Hatchlings should start out in an appropriately sized small vivarium or RUB (Really Useful Box) as they can become stressed and stop feeding in an oversized vivarium.Īll Snakes are excellent escape artists, so care must be taken when planning their housing. The vivarium should allow a minimum of 1 square foot of floor space to each foot of snake and be approximately a third of the snake’s length in height. A medium sized vivarium (Even a fish tank with a tight fitting lid) will house your Milk nicely. Milk Snakes are quite active, but do not need huge enclosures. Never handle your snake straight after a feed, as it will regurgitate its meal. Wild rodents carry parasites and should be avoided at all times. Shop brought frozen rodents are available from most pet shops or bought over the internet these can be thawed to room temperature and make an excellent all round food for your snake. You may also feed a mature Milk Snakes on day old chicks to provide a variation in diet.ĭo not feed your snake with live food, even a small mouse may bite or injure your snake. Very large snakes may require 2 adult mice per feed or even the introduction of larger prey items such as rats. Hatchlings start on pinky mice, one every 5-6 days and graduate up to an adult mouse every 7-10 days as they grow. The rodent should be of a appropriate size in comparison to the size of their mouth and be large enough to leave a bump in your Milk Snakes body once ingested. Milk Snakes in the wild will eat a very varied diet of rodents, birds, amphibians and other reptiles (including other snakes), but Milk Snakes in captivity can be fed entirely on mice or rats and still be healthy. Milk snakes are powerful snakes, but are still easy to handle. It is not uncommon for Milk Snakes to musk if they feel threatened. Milks have been known to be a little nippy, but regular handling should calm your Milk Snake down in time. Milk Snakes are quite active snakes and will appreciate time outside the vivarium to exercise. They are easy and safe to handle, growing to a manageable size and make a good choice for people who are new to snake keeping. They are energetic and inquisitive and make very interesting pets. They have a relatively docile temperament and can be easily tamed. They are known to live in forest habitats in the wild, but have been known to live in rocky areas, desert savannas and open plains. Habitat: They are a terrestrial species that are active at night and hide away during the day. Origin: Milk Snakes are native to regions in both North and South America. Life Span: 15 years is average for a Milk Snake in captivity, but it is not uncommon for them to reach 20 years with appropriate care. This is the reason behind the common saying associated with Milk snakes that helps you distinguish between the two types of snake. They seem to have evolved to mimic the colourings of the deadly Coral snake, which many believe is as a defensive measure to scare off predators. There are 25 different sub-species of Milk snake, so these figures may vary a little depending on the type of Milk Snake you have, but in general.Ĭolouring: Milk snakes have beautiful tri-banded colourings of either red, black and yellow or white, black and red. This is now known to be untrue, but the name is still used to describe this beautiful snake. It was once believed that milk snakes would drink the milk from the udders of grazing cattle. Milk snakes gained their name from a common myth. Stuart's Milk Snake - Lampropeltis triangulum stuartiĮastern Milk Snake - Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum Scarlet Kingsnake - Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoidesīlack Milk Snake - Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae Nelson's Milk Snake - Lampropeltis triangulum nelsoni Sinaloan Milk Snake - Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae Mexican Milksnake - Lampropeltis triangulum annulata Pueblan Milksnake - Lampropeltis triangulum campbelliĬentral Plains Milksnake - Lampropeltis triangulum gentilis

Honduran Milksnake - Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis

Here is a few of the most popular ones to be kept in captivity: There are many sub-species of Milk Snake.

Honduran milksnake enclosure