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.
