So ... what are they like? (handleability)

Hi

I've got a Ball Python and would love a milk snake too - they are so pretty. I've read a few posts on this forum to get some kind of idea what they are like temperament-wise - and it seems they are kind of bitey and not much liking human interaction.

So ... are they more likely than not to bite me? I've got an amazon parrot who bites like hell drawing copious amounts of blood when he gets hold of me when hormonal so think I have an irrational fear of being bitten. I guess snakes aren't quite that bad when it comes to biting.

Well.. BABY milksnakes are little horrid snots usually. My honduran milksnake is an absolute livewire.. but I fully expect her to tame as she grows. I have a california king that was the same way as a baby, but now she's tame as anything.

My baby albino nelson's milksnake is a doll. No bites or musking or anything.

I have a yearling Sinaloan who is as sweet as can be. He has never attemped to bite and has only musked twice... and that was because my husband didn't know how to hold him (trust me, he got yelled at for it). But now, he's good as gold.

I've also held baby Sinaloans. They never bit or musked, and were good little worms. :) So TINY though!

I guess I'm biased to Sinaloan Milksnakes.

I've met some wild baby sinaloans.. I think pueblan milk snakes are much worse though.

Well maybe nippy as babies, not sure since we haven't picked up Emi yet, but who could resist this...............

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/files/1/8/5/8/emi.jpg
05 Female Albino Nelson's Milksnake


~~Jo~~

Thanks guys :)

Jo, I know, she is so gorgeous - I was drooling over a baby one of those in our local reptile shop only a few days ago ... what size viv do you eventually need for them? I guess the set-up for everything else i.e. humidity, temps is the same as BPs.

Here's a caresheet that Shelby recommended to us.

http://www.reptileforums.com/care_sh.../milksnake.htm

Here's the link to the forum thread here at bpnet where care was discussed.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=26430

They seem pretty easy to care for though from all we've been told they are extreme escape artists so we are planning to be very careful about Emi's enclosure having extra measures to keep the little cutie in.

We have a 10 gallon right now for her though may start her in something smaller, than graduate up to the 10, then eventually to a 20 long for her lifetime. She'll have hides, water dish, something to climb around on and Beth has a nice decorative rock arch as well for Emi to slither through. We'll start her on papertowels and then go to aspen. We are still deciding which way to go for heat, either a lamp/heat bulb or underbelly whichever is best for her.

Too bad you are over in the UK. The fellow that bred Emi still has some left from the clutch hatched right after hers and he's a great guy to buy from but too far away for you LOL.

If you haven't checked out the normal Nelson's you should. They are gorgeous as well. Beth will be saving up next for a male normal het for albino to breed with Emi one day (they will of course be maintained seperately).


~~Jo~~

Yuppers...that is my baby...Emi...i love her

Thanks, Jo - I'll keep that link for them.

And yes, northerngirl, she is really beautiful :)

I've just realized something :stupidme: Beth is your daughter, Jo? That's really nice to have both on the one forum. I've been trying to get Kat (whose snake Emily really is) to come here, but she doesn't like computers much :weirdface Ours at home isn't working for the internet at the moment (stupid thing) so I'll miss this forum over next couple of days.

Yep Beth is the younger of my two daughters and the soon to be owner of Emi the nelson's milksnake. Actually part of the agreement we made with Beth and my older son Luke about getting their own personal snakes was joining a reputable forum, asking good questions and acting in a mature manner in the forum (as well as saving up half the cost of their snake's purchase and getting good grades). We also have agreed to assist the kids with their snakes and foster the snakes when the kids go to college or whatever comes along down the road as teens can't always know what left turns life will suddenly take them on.

Beth's doing great and I'm proud as heck of her working hard to earn the responsibility of Emi. It is funny though that Beth's greatest dream about ball pythons is to own her very own Platty Daddy some day LOL. Seems I have my own little budding "RDR"! Wonder if I should warn Ralph to watch his back.....Beth's coming up fast!

Luke is still deciding which snake he would like and would be best suited to him so look for him joining the forum down the road too.


~~Jo~~

While I have absolutely no experience with nippy little milksnakes (I have happy little corns:P ), I have worked with parrots (hawkheads, amazons, and conures). A bite from one of those guys is WICKED!!! I would repeat my one experience with a nasty little butter motely cornsnake repeatedly into enternity than take another bite from a parrot with an attitude. :O ;)


(sidenote: parrots without attitudes are the most amazing birds, I still love em!). :love:

Oooo.. hawkhead parrots are super cool. I agree with you.. parrot bites are awful! I have umbrella cockatoo and timneh african grey bites to my name.

