To keep or not to keep, a milk snake I found in my backyard.

[Jlassiter]

Originally Posted by *Don't Mind Me*

Seems like every snake caught in the wild, and kept, eventually dies from stess, or refusing to eat, or escapes when the chance is there. Plus, wild caught reptiles can carry diseases and parasitic worms and mites. I would put it back where it was found, away from the road.
Nothing wrong with keeping it for a few hours just to look at it though

Where did you hear these myths?
I have a w/c snake that was captured as an adult in 1983 and is over 30 years old.
I also have 6 or so other w/c snakes that are thriving and breeding.

How do you think this hobby got started?

[*Don't Mind Me*]

Originally Posted by Jlassiter

Where did you hear these myths?
I have a w/c snake that was captured as an adult in 1983 and is over 30 years old.
I also have 6 or so other w/c snakes that are thriving and breeding.

How do you think this hobby got started?

lets just say i did this a lot as a kid, and i'm guessing the OP is also young, which doesn't compare to someone with decades of experience in herpetoculture. Didn't mean to offend you or anything, but i'm sure you would also suggest for the OP to release it back into the wild.

[infernalis]

Originally Posted by Jlassiter

Where did you hear these myths?
I have a w/c snake that was captured as an adult in 1983 and is over 30 years old.
I also have 6 or so other w/c snakes that are thriving and breeding.

How do you think this hobby got started?

Exactly... I have a w/c milk snake that has been living with me for over 5 years, she's a doll.

4 of my garter snakes came from out back too.

It's not like we are talking endangered species or anything like that, these snakes are very plentiful, and it's not harming the overall populations.

so what the heck is this big hangup???

every single time someone finds a snake in their yard, people go off on the person who found it about releasing the darn snake.

My goodness, if the person is willing to take good care of the snake, the snake hit the jackpot... free food, clean water, no predators, a nice home free of floods, droughts and parasites.

No one thinks twice about ordering w/c snakes ripped from jungles, rain forests and islands in the far pacific.

These North American colubrid snakes are a LOT more plentiful than some of the exotic snakes imported every year.

Someone goes to Africa and finds a new colour pattern on a BP, we applaud the person like a hero... what's the difference?? marketability... thats the difference.

I bet if that was an albino Lampropeltis, everyone would be begging for it to start a breeding project.

[MrBD1980]

Originally Posted by infernalis

Exactly... I have a w/c milk snake that has been living with me for over 5 years, she's a doll.

4 of my garter snakes came from out back too.

It's not like we are talking endangered species or anything like that, these snakes are very plentiful, and it's not harming the overall populations.

so what the heck is this big hangup???

every single time someone finds a snake in their yard, people go off on the person who found it about releasing the darn snake.

My goodness, if the person is willing to take good care of the snake, the snake hit the jackpot... free food, clean water, no predators, a nice home free of floods, droughts and parasites.

No one thinks twice about ordering w/c snakes ripped from jungles, rain forests and islands in the far pacific.

These North American colubrid snakes are a LOT more plentiful than some of the exotic snakes imported every year.

Someone goes to Africa and finds a new colour pattern on a BP, we applaud the person like a hero... what's the difference?? marketability... thats the difference.

I bet if that was an albino Lampropeltis, everyone would be begging for it to start a breeding project.

Not wanting to get into a whole big thing but I personally am not one of the people your referring to. I, and I accept that many people may flame me for it, feel that any animal who has been able to enjoy the freedom of the wild should be enabled to continue with that freedom...I guess I just feel that CB's have nothing to miss as they've never been free roaming.....

I understand that all animals available began in their ancestry as wild caught but I reckon with the availability of captive bred we can be more harmonious than collecting wild caught....just my 2cents which I'm sure people will disagree with but as I say I'm not being a preacher, each to his own and all that!

Brian

[Jlassiter]

Originally Posted by infernalis

Exactly... I have a w/c milk snake that has been living with me for over 5 years, she's a doll.

4 of my garter snakes came from out back too.

It's not like we are talking endangered species or anything like that, these snakes are very plentiful, and it's not harming the overall populations.

so what the heck is this big hangup???

every single time someone finds a snake in their yard, people go off on the person who found it about releasing the darn snake.

My goodness, if the person is willing to take good care of the snake, the snake hit the jackpot... free food, clean water, no predators, a nice home free of floods, droughts and parasites.

No one thinks twice about ordering w/c snakes ripped from jungles, rain forests and islands in the far pacific.

These North American colubrid snakes are a LOT more plentiful than some of the exotic snakes imported every year.

Someone goes to Africa and finds a new colour pattern on a BP, we applaud the person like a hero... what's the difference?? marketability... thats the difference.

I bet if that was an albino Lampropeltis, everyone would be begging for it to start a breeding project.

Amen Wayne!
But there are a few triangulum keepers that would kill for a locale milk like this one....lol

[infernalis]

Originally Posted by Jlassiter

Amen Wayne!
But there are a few triangulum keepers that would kill for a locale milk like this one....lol

I wound up with a clutch of 9, kept one for me, and the remaining 8 were sold almost instantly.

[TremTricolors]

Originally Posted by Jlassiter

Amen Wayne!
But there are a few triangulum keepers that would kill for a locale milk like this one....lol

Yep, you're right John. I am one of those L.triangulum keepers that will kill to be able to catch and produce locale North American milks. Most people say they are hard to get to eat, too small, they bite, to fast and the best is they are the best escape artists I have ever kept. With all that said at least you know they are alive and actually have a personality unlike those painted rocks that eat once a month. That eastern milk will do just fine in a 5 or 10 gallon tank with multiple hides and at room temperature. With a hot spot of 86 or so. The question is will it feed? Sure it will, but you will have to find out what it likes first. Typically, deer mice, moles and depending on where it was caught sometimes lizards.

I say keep it! Try and learn about it and what it likes and dislikes where it hides or spends most of it's time. What temps is it using when it has just eaten, what temps it uses when it's been 4 or 5 days after. As far as quarantining the animal. Considering it is a hatchling most likely the internal parasites are minimal, it doesn't hurt to have a fecal done. I say if you have other snakes just make sure your hygiene between the L.t.t and your other snakes are good. Good Luck with whatever choice you make!