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Milk Snake Questions

Karoni

Karoni

Cornaholic
Hi all. The addiction has already begun...I'm thinking of getting another snake. :D

I've been debating another corn snake vs. a milk snake. I was hoping some of you that own milk snakes would tell me how milks compare to corns in a) temperament (are they docile/easy to handle) and b) care requirements (are they similar to corns or do they require more specialized care?

Thanks for any replies!
 
The care is virtually identical to corns. Milksnakes, as a whole, are muskier than corns. They tend to be flightier as babies. They are secretive. My Nelsons milksnake, Inez, musked every single time I ever took her out until she was well over a year old. I also didn't see her out in her viv until she was over a year old. She never seemed to enjoy handling, although she never bit.
 
I bought a pair of adult Sinaloans after years of keeping Corns. They never calmed down - they gave me a musk shower whenever handled and had a lovely habit of biting at my face.

Didn't enjoy owning them. I ended up selling them on a couple of years later to a breeder, who had a large operation where they got minimal handling. We were all much happier.
 
How do you feel about Florida kings? They come in all kinds of cool morphs and mine don't musk. They all seem to enjoy coming out. they have a strong feeding response, though.

I've also heard Mexican Black Milks are nice, although they get big.
 
Thanks for the responses. I do LOVE corns snakes for their mellow nature.

Thanks, Nanci. I don't know anything about Florida kings; I'll look into it. I wouldn't want a snake any bigger than a corn, though.
 
Nanci said:
How do you feel about Florida kings? They come in all kinds of cool morphs and mine don't musk. They all seem to enjoy coming out. they have a strong feeding response, though.

I've also heard Mexican Black Milks are nice, although they get big.
Click to expand...

My Dublin must be the exception to the rule, then. He bites and musks every single time without fail. And for every (nowadays, rare) handling session, he always gets in a dozen or so bites, and never stops trying to musk. I must admit that I'm disappointed with him as a pet. He's a great beauty, though!

My Arizona Mtn. Kingsnake is flighty, bitey, and her feeding habits are unpredictable. Can't beat her coloring for drop-dead-gorgeous, though!

I do love my aberrant-patterned Cali King boy, though! He's a bit flighty, but other than that, he's a very nice boy :).
 
Mrs. Z, I said Mexican Black MILK not King. I know most of the MBKs are nice, but I know a few who aren't!!!

A Florida king can weigh 1200 grams, but it is a stocky snake- so still in the 4-5 foot range like a corn.
 
Greyband kings are _super_ sweet- just make sure if you get one it is established on FT mice!!
 
My Huachuca Mountain Kingsnake is an absolute doll. Nosey, sits about in the open a lot, always comes out of his own accord when I open the viv doors, very relaxed about being handled, moves slowly and gently. Never had so much as a hiss out of him (although I get the occasional tail rattle if I try to pick him up without enough advance notice).

Might be the luck of the draw - he's the only King I've ever owned. He's about half the size of a Corn. Similar husbandry to Corns but seems to prefer it a few degrees cooler - he's given to sitting in his water bowl when the weather gets hot (pretty rare in the UK though!) and glaring at me in a faintly accusatory way. He has quite a presence and "personality" for such a little chap.
 
Hey Karoni,

You might look into Central Plains Milksnake, Eastern Milksnake, Mexican Milksnake, Nelson's Milksnake, Sinaloan Milksnake, Pueblan Milksnake because all stay about the same size as a Cornsnake.

As Nanci said "Milksnakes, as a whole, are muskier than corns." So from the ones above I can only give advice on the Sinaloan and Pueblan. Both are muskier than a corn and you will hardly ever see them out of their hides until after a year old like Nanci said.

The best Milksnakes I have ever owned is my Black Milksnakes and the second best is my Hondurans. My Black Milksnake can be seen all the time even as hatchlings looking for food or what ever they are doing moving around in their tubs. The Hondurans move around some as hatchling but not like the Black Milks. However, as Nanci said they can get big around 5 feet and maybe more.

As far as the Florida King, you may what to check on the size. I think it does get bigger than a Cornsnake but not by much. I would also recommend the Desert King(Splendida).

Love the Fatman
 
Nanci said:
Mrs. Z, I said Mexican Black MILK not King. I know most of the MBKs are nice, but I know a few who aren't!!!

A Florida king can weigh 1200 grams, but it is a stocky snake- so still in the 4-5 foot range like a corn.
Click to expand...

Nanci did you mean a Black Milk Snake from Costa Rica? :D

And to the thread starter, you cannot go wrong with a Black Milk Snake!! They dont bite, dont need additional heat if you keep your house at a comfortable temp level, they transform colors as they grow into adults, and they are amazingly consistent eaters!!! They average out at a very handle-able 5.5 feet and grow into very chill adults that look amazing!!!

Go check out The Official Black Milk snake thread in here:

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79543
 
I owned Sinaloan Milksnakes and they were very flighty although they rarely musked or bit.
My greyband kings are awesome sweethearts though. No larger than a cornsnake and very mellow. As are my thayeri kingsnakes.

I recently acquired two mexican milksnakes and they are actually extremely docile as well. I have talked to a few people who have owned them and have found that as long as they are handled frequently as babies that there temperment will be very similiar to cornsnakes.
 
Lovin2act said:
Nanci did you mean a Black Milk Snake from Costa Rica? :D

And to the thread starter, you cannot go wrong with a Black Milk Snake!! They dont bite, dont need additional heat if you keep your house at a comfortable temp level, they transform colors as they grow into adults, and they are amazingly consistent eaters!!! They average out at a very handle-able 5.5 feet and grow into very chill adults that look amazing!!!

Go check out The Official Black Milk snake thread in here:

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79543
Click to expand...

Agreed. Black milks are the ultimate colubrid IMO. I got my black milk from Markus (lovin2act), and Jet is by far the calmest snake I own. I have a variety of different rat snakes and corns plus a hognose, all beautiful and calm, but Jet is my favorite even though I acquired him very recently. He's inquisitive, docile and gorgeous! Black milks are the biggest milk snake species too which is cool if you are looking for a large snake.
 
I have and kept the following.
Pueblan
Nelson X Pueblan
Black
Eastern
Hondurans

I have no problems with them as adults, as hatchlings up to a year or so, they are just flighty and I just don't work with them at all until they gain some size.
I had some breeder friends come over the other week and were amazed at my Milks and how calm they were.
Its possible to have calm milks but as your second or third snake I would pass until you got some snake experience.
 
My Mexican Milk , Pedro has been good so far and only musked me once. He's a real sweet heart and awesome to handle :)
 
martin-bernstein said:
Agreed. Black milks are the ultimate colubrid IMO. I got my black milk from Markus (lovin2act), and Jet is by far the calmest snake I own. I have a variety of different rat snakes and corns plus a hognose, all beautiful and calm, but Jet is my favorite even though I acquired him very recently. He's inquisitive, docile and gorgeous! Black milks are the biggest milk snake species too which is cool if you are looking for a large snake.
Click to expand...

This makes me way happy :) and also sad cause I miss him too :cry:
 
Thanks, everybody. I have lots to think about. And money to save...snake set ups are expensive. :)
 
Nanci said:
Mrs. Z, I said Mexican Black MILK not King. I know most of the MBKs are nice, but I know a few who aren't!!!
Click to expand...

Oi. I shoulda seen that. I'm always getting that mixed up, for some reason.

Wish I knew someone who would trade the MBK, here, for someone's black milksnake! LOL!
 
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