Do I want a Milk Snake? [Archive] - sSNAKESs : Reptile Forum

Porl

11-16-11, 10:31 AM

My sister, visiting from Australia is a HUGE snake lover (Sentrillion Python, Black Headed Python and something else (can't remember the name) and has convinced us (not that we needed much convincing) that a snake would be awesome, I have always wanted one but never looked into the care and the lifestyle required for it.

MY ideal snake is a highly colored, incredibly scary, poisonous looking beauty that is happy to be handled, docile and will get fairly big.

My sis is recommending a Milk Snake (probably because they are banned in Australia) and I LOVE the coloring of some of the ones I have seen here and at other places. She is a master at enclosures and will be setting me up with a sweet enclosure.

I would love to hear from some Milk owners about their experiences handling these magnificent creatures and how long they have had them and how big they can get.

Thanks in advance!

p

infernalis

11-16-11, 10:53 AM

welcome....

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/lampropeltis/82867-our-pueblans.html

However, Milks are not real happy being handled. They usually squirm and musk (stinky)

alessia55

11-16-11, 10:55 AM

1. Welcome to the forum! (Edit: I did NOT beat Wayne)
2. Milksnakes make great pets. I'd recommend researching all their needs before you get one, to make sure you'll be able to provide it with everything it needs to live a long and healthy life.

I'm sure some milksnake keepers on here will chime in and give you advice :)

infernalis

11-16-11, 11:01 AM

Super easy care.. a cage, substrate, hide, water bowl and a small heat pad is all you need.

alessia55

11-16-11, 11:07 AM

"MY ideal snake is a highly colored, incredibly scary, poisonous looking beauty that is happy to be handled, docile and will get fairly big."

Well, maybe a carpet python might be right too... They are highly colored, "look" scary, "look" venomous (but aren't!), and if you get them when they're young they can tolerate handling just fine, and they do get fairly big.

Here is a photo of a carpet python:
http://www.australianaddiction.com/JCP_UmaleClose.jpg
(photo from AustralianAddiction.com)

Jay

11-16-11, 11:08 AM

Yes they are great snakes. Just a pet peeve snakes are not poisonous but rather venomous.
I'm not big on colubrids, but the peruvian milk snake IMO would be the closest resemblance to a venomous snake.

Jay

11-16-11, 11:10 AM

Also look into bull snakes, they have a very mean attitude though, they love to his and vibrate their tail.

stephanbakir

11-16-11, 11:13 AM

Yes they are great snakes. Just a pet peeve snakes are not poisonous but rather venomous.

I'm with you on that.

Regarding the one who looks closest to a venomous snake... Viper boa, milk snake. The others who come to mind require a ton of care and experience.

millertime89

11-16-11, 12:10 PM

viper boa, one of the smaller boa constrictor variants, carpet, or a super dwarf retic if you think you can handle one (they're a bit tougher to care for properly)

youngster

11-16-11, 12:36 PM

Viper boas aren't good first snakes :)
Look at this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlSiH0k0wX4) video. It doesn't look too friendly :)

stephanbakir

11-16-11, 01:59 PM

One video shouldn't represent a species. I've worked with a trio and never had anything happen.

KORBIN5895

11-16-11, 02:20 PM

Pet peeve! I hate YouTube videos where they feel it is necessary to tell you their life story.

sassy_snake_lady

11-16-11, 02:24 PM

I have a year old Tangerine Honduran Milk. Stunning to look at but as mentioned already, not the best for handling. He is very fast, clearly stressed when picked up and just wants to escape. Luckily he doesn't musk anymore but I don't handle him unless needed.

Size wise, he is pretty big and his parents were 5ft and 6ft.

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff471/CodyBoo2/DSCF9465.jpg

hognoses have a venomous look and never bite. They're small (2.5-3ish feet) but a hognose might be right for you...

