New Baby Black Milk Snake

[Jay_Bunny]

Wow! Awsome snake. Now you've got me wanting a black milk snake. Do you have any links to some caresheets for these snakes? Are they hard to find?

[pilot511]

Wow! Awsome snake. Now you've got me wanting a black milk snake. Do you have any links to some caresheets for these snakes? Are they hard to find?

I don't know of many out...basically they're from Costa Rica, they are the biggest of all the milk snakes (males actually can get bigger than females hitting 6-7 feet)...They are from high altitude areas so they're not a huge fan of heat (80-83 on hot side, my guy doesn't like it much over 80 though) and start tri colored and eventually turn completely black...they're quick little guys and love to burrow (mine does at least, aspen bedding)...Great snakes.


What are you feeding your black milk rigth now?

[Reediculous]

AH! My second favorite species! Love these guys! Always hungry. Always shed's in one piece. Just a Joy to keep! NIce pick up! Although i am Jealous! Now i have to get another one.

[jjspirko]

Ditto on what Reediculous said. Consider them a corn snake that likes temps 5-10 degrees lower and needs a bit more space. There is absolutely nothing special they need as opposed to any other milk/king/rat snake other then slightly lower temps.

Two hides, fresh water, feed appropriete meals once a week, clean their poo. It ain't rocket science I think sometimes we have be care sheeted to death.

They have great dispositions and I have never known a captive bred animal to bite other then an SFE or if you startle a baby they may strike. They have amazing muscle tone and popping one after they are say 30 days old is therefore very difficult if not impossible. They are one of the most powerful colubrids relative to size you will ever encounter. They will eat anything, dead, live it does not matter.

I worked with a wild collected adult at the Philly Zoo during my volunteer time there about two decades ago. She came in at about 5 feet fresh from the wild, never bit, strait onto PK Rats and took only a few weeks to not really be nervous when handled. I honestly consider them one of the most overlooked snakes in the industry. Beautiful, calm, gentle, easy to keep and again an adult can hold its own next to any Indigo in my opinion.

By the way Indigos almost never bite but has anyone seen a Cribo bite? Stitches are normally required. The South American versions are more apt to bite and it shows you what damage they can do. Again though I have never heard of a North American Indigo biting. Has anyone else?

[pilot511]

what are u feeding ur guy now

[jjspirko]

Mice or Rats of the appropriate size. They seldom refuse a meal, just latch on and swallow. My big guy is on small adult rats, the new baby is on large fuzzys and should move to hoppers in month or less.

[xdeus]

AH! My second favorite species! Love these guys! Always hungry. Always shed's in one piece. Just a Joy to keep! NIce pick up! Although i am Jealous! Now i have to get another one.

I agree, Gaigeae are awesome! Plus they're a heck of a lot of fun to feed. My male gets so excited that his aim pathetic. Last night he kept striking, missing, and "running" after the meal that he didn't get it until he was completely out of his cage and in the middle of the room. Of course I probably wasn't holding it as steady as I could have because I was laughing hysterically at the situation.

[pilot511]

I agree, Gaigeae are awesome! Plus they're a heck of a lot of fun to feed. My male gets so excited that his aim pathetic. Last night he kept striking, missing, and "running" after the meal that he didn't get it until he was completely out of his cage and in the middle of the room. Of course I probably wasn't holding it as steady as I could have because I was laughing hysterically at the situation.

my guy does the same thing, goes into complete "spaz" mode and starts running around and going nuts.

[GirDance]

I've been meaning to ask, I've always loved the looks of these guys, but I heard some rumors about an awful stench... ie, the musking. How bad is the musking? Do they do it often? I can't remember where I read it, but it was enough to make me reconsider for awhile...

[jjspirko]

I've been meaning to ask, I've always loved the looks of these guys, but I heard some rumors about an awful stench... ie, the musking. How bad is the musking? Do they do it often? I can't remember where I read it, but it was enough to make me reconsider for awhile...

I have never had a problem with it happening much. Sometimes if you are trying to pop one to sex them they do it. The WC female at the zoo did it a time or two. But with CB I have not seen it much. It is certainly no worse when it happens then if a rat or garter does it. It is honestly not much of a concern they get very tame very fast.