Black Milksnake Questions

[Jyson]

I've been doing some light research on them but so far I haven't been able to find specific information. Like Cage Size, and humidity. From what I have read, certain articles imply that they basically require the same care as a Honduran Milksnake.

Any information on them will be VERY helpful and appreciated.

[twh]

I've been doing some light research on them but so far I haven't been able to find specific information. Like Cage Size, and humidity. From what I have read, certain articles imply that they basically require the same care as a Honduran Milksnake.

Any information on them will be VERY helpful and appreciated.

care and caging would be similar to hondurans except temps,BM's are cool temp snake coming mostly from higher elevations in central america.i keep my snake room 75-79 and do not offer additional heat with good results.

males of this species tend to get larger than females (5-6 ft. is common) and they have a ton of personality.they are about as bullet proof as snakes get,they rarely have feeding issues and are very easy to keep.have fun!

[Jyson]

care and caging would be similar to hondurans except temps,BM's are cool temp snake coming mostly from higher elevations in central america.i keep my snake room 75-79 and do not offer additional heat with good results.

males of this species tend to get larger than females (5-6 ft. is common) and they have a ton of personality.they are about as bullet proof as snakes get,they rarely have feeding issues and are very easy to keep.have fun!

Awesome, they sound like the perfect colubrid (imo)! That is so wierd that the males get larger than the females, usually with snakes its the other way around...interesting.

[Brandon Osborne]

Awesome, they sound like the perfect colubrid (imo)! That is so wierd that the males get larger than the females, usually with snakes its the other way around...interesting.

With most kings and milks, males tend to be larger than females.

[Mindibun]

I keep mine in a 32q tub, but he's due for a larger enclosure. He likes to burrow more than anything so I keep him on aspen shavings and he's happy. His tub is kept cool at about 75 degrees. The house warms up to almost 80 during the day so he has warmer day temperatures, but I dont have any heating element on him at all. He's a great eater and has a great personality. The trick is to let him think he's calling the shots, rather than grabbing him and forcing him to go in any one direction. "herding" works really well with him. He's a great snake and I totally recommend them.

[rabernet]

My two are babies and are NUTS! They whip around when you handle them, so I keep handling to a minimum with them right now. My male will eat f/t, but the female will only eat live right now. I do give them a warm spot right now, since they're so tiny, but when they get bigger, I will be keeping them at room temp.

[Mindibun]

My two are babies and are NUTS! They whip around when you handle them, so I keep handling to a minimum with them right now. My male will eat f/t, but the female will only eat live right now. I do give them a warm spot right now, since they're so tiny, but when they get bigger, I will be keeping them at room temp.

That's how mine was when he was younger, though probably to a lesser extent. That's what I meant by "it's best to let him think he's calling the shots." When I stopped "holding" him, (that is, grasping him and trying to keep him still) and started just "supporting" him (opening my hands and allowing him to move about freely, while guiding him towards a general direction) that whipping around stopped. He was never bad about it -- he's always been a pretty calm snake. But, he improved a LOT when I stopped grabbing at him. Even when I take him from his bin now I will hold my hands over him in a "tunnel" shape that he will want to crawl through. Once he's in my hands I can lift him. He doesn't oppose to coming out this way.

I guess it must sound ridiculous, but try it and see if it doesn't help.

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To the OP: I'm sorry, you had asked about cage size and never got an answer. Because mine is still so little he stays in the 32q tub. However, I am having a custom 4' x 2' x 2' enclosure built for him when he is full grown. I am hoping that will give him enough room to roam. I may decide to go a bit larger in the end. Partially because I don't have to worry so much about heat and humidity, so why not go bigger? And partially because he is pretty active and I think he would enjoy the extra space.

[Jyson]

My two are babies and are NUTS! They whip around when you handle them, so I keep handling to a minimum with them right now. My male will eat f/t, but the female will only eat live right now. I do give them a warm spot right now, since they're so tiny, but when they get bigger, I will be keeping them at room temp.

Oddly my little corn snake is like that at times. They sound like a fun challenge to tame. I'm definitely looking forward to getting one, I've been wanting to add another colubrid for some time now, and I'm just loving the black milks.

Thankyous for all the great info guys!

[kc261]

I remembered that an forum member who is no longer active on here used to have a black milk that he used for educational shows for kids. I did a search and found this thread that has a reasonable amount of info on their care. Unfortunately, the pics no longer work.
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=61645

[rabernet]

Do what I did - get a pair! I couldn't decide if I wanted a male or a female, so I got both. Check with Kara - that's who I got my pair from!