Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Any experience here with this. I've done it with kings before but not milks. As many of you know I'm in the process of liquidating my collection but I plan to keep 1.2 or 2.2 coastals. I'd like to do this in a large 48 X 24 X 24 inch communal enclosure. my thinking is that if there are plenty of hides, they are like sized and well fed they should get along fine as other forms do but milks can be temperamental beasts so I'm looking for feedback.
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

I keep my adult gentilis ,syspilia and temporalis together.Corns too. I have more space this year but I have them paired up for mating.When they eat you may want to watch them ,sometimes there is a snake on the other end of that mouse.lol
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"Wake me when its April"

Doug L

I had a cage of Mexican milks and a cage of sibling Sinaloans.

The sibling Sinaloans were especially communal, piling up on one another, completely tolerant of each other.
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Mark

Well conventional wisdom aside I've been housing 1.1 temporalis together for over a year now. Key facts to this arrangement are that this pair is just entering into their fourth and fifth years female/male respectively. They were 'warmed' up last spring together yet she did not ovulate. This year should be different as she has steadily grown... and they even feed together w/o worries. Just as well they are often discovered under the same hide (they have two), and often interwoven. It's been amazing actually. Yet my security resides in the female being notably (1.5" smaller. I have similar opportunities not taken with other milks as the females in those cases often dwarf the males by sheer coincidence. I would never attempt anything aside from an evenly matched pair, by virtue of size, without assuming the considerable risk of a female entering ovulation with a persistent little male beckoning her non stop. Not a far cry from passer of genes to a reliable (and convenient) energy source. Just my two cents -- you never know unless you try I suppose but I can say I've always heard horror stories associated w/ eastern milks. Anecdotally... I've run a similar experiment w/ elapsoides. Housing 1.2 together and even matching up pairs or trios (all same locale as well) of uneven size. Kinda on a hunch... I've never had one problem. After six months or so I stopped tempting fate but it was pretty cool... oh and I never tried multiple males.

Insight into opportunity... seems to be somewhta straightforward... lol... but what do I know?

My two cents--- I had two juvenile eastern kings together for about a month. They never seemed to "blend" too well so I seperated them. I had two speckled kings together for months with no problems and they shared the same hides all the time. They both made a prison break and now I just have the female. I housed two eastern milks together for two months now with no problems at all. I have heard the horror stories and kept a close eye on all these to watch for any signs of trouble. ( that is why the eastern kings were seperated ). I think many factors come into play when putting snakes together in the same enclosure and some will get along and some will not.

...

proof it could be said will do well together. I know of 1.2 housed year round with successful breeding. Also in varying areas they do tend to collectively hibernate/brumate... haha... they also have a ready supply of smaller terrestrial snakes sharing that same place. Just the same I've heard it both ways... never tried it so good luck!

Thanks for the input. I believe that well introduced and housed ADULTS will get along fine. Actually looking forward to maintaining a single attractive micro habitat instead of rows of boxes!
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

Who here thinks Tony will stick with his "downsizing" theme and who says he is back "into" it within 2 years??? Count me in the latter,LMAO!!

It goes something like this------"My therapist says I am in denial, as if that will ever happen!" LOL. Good luck Tony!!

Don't know why but the sad truth of that made me laugh!
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

I have that on a sign in my kitchen! Thought it fit this situation Tony, but you know I just playing. It would be hard for me to cut down to just a few but if I had to do it----maybe I should go read the sign again.

Tony, though you dont have the free time you want now.....when you do you will have time to think about all the fun and positive things in your life that have come from breeding/etc. We both know Carl takes breaks every 5 years or so(LOL), sometimes it gives you a fresh perspective. The important thing you have to do....is get rid of the EMPTY CAGES!! Nothing is worse than looking at empty cages!! Until you do this whole thing is temporary. Good luck!

They too are being sold as they are emptied. My biggest problem now is that snakes are being sold at relatively low prices. I have so few that I'm having a hard time parting with prized animals to people who I'm pretty sure are just interested in flipping them for a few bucks. I want these to go to people who'll give them respectable care as the remainder have been more my pets than breeders.
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

>>Who here thinks Tony will stick with his "downsizing" theme and who says he is back "into" it within 2 years??? Count me in the latter,LMAO!!

I don't know Tony personally but I know herpers in general. I'm on your side, Jeff.

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Mark

I was given two baby cal kings about 15 years ago and didnt know you cant house them together. I came home from work one day and one was missing, I soon realized the one still there was looking a bit fat.I havent housed kings together since.
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"Wake me when its April"

Doug L

Well, the one thing I did not mention was that my snake room was running low on cages and that was the reason for putting all of these together. I have heard it being done and gave it a go. I was able to watch them closely for weeks and if I was not able to do so I would not have even tried it. I do think if I kept the eastern kings together I would have a "fat" male and no female. Once again, some get along and some do not. If you have room I would not risk it.

for a lot years Tony. and I've had a friend that kept large colonies of them together. He seperated them into orange and red colonies and never had problems.
Bob.

....You could put 'em all in a box and ship 'em down to me.
Then I'll let you know how it worked, and ship 'em back.
You probably will lose a few in transit though..

I'm guessing the nicest will make not it back your way...
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

Yup, and ever notice its always the real pretty ones that get eaten/get away/croak for no reason/etc?? The ugly ones seem to make it through, there is something to that.....

I think if you do this...it's risky.

However, I know it's been done...as a kid, I used to go to Busch Gardens and see a display of Honduran Milks...there were 4 or 5 to a very large enclosure...6ft X 4ft and about 8ft in height.

I think the key is keeping your snakes well fed and you shouldn't have a problem....but that is just my limited opinion.

I've kept Cal Kings together but only as mature well fed adult pair...and only for a short period of time (many years ago) without any issues. I consider Cal Kings very snake agressive...so milks might be OK.

Has anyone ever even seen a milk take a black racer, rough green snake, or some other snake?

Just wondering?

-Rusty

Milks will eat tantilla ,worm snakes,earth snakes, ringnecks,line snakes garters and others.

They will also eat snake eggs

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"Wake me when its April"

Doug L

I've done the same thing with my Cal Kings many years ago...felt bad afterwards...at least for the ring neck...not so much for the black racers!

That ring neck has really muted color on it's belly...I've never seen one so plain!

Thanks for the pics!

-Rusty

Doug, clearly from your photos one can plainly see that the milk is only playing w/ the ringneck. It will let it go later.

Good post Doug.

-Dell

He keeps all of his king and milks together in specially built cages that hold one male and up to ten females. If you follow a few basic rules it is safe to house Lampropeltis together.

Wayne Sanders

Seems you could just as easily house them separately in 20 longs and get the same effect...

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Chris Jones
King of Kings Reptiles

http://www.kingofkingsreptiles.com/

"All the fancy names in the world will be of no help if you do not know the difference between chocolate pudding and pig poop." -Frank Retes