Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK, I just went and put up my newest addition to the family, just so I could come here and post this...I received a new 1.0 black kingsnake yesterday. I got him from Dark Forest Reptiles and they shipped immediately, etc--they were great. Anyway, I was sitting here in front of the computer, doing this and that while the black king was on my hand and arm, doing what kingsnakes do-exploring. I look over and he has taken himself down into my cup of milk, sitting next to me....I look INTO the cup to see what he's doing and he's opening his jaws and actually DRINKING the milk...I thought well, maybe he's just really thirsty? So I take him back to his enclosure and put him back with his water, which he ignores...Is this something known about in kingsnakes and I just didn't know it???? I thought it was really weird, but maybe it isn't??

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Hmmm...LOL!, That is pretty bizarre!,....I can't say that I've ever even tried the "proverbial" milk drinking wives tale thing. Of course it wasn't directly from a set of cow udders..LOL!, but it's funny to think that it even drank ANY at all.

I'm thinking that in reality, the snake was extremely thirsty, and since milk is a large percentage of water, the snake figured...eh!, what the heck. Sort of like it might do from a nasty mud puddle or some similar situation. One thing's for sure, they ain't attracted to milk, or lactating women as the wives tales and folklore goes!.LOL!

I wouldn't try to continue to see if it drank milk though, as it might not agree with it for whatever reason. It is sort of funny to know that though!.LOL!

best regards, ~Doug








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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

I like that bottom pic Doug. You caught it at full extension. lol Randy

Ditto on that last pic Doug, really great! Weird about the "milk" snake, I bet it was exploring, found the scent different and was thirsty to boot. Hope he's not lactose intolerant!
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Todd Hughes

LOL!!,...yeah, I tend to agree with that as well.

That's too funny!, I was also thinking about the "lactose intolerant" thing when I mentioned that milk "might" disagree with it's stomach for whatever reason..LOL!.......it might even be VERY agreeable, and even add certain bacterial flora to the stomach.....who knows!..I certainly don't..LOL!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

Thanks Randy!,........yeah, I thought that pic was pretty neat too, even shows the blood vessels at the base of the tongue.

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

I was looking at pics below and yours must say great looking snakes many here have.
Love your collection.

Thanks!,....I really appreciate the nice comment!

best regards, ~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

well, I thought it was just thirsty as well, but considering the fact that he had water available all night and day and after he went for the milk, I put him back in the cage and he didn't go for the water???
Though I do have to say that afterwards, I got him back out and let him go back in the cup of milk--He didn't do a thing...He went down and came back out....Is it possible this little guy's just trying to mess w/my head??

>> "Is it possible this little guy's just trying to mess w/my head??"

Ya' know, that's always a good possibility..LOL!

BTW,...can you give a rough estimate of about how many "chugs" he actually took from the milk?......sort of makes me giggle a bit picturing this in my mind. Another funny thought I had about this is, .....did the snake come back up out of the cup with a white "milk mustache"?..LOL!

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

Nope, not a moustache- more like a beard!! Maybe 2-3 "chugs." You know how when they stick their tongues out and bring them back in, you can see their jaw muscles working like a human that's chewing food? That's what I saw when I looked in and saw him drinking.

Too funny!..LOL!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

This goes double for smaller snakes. When you ship it is very dry, and the lack of humidity really get snakes thirsty. This has worked for me several times with problem feeders as well. If a snake is REAL thirsty and you give it a f/t mouse it will start drinking the water off it first then usually eat it. A lot of times I look to add to orders I get from guys...cheap stuff, non feeders etc...alot of times all it takes for non feeders to go is the jostling,darkness and lack of water that shipping provides. Try it out!

Yeah, I thought about the fact that maybe he was just really thirsty...But he had already had a chance at the water bowl, before this incident and he ignored the water bowl after I put him back in his enclosure...Kinda' strange...Of course, today he tried to go into a cup of coffee, but I didn't give him the chance to get too close or taste it!!

Was it milk with Ovaltine ? If so I wouldnt blame him

You're a goober....Made me laugh.....

He already dunked his Oreo Pueblans!
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Todd Hughes

You can use that to your advantage also. Snakes will drink milk, beaten egg, Pedialyte, and any mixture and variation including water scented with fish, frog, thawed rat, etc. It is a very important “trick” to know for raising very small hatchlings that are not even able to handle a newborn pink mouse. I personally don’t think there is any harm to your snake to drink milk that you would drink, but a little weird if it was still cold.

Hmmm..Thx for the info! Got any hatchling "recipes" for snakes that are too small for rodents of any size? I think the milk was a little colder than room temp, simply because it had been there a little bit after I was done drinking from the glass....