This is one of Missouri's most beautifully colored snakes. General body color is white or light tan with red or orange markings bordered with black. The belly is white and strongly checked with black. This species lives under rocks on wooded, rocky hillsides and cedar glades. The red milk snake often is misidentified as a coral snake, which is not found in Missouri.
Coral snakes have red bands bordered by yellow.
The red milk snake feeds on lizards, small snakes and small mice, killing its prey by constriction. This is one of our longest snakes. It is dark brown or black from the head back over half the length of the snake. The rest of the snake is tan or light brown. Some specimens in our area are totally black.