Snakes have long been a part of our culture and lives. They symbolize love and wisdom; thus, keeping one in your house is considered positive. However, before welcoming a new snake to your household you should understand it’s care needs. This article will help you understand how to provide proper milk snake care.
In the pet snake market, you’ll find an endless collection of beautiful milk snakes for sale, as well as many other colubrids. Milk snakes can be an ideal option, especially if you’re a beginner in pet ownership.
Therefore, this article covers a detailed guide on milk snake care. This includes its habitat, feeding requirements, and everything you need to know to make a lovely bond with your wiggly pet. So, without further ado, let’s jump in to milk snake care.
Morphology and Behavior
For milk snake care, the first factor you should look at is their appearance and overall behavior. As far as the physical features are concerned, milk snakes are an elegant species with variations in body coloration and patterns. Generally, you’ll see them in alternating red and black bands throughout their body length. Due to the varying body colors, you can find multiple morphs such as the nelson’s milk snake, albino nelson’s, or hypo honduran milk snake.
Depending on the gender and morph, the body size can also vary. Usually, milk snakes grow from 14 to 60 inches in length, with males typically larger than females. When kept as pets, they can grow even larger than their average size, reaching more than 60 inches. The size variation can also depend on the dietary intake of the snake.
Milk Snake Care: Habitat
When it comes to milk snake care, having an understanding of where they belong naturally is essential. This may help you fulfill their survival requirements with more clarity. Native to North America, milk snakes are often found in temperate habitats. You can also find them in open woodlands, forests, and rocky slopes. Dunes and swaps are also some of their favorite living spaces. However, when kept as a pet, you should provide them with a safe enclosure according to their body size. Usually, milk snakes can easily be accommodated in a 20 gallon terrarium, depending on their size. Here are some crucial things you will need to maintain a secure habitat for your new companion:
1. Optimum Temperature
The next important factor in milk snake care is providing the optimum temperature. Being ectothermic pet reptiles, these snakes need an optimum temperature to adjust their body heat. Usually, a temperature range of 75 degrees Fahrenheit to 84 degrees Fahrenheit can work best for their survival. Ensure the environmental temperature does not go below 70 degrees, as it can cause disturbances in the snake’s feeding behavior.
2. Proper Lighting
Milk snakes sometimes need ultraviolet light rays to survive in hot or cold weather conditions. Therefore, it is advised to provide your wiggly pet with proper UVB lighting or rays to maintain the best health. You can install two halogen bulbs in its enclosure for additional lighting, as they will be efficient enough to fulfill your snake’s light requirements.
3. Humidity
Proper humidity is another crucial thing that adds to milk snake care. To remain safe in the enclosure, they need an appropriate humidity ranging from 40 to 60%. This is to ensure that your pet can survive for a longer time in its habitat. Ensure the humidity does not exceed 60%, as it can result in severe health issues. You can use a reptile humidifier or keep a large water dish to increase humid levels in the enclosure.
Milk Snake Care: Dietary Intake
Another essential element in milk snake care is knowing their dietary patterns. Their feeding requirements are ultimately a vital thing that you should know as a snake owner. They primarily love to eat small lizards as well as rodents. When they grow up, you can include small mammals, frogs, fish, and other young snakes in their diet. You can also add supplements to their diet to fulfill their nutrition requirements.
Additionally, keeping a water bowl of fresh water inside the milk snake’s will not only help with humiditiy but also keep them hydrated. These snakes have minimal feeding requirements and eat once every week or two. Thus, you can easily care for your little companion’s dietary needs by providing them with nutritious meals.
Milk Snake Care: Health Concerns
While researching milk snake care, looking at their possible health concerns is a good idea. This includes checking for any infection on the skin, particularly their scales. They can develop mites, which are small parasites living on the snake’s body. Therefore, it is always important to buy from a reputable source who can provide assistance with mite removal if necessary. Reputable sources like XYZReptiles will provide troubleshooting assistance wih feeding and other issues.
Handling and Temperament
Lastly, milk snake care involves clearly understanding their temperament and behavior towards their owner. Usually, these snakes are docile and gentle by temperament, making them easy to handle. Unlike coral snakes, they are non-venomous and thus are known for their calm demeanor. However, you have to be careful when dealing or playing with your little buddies, as they cam become irrirarted if not handled properly. Compared to cats or dogs, milk snakes require little to no care and do not want much attention from their owners. They mostly live solitary lives in their enclosure.
Although milk snakes are non-venomous, they can still bite, especially during feeding or handling. Thus, feeding them properly using safety tools such as tongs is advised. This way, you can remain safe from potential injuries or skin allergic reactions. However, if the milk snake bites you, there is nothing to worry about, as you can treat the wound using antiseptics or other medicines.
Milk Snake Care: Conclusion
Milk snakes are charming creatures with alternating black and red bands along the length of their bodies. They are beautiful, non-venomous pet snakes that are easy to care for. You can keep them in your household as they have minimal maintenance requirements. Moreover, their dietary needs are simple, consisting of small rodents or frozen mice easily accessible online or at nearby pet stores. Thus, considering the health issues and overall milk snake care discussed above, you can easily find a healthy milk snake online at XYZReptiles.
