View Full Version : Black Milksnake Update! *PIC HEAVY*
So, Genghis, my first snake, was hatched a year ago on the 24th! So to celebrate (well, just happened to time out this way) He gets a brand new cage and hides!
I ordered a cage from constrictors northwest, and it took about 5 weeks for it to show up (I didn't know when ordering it that it'd take that long, or I would have ordered it earlier) In that time, he continued to outgrow his cage.
Here he is a few weeks ago, being cute, but it's because he's unable to fit in his old hide. I shenaniganned some appropriate sized hides out of shoe boxes and whatnot so he'd fit while I waited for the new one to show up
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/Novocane/pets/IMG_0659.jpg
So. It came in the day before I went off to an expo, So i decided to grab him some cool stuff to play around on and new hides there.
I grabbed two new hides from exo terra and a java wood branch/climby thing that looked like it'd add a little more dimension to his cage.
Heres the full set up, I kept the skull because he seemed to enjoy slithering through it in his old cage.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/Novocane/pets/IMGP3325.jpg
right side (with heat pad set to 74)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/Novocane/pets/IMGP3320.jpg
Left side (room temp - 68-70)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/Novocane/pets/IMGP3316.jpg
Java wood, but I just like this shot because you can see how black hes getting:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/Novocane/pets/IMGP3327.jpg
checking out the water dish:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/Novocane/pets/IMGP3331.jpg
back to the hide:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/Novocane/pets/IMGP3333.jpg
not a great pic, but caught with his tongue out:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/Novocane/pets/IMGP3330.jpg
rmfsnakes32
09-26-12, 09:47 PM
Very nice I did not know milksnakes were black I have a pueblan
Very nice I did not know milksnakes were black I have a pueblan
He is a special case - a black milksnake, not only the largest (his daddy is 7 feet) but also the only to change color from juvenile to adult.
One of the coolest things about black milksnakes is that they dont start out black, they actually look a lot like a honduran, heres a pic of Genghis at ~4 months:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/Novocane/pets/714c3f00.jpg
actually, if you look in this photo, you can see he still has some of his coloration and pattern in high light/more-so on his ventral scales
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/Novocane/pets/IMGP3316.jpg
BMS's tend to get pretty iridescent as well as the black comes in, here he is right after a shed about a month ago:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/Novocane/pets/IMGP3286_zps4950318b.jpg
I find it really strange they can change so much, nice snake.
What are they like to handle ?
Kingsnakechris
09-27-12, 09:39 AM
Very cool! I bet he's much more relaxed now that he can stretch out a bit and fit in his hides hahah
I find it really strange they can change so much, nice snake.
What are they like to handle ?
Its really not as strange as you think, the explanation is actually pretty cool!
First off, they live in costa rica and panama - cool humid and highly elevated areas. As juveniles they are born *very* bright - probably the most vibrant red I've ever sen on a milk.
The generally accepted idea is that they are "fooling" predators into believing they are venomous as they look very similar to coral snakes which are the same size as juveniles (blacks have big babies, Genghis was 14" out of the egg) and then as they mature and are able to overpower more prey, the dark black allows them to hide much better at night given their size and location.
They are, from the five or six I've handled, the most docile snakes I've ever handled. He has never once even made a defensive stance at me, If i reach in to pick him up he doesn't even protest or move away. They are pretty inquisitive though and will move around and explore if you don't keep and eye on them. They're also fantastic escape artists with their smaller heads and massively strong bodies for a milksnake.
Sorry for the rant, theyre my favorite reptile!!
rmfsnakes32
09-27-12, 10:14 AM
Thats so cool I may look into getting one sometime! So tell me what are their attitudes like as babies my milk is a jerk all the time!
Thats so cool I may look into getting one sometime! So tell me what are their attitudes like as babies my milk is a jerk all the time!
The only thing that has changed is that hes a little more explorative. This will obviously vary from snake to snake but hes always taken F/T with vigor, even pinkies. I dont want to know how nuts he would be over live.
