Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got my first pueblan milk snake yesterday, and he is due to be fed tuesday (they said one pinky mouse once a week). I was just wondering if you guys had any tips, since you all seem to be experts. Thanks!

until you have had him a week. It is said that it is better if you leave a new snake totally alone for about a week to give him time to settle in.

With that said, did the breeder tell you whether he is eating frozen/thawed, pre-killed, or live? And what size?

I would suggest feeding outside the cage. I use a kritter keeper with nothing in it but the mouse and the snake. This keeps the snake from swallowing substrate with his meal. But do make sure that the top is securely closed, as snakes have been known to escape from their feeding container. Another option is to put the whole kritter keeper, with the lid closed, into your regular tank. That way, if the snake should escape, he won't be going very far.

You do know not to bother the snake for about 48 hours after he eats, right. This will minimize the risk of regurging.

There are other tips that other people should share.
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phflame
kingsnake.com host

thanks for all that info. I am getting feeder mice from the same place I got the snake (yes it is a 'pet shop' but a small non-chain specialty one,so it seems a little better) so they know what he's been eating and what to give. Also, what should the minimum/maximum size for the feeding enclosure be?

Oh yeah, I know this is a poor quality photo, but it is a pueblan, right? I've known pet shops to be wrong, and I'm not really an expert.

and if he is that little, you could go with the kritter keeper that is one size smaller than the regular shoe box size for a feeding container.
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phflame
kingsnake.com host

I use brown paper sandwich bags with baby snakes. drop in a pink, then the snake...then staple it shut. then I place the bag in the enclosure. as they grow, I just place the bag in the cage. Milks/kings are very easily trained this way, and it makes it easier to switch them over to frozen/thawed later.
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1 Eastern Blue Tongue Skink
2 Tarahumara Mountain Kingsnakes - Knoblochi
1 Thayer's Kingsnake - Thayeri
2 Golden Greek Tortoises
1 Pyxie Frog - 14 years old

You didn't happen to buy your Pueblan from a store in Virginia Bch., Va. did you? If so, I was there with my son and daughter the day you bought it. They are a pretty good store, as far as "pet stores" go. The two guys that run the reptile dept. know their stuff. I buy my feeder rodents from them, and haven't had any problems so far. Good luck!
-Phil Patton

You live in Va. Beach? Not sure if either of these stores are the one your talking about, but I've been to both Pet Paradise and Animal Jungle. I've purchased a couple of animals in the past from Pet Paradise, and they seem to be a good store. Good thing I don't live right in Va.Beach or I'd be coming home with an animal every time I visited, LOL.

Steve

>>You didn't happen to buy your Pueblan from a store in Virginia Bch., Va. did you? If so, I was there with my son and daughter the day you bought it. They are a pretty good store, as far as "pet stores" go. The two guys that run the reptile dept. know their stuff. I buy my feeder rodents from them, and haven't had any problems so far. Good luck!
-Phil Patton

Yeah, Pet Paradise is the one I'm talking about. James is a pretty sharp guy. He really cares about the reptiles and gives the buyer good advice too. I've done a few trades with him and everything went very smoothly.
-Phil

Nope, I'm in Portland, OR.

Man I miss the Pacific Northwest! My wifes in the Army and we just moved from Fort lewis, Wa. to Va. last July and Im home sick already. Take care!
-Phil