Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I read that shey should start changing at 4 months of age and should be completely black at 1 year of age.
I have a black milk female that was born in february last year, but only now she's starting change into black.
is it normal?
any experiences on that?
herewith 2 pics, one from may and another from 2 days ago


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1.0 Python molurus bivittatus albino(3.50m)
0.1 Python molurus bivittatus(6,10m)
1.1 Chondropython viridis (aru)
1.0 Chondropython viridis (lereh)
1.2 Lampropeltis californiae desert
1.1 Lampropeltis californiae albino striped
1.1 Lampropeltis californiae lavender
1.1 Lampropeltis californiae snow
2.2 Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae
1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum nelsoni albino
1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae
2.1 Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis albino
0.1 Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis het albino
1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis het hypo
1.0 Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis super hypo
1.1 Heterodon nasicus
0.1 Pituophis sayi albino
2.2 Pituophis sayi ivory ghost
1.1 Elaphe guttata blizzard
1.0 Elaphe guttata lavender
0.1 Elaphe guttata snow het opal
1.0 Elaphe guttata bloodred
1.0 Elaphe guttata hypo bloodred
1.0 Elaphe guttata albino striped
1.3 Elaphe guttata snow
1.0 Elaphe guttata ghost motley
0.1 Elaphe guttata albino
1.0 Elaphe guttata albino sunglow
0.1 Elaphe guttata miamy phase
1.1 Elaphe guttata candy cane
1.1 Elaphe o. obsoleta leucistic
2.2 Elaphe o. obsoleta het albino and white side
1.0 Elaphe o. obsoleta white side
1.2 Jungle corn albino
0.1 Jungle corn snow
1.0 Jungle corn albino striped
2.2 Gongylophis colubrinus loveridgei

I have had them retain color for almost two years. A couple of them were almost completely black at 18 months.

The white goes first then finally the red will fade away.

Have you noticed long dormant periods prior to shedding?

I keep my 6 at room temps, 71 nights 77 days with natural photo light. I believe that the cooler temps may effect the color change because of the high mountain conditions were there from. I have black milks from 2 ½ years old to 5 years of age. All of them are completely black now.
The older they get the better they get. One of the best snake species I’ve ever kept.

I was asked to bring some snake to an elementary school during snake week. The favorite was one of my Eastern Indigos. The next was one of my large male Black Milks. The kids loved them.

Good luck.

I agree with Dann, they should be mostly black by 18-24 months of age. Yours look about right for yearlings; the black starts coming in very quickly during their 2nd year. Losing the white bands first seems to be the more common option, but some will actually lose the red first. I think he's right about the temperature thing too; black milks that are kept at warmer temps seem to change color slower. That is consistent with the theory that montane species tend to be melanistic to absorb more heat from the sun, although you have to wonder how much sunlight a secretive species actually gets under the shady canopy of the cloud forests. There are still a lot of mysteries and misconceptions surrounding black milks... I was looking at a "Kingsnakes & Milksnakes" book at the local pet store last week which claimed that black milks can have agressive tendencies (!!!) and mentioned nothing about their unique (well, not totally unique if you consider the Andean) temperature requirements. I'd like to know how the author came to that conclusion... maybe their black milks are just cranky because they're kept too warm... or maybe they just got their fingers too close at feeding time!

Nate

Also said they don't all turn solid black. Kinda threw me. Dann and Nate Are much more experienced with them than I am. I back them up though on the observations. I have 03's 04's and recently got a male 2000'. one of the 03's is almost solid black and has calmed down considerably like Dann said they would.the others are on their way to blackness one is still a little skittish but from what Dann told me it should chill soon too.

BobS

Especially when you compare it to the beautiful gloosy black adult animal!