They do get pretty big, his cage is 48x24x14.
The even better part is that they dont necessarily need any heating, 65-75 is good, cooler end at night. My breeder says he puts a heat gradient until a year or so of age then just room temp 72 day 68 night. Just keep it relatively humid and you're good.
There arent many specific breeders, though lots of random BMS' floating around at bigger breeders. I got mine from Nate Godin, he lives in Maine and comes down to NH for expos every few months
Jlassiter
09-27-12, 03:00 PM
the dark black allows them to hide much better at night given their size and location.
They turn black so that their large sized bodies can absorb heat better at the elevations they live in.
The black coloration absorbs heat better.
At elevation there is a shorter duration of direct sunlight between peak to peak than normal.
They turn black so that their large sized bodies can absorb heat better at the elevations they live in.
The black coloration absorbs heat better.
At elevation there is a shorter duration of direct sunlight between peak to peak than normal.
This is also part of it, but spaced on that when typing that up, I thought I had included it.
Jlassiter
09-27-12, 07:31 PM
I really like L. t. gaigea....but out of all the Central American triangulum L. t. polyzona is my favorite.....They turn bicolor (thick Red and Black bands) and get just as big as Black Milks......
L. T. Polyzona are sweet, a lot dont get a full black bicolor though, but close to it!
DragonsEye
09-28-12, 08:51 AM
Nice snake.
A number of years ago when I had a gartersnake, he used to like to curl up in the cranium of the deer skull I had in his tank. :)
Jlassiter
09-28-12, 09:59 AM
L. T. Polyzona are sweet, a lot dont get a full black bicolor though, but close to it!
Yea.....but some do......
How do you like micropholis?
Yea.....but some do......
How do you like micropholis?
Never seen one in person, but im not huge on them. Im not big on the basic milksnake patterning, though I love colubrids in general.
Jlassiter
09-28-12, 03:00 PM
Alrighty then........lol
Alrighty then........lol
Hey, thats why we all love snakes right - something for everyone?:freakedout:
Jlassiter
09-28-12, 08:02 PM
Yep!................................
Kingsnakechris
09-28-12, 08:17 PM
I might have just been sold on a black milk!
Jlassiter
09-28-12, 08:41 PM
Their ontogenesis is awesome.....
Then there's other cool solid black lampropeltis...
Melanistic thayeri
Eastern black kings
Mexican black kings
Melanistic california kings
Snakeman8
09-30-12, 07:25 AM
thats a beautiful snake.
I might have just been sold on a black milk!
You should get in contact with Nate Godin, He just hatched 9 eggs I think, same parents as this guy. Hes been an extremely stand up guy with all my contact with him.
thats a beautiful snake.
Thank you! Some think a solid colored snake is kinda boring, but seeing one in person is absolutely stunning, especially the adults. Their iridescent is a near BRB-esque blue from certain angles.
Their ontogenesis is awesome.....
Then there's other cool solid black lampropeltis...
Melanistic thayeri
Eastern black kings
Mexican black kings
Melanistic california kings
Ive heard of black kings and melanistic cali's but thayeri are new to me, thanks! I've been looking into learning more about colubrid's, im admittedly still pretty new to snakes.
Looking at the site in your signature (yours?)
im extremely interested in the Yellow L. g. holbrooki, whats the rarity/story/genetics behind that snake? I seem to have a thing for patternless snakes, and I keep going back to looking at that thing.
Looking GREAT! Mine is still holding on to his red coloring. Nice to see an update. Mine turns a year old this month.
Jlassiter
10-01-12, 12:41 PM
Looking at the site in your signature (yours?)
im extremely interested in the Yellow L. g. holbrooki, whats the rarity/story/genetics behind that snake? I seem to have a thing for patternless snakes, and I keep going back to looking at that thing.
yes that is my site.....
The YELLOW AMEL Holbrooki is rather rare....and the gene is ontogenetic and has acted codominant for me.
PM me and I will share some details with you later.....
Or I will here later tonight.