Hognoses do bite! Can be a nasty recation too! Luckily mine hasn't decided to have a go yet. He's all bluff ;)

stephanbakir

11-16-11, 02:29 PM

Hoggies are cute as hell.

youngster

11-16-11, 02:41 PM

My sister got bit by her ex boyfriend's hognose...
Obviously they do bite even if it's 1 snake out of 1000s
It was a pretty bad reaction.

snake man12

11-16-11, 02:43 PM

Um ball python or sand and rosy boas are cool. Corn snakes are also cool and come in a variety of colors and morphs

alessia55

11-16-11, 03:16 PM

An interesting post here.

The Hognose Snake Forum - Hoggie Bite (http://www.thehognosesnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=815)

That guy did a really good job at documenting that hoggie bite! :eek: Good stuff to know!

youngster

11-16-11, 03:19 PM

Just talked to my sister. She wasn't envenomated however she was bit and it wasn't a feeding response.

alessia55

11-16-11, 03:35 PM

So! Back to the OP's question...

He wanted something "highly colored, incredibly scary, p̶o̶i̶s̶o̶n̶o̶u̶s̶ venomous looking beauty that is happy to be handled, docile and will get fairly big."

So far we have recommended:
- Ball pythons: good size, lots of "colors" to pick from, happy to be handled, good beginner's snake
- Milk snakes: good size, easy keeping, but don't like to be handled a lot
- Viper boas: not typically a beginner's snake, but worth looking into
- Bull snakes: good size, "venomous looking", but they have "attitude" and might not like being handled a lot
- Carpet pythons: "highly colored," can tolerate handling, and are "fairly big"
- Hognose snakes: stay small, mildly venomous, typically docile, stay relatively small
- Sand boas: stay small, come in great colors, but typically docile and tolerate handling
- Rosy boas: small/medium size, docile, tolerate handling, but not "highly colored"
- Corn snakes: females can get to be a good size, great beginner's snake, "highly colored", come in lots of colors to pick from, and tolerate handling really well

I'd recommend researching all of them to see what snake fits what you want best, but also what you can provide as far as feeding & caging requirements. It's all about finding the right fit! :)

snake man12

11-16-11, 03:38 PM

I really think a corn snake or a ball python would be best, but bps need higher humidity and higher temps. Corns are very beautiful and love handling.

infernalis

11-16-11, 05:38 PM

I just removed all of the nonsense.

Carry on as usual.

alessia55

11-16-11, 05:42 PM

I just removed all of the nonsense.

Carry on as usual.

You might as well delete my double post :rolleyes: Delete the second one pwease :)

sassy_snake_lady

11-16-11, 05:44 PM

What about a nice kingsnake? Got lots of attitude, well mine do and come in so many different colours. Some get quite big and chunky.

marvelfreak

11-16-11, 06:02 PM

Hello and 15295 welcome to our zoo.
It's nice to have you join us.

Porl

11-17-11, 04:57 AM

sassy_snake_lady

11-17-11, 09:41 AM

WOW!

Thanks for all the responses, sorry for the delay but I had to wait until I was verified before seeing my post and the responses. What a fantastic wealth of info, including the poison/venom correction. Sincerest apologies to all peeved, I understand completely why that would annoy anyone now I know a little more. DOH!

After much more research and all of this healthy advice I am leaning more towards a Corn, I am all about the vibrant colors and they seem to not only appear a little more docile and happier to be handled but look as though they may grow a little thicker and bigger than the Milk.

Awesome.

Thanks again, can't wait, but am soberly approaching this, I have an enormous respect for these creatures, they are meditative to watch and funnily, the more I hear "Eew, snakes are gross!" the more I want one.

tee hee

p

Awesome choice! I have lots of corns and never get tired of their many colours and patterns.

Next comes the hard part... pick a colour any colour! lol

This is a good website that shows lots of the different morphs available but also the stunning wildtypes too.

http://iansvivarium.com/morphs/species/elaphe_guttata/

I started with a wildtype (Carolina) and it all went from there.

