand Rapids 

 (TZS 98); Lemoyne; Perrysburg; Troy Twp. (TZS 1867). Wyandot County: 

 Tymochfee Creek, 3 mi. NE of Crawford (TZS 285). 



Habitat and Habits. — The milk snake is far from rare in Ohio. Despite 

 its secretiveness it is numerous enough and suffiicently conspicuous to be well 

 known. 



Nearly all the specimens collected during the present survey were found 

 beneath boards, stones, pieces of discarded sheet-iron, tar paper, etc., or under 

 the bark of rotting logs or stumps. One was found in a stum^p densely popu- 

 lated with ants. One or two were discovered sunning themselves in early 

 spring, but the few others observed in the open were taken at night. It is 

 probable that this species is more or less nocturnal, especially during hot 

 weather. 



The milk snake occupies a wide variety of habitats including woods, 

 meadows and rocky hillsides. Even in well settled areas it occurs in waste 

 land and it is found well within the city limits of some of the largest com- 

 munities in the state. It occasionally enters farm lands, barns and other out- 

 buildings where probably it is attracted by the presence of mice. Specimens 

 discovered near stables are often falsely accused of extracting prodigious quan- 

 tities of milk from cows. Persons who make such accusations fail to consider 

 the small size of the snake and the fact that its mouth is equipped with sharp, 

 hook-like teeth rather than sucking lips. No irrefutable proof has been pro- 

 duced to the effect that snakes ever e.xtract milk from cows. 



Specimens either remained motionless when first encountered, or crawled 

 toward shelter. When once thoroughly disturbed they usually became pug- 

 nacious; they vibrated their tails rapidly and struck to the accompaniment of 

 a short, sharp hiss. Captives and even freshly acquired individuals were 

 usually quiet when handled, but they had an unpleasant habit of moving their 

 heads parallel to a finger and then deliberately opening their mouths and sink- 

 ing their teeth into the flesh without warning. 



Specimens were collected from April to November inclusive with the 

 greatest number being taken in May and June. A majority of those found in 

 September and October were recently hatched young. Workmen grading the 

 abandoned Miami and Erie Canal bed at Maumee, Lucas County, found two 

 hibernating examples buried two or three feet in a clay bank on January 26, 

 1934. 



The milk snake frequently was found in association with colonies of small 

 secretive snakes and there is much evidence to indicate that it had been feed- 

 ing on them. One disgorged a worm snake (page 37) and two had garter 

 snakes in their stomachs. Another specimen seized and began swallowing a 

 common swift which was placed in the same collecting sack with it. There 

 are numerous similar records in the literature and it is probable that almost 



