kings/milks as pets

[Gurgie]

I have 2 BPs that my girls, ages 8 and 12, help me out with all the time. Our local reptile store has some of the cutest little milk snakes i have ever seen, and I was wondering how the kings/milks do as far as a pet for a kids with some experience (with help ffom mom if need be)

I dont know anything about temperment, husbandry, etc...all I know is they were adorable.

is there someplace someone can point me to to do some reading?

I also forgot to ask about breeders....are these types of snakes bred for sale as well as the bigger ones, or is it just a kind of hit or miss as to when and where you can find them being sold?

also, I need to learn about tanks/bins size, substrate, etc.

I'm in no rush to run out tomorrow and do this for my kids, but I am interested in the future if someone can help me find some good ACCURATE literature I would greatly apreciate it.

thanks

[Shelby]

Well, there are many species of milk, and they do vary a bit temperament-wise. I keep honduran and nelson's milks. The hondos are typically nippy and psycho as babies, but my 6' adult is pretty laid back, though he doesn't like to sit still.

My nelson is a juvie. He's much calmer than the hondos (never bitten) but he is still wiggly.

Pueblan milks are another common species, they're known for being nervous and nippy.. especially babies.

Most colubrids are feisty as babies, and many do calm down as they age. Most species of milk are CBB in large numbers and are easy to find. There are quite a few morphs as well (my nelson's milk is an albino and I've got hypo hondurans too)

Babies do best in a shoebox size enclosure.. depending on the species an adult can live in a 20-30 gallon tank. Any substrate that a BP is comfy on is fine for a milk.

All in all, if your kids don't mind a feisty snake when it's a baby, milks are easy snakes to keep, and very beautiful.

EDIT: forgot to put a word in for kings.. I keep california kings, a greyband king, and a speckled king.

Of the three cali kings one who is an adult occasionally bites (I bought her as an adult) the one I've raised since a baby is very docile, however as a baby he was nippy.

My greyband king is one of the most laid back colubrids I've ever had.. never bitten and he's not even very wiggly.

My speckled king is satan spawn.. though I think she was WC so that's probably why.