Virtual Learning Center

Vocabulary Words

  • Brumation – – a state of being sluggish and inactive that cold blooded animals, such as a snake, use during very cold winters (hibernation-like).  Bruma means winter in latin.
  • Oviparous – animals that lay eggs which then develop and hatch into young animals.
  • Milksnake – a type of Kingsnake that is common in Connecticut, found around houses and barns, and does not have venom.
  • Ecdysis – the process of a reptile shedding its skin.

Fun Facts

  • Its frequent occurrence in rodent-infested barns led to the erroneous belief that they suck milk from cows by night; hence the name Milksnake.
  • Meigs Point Nature Center has had its Milksnake for about 18 years.
  • Snakes shed their skins to grow and remove parasites.  You know that it is about to shed its skin when a snake’s eyes get cloudy and its skin color is dull.
  • People often think that a Milksnake is venomous due to red coloring in its skin and its eyes.   They can also mimic the sound of the rattlesnake. 
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