MILK SNAKE

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Characteristics: * Upper body with red and orange blotches bordered with black, separated by yellow or white bands. The belly is whitish with irregular black markings * Two subspecies are found in South Dakota * Red milk snake (top),red head and snout * Pale milk snake (bottom), orange head with black flecks * Smooth scales * Often mistaken for the poisonous coral snake (not found in South Dakota) and often killed. "Red touch yellow kill a fellow, red touch black good for jack" * Nonvenomous * Diet: small vertebrates, including snakes, lizards, and mice * Habitat: open prairies, sand dunes, and rocky hillsides near water sources * Distribution: the red milk snake is found in the extreme southeastern counties. The pale milk snake is found in the counties adjacent to and west of the Missouri River.