Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am thinking about getting a pair of albino Honduran Milk Snakes. I have just started to research them and had a couple of questions. First a little more about me. I do have several years experience keeping venomous snakes and large constrictors. However, it has been a few years so I am finding myself a little rusty. My biggest obstacle is talking the wife into it because my snake experience came before her. She is not afraid of snakes, but she does not like them either. She does not have any problems with the black snakes I refuse to allow anyone to harm living around the house (Outside). However, she freaks when I have to move them and they start to strike. With that said I want to get something that has lots of color and that is not very aggressive. I like the Honduran for it's color, but I am not sure how aggressive they are. I remember them being very skittish when they are young, but I do not recall much on them as adults. I also do not want something that is going to need a huge cage. I have also thought about the Gray Banded king snake, but since I want to breed them and the problems getting their young to eat I have ruled them out. I have not looking into getting the Honduran’s young to eat yet. I have also thought about the Mountain King Snakes, but have not seen any for sale. If you guys know one that would work better in my situations I am all ears, but I really like the color phases of the Honduran.

I have 2 Hondurans, and yes they are a little skiddish when they are small but do calm down with age. Neither one of them have ever bitten me or even looked like it was going to bite. They do get to around 5 feet. I love them, and I am getting more. If you go to Carolinaherps.com, Paul Weaver has some nice different ones, and he can give you more info. I have gotten snakes from Paul Weaver of Carolina Herps, Terry Dunham of Albino Tricolors, and soon I'll be getting some from Mike Falcon. All of them are very good and helpful breeders of Hondurans. Good Luck! Derek

Hondurans should be your choice. Plenty of color morphs and patterns. They hold their value (especially tangerine albinos) so your offspring will sell quicker for supplies and cage upgrades. My tang. albinos should breed soon and they are as tame as puppy dogs. They take frozen/thawed mice/ratpups gently from my hand (they did the same with f/t pinkies when they were younger). They cruz around their cage during the day a lot too. I have a pair of double het for ghost tri-colors which are pretty skitish, they don't bite and they feed good but don't like to be handled. Individual hondos have their own personalities so it is better to raise them up from hatchlings or yearlings to tame them down although with the selective breeding I think they are getting domesticated. Their cage requirements are not great get a rack from H/Depot and the big clear plastic storage bins when they get big, have fun.

I would say that Hondurans would be the way to go for you. They are addicting however. I bought my first Honduran (A Hypo) at the NARBC auction in Anaheim California and got hooked (His picture was finally posted a few days ago). From then I found myself buying another, then another, and another. My tally as of today is : 1.0 Tangarine Hypo, 1.0 Albino, 1.1 Double Het Ghost Tri-Colors, 0.1 100% Het. Albino, and I'm still looking (but the pickings are thin this late in the year). The hatchlings are a bit skiddish, but they get over that with good handling in the first year or so. Find some that you like and go from there. Just be sure you get a good breeder. Good luck. Here are the pics of my hypo and my albino males.
Dave

For what you are looking for, sounds like hondos are the best ones for you. I had the same wish list when I first started thinking about getting into milksnakes and kingsnakes...i.e. breeding habits, cool temperament, color morphs and future possibilities, size, etc... and defintely pointed me to hondos. I've been breeding them now for quite a number of years and to this day, I still feel strongly about choosing hondurans...plus, when you start getting to know people here who are great breeders of hondos, you'll find that there are a lot of nice people to work with.

Go with the hondos !!!

Ray

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RAY

Hondos are a great place to start. There are lots of color choices out there. Most hondo babies are jumpy for the first year, but they usually calm down after that. Since you like the looks of the albino hondo's another choice for you would be the Albino Nelsoni, they are very easy to keep, they dont get as big as the hondo's & they are less jumpy. I might get slammed for my reccomendation but i am not trying to talk you out of the hondo's just offering a choice. Good luck and let us know what you get! ~ Mike Russo

I will back you up on that One Mike. Hondos are great choices. I love mine dearly and their temperments are all very calm and they are good eaters. But if sizie is an issue then a Nelsons is a great alternative. My nelsons are sweetest snakes I have and they dont get as large. My nelsons are used to help people who are scared of snakes because of their sweet calm personalities so if the wife not liking snakes is an issue...i bet you could warm her up to one of those!

I urge you if you have an opportunity to hold an adult Honduran, then handle an adult Florida king or Ariz mtn king or Graybanded king and experience their personalities. You'll find that on average, Hondurans are more active or skitish when held even as adults. But they do eat well, the colors available are intriguing, and you will not have much trouble selling babies.

Hondurans on average will never win any personality contests (though they won't lose by a huge amount either), but they will win the beauty contests.

Florida kings "brooksi" will lay on your arm like a tame boa constrictor. Kids can hold them without problem. Same goes with Graybands and Ariz mtn kings. (Don't fear - once graybands and Ariz mtn kings start feeding, they are usually pigs.) Just an FYI. Get what you like and enjoy!.

Thanks for the info. I have not been able to talk the wife into one yet. I think I may end up going with the Albino Nelson if I can get her to come around to letting me get one because of their docile reputation. She has at least stopped saying no now. She is afraid of snakes or so she said last night. She does not mind them when I am holding them and will even touch them, so I think there is hope. My thought is that it may be best to get something that will not be skittish until she gets used to having snakes around. If I have something that does not mind being held she may come around and hold it then see how much fun they are to have as pets. I think having something skittish may cause her more fear, and I do not want her to become like my mom is with snakes. Does this sound like a good plan? I wished I could find some Albino Nelson in the Winston-Salem, NC area to expose her to them.

I'm kind of liking the grey band kingsnake advise if your looking for a really gentle snake that is easy to hold. My milks are all kind of nervous to handle. Gray bands are colorful, and stay small sized too. But Hondo's are great, I'm actually looking to get a pair this spring when more are available. I'd like to get a albino and a tri-colored het for albino.
As far as convincing the wife, good luck! I've had snakes in my life for about 20 years and the wife of 24 years has never touched one, not even once. But at least she tolerates them and does her best to pretend they don't exist.
The words I like to live by (although they may end up getting me killed someday) when I'm wanting to purchase a new snake are...

...It's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission!

Go for it!

Kirk

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1.1 Jungle Carpet Python (both gorgeous)
1.1 Ball Python (normals, he said proudly)
3.3 hatchling ball pythons (normals)
1.1 Ball Python (het for albino)(gonna make my own albino)
1.1 Corn Snake (Okeetee, Sunglow x Snow)
0.1 Gray band Kingsnake (Blairs)
1.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.1 Pueblan Milksnake (normal)(Apricot)
1.1 Andean Milksnake (Inca phase) (het)
0.0.1 Bullsnake (normal)(my garbage disposal snake)
1.1 Bullsnake (red bull) and (het red bull)
0.1 Black Pine Snake need '05 mate!
1.1 Southern Snow Pine (snow)(red phase snow)
1.1 Mexican Pine snake
1.2 Checkered garter snakes (albino pair & het female)
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback (Hondo)
0.1 Spouse (WC)(hates the herps,and not real crazy about the dog)