:)

alessia55

11-17-11, 09:47 AM

A corn snake sounds like a great option. I'm glad you like them! They start out real small but they grow fast! And you've got so many colors to pick from. They're also really affordable and their needs are pretty basic.

My first snake was a corn snake. Here are some pics:

Jupiter as a baby:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/fedsbrithdayparty001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/meholdingjupiter.jpg

As an adult, she got to be almost 6ft (which is on the big side) :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/jupiter3.jpg

Picking a color is going to be hard!! So many to pick from!! Good luck! :)

Gungirl

11-17-11, 09:49 AM

I agree with the others ... a corn snake is a great choice. That was my first snake also. You will be happy you made that choice!

millertime89

11-17-11, 11:10 AM

oh hey, just remembered mr. super mod here... Look into getting a female garter snake, any color you can think of and SUPER easy to care for.

alessia55

11-17-11, 11:11 AM

oh hey, just remembered mr. super mod here... Look into getting a female garter snake, any color you can think of and SUPER easy to care for.

But the OP said he wanted something "fairly big" ;)

millertime89

11-17-11, 02:21 PM

But the OP said he wanted something "fairly big" ;)

and we're including sand and rosy boas?

alessia55

11-17-11, 02:28 PM

and we're including sand and rosy boas?

Maybe because they get a little thick? IDK. I recommended the carpet python ;)

millertime89

11-17-11, 02:29 PM

I said super dwarf which you didn't include on your list :P

alessia55

11-17-11, 02:35 PM

We also recommend a super dwarf reticulated python, OP.

( ;) Kyle )

youngster

11-17-11, 02:51 PM

Probably didn't include an SD because it's the OP's first snake and that would be a handful of a beginner. :p

Porl

11-18-11, 05:00 AM

Those pics from Alessia55 have utterly SOLD me. What a gorgeous specimen.

Ive got a few days away from the computer coming up so I apologize for my lack of postings.

Cant thank you all enough for the advise and look forward to posting a pic of the enclosure - my sister builds them for fun so I have a feeling that is covered, she is pretty much an animal activist and a vet nurse so I have no worries about making my Corn a home he/she will simply ADORE!

yippee!

alessia55

11-18-11, 08:28 AM

That's great! :D Can't wait to see you pick out your very own first corn snake!

SWALTERSFPPD

11-18-11, 07:37 PM

I have been out to herp glades farm in Bushnell,fl i was able to hold all the milk snakes they have. I think the mexican milk snake and Louisiana milk snake were very docile . I own a mexican milk snake and he is super docile, some much that my 2 yoa son old him with out issue.

millertime89

11-18-11, 08:24 PM

every snake, like every human, has a different personality.

Aaron_S

11-18-11, 08:55 PM

If you weren't going to go with a corn snake, which is a very solid idea, I would have said sinoloan milksnake if you were still interested in milks.

ashleynicole

11-18-11, 11:09 PM

swalters and myself just got our first milksnake, it is a mexican milk snake and we love it. Although we did get to handle some of their adults and the colors seem to get a little bit duller as they get older. All of their adults were very docile.

I would suggest a corn or ratsnake as a first snake as well because they are super easy to take care of. I think milksnakes are easy too since they are both in the colubrid families. Corns are very prolific, cheap, and super colorful. They are also great eaters, our 2005 male okeetee has never refused a meal.

Porl

12-05-11, 02:16 PM

Sarah the Albino Corn Snake has arrived.

http://www.ssnakess.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=636&ppuser=17707

Sarah-at-home_02-2011-11-17 - My Photo Gallery (http://www.ssnakess.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=637&ppuser=17707)

We went to the Reptile Expo in White Plains New York, saw more snakes than I have ever seen ever (and my sister was losing her mind at some of the prices and variations - Soooo much cheaper over here!!) and now we have her. She has a proper enclosure and all the accoutrements she could ever need.

I just fed her for a second time (pinkies, averaging once every 5 days - although she seems to want more) as per recommendations.