The base of the eastern milk snake's skin is gray or tan. On its dorsal region, eastern milk snakes have red-black-white row or splotch patterns running down the length of its body. Due to the snake's skin pattern, people often mistake the eastern milk snake for the coral snake, which is a venomous snake species but not native to Ohio. Eastern milk snakes also resemble northern copperheads, a venomous snake native to Ohio. Northern copperheads differ from eastern milk snakes from the dark bands of color on their back. Eastern milk snakes have A- or V-shaped markings at the napes of their necks.
Eastern milk snakes are carnivorous reptiles, meaning they only eat meat. Their diet consists of small rodents, lizards, birds and bird eggs. Eastern milk snakes use constriction to subdue their prey. Constriction is when snakes wrap their bodies around their prey and suffocate them by squeezing. This prevents their prey from struggling while they are eaten. These snakes are members of the king snake family, a group of snakes known for eating other snakes. Eastern milk snakes even consume venomous snakes and other king snakes.
The name "milk snake" originates from the snake's frequent appearance in barns. It is a myth that eastern milk snakes suck on cow's udders to get milk. Eastern milk snake are often found in barns, but the main reason for this is their attraction to rodents that live in the barn.
Eastern milk snakes are beneficial to the agriculture industry because they dine on crop pests such as rats and voles.
The eastern milk snake is primarily active in Ohio from April to September, when the state's climate is warm enough to sustain its body temperature. When the weather is extremely hot, eastern milk snakes seek refuge underneath logs or man-made structures such as houses and barns. In the wild, these snake live in habitats such as grasslands and rocky outcroppings. Eastern milk snakes mate in the late spring and have a gestation period of approximately one month. If threatened, this snake will hiss, which serves as a pre-emptive warning to predators and humans. Eastern milk snakes will bite to defend themselves.