- Messages
- 597
- Location
- Nebraska
Considering adopting a milk snake. Any care tips? Uv light, heat, diet, substrate etc
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Milk snake care?
- Thread starter Aracnoenthusiast
- Start date
- Messages
- 10,903
- Location
- Malton, UK
They're pretty easy to care for
I always kept mine on a substrate of fine beech chip as it makes it easy to spot clean without having to empty the vivarium every time it poos. They require a warm end of 90F and a cool end of 75-80F, always use a thermostat on the heat source but UV is not necessary in a normally lit room.
Give it a hide, water bowl and a branch to climb on if possible.
I always kept mine on a substrate of fine beech chip as it makes it easy to spot clean without having to empty the vivarium every time it poos. They require a warm end of 90F and a cool end of 75-80F, always use a thermostat on the heat source but UV is not necessary in a normally lit room.
Give it a hide, water bowl and a branch to climb on if possible.
- Messages
- 597
- Location
- Nebraska
Oops, I was incorrect. It is a corn snake. Any change in care?
- Messages
- 10,903
- Location
- Malton, UK
No, no change at all.
They grow pretty fast depending on how you feed them. I used the Munson feeding plan. I ended up backing off that plan a year or two ago. Currently, mine gets one adult mouse every other week. Mine gets frozen mice. I tried giving it a quail egg once and they looked at it funny.
Depending on what you are using now, be prepared to get a much larger tank. Eventually a 55 g or something similar wouldn't be out of line. Mine started out as a little worm in 2018 and is now just over 4 feet long.
Depending on what you are using now, be prepared to get a much larger tank. Eventually a 55 g or something similar wouldn't be out of line. Mine started out as a little worm in 2018 and is now just over 4 feet long.
- Messages
- 10,903
- Location
- Malton, UK
They can get even bigger, I had one that reached 6 feet.
- Messages
- 597
- Location
- Nebraska
Meet Jonathan davis the corn snake. Only thing I see is there is the last inch of tail has the previous molt stuck still. Is this worth dealing with or is it harmless to the snake?
- Messages
- 10,903
- Location
- Malton, UK
A lovely corn abnd a great set up.
You do need to get rid of that old skin off his tail as it can constrict the tip and cause it to drop off. Soak the tip of tail in luke warm water to soften it then gentlsease it off always working towards the tip.-
You do need to get rid of that old skin off his tail as it can constrict the tip and cause it to drop off. Soak the tip of tail in luke warm water to soften it then gentlsease it off always working towards the tip.-
- Messages
- 597
- Location
- Nebraska
Will do, thank you for the help
- Messages
- 597
- Location
- Nebraska
He definitely didn't appreciate me messing with his tail. But with a warm water soak and some gentle wipes from a cloth the shed was removed. He behaved pretty well I think. Seems to have a very good demeanor
- Messages
- 10,903
- Location
- Malton, UK
That's great news, well done.
Corn snakes are usually very calm and seem to almost enjoy handling, they very rarely bite but if they do it only a harmless quick nip, maybe a little blood but nothing lasting..
- Messages
- 597
- Location
- Nebraska
Hes quickly become a family favorite for sure
- Messages
- 597
- Location
- Nebraska
Another question, how much should I stress about temps? Our house is at around 68f. There is a uth on the setup we got the snake with. I've been turning that on for about 10hrs a day. And there is a heat lamp on top( I dont think it has the right bulb as it's not very warm at all)
I plan to go to a petco this weekend for supplies and will get a thermometer and a new bulb for the lamp.
I plan to go to a petco this weekend for supplies and will get a thermometer and a new bulb for the lamp.
- Messages
- 10,903
- Location
- Malton, UK
If you have a thermostat connected to the heat lamp with the sensor close to the heat source you will be able to regulate the temperature at the hot end. Make sure the heat lamp has a guard around it to stop the snake burning itself on it as they do like to climb onto them.
I wouldn't worry about a thermometer as the thermostat will tell you the temperature.
I wouldn't worry about a thermometer as the thermostat will tell you the temperature.
I keep mine around 80-85 on the warm end and 70-75 on the cold end.
I run a UTH 27/7 on a thermostat on one end of my tank. In the winter I also run a heat lamp with a 100W ceramic heater bulb on the same end. That is actually outside the tank through the top, so no worries about burning themselves on it. They will go to the end they need to.
If you are worried about the cold in the wintertime, you can always insulate the back and sides of the tank. Just don't block that gap at the bottom so your UTH has some ventilation.
I will say that thermometer placement is a pain! The air temperature isn't necessarily what the substrate temperature is. I ended up getting a little IR thermometer "gun" and using that for everything. They are also nice for testing the water temperature when you put their water bowl back in with them. What feels warm to me could be scalding to them. I think I paid $30 or $40 for mine at a big box pet store.
I run a UTH 27/7 on a thermostat on one end of my tank. In the winter I also run a heat lamp with a 100W ceramic heater bulb on the same end. That is actually outside the tank through the top, so no worries about burning themselves on it. They will go to the end they need to.
If you are worried about the cold in the wintertime, you can always insulate the back and sides of the tank. Just don't block that gap at the bottom so your UTH has some ventilation.
I will say that thermometer placement is a pain! The air temperature isn't necessarily what the substrate temperature is. I ended up getting a little IR thermometer "gun" and using that for everything. They are also nice for testing the water temperature when you put their water bowl back in with them. What feels warm to me could be scalding to them. I think I paid $30 or $40 for mine at a big box pet store.
- Messages
- 597
- Location
