New law to give Illinois an official state snake was introduced by a 7th grader

Starting January 1st, 2023, the eastern milksnake will become the official state snake of Illinois.

Eastern milksnakePhoto byOndreicka1010/Depositphotos.com

Every January, a batch of new laws goes into effect in Illinois. This year one of those laws gives Illinois an official state snake.

Illinois already has other official state animals, such as the state amphibian (the eastern tiger salamander) and state turtle (the painted turtle.) So why not a snake?

House Bill 4821: An official state snake

House Bill 4821, "Designates the Eastern Milksnake as the official State snake of the State of Illinois."

According to a press release, the bill came about as a school project to learn more about state government. Gentry Heiple, a student at Carterville Junior High School, introduced the bill to a House committee with the help of State Rep. Dave Severin.

"I decided to do this bill to try and highlight the good and importance of snakes all over," said Gentry Heiple. "And by doing this I was able to visit the capitol and meet some of the most important people in Illinois. And I am very grateful and appreciative of all the people who supported me and voted yes on the bill. I was surprised to see the amount of people with such fear be so intrigued and supportive of this snake bill."

The bill was approved unanimously, and now the eastern milksnake is officially a state symbol for Illinois.

"I couldn't be prouder of our young Illinoisans, like Gentry Heiple, who have gotten involved in our state's legislative process," said Governor JB Pritzker.

Where can you find the eastern milksnake?

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the eastern milksnake can be found in the northern part of Illinois, while the red milksnake, a subspecies, can be found in the southern part of the state.

The two to three-foot-long snakes live in fields, woodlands, hills, and near rivers. The snake has blotchy brown patterns with black borders.

The snake kills its prey by constriction. But don't worry, its prey is mainly small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

Red milksnake, a subspecies of the eastern milksnakePhoto bysuperanry/Depositphotos.com

Where did the milksnake get its name?

According to the DNR, "It was given the name “milksnake” because at one time people mistakenly believed that it could milk cows."

Is it poisonous?

Milksnakes are not poisonous. However, they are sometimes mistaken for the dangerous venomous copperhead.

Poisonous copperheadPhoto byWirepec/Depositphotos.com

You can tell a copperhead apart by its wide triangle-shaped head, whereas the milksnake's head is more rounded and about the same size as its neck.

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