Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi im new to milk snakes and have been wanting one really bad and since my b-day is coming up in a week i thought i'd get one. so i need ur help can you tell me what species is the easiest to take care of and are these critters tame? and how long do they get and how high should the temp be?

do you have any experience in keeping snakes yet or is this your first snake? How big a cage are you able to provide for this snake? How old are you (in high school or adult), if you are planning on going to college, you will need to consider who will keep your snake while you are gone, as most colleges won't allow you to keep it in the dorms.

That being said, I would recommend a Honduran Milksnake. They CAN get as long as 6 feet, but that would be pretty unusual. Mine are great snakes, a bit jumpy like milks tend to be, but not so hyper that you cannot hold onto them. Remember that most baby snakes are very scared that you are going to eat them, and can bite and musk you to avoid that happening, so you might have to deal with that. Here is a link about milks, that lists their lengths and some other stuff. Remember that snakes are incredible escape artists, so make sure that the cage is EXTEMELY secure, especially the top.

Hope that helps and let us know what you decide.

phflame
milksnakes

i do not go to college and i make my own cages so whatever he needs i can make him, i have plenty of time to take care of my animals i am 20 years old and am working so i can provide for them, i have dealt with a ball python that i took care of for a long time.

One thing for you to consider is that milksnakes are about the exact opposite of most ball pythons. Ball pythons are more likely to sit around with you while you watch TV, while a milk snake is more likely to be gone behind the fridge while you watch TV, if you don't keep an eye on them. Their activity levels are opposite. Think about a solid labrador retriever compared to a toy hyper dog.
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sue

I would go with a black milk. They aren't flightly like hondurans, they are good eaters, and they thrive at room temp.

I used to keep Mexican milks, and those were laid back, good eaters, and easy to care for. I've also met a few Sinaloans that I thought were fine snakes. I'd recommend one of those. You'll find that you can get either one for not much money.
Cheers!