Post by Admin - Angi on Apr 13, 2007 15:58:17 GMT
Housing: When a Hatchling is brought home, it can be housed in a small Contico style box for its first 6 months then moved to a larger 2ft x ft x 1ft Vivarium. When your Milk snake reaches adulthood (within 2 to 3 years) you should expect to be housing it in a 3ft x 1.5ft x 1.5ft Vivarium. Milk snakes have cannibalistic tendencies to please house separately and only introduce to other Milk snakes for breeding purposes.
Substrate: An ideal substrate to use when you 1st get your Milk snake home is kitchen roll. This is because it is easier for you to view your new snake’s progress. You can ensure it doesn’t have mites, you can ensure it is passing faeces regularly and also feed within the Vivarium without the risk of gut impaction from a wood based substrate. It is beneficial in the 1st few weeks to feed inside the Vivarium as it reduces the stress to the snake which is still settling in to its new environment. As your snake becomes well established you can replace the kitchen roll with something more aesthetically pleasing such as Aspen, hemp, orchid bark or coconut bark. When using any of these substrates, please ensure you feed your snake in another container where substrate ingestion isn’t possible.
Vivarium furnishings: Within the Vivarium there should be plenty of places for your snake to hide and feel secure. There should be at least 2 of these places, one at the warm end, and one at the cool end. This will let your snake find the right temperature for him or her and also feel safe. Store bought hides are ideal but if you like a more interesting look then upturned plant pots add a little character to the Vivarium. Fake plants and sterilised logs and branches also give you snake some coverage as well as making a dull viv much more interesting.
Heating: Heat can be given in the form of either a ceramic bulb or heat mat. Which ever for of heating you use it is important to ensure it is connected to a reliable thermostat. Too much heat kills! If a ceramic bulb is used then unsure that it is caged off so the snake can not come in direct contact with it. Burns from uncaged heat sources are far too common and easily avoidable. These cages can be store bought of home made. Just ensure there are no sharp edges. The temperatures you are looking to ascertain are 88oF at the warm end and between 78oF to 80oF at the cool end. These temperatures should drop by around 5oF at night.
Lighting: No additional lighting is required for this nocturnal snake thought a day – night cycle needs to be established. 12-14 hours light, 10-12 hours night. If the room your snake is housed in gets this naturally then that is fine. Please ensure you Vivarium isn’t placed in direct sun light.
Water: Fresh water should be given daily for your snake to drink from and bathe in.
Diet and feeding: Hatchlings should be fed one pinkie mouse a week. As they grow they require more food but won’t necessarily take the next size up, if this is the case feed 2 appropriately sized items of prey. A food item should be no bigger than 1.5 times the width of the widest part of your snakes body and but after a meal you should be able to see a small bulge in the stomach of you snake. Adults will take a medium to large mouse quite happily.
Size and Temperament: Hatchlings can be quite flighty as with any snake but as they grow they calm down to be tolerant of handling and are extremely inquisitive. Hatchlings are usually around 10inches in length and can reach around 4ft as adults (around 3 to 4 years of age)
Suitability as a pet: The Milk and King snake are the ideal 1st snake and are a brilliant alternative to the commonly kept Corn snake.
Things to consider: Who will look after your snake when you are away from home? Do you want a pet that can live in excess of 15-20years? Can you afford the vets bills if your snake becomes ill? Are you happy keeping mice in your freezer from new born to adult?
contributed by Reptile Zone staff, Bristol, UK.
Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of these care sheets, we acknowledge that differences of opinion do exist within the reptile world. Therefore we do encourage you do read around this topic further and discuss it with known keepers and breeders.
If you feel that we have made any errors, please feel free to contact any member of the team and we will endeavour to research the subject at hand further.
Substrate: An ideal substrate to use when you 1st get your Milk snake home is kitchen roll. This is because it is easier for you to view your new snake’s progress. You can ensure it doesn’t have mites, you can ensure it is passing faeces regularly and also feed within the Vivarium without the risk of gut impaction from a wood based substrate. It is beneficial in the 1st few weeks to feed inside the Vivarium as it reduces the stress to the snake which is still settling in to its new environment. As your snake becomes well established you can replace the kitchen roll with something more aesthetically pleasing such as Aspen, hemp, orchid bark or coconut bark. When using any of these substrates, please ensure you feed your snake in another container where substrate ingestion isn’t possible.
Vivarium furnishings: Within the Vivarium there should be plenty of places for your snake to hide and feel secure. There should be at least 2 of these places, one at the warm end, and one at the cool end. This will let your snake find the right temperature for him or her and also feel safe. Store bought hides are ideal but if you like a more interesting look then upturned plant pots add a little character to the Vivarium. Fake plants and sterilised logs and branches also give you snake some coverage as well as making a dull viv much more interesting.
Heating: Heat can be given in the form of either a ceramic bulb or heat mat. Which ever for of heating you use it is important to ensure it is connected to a reliable thermostat. Too much heat kills! If a ceramic bulb is used then unsure that it is caged off so the snake can not come in direct contact with it. Burns from uncaged heat sources are far too common and easily avoidable. These cages can be store bought of home made. Just ensure there are no sharp edges. The temperatures you are looking to ascertain are 88oF at the warm end and between 78oF to 80oF at the cool end. These temperatures should drop by around 5oF at night.
Lighting: No additional lighting is required for this nocturnal snake thought a day – night cycle needs to be established. 12-14 hours light, 10-12 hours night. If the room your snake is housed in gets this naturally then that is fine. Please ensure you Vivarium isn’t placed in direct sun light.
Water: Fresh water should be given daily for your snake to drink from and bathe in.
Diet and feeding: Hatchlings should be fed one pinkie mouse a week. As they grow they require more food but won’t necessarily take the next size up, if this is the case feed 2 appropriately sized items of prey. A food item should be no bigger than 1.5 times the width of the widest part of your snakes body and but after a meal you should be able to see a small bulge in the stomach of you snake. Adults will take a medium to large mouse quite happily.
Size and Temperament: Hatchlings can be quite flighty as with any snake but as they grow they calm down to be tolerant of handling and are extremely inquisitive. Hatchlings are usually around 10inches in length and can reach around 4ft as adults (around 3 to 4 years of age)
Suitability as a pet: The Milk and King snake are the ideal 1st snake and are a brilliant alternative to the commonly kept Corn snake.
Things to consider: Who will look after your snake when you are away from home? Do you want a pet that can live in excess of 15-20years? Can you afford the vets bills if your snake becomes ill? Are you happy keeping mice in your freezer from new born to adult?
contributed by Reptile Zone staff, Bristol, UK.
Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of these care sheets, we acknowledge that differences of opinion do exist within the reptile world. Therefore we do encourage you do read around this topic further and discuss it with known keepers and breeders.
If you feel that we have made any errors, please feel free to contact any member of the team and we will endeavour to research the subject at hand further.