Illinois Has An Official State Snake And, No, It’s Not Governor Pritzker

(Note: We've all seen those anti-Pritzker signs around Illinois. This is not a political post and the headline is purely for laughs.)

A few weeks ago, Illinois officially had named a state rock. Yeah, I said, "Wait, what?", out loud too when I found out. The Land of Lincoln's official state rock is Dolostone, which sounds like the name of an early-2000s indie band. You read the why and how here.

Did you know only five other states have an official snake?

• Arizona: Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake
• Massachusetts: Garter snake
• Ohio: Northern black racer
• Virginia: Eastern garter snake
• West Virginia: Timber rattlesnake

According to WTTW, a seventh-grader, Gentry Heiple from Carterville Junior High School, is the student behind the initiative to name Illinois' state reptile. This was the same circumstance for selecting Illinois' state rock too but that involved two students from separate schools.

Get our free mobile app

Why we need a state snake is beyond me. You are allowed to assume I do not care for snakes because I want nothing to do with them. But, as mentioned, a lot of states have "official" reptiles, and a few involve snakes. Much like Samuel L. Jackson, I'm tired of snakes.

The official snake of Illinois is the Eastern Milksnake. They primarily live in the upper third of Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

This reptile lives in fields, woodlands, rocky hillsides and river bottoms. It hides under logs, rocks and boards.

These reptiles are brown with black stripes (or grey and white) and are anywhere from two feet to 43 inches long. They're smooooooth scaled with a V or Y-shaped mark on their head.

These snakes are known to shake rapidly, hiss, and bite at animals and humans alike. The most important question might be are they poisonous? The answer is no. You can learn more about them here.

[h/t WTTW]