Milk spray

I was at a box store during a sale checking for any good BP morphs or Leopard Gecko morphs and picked up a Gecko. The lady asked me if I knew anything about them and I told her I had a few, a beardie and over a dozen snakes so I was good. She then asked more and more about snakes and finally asked me if I wanted a milk snake. I said I didn't have one, but wouldn't mind one (I didn't mention I also wanted a King since they will eat just about anything [for infertile eggs or deformed babies]). She asked me if I wanted one and I said I wasn't looking to buy one. She replied that I could just have the one they couldn't sell because it was "too agressive" (I've heard that before...). Turns out, he isn't aggressive at all, just really flighty. I finally got him out the other night to see just how "aggressive" we was and all he did was try to run and then sprayed me multiple times.

Being a complete newbie to Colubrids (other than having a friend with 50 or so of them [who also just hatched 5 snow motley's out of 6 eggs!]) ... is this typical? I've never been sprayed by a snake before. It's obviously a defense mechanism, but I am curious if it's just the thing they do when they are scared and want out of your hands. I assume it will pass with time as it gets older, but I know what assuming does (if you don't, it makes an ass out of you and me [ass-u-me-ing])

TIA!

Lucky! What kind of milk snake? This is just basic self-defense from a little snake with an ineffective bite & no venom, trying to be too unappealing to eat, LOL!
Living in a pet store is hardly conducive for a snake to calm down & feel safe...this behavior should pass in time, just be a little patient & let him or her settle in.
Baby king snakes usually spray their handlers too, and outgrow it when they find out we're not predators...not to worry, it's very common. How soon the behavior
stops depends on personality...yours AND his/hers. :snake: (and what more do you want from a free snake? be patient & wear plastic, hahahaha!)

Musking is pretty typical especially during the first year, it goes away as they gain some size.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Lucky! What kind of milk snake? This is just basic self-defense from a little snake with an ineffective bite & no venom, trying to be too unappealing to eat, LOL!
Living in a pet store is hardly conducive for a snake to calm down & feel safe...this behavior should pass in time, just be a little patient & let him or her settle in.
Baby king snakes usually spray their handlers too, and outgrow it when they find out we're not predators...not to worry, it's very common. How soon the behavior
stops depends on personality...yours AND his/hers. :snake: (and what more do you want from a free snake? be patient & wear plastic, hahahaha!)

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Fairly positive it's a Pueblan based on Google Images. Will post up a pic later. Black head, brownish white band, black band then red, black, brownish white, black, red, black ... to the tail.

Welcome to the world of colubrids! And lucky you snagging a freebie, I'm sure you know to quarantine, especially coming from a big box store...

Yes, musking is very common in young colubrids. They outgrow it with some size and regular handling.

I have two pueblans at work and they both musk. Totally normal. They are getting better and still flighty but they do calm down.