New Milksnake

Trollbie · 03-12-12, 02:28 AM

I just got my very first Milksnake and snake in general yesterday. Her name is Penelope and she's awesome! I'm very new to snakes, but from what I hear, I got really lucky. She doesn't musk, bite, and is VERY tolerant of being picked up and held.

I was intending on leaving her alone for a couple days and let her settle, but I came home today and just wanted to make sure she's alive, but she was all ready to come out I guess because she started reaching for my hand and arm so she could get out. I put her back down and closed the lid, but she just kept trying to crawl up the glass and come out so I let her. I had her out for about 10 min and tried to put her back in but she wasn't having it, so I just let her stay outside and explore me lol.

But is this normal? The fact that she is so eager to come out, especially since I've only had her for a day? Now I'm a little worried she's going to try to escape the tank

She's in a 20g tall with a screen top that fits kind of loosely. I weighted it down with some heavy textbooks for now but I probably need a better solution.

I'm scared to fall asleep now and go to work and school tomorrow because she's still trying to climb the glass!

Any advice and tips, even on general care, are very much appreciated! Thanks

infernalis · 03-12-12, 03:21 AM

sit something heavy on top, like a book

drama x · 03-12-12, 04:13 AM

I had a Black King snake that acted JUST like that, it was love at first sight! She wouldnt leave me alone and wanted to be held 24/7, she showed 0% stress from all the handling and what not, she was a true lover. Sadly i lost her last year to a spinal deformaty i didnt know about. If it wasnt for her i wouldnt own all the snakes i do today, and none of them compare to her.

*sniff sniff*

ANYWAYS! Milks are awesome and fairly easy to care for, you shouldnt have any problems. Keep one side of the tank 80-85 and the other 75. Humidity should be at around 50% to maintain clean sheds and what not. Feed once every 7 days. Clean up any poop or dried urin when you spot it. Just your basic simple husbandry.

Goodluck with your new snake friend! Keep us updated!

Skits · 03-12-12, 05:06 AM

At some time, I had a boa constrictor in a tank with a screen top and she's never been able to push herself out so I wouldn't be too worried about her escaping. What I do though, to avoid my cats from climbing in, is I have a thin piece of wood on the top of my screen top tanks and you can put a brick or a book on top of it.

Congrats on your new snake though, she sounds very cute.

knox · 03-12-12, 06:43 AM

I've had a Sinaloan, Nelson, and now a Black Milk. In my experience, Milks are unfairly labeled as musky and flighty. They are wonderful animals!

Congrats, and welcome to the hobby!

UwabamiReptiles · 03-12-12, 08:17 AM

That sounds like normal behavior. Snakes are know as "escape artists" and always try to find that little spot they can fit through to get out. You'll be fine with the textbooks on the cage. Thats more than enough to keep him in.

alessia55 · 03-12-12, 08:39 AM

I'd put LOTS of heavy textbooks on there. You'd be surprised how strong they can push up on those covers.

theapexgerman · 03-12-12, 09:41 AM

congrats on your milk and yea some snakes just love to be held mine does

Trollbie · 03-12-12, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drama x

I had a Black King snake that acted JUST like that, it was love at first sight! She wouldnt leave me alone and wanted to be held 24/7, she showed 0% stress from all the handling and what not, she was a true lover. Sadly i lost her last year to a spinal deformaty i didnt know about. If it wasnt for her i wouldnt own all the snakes i do today, and none of them compare to her.

*sniff sniff*

ANYWAYS! Milks are awesome and fairly easy to care for, you shouldnt have any problems. Keep one side of the tank 80-85 and the other 75. Humidity should be at around 50% to maintain clean sheds and what not. Feed once every 7 days. Clean up any poop or dried urin when you spot it. Just your basic simple husbandry.

Goodluck with your new snake friend! Keep us updated!

I'm sorry about your snakie! I had an awesome parrot when I was younger and there will never be one like him, so I know how you feel

I hope Penelope gets used to me like that too! I've read stories of snakes following their "favorite" person around the house and such and I'd love to have a snake like that!

I am going to get another thermometer for the cooler side just to make sure, but I think it's fine. And humidity is usually around 70% where I live, so I think I don't need to monitor it? Is it too much if it's more than 50%? Should I get a hygrometer anyway just to make sure?

I didn't know snakes pee! Lol how often do they pee and is it easy to see where they peed? My dad was discouraging me from getting a snake because apparently they stink. But from what i've researched so far, that won't happen as long as I pick up their poop right away and such. How often should I clean the entire tank and how often should I bather her?

Thanks!!!

theapexgerman · 03-12-12, 11:57 AM

50 percent is ok but if it gets bump up to 60 shouldn't be a problem and even a good thing when they start to shed and if a humidity is high were you live I would still get a humidity gauge and from cleaning if you pick up pop and pee when you see it every 4 months or so is a good time to clean the whole cage I clean mine once a month

Trollbie · 03-12-12, 12:14 PM

So if the humidity gets up to like 80%+ it's fine right? My room is the only one that always stays cold since there is no vent for heating there and I keep the door closed so I know the humidity stays pretty high in there.

Skumbo · 03-12-12, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollbie

I'm sorry about your snakie! I had an awesome parrot when I was younger and there will never be one like him, so I know how you feel

I hope Penelope gets used to me like that too! I've read stories of snakes following their "favorite" person around the house and such and I'd love to have a snake like that!

I am going to get another thermometer for the cooler side just to make sure, but I think it's fine. And humidity is usually around 70% where I live, so I think I don't need to monitor it? Is it too much if it's more than 50%? Should I get a hygrometer anyway just to make sure?

I didn't know snakes pee! Lol how often do they pee and is it easy to see where they peed? My dad was discouraging me from getting a snake because apparently they stink. But from what i've researched so far, that won't happen as long as I pick up their poop right away and such. How often should I clean the entire tank and how often should I bather her?

Thanks!!!

I've yet to even clean up a poop that smells never-mind makes the room noticeably smelly from my milk, maybe when hes bigger but they're not so bad. Not even close to mammals, especially since they don't poop a lot considering they only eat once a week! :P

..unlike my pet rat, she poops like 30 times a day haha

theapexgerman · 03-12-12, 12:18 PM

That's. Bad 80 percent all of the time it needs to be round 50 or 60 percent keeep more airflow in the tank

drama x · 03-12-12, 12:19 PM

If theres one thing iv learned with keeping snakes its never GUESS the humidity or temperature, get a temp and humidity gauge just to be on the safe side

And snakes dont stink, but their poop is HORRIBLE lol it smells like a dead body heh. Pee is fairly easy to spot, you'll find traces of dried pee that looks yellow/white, when you spot that just clean around that area.

theapexgerman · 03-12-12, 12:21 PM

None of my snake poop smell bad now my dog on the other hand is a different story but guess all snakes are different