Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is the (2001) E. milk I found last summer, 6/2002, and decided to keep. Milks are one of my three favorite snakes in Michigan. I work with them mostly in the field and rarely attempt to domesticate one.

To recap, it wouldn't eat mice, only little snakes, mostly red-bellies. It ate about six before going into brumation. It refused all offers of mice. After brumation, however, it took a pink with snake scent on it. It has taken three pinks now and is looking good.

PS As a side-note, my milksnake hibernaculum site has been bulldozed by the County. I can only hope a few have survived the destruction of their habitat and have lived to repopulate nearby areas. I'm glad I saved this one and at least it survives in captivity and is adding something to the knowledge of the species.

Later...TC.

That's great if you can keep him on mice. You have a very nice snake there. Habitat destruction is tough to take.

I was tempted to keep the eastern I found the other day. It had the nicest markings of any I have ever found (post below). The double "Y" markings on the neck are pretty unique. I just didn't want to deal with the finicky eating habits in captivity. I wouldn't be able to bear feeding it redbellies. I like them too much

Good luck with yours.
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Tim

I've had pretty good luck. You just have to give up on the tough ones and release them. Then go find a different one. If you really want an easy one, release even the ones that will take scented mice and hold out for one that takes mice right off the bat.
Seems to me they vary alot in personality, but most fit into the following 3 catagories:
Some will never feed at all, including snakes and lizards. Obviously these should be released.
Some will start taking snakes or lizards and can usually be coaxed into taking scented mice. I find these touchy and unpredictable. They may eat 3 or 4 mice in a row and suddenly refuse to eat more. Keep these only if you're up to the challenge.
Some will take thawed domestic mice right away. These often make model captives no more difficult than your average corn snake. I have an wc adult male which is starting its fourth season in captivity. It has never refused a meal and never required scenting or any other tricks. Believe it or not, there are more like that than many people think.

Thats a great pic.And it shows how these snakes would feed naturally in the wild.
You must have got a picky individual.I have kept a few easterns here in Pa. some adults and some neonates and have always got them to feed on live pinks or fuzzies in time.Easterns are great snakes.Good luck!

I realize contributing to the demize of one of our ophidian friends is controversial, but I had some reasons for wanting to keep this snake, and to share what I've learned. Also, I guess being in this hobby for many years makes us a little hardened.

When I first started out I couldn't bare to kill a mouse to feed my pet snake. I had to let the snake constrict it. Of course, frogs, worms, and other things were, ok. Now, I don't see much difference bt. a mouse and a red-belly, mostly because those snakes are so common on our property, and a big part of the food chain around here.

I still didn't like feeding red-bellies to the milk snake, but did on the hopes it would feed on thawed mice this spring. I've thought a lot about Eastern milks in the wild. I've had many before for very short times. It seems the neonates almost always feed on small snakes in our area. Even large milks will usually only take fairly small mice and other rodents, along with other snakes.

Another thing I've noticed is that the small milks are a little easier to brumate. Adults from n. MI are often too set in their ways to be able to acclimate well, so the yearling milk was a perfect subject for my project, if I could get it to take pinks in the spring. Also, I posted to share this info with others with similar interests.

I'm hoping to tame this milk down and make a pet out of it. I don't plan to feed it any more small snakes.

TC