This Missouri Snake Likes to Pretend He’s a Big & Bad Rattlesnake

If we're being completely honest with ourselves, we all like to pretend we're something we're not sometimes. The same goes for snakes apparently as there's one in Missouri that likes to act like he/she/it is a big and bad rattlesnake.

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Have you ever encountered an Eastern Milksnake? The Missouri Department of Conservation has shared some interesting facts about one of the most colorful snakes in the state. There used to be stories shared by farmers that these critters were in barns trying to steal milk hence the name they ended up with.

This snake really is harmless although if you encounter one, sometimes they'll shake their tail acting like they're a deadly venomous rattlesnake. Like I said, a pretender.

It's important to not kill an eastern milksnake if you come across one. They take care of mice and even the younger venomous snakes. So, you could be unintentionally harming yourself if you take out one of these innocent snakes.

The Missouri Department of Conservation mentions that the Eastern Milksnake can live longer than just about any other snake as one has been discovered that was 21 years old. Sadly most won't last that long as they are one of the most common snakes you'll see dead on highways as they are no match for moving vehicles.

It's a good idea to cut some slack to Eastern Milksnakes as they are good for the environment and the rattling of their tale is just them pretending to be something they're not...just like the rest of us.