Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I think I will keep it but have no idea what it is or how to care for it. Is it an aggressive species. How do you handle them?
It is small still less than 16 inches so I am sure it is a baby.
It is quick and seems nervous. Looks like some kind of king or milk snake.
What is the difference between a milk anda king snake?
As you can tell this is my first snake.
I have lots of lizards and chameleons.
thanks, Sonia

It is a hybrid snake created by breeding a california king snake with a corn snake. I think they have some pretty neat colors. Take care of it the same way you would a corn or a king. Usually hatchlings are jumpy and nervous, it should outgrow that with time.
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1.0 Corn snake
1.0 Black rat snake
1.0 Albino Black rat snake
1.0 Everglades rat snake
0.1 Yellow rat snake
1.1 California king snake
1.0 Prairie king snake
0.1 Black king snake

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

Taxinomically speaking a Milk Snake is a King Snake.

King snakes are lampropeltis ssp
Milks are lampropeltis triangulum ssp

Most milk have the typical "red on black, your OK Jack" pattern but some like the eastern and red milk are grayish with reddish blotches.

Most Kings are black and white (striped or speckled) but some are strait black and some are not at coloured like other kings. Gray-banded kings are just like the name suggests. There are also prairie and mole kings that are different. Prairies look a little like eastern milks. lots of other species I'm not familiar with

The scarlet king snake (lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides) is actually in the milksnake species.

I'm not exactly sure what makes L. triangulum what it is as the different ssp look quite different.
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"I'm tired of being a wannabe bowler! I wanna be a bowler!!"
-- Homer Simpson

but not all kingsnakes are milk snakes.
A friend who heads the herp dept of our local zoo just e-mailed me and he thinks the snake in the picture is a cross between a california king and a honduran milk.
I guess I learned a lot about snakes today.
One thing I learned is don't hold a gerbil and then pick up your snake.

with a gerbil & a 16" snake, than with a rabbit & a large python like some people have. Fatally.

~~Greg~~

If you have never had a snake before you wouldn't really know that. Don't worry I am not going there with the python. I am perfectly happy with the little guys. I can feel the strength this tiny snake has and I can't even imagine the strength the big ones must have.