Fun Facts:
Eastern Fox Snakes can range from 91-137 cm long.
They are really docile, and generally avoid confrontations.
Fox Snakes are constrictors, so they kill their prey by wrapping their body around them and squeezing until their prey dies.
They are non-venomous.
When threatened, they secrete a stinky substance that some people think smells like the musty smell foxes give off!
To ID them in the field: they are about 3-5.5 feet long, with bold patterns that are large dark brown or black blotches down the middle of the back and smaller lighter blotches alternating along their sides.
They are really docile, and generally avoid confrontations.
Fox Snakes are constrictors, so they kill their prey by wrapping their body around them and squeezing until their prey dies.
They are non-venomous.
When threatened, they secrete a stinky substance that some people think smells like the musty smell foxes give off!
To ID them in the field: they are about 3-5.5 feet long, with bold patterns that are large dark brown or black blotches down the middle of the back and smaller lighter blotches alternating along their sides.
Benefits:
They are major predators of small rodents, helping to control damage to agriculture fields.
Challenges:
Fox Snakes are not known to have any negative effects for humans.
Tips for living alongside them:
Fox Snakes are completely harmless to humans. People sometimes think they are venomous and kill them, but they aren't! They should be left alone because they are healthy parts of an ecosystem.
range and habitat
Eastern Fox Snakes live along Saginaw Bay, along the shores of Lake Huron, down to the western edge of Lake Erie in Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario.
They prefer flat, marshy or partially drained areas.
They prefer flat, marshy or partially drained areas.
sources
Hill, J.. (n.d.). Pantherophis gloydi. Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pantherophis_gloydi/
