Former owners posted an online advertisement to rehome their male Milk Snake. Their son had grown tired of him and seldom handled. “Buddy” turned out to be a Nelson’s, quite uncommon in my area. He was only fed every couple of weeks, is at least 3-4 years of age, but is only 32-36 inches long and still eating fuzzies.

I have had a long-time desire to keep a tri-color, but avoided Milks due to their typical skittishness & secrecy. However, absolutely intrigued by their particular colors & patterns, I did much research and learned that Nelson’s are quite calm when handled, even as hatchlings, and are sometimes quite active. Mood is said to be similar to a Corn snake, with distinct personalities.

I contacted his former owners and obtained him. He drove home with me across Portland in the sleeve of my coat! (He had slipped into my sleeve before I could get him into the terrarium in the car. To my surprise, he remained there calmly the entire drive back.)

He went from a 10-gallon terrarium with two hide spots and three small pieces of wood, to a 55-gallon Jalisco Dry Forest vivarium with five hide spots and a soak pool behind a rock pile and thick pine bark. Seven branches provide three usable layers of exercise areas, maximizing usage of space. Seven species of fake plants, several rocks and pieces of driftwood complete the setup.

I found that while he is typically shy when in his vivarium, he is quite active when handled and exercising in supervised areas. His first week home, when my housemate scared him with sudden movement, he got over it fast and resumed exploring.

I would enjoy seeing posts from other Nelson’s keepers, especially those with photos and examples of behavior & personality. I plan to post photos later as opportunities arise.

Ameron
Portland/Vancouver

1.0 Boa constrictor imperator (Hog Island)
1.0 Lampropeltis triangulum nelsoni
1.0 Agrionemys horsfieldii kazakhstanica

(Flickr link with photos is below)
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