Most adult Milksnakes readily accept pre-killed mice. UVA light may be useful in encouraging natural behavior and breeding, but is not essential. Milksnakes do not require a UVB light source. Water for drinking and soaking should be available, but the substrate must remain clean and dry. Milksnakes are prone to fungal skin disorders (“blister disease”) when kept in damp terrariums. Thermal gradients, critical to good health, allow snakes to regulate their body temperature by moving from hot to cooler areas.Ī ceramic heater, under-tank heat pad, or red/black reptile “night bulb” can be used to provide heat after dark. Large enclosures are necessary if a thermal gradient (areas of different temperatures) is to be established. Most Milksnakes fare best in a temperature range of 72-85 F an incandescent spotlight should be used to create a basking spot of 85-92 F. Cypress mulch, aspen bedding and/or dead leaves work well, and also allow for easy “spot cleaning”. Newspapers or washable terrarium liners may be used with well-habituated snakes, but a deep substrate that allows for burrowing is preferable. Caves or deep substrates into which they can burrow are essential. Wild Milksnakes spend a good deal of time in burrows or beneath leaf litter. The screen top should be secured with clips, as all snakes are escape artists. A 30-55 gallon tank will accommodate an average-sized adult. Hatchlings may be raised in 5-10 gallon aquariums. Most measure 2.5 – 4 feet in length, but 6.5 foot-long individuals have been recorded. Identification based on color alone is difficult, as different species and subspecies also hybridize in the wild. The scope of colors and patterns exhibited, even without considering these, is stunning. Mimicked Coral Snakes include Micrurus limbatus, bernadi and diastema.īy crossing various species of King and Milksnakes, and through hybridization with Corn Snakes and other species, snake enthusiasts have produced a spectacular array of unique “designer morphs”. Their startling red, black, yellow and white patterns appear to mimic the warning colors of the venomous Coral Snakes that share their habitats. Some, such as the Eastern Kingsnake, have evolved immunities to the venoms of various pit vipers. Several appear to specialize in preying upon other snakes. Powerful constrictors, Milksnakes feed upon chipmunks and other rodents, shrews, moles, frogs, turtle hatchlings, lizards and a huge array of other animals. They occur in a wide range of habitats, including forest and swamp edges, prairies, rocky mountainsides, overgrown fields, desert fringes, farms and abandoned buildings. Various Milksnakes inhabit North, Central and South America. Please post below for detailed information on the care of individual species. However, details vary, especially as regards those native to higher elevations or with specific food preferences. The following general information can be applied to Milksnake care of both popular species and subspecies. Uploaded to Wikipedia Commons by :Haplochromis
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