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So I'm new to the forum and created this account mainly to ask this question, but am already liking the community
Anyway, I have a pretty good sized reptile collection, including snakes, frogs, salamanders, newts, and a chameleon. My question today is relating to a snake, my juvenile Pueblan Milk Snake. I've had this guy for about 7 months now, and he is doing well and growing strong. Up until recently, he was the nicest snake I'd ever handled. A bit flighty at first, and would poop on me a bit, but would never bite me or try to get away. Last week, he shed for me for the 3rd time since I've owned him and the 4th or 5th time since he's been born. He always has tough sheds, but I help him out by soaking him and putting him in moist tubs while he gets the extra skin off. Anyway, he shed normally for me as usual this past week, although we went through the usual routine with the moist tub and the misting. I caught him chewing on me a few times while I was handling him during the shed, with is something extremely unusual, but I attributed this to his shedding and the fact that I was probably annoying him. Anyway, he left a strip of skin on his stomach that I couldn't seem to get off for the life of me. I decided I would leave it and see if it came off after a few days. It's a week later now and the skin is still there. I went to pick him up and he struck me immediately, and as I went to put him back, he did it again. I also heard a pop/clicking sound as he crawled through my fingers, which I had heard was connected to an RI in snakes, but also could've just been his vertebrae after the shed, if that makes any sense. Anyway, I'm not really too worried, but I wanted opinions from a few people just to see. I have easy access to a herp vet if needed, but would like to hold off on that unless completely necessary. Thanks, and sorry to write such a long question. I'm definitely new to the forums
If you can post all the conditions you keep it in then you will get more answers, i know very oittle about milk snakes but not shedding normally means a husbandry issue
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I keep the Pueblan in a 20 gallon high tank, with a screen lid and a zoo-med brand under-tank heater on one side that heats the hot side to about 85-90* F. He has a little humid hide in the corner of his enclosure (basically a deli cup full of moist potting soil with a hole cut in the lid). Substrate is paper towel, which I change completely every week and then spot clean every time I see anything. He has two hides, one on each side of the enclosure, and a corner water dish on the cool side
Put some non-hypoallergenic lotion on him. He's probably irritable due to the feeling of the shed remaining on him on his belly. He may feel vulnerable due to a potential restriction in movement.
When he bites don't put him down, that's what he wants. Make him realize that biting won't get him what he wants at all. You want to curb that habit in him now before it sets in.
You might want to assist with the shed just by gently rubbing his belly where the shed is stuck. Remember, front to back, not the other way.
Oh, and boost his humidity. Get it up to 60% or higher.
When you say "cool side" what temperature are we talking about? You want to avoid uniform heat and if the cool side is too warm along with 90 on the warm side, kings and milks tend to get very irritable/aggressive when they're too warm, not to mention it also can cause RI's.
I would seriously consider ditching the paper towels and using a 2-3 inch layer of aspen shavings or loose coconut fiber (ecoearth). My pueblan would spend a lot of time burrowing in the substrate and when she goes to shed, that's how she always did it. My girl was shy and flighty but definitely not bitey. I had her in a long tank though so she had a warm spot near 90 but plenty of the enclosure air temp was only 75-77 F.
In their native habitat, there's really only two seasons. a cooler season lasting about 6 months during which time it almost never rains and humidity gets very low. I am told that they spend most of that time underground and are rarely seen except perhaps at night in search of food. During the warmer season it rains nearly every day, sometimes several showers a day even though it's mostly sunny and hot. Humidity then can get up to 80-90 percent. It's during this season when the snakes are most active on the surface.
Best advice I can give is to get a significant layer of substrate, (they also don't really like bright and/or hot lights) and keep that humidity above 60 percent. My girl had less trouble shedding and just seemed much happier that way. Also, yours might be getting to warm and that's going to make them more bitey. Make him aware of you before grabbing. In fact, don't grab. Try to get your hand next to the snake so it knows your there, then go under the snake and lift instead of grabbing from above like a predator would.
Oh, and I think the sound you heard was just gut contents moving around. Happens all the time when I was handling my girl since she was quite big and always trying to move around.
I'd show you a pic but forum won't let me. Very irritating. Maybe Wayne can take care of that for me? you know who I am. Not a spammer.
Yeah, I was missing snake keeping for a few years. Then I saw an ad on craigslist. A person in Portland, OR was no longer able to take care of a pueblan milk and a 5 ft. Brown & yellow Cali king. The "adoption fee" for the (3ft female pueblan) milk, including a 40 gal tank and undertank heater was $25. The keeper had been without power for many months but the snake looked relatively healthy so I gave her $50 and took it home.
She was a bit undernourished and had very thin and troubled sheds for the first few months but recovered nicely. But it wasn't long before I realized this snake would not satisfy my needs. I missed the inquistive and active nature of garters so I traded snake only for a 55 gallon long tank so I would have room for garter snakes
I've kept kings and milks before. They're gorgeous and all but... well, you know. I missed my garters so I don't have her anymore.
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