Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This was also posted in the Herp Health & Breeding Forum.

I'm new to the world of snakes, so to some of you this might seem like a stupid question. I am looking into getting a Pueblan Milksnake soon and am trying to do as much research as possible. I know that Milksnakes have cannibalistic tendencies, but I have read about keeping mating pairs together permanently. So my questions are as follows:

Does anything in particular cause milksnakes to eat each other (e.g. small habitat, improper feeding ect.) or is it just in their nature?

Is it better to keep breeding pairs together permanently or should they be separated except for short periods of time during breeding season?

If a breeding couple is paired permanently do I risk one eating the other, and will they mate/lay eggs even if not put into brumation?

Thank you for your patience and your replies in advance. I look forward to hearing your responses.

hethe
zombielove

p.s. one more question added on:

I have read that young Pueblan Milksnakes are "flighty" but tame down with regular handeling. Could someone pleas explain the term "flighty" for me. Does this mean they are agressive or does it mean they are skitish?

Thanks again.

I'm also interested in the cohabitation of pueblans. I have a 1 1/2 year old male, and I was contemplating the idea of gettin' him a little girlfriend sometime in the near future. To my understanding, "flighty" means the equivalent of "squirmy". He is the most NON-AGRESSIVE animal that I have ever been in contact with, but he often does wanna just GO! I handle him almost daily, but not on the day(s) after his weekly dinner, though. He calms down fairly quickly, but when you least expect it, he wants to GO again. He's never tried to nip at anyone, and only has musked twice. And both of those times were when I apparently freaked him out by snatchin' him out of his home to quickly, or while he was asleep, and without warning. Hee hee...scared the pee out of him! Here's a picture of Ori, just 'cuz he's such a little cutie.

-----
Deborah McAllister

Thanks so much for your reply! I figured that "flight" meants something like skitish because i handled a Pueblan at a pet shop and he seemed a little "rushed" like he had places to go and things to do. Now only if i can find out about breeding pairs living together. If i dont hear anything back by anyone tonight i'll let you know something tomorrow. I'm going to talk to a reptile expert tomorrow and see what he says about it. i know he's housing 3 young pueblans (about 2 feet each) in a small terrarium until he can sell them. So whatever i find out tomorrow, i will be sure to let you know!!

thanks again!

hethe

yes, you would definitely face a risk housing them together.

"flighty" probably refers to a sort of hyperactivity of young milksnakes of most subspecies. imho it passes more with time than with handling, it's in their nature, it seems, when they are juveniles. you should not be surprised to have a baby milksnake bite you during its flighty behavior. nor should you care!

peace
terry

Awesome thanks. Yea I just bought a pueblan today, he's totally awesome. in the store he was really sweet but when I got him home he seems really nervous and every time I went to pick him up he acted like he was going strike at me, so I left him alone and held the box into his terrarium and let him go in on his own. He’s chilling out in one of his hiding places right now. Hopefully he'll be better by tonight or tomorrow because I definitely want to start handling him so he can get used to me.

hethe

Congratulation! I'm sure he'll be fine when he gets all settled in and everything.
-----
Deborah McAllister

By the way Deborah, I talked to the shop owner about housing pueblans together, he said that he's never had any pueblans eat each other, but he said that most successful breeders only keep their mates together for short periods of time during mating season. He also said that if they were left together permanently that they may mate and lay unfertile eggs. I have heard about people "pairing up" mates for the long run, so I guess it just depends on the snake, and what you want to do. The best thing would be to ask some breeders, and read around on the internet.

We named our pueblan Talyn. I’ll post a picture when he's not so shy. =D

hethe

When I am ready to get a girlfriend for Ori, my Pueblan, I'm gonna take the advice of NOT letting them live together.
-----
Deborah McAllister

That's probably what I’ll end up doing too. Oh, and I just wanted to clarify that when I said they would like infertile eggs, I meant year round with out going into brumation. During the pueblan love season and after going through brumation they would lay healthy living eggs. Sorry I didn't word that correctly the first time, but just for safety sake, I think I’m still going to keep mine separate.

hethe
My Live Journal Community for Herper Girls