Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, all.
I'm planning on getting at least one Black Milk here in the next month or so, and I just wanted a little bit of information.
I'm planning on using a tub for my newly acquired Black Milk(s), and I just wanted to know what size tub I should use at each phase of their life? For hatchlings, juveniles, yearlings, sub - adults, and full grown adults? I hear that they need large vivs, but i'm never told how big.
Another thing is, i've been told that their humidity should be at around 60%. Is that about right? I know that they should be kept in lower temps than most colubrids (low to mid 70s), so that's not much of an issue.
One last thing is, what do they usually start out eating? Mouse pinkies, or something larger? And would large pinks work, or should I get some small pinks? I don't know what their general size is compared to Corns or something of that nature. (I've got an '07 Corn, so that's mostly what I go by.)
Thank you guys for your help!

Hello,
I keep my hatchlings in shoebox sized Sterilite bins for the first year of their life, and adults would probably do well in something like a 74 quart 44" x 20" underbed storage box. My adults live in custom built cages about that size. As a rule of thumb, you want to give them enough space to stretch out 2/3 to 3/4 of their full length. The hatchlings come out 12-14 inches long, much bigger than corn snakes, and can eat any size mouse pinky from the start. It sounds like you've got the right idea as far as temperature and humidity are concerned... black milks are great snakes, I think you'll really enjoy keeping them!

Nate

Ok, good news! Would a 13 x 8 x 6 work ok for a hatchling? I figure if they are 12 - 16 inches as hatchlings, that should be sufficent for a few months, right? Another thing is, is height very important to them? Do they like to climb, or are they strictly on the ground all the time? I've got a few branches in my corn's viv, but that's mostly to aid in shedding. (so he can rub on that instead of plastic or something like that)
That's good news, because i've got 50 large pinks in the freezer, and my corn is almost off of them. He's almost to fuzzies, so I wanted to make sure that they could eat large pinks before I got them.
Good news! I'm really excited to get one/a pair. Thanks so much for your help!

Hey Suzanne,

I keep the hatchlings in Sterilite shoe boxes for a couple of months then move them to Sterilite 15 qt, then 32 qt as they grow and eventually they end up in Iris CB110 tubs.

They will eat any sized mouse pinks no problem as hatchlings. They are usually on pinks for a couple months but you can move them up to fuzzies accordingly as they grow.

I usually put a small water bowl in their cage and that keeps the humidity high enough. For example, my adults have 20oz water bowls and do fine with that. Where I live, its pretty humid so humidity has never been a problem. You may need a larger bowl if the snake has problems shedding.

You're right on the temps, mine have no supplemental heat source and do fine in the mid to high 70s.

Great choice!

Dave

DNS Reptiles

Okay, thanks for the specific sizes!
Good to know. I've got 50 large pinks in the freezer right now, so that works out really well!
Another thing I meant to ask you (since i'm planning on buying from you, after all.) is how many times do you feed them before they're shipped out to buyers? Meaning, from the time they hatch until they're ready, how long should I expect to wait?
Okay, that's good to know. I've been told by somebody else to always leave a humid hide in their viv - I would worry that they would get scale rot. Is my assumption right, or is it okay to leave a humid hide in the viv if necessary?
Great news! I'm so excited! I've got a corn right now, but just 1 snake is definitely not enough!

Hey Suzanne - I will feed hatchlings at least twice before I send them out. If they take a pink the first offering and eat a second time, I feel comfortable they are ready. If they refuse the first time, I usually feed them more than twice just to make sure they will be good eaters. This is usually not an issue with black milks - they are usually good eaters.

You can put a humid hide in there if you like but I don't do it and don't feel its necessary. I would only do that if the snake had trouble shedding. If it sheds fine, then you know humidity is right.

I don't have climb branches in my blacks cages, they tend to like to burrow more in aspen rather than climb, but if you like the way the natural setting looks, there's nothing wrong with putting it in!

Dave
DNS Reptiles

Suzanne:

Black milks hatch out pretty big. Anywhere from 12 to 16 inches. They can take large FT pinks from the get go. I keep the hatchlings in shoeboxes for three or four months and then they can move up to 32 quart boxes. I keep my adults in 3-foot Vision cages. They are very roomy and hold humidity well. If you go with racks for adults, the bigger the box the better.

Rob

That's really good! When I got my corn, he was all of 16" (He's an '07), and i've already gotten him to put on 2½ inches in 2 months.
I'm probably just going to go with stand - alone tubs for now (i've just got the one snake, and if I get a pair, that'll be all of 3 snakes, so space isn't much of a concern for me at this point.), but i'll keep that in mind. Would you recommend the Vision cages over a tub, or are they pretty much the same thing?
Thanks for your help!

For one adult black milk kept as a pet you are better off with a vision cage. They look nice and will be plenty big. Don't put a hatchling in there - they will escape.