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Milk Snake Behavior Question

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Posted by: captainjack0000 at Tue Jan 29 20:36:31 2013  [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by captainjack0000 ]  
   

I came across the video I posted below because I am trying to find an answer to my question.

Why is my milk snake, now after 8 months of being the most shy animal in my house, suddenly more active. Has he just grown up and is no longer afriad? Is he looking for a female? (seem a bit early to me, but I dunno) Does he miss the warm spot that I swear he never used (and why is there a 2-week lag time)?

Details below:

Back on the 15th of this month I bought a new terrarium and took the rheostat I had for my milk snake off to use on the new tank for a new animal. I unplugged the UTH for the milk so as not to have an unregulated UTH. I had no issues with this because since having acquired the milk back in April of last year I have never once observed the snake hiding or resting anywhere near the warm side. He always kept to the cool side of the tank, even for digestion. I would occasionally find fecal deposits on the warm side so I know he moved about at night, but I never, ever found him curled up on the warm side. So I figured my ambient house temps (72F at night, 82F during the day) were within his preferred temperature range. Infact, since having unplugged the UTH I have actually now have found him curled up on what was formerly the warm side.

Every night, I place a cloth cover over his viv to help with the day/night cycles, and I figure it gives him an added sense of security. But, yesterday morning and this morning I uncovered the tanks to find him out and about roaming his tank. This is highly unusual behavior because except for perhaps the first week of ownership I have virtually never seen him out exploring. He knows the layout of his tank and after having been handled he always darted to the cool side hide (now he goes to whatever is closest). On top of this, yesterday, around late afternoon after having returned from work I found him out and about, hiding behind some leaves, casually exploring. It seems as though after he noticed he wasn't alone anymore, my big face peering in on him, he decided to make a run for it, and he head straight away towards the closest hide.

So what is going on? Why is he suddenly active now?


   

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>> Next Message:  RE: Milk Snake Behavior Question - joecop, Tue Jan 29 22:11:37 2013
>> Next Message:  So to summarize - gerryg, Thu Jan 31 17:22:16 2013