Colubrids Musking?!

[Anonymous]

I was wondering, do all Colubrids musk?!
I was looking forward to getting a Luecistic Rat Snake, but I'm going to change my mind if they musk.
I seriously don't want to have their musk on me! :o

[Jeanne]

The rat snake I had years ago did musk, but I think too it depends on the snake, I know my daughters cali king no longer musks since he is handle alot. Please dont turn away from the world of colubrids, they are great fun. Maybe though someone with more colubrid experience will be able to tell us if it is all of them that does it. But I think it is more of a fear response of nervous response from the snake. And I think it gets better the more you handle them... but I could be wrong.

[hhw]

I used to keep yellow rat snakes, and never had them musk me. They can musk, but with a well established captive bred, I would think it would be highly unlikely for them to. I've had baby rat snakes bite me, but I've never been musked by one. Either way, if they do have any musk, I don't think it'll be strong enough to really worry about it. I've been musked by garter snakes many times, and the smell washes right off with soap and water.

*EDIT* Actually, I just remembered I was musked by a wild black rat snake on my cousin's farm in Missouri once. If memory serves me correctly, it didn't smell nearly as bad as a garter snake's musk. Not much worse than regular snake poop, just a different type of offense to your sense of smell.

[Anonymous]

I might have to pick up a baby Luecistic Rat Snake at the show then, They are sooooo beautiful.

Hopefully after a week or so of owning the snake, I'll start daily handling to get her used to me, so I won't get musked! *hopefully*

[Smynx]

Our Durango Mountain kingsnake has musked me before, but only once. I'm not sure if the Cali king has musked or not. Smulkin would be able to tell you.

[Tigergenesis]

I wouldn't let that deter you. It depends on the snake. My Mex Black King musks anyone else but me, and my Cal King used to musk everyone. With patience and gentle handling she hasn't done it in awhile.

[Alkaurkharim]

Yeah, I had my MBK musk me once but that was only because I was trying to get her unstuck from something. She got stuck and I was trying to unloop her and she didn't like it and musked me. It didn't really smell too bad at all, I was expecting alot worse. My MBK adores me though, I doubt she would musk me for no reason ^_^ She hasn't yet and she has been handled almost everyday I've had her, except for days after feeding and during sheds.

[Tigergenesis]

yeah, it's not as bad as I was led to believe either.

[Smulkin]

None too horrible at all - no shortage of worse smells you'll run across in your husbandry duties. I DO solidly remember though that indeed the garter snakes who musked me on their capture were unquestionably the most pungent and acrid of any colubrid we've had.

[UberAlice]

Agreed, and garter musk is nasty stuff.
Most won't musk unless they're stressed or startled, so with keeping that in mind it shouldn't be too hard to keep from being snake-stinky all the time.