The hawkheads are cool, but SOOOOO loud. When I cleaned out the cages in the backup rooms I had to wear ear protection b/c our two adolescents hawkheads were some big time talkers! Going into their enclosure was always a treat....try pressure washing poo off the enclosure while protecting your hair and ears from inquisitive beaks!

lol.. they are very unique parrots though. I'll have to include them in my future zoo. ;)

I nearly bought a hawkhead once - they a beautiful and very different to look at (but hubby wouldn't let me have another one - probably as well!)

When I first got into parrots I had 4 cockatiels in a huge cage. Then thought I'd try a larger parrot. I was the complete imbecile - I didn't do my homework - I just thought my cute little baby parrot would forever stay the same personality (they always stay cute and handleable if they're hand-reared - right? WRONG!!!!) I had no idea that when they hit the terrible twos and later the adolescent years how completely awful they can be with their hormones. I love my parrot to bits and when he's normal he's cuddly and I can do anything with him (he loves to cuddle under my shirt and makes cutey noises there) - but when he's bad he's WICKED! I have to keep his wings trimmed because whoever he takes a dislike to he will dive-bomb them, clamp on with the beak with multiple, exceedingly painful blood-letting bites and not let go. He has to be forced off. He's only a Black Headed Caique but his attitude is that of a large Amazon.

Needless to say I've learnt my lesson - I have since bought lizards and my Ball - and made sure I read up on them first and join forums to find out the bad along with the good from the people who know.

Big bird beaks scare me. I love macaws though.. I'd love to have a scarlet or hyacinth someday.

For now I'll stick with my dove and my canary. :)

My aunt just bought a female eclectus.. boy is she GORGEOUS! She's warming up to me as well.. she'll stand on my hand now and take treats from me.

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Originally Posted by Shelby

Big bird beaks scare me. I love macaws though.. I'd love to have a scarlet or hyacinth someday.

For now I'll stick with my dove and my canary. :)

My aunt just bought a female eclectus.. boy is she GORGEOUS! She's warming up to me as well.. she'll stand on my hand now and take treats from me.

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Big beaks come as standard with macaws :) Hyacinths are very beautiful but I think you'll have trouble finding one as they're very rare and I think they aren't sold. Eclectus are pretty - so funny how the males are so different (colour) from the females. I love that purple :)

Yes.. I know macaw beaks are quite big.. but I've found them to often be big babies.

I know of quite a few hyacinth breeders. You can find them for sale fairly easily, however they are not cheap. $8000-12000 is the norm.

That's good you can get them there - I've never seen any here in the UK (apart from in zoo collections and stuff). I must admit, big beaks really scare the crap outta me - I've spent too many times being savaged by my (relatively) small beaked vampire.

Give me a snake anyday - at least they don't chase you across the room to bite you LOL

Yes.. lol! Never get an iguana, Razaiel. You may be chased with teeth then.

lMAO - I wouldn't consider one :no: - definitely not for the average rep keeper like me. They are awesome though. I have more than enough with my :psychotic parrot!

Wow, no we haven't hijacked this thread.. nope.

edit* disregard, carry on ;)

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Originally Posted by Shelby

For now I'll stick with my dove and my canary. :)

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Ooh, you have a dove? What kind? I adore them, and have even considered breeding diamond doves in the future and/or masked cape doves. :)

I have a ringneck dove. His name is Chocolat. He's orangish tan with white feather tips. He coos and laughs a lot, silly boy.

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Originally Posted by ladywhipple02

I have a yearling Sinaloan who is as sweet as can be. He has never attemped to bite and has only musked twice... and that was because my husband didn't know how to hold him (trust me, he got yelled at for it). But now, he's good as gold.

I've also held baby Sinaloans. They never bit or musked, and were good little worms. :) So TINY though!

I guess I'm biased to Sinaloan Milksnakes.

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Lynn, that little guy used to musk me all the time! Glad to see he has calmed down for you a bit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shelby

I have a ringneck dove. His name is Chocolat. He's orangish tan with white feather tips. He coos and laughs a lot, silly boy.

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Awwh! :) They're such sweet silly birds. I love our cockatiel, but the doves are much better for my mental health, lol. Very mellow with coos and giggles and snuggling together all the time. /(^v^)\

If only I could have every pet out there. They all have their own personalities and things that make them great pets! Except maybe scorpions or tarantulas. I dont understand the attraction there.

I promised my mother never to get a pet spider. She's horribly arachnaphobic and I'd never see her again, lol. I have a much better chance of getting her over her snake issues ;)

I know what you mean though about wanting one of everything, lol. That's part of why doing so much critter homework is so good. Once I figure out what sorts of animals suit our home best by temperment and care (snakes, bunnies, doves, etc) it's much easier to talk my fiancee into them. :aww:

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Originally Posted by jglass38

Except maybe scorpions or tarantulas. I dont understand the attraction there.

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Really?

http://www.e-spiderworld.com/gallery...0metallica.jpg

http://www.bighairyspiders.com/pix/speck14.jpg