Fox Snake
(Elaphe vulpina)
How big can a fox snake get?
On average, fox snakes are 36-54 inches (3-4 feet) long, but one individual found in Goodhue County, MN was 5 feet (61 inches) long.
Where do fox snakes live?
They are found in the north-central US and southern Ontario. They prefer living near rivers and streams. They usually overwinter in rock crevices and mammal burrows, but one scientist (Vogt, 1981) found 166 fox snakes overwintering together in an abandoned well in central Wisconsin.
Can fox snakes climb trees?
Fox snakes are good climbers, but they spend most of their time on the ground. Good places to look for fox snakes are under logs, boards, or discarded tin.
What do fox snakes eat?
Fox snakes eat mice, chipmunks, ground squirrels, and other small mammals, birds, and bird eggs. Fox snakes are constrictors who suffocate their prey with their powerful body coils before swallowing it whole.
How does a fox snake defend itself? How would it react to an approaching human?
The fox snake has a few major defenses beyond its bite. While its primary defense is a quick getaway, when cornered or startled, a fox snake vibrates its tail much like a rattlesnake. It can also release an unpleasant scent from glands near the base of its tail that smells like a red fox (which is perhaps where the snake got its name).
What eats the fox snake?
The fox snake's predators include hawks, carnivorous mammals, birds, and other snakes. Humans, however, cause the majority of fox snake deaths by way of habitat destruction and automobiles. Furthermore, because the fox snake vibrates its tail and otherwise resembles a rattlesnake, people who misidentify them as harmful often kill them.
Why does the fox snake flick its tongue?
Snakes taste and smell the world using their tongues. The two tips on their tongues pick up odor and taste molecules and transport them to the Jacobson's organ on the roof of the snake's mouth. The faster the snake is flicking its tongue, the more intently it is "sniffing" the air.
Can snakes hear?
Their hearing is thought to be quite limited, but they can sense vibrations in the ground.
Do snakes blink?
No, snakes have no eyelids. Instead they have protective clear scales on the surface of their eyes. When they shed, these scales come off with the rest of the skin and are clearly visible.
The information above is common scientific knowledge. For a list of specific resources, visit the Animal FAQ Resources page.