Seems most colubrids that are black as adult start off with totally different patterns as juvies. Pretty strange!
For example: Juvie black racers look like this
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0803/0710.jpeg
then turn into this
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0604/0060.jpeg
Great lookin snake OP!
Jlassiter
10-01-12, 12:55 PM
I wouldn't say most but some do....
Black Pine snakes
Mexican Black kings
Melanistic thayeri
Melanistic California Kings
Black ratsnakes
Eastern Black Kings
Black Eastern Hognose
and others hatch out black and stay black....
Jlassiter
10-01-12, 12:56 PM
Great comparison btw Ragnar....
They probably go through ontogenesis for the same reason.....
I wouldn't say most but some do....
Black Pine snakes
Mexican Black kings
Melanistic thayeri
Melanistic California Kings
Black ratsnakes
Eastern Black Kings
Black Eastern Hognose
and others hatch out black and stay black....
Really? Most of those you mentioned look pretty different as juvies and definitely are not solid black - according to google images anyway LOL
Jlassiter
10-01-12, 01:39 PM
Really? Most of those you mentioned look pretty different as juvies and definitely are not solid black - according to google images anyway LOL
I've seen solid black neonates out of the egg for all of them except for black rats....they have pattern...so I was wrong there....LOL
Some of the purest Eastern Black Kings and Eastern hognoses are black out of the egg.
Even A Grade MBK and melanistic thayeri are.....
This snake is stunning, looks very sleek!
- h3
Kingsnakechris
10-01-12, 04:12 PM
Hey do you have the contact info for nate? Im thinking I really would like to pick one of these guys up.
yes that is my site.....
The YELLOW AMEL Holbrooki is rather rare....and the gene is ontogenetic and has acted codominant for me.
PM me and I will share some details with you later.....
Or I will here later tonight.
Too bad, I'd love one at some point xD
Jlassiter
10-02-12, 06:01 AM
It isn't too bad.....She threw 10 babies when paired with a w/c Refugio County, TX male.....
9 of those babies were amel and one was a het.
At least 2 of those amel offspring are turning yellow.......I think more will turn with some age...
Have you ever seen an amel tricolor where the white turns yellow with age?
It isn't too bad.....She threw 10 babies when paired with a w/c Refugio County, TX male.....
9 of those babies were amel and one was a het.
At least 2 of those amel offspring are turning yellow.......I think more will turn with some age...
Have you ever seen an amel tricolor where the white turns yellow with age?
No that sounds awesome though :yes:
Jlassiter
10-02-12, 07:07 PM
Check out this...
Amel Ruthveni...As a baby this one had white where the black was just like any normal amelanistic.......The white where the black was turned yellow with age.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a189/jlassiter/IMG_1961.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a189/jlassiter/IMG_1968.jpg
Kingsnakechris
10-02-12, 07:14 PM
Lol stop adding snakes to my wish list! My wifes gonna be mad at you LOL
Jlassiter
10-02-12, 09:13 PM
LOL....I've been there for a long time, I know what you mean.....hahahaa
Kingsnakechris
10-02-12, 09:16 PM
Over the last few days I've been showing her pic after pic of the snakes you've been posting, she said im going to fill our house with snakes, to which my reply was " well that depends on how much you love me" LOL
Jlassiter
10-02-12, 09:20 PM
I have had a "deal" with my wife for a decade or so.....
I buy her jewelry, shoes or purses equal to the cost I spend on snakes I buy.....lol
Good thing I produce alot now and don't purchase too many......at least that's what she thinks......hahahahahaha
aaron_cg
10-02-12, 09:30 PM
Wow, that is really cool, and beautiful too!
Kingsnakechris
10-02-12, 09:45 PM
I have had a "deal" with my wife for a decade or so.....
I buy her jewelry, shoes or purses equal to the cost I spend on snakes I buy.....lol
Good thing I produce alot now and don't purchase too many......at least that's what she thinks......hahahahahaha
Haha hopefully ill be in that boat one day... for now ill just keep getting her shoes n jewlery lol.
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