Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i was just wondering if i could keep a pair of them in the same cage? i heard there might be problems if the were keep together?

is this true?

thank you for your time,
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DUANE (aka HERP WHORE)

only if you want just one snake. Milk snakes are in the same family as king snakes

I've kept ADULTS together of the following subspecies:
1.1 sinaloae per cage, 2 pairs
1.1 campbelli per cage, 1 pair
1.1 annulata per cage, 2 pairs
I never really witnessed any food aggression towards one another. Of course, these were adults of opposite sex. Young snakes may not abide so well together.

On the other hand, out of 3 pairs of Cal kings, I've seen major food aggression (female attempting attack on the male) in 2 out of the 3 females. The two females were of no relation. Cal kings cannot be trusted.

My opinion: Adult Pueblans milks are far less likely to eat one another if housed together. Possible? I suppose. Have many breeders experienced it with Pueblans? No. I've seen a major milksnake breeder's setup with multiples of an assortment of milksnakes. He never had an issue in many years of keeping his milks that way. He also wouldn't house two Cal kings together though.

I have housed ADULT pairs/trios of campbelli as well as many other sub-species of triangulum together year round and never experianced a problem. Keep in mind they were all housed in double or triple compartment type cages and ALWAYS seperated during feeding.

I would not suggest co-habitating hatchlings/juviniles or wc specimans together that have not established long term (at least 18 months) feeding habits on rodents. This isn't to say that housing milk snakes together could never be a problem as in the wild they are known to feed on other reptiles.

Another resource you might get is Robert Applegates book on the general care and maintaince of milk snakes. I know Bob has housed cambelli ADULTS together for many years without an incident.
Good luck

Tad
Captivebred.com

Adults yes. I keep mine together year round, unless breeding is not wanted. Just separate at feeding time.
1.2 combos only. 2 males will make the WWF look like Mr
Rogers. Not too much size disparity in the adults.
Babies and yearlings must be kept in separate cages.

Mike

see the post on the kingsnake forum:

http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=405941,405941

some people get away with it, but luck (bad) catches up with the best of us. some people drink and drive, too, but i wouldn't recommend that, either.

peace!
terry

(you probably know this but mike's top pic is of hondurans, not pueblans; that bottom pic is a fantastic group of pueblans)

I can't speak for pueblans. But, I've housed a pair of Sinoloans together since they were about 45 DAYS old. They are now 16 MONTHS old. I feed them seperately and make sure they are well fed so neither is ever hungry.

Somehow, the male escaped the cage for 16 days (the only time I've ever lost a snake). The funniest thing was, the female wandered all over the cage for 2 days, nonstop. Then, she hid herself and would not come out. She refused food the entire 16 days, she wouldnt' do anything at all. I didn't know if she was mourning or what. Well, my wife found the escaped male, curled up behind my shaving creme in the bathroom cabinet. We returned hime to the cage. Miraculously, the female came out and ate 4 pinkies that day.

I'm telling you, my two Sinoloans are like husband and wife. They are never without the other at his/her side. They sleep together curled up around each other. They are always under the same rock TOGETHER curled up. They couldn't be happier.

I sure as hell hope I never lose one again, b/c the other will surely die grieving.

I love these two snakes more than any of my others. I definetely wouldn't hesitate to attempt housing another pair together.