Sex : Male and Female

Length : Male 12 in. Female 2 Ft (Avg. 1 – 3 Ft – Females are longer)

Weight : Male 1.5 oz. Female 8 oz. (Avg. 1 oz – 1 lb. – Females are heavier)

Lifespan : Captive Born 2000, Age 4 years (Longevity 10+ years)

Breeding: Livebearer; up to 30 young

Range: Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Oklahoma

Habitat : Typically a resident of meadows and open fields, close to waterways. Readily found under logs, pieces of wood or man-made objects, often seen basking on blacktop roads.

Food and Hunting : Primarily diurnal, they actively hunt earthworms, frogs, toads, and rodents. In captivity they can be fed small mice appropriate to their age and size.

Conservation : They are locally common throughout their range. They have adapted well to human encroachment and are one the most familiar snakes to people. Several specialized breeders in the US handle them, while their popularity is greatest in Europe.

Captive Care : Their smaller size, even temperament and heat requirements make them suitable captives. Most specimens feed well on frozen thawed mice, although as neonates they are more difficult to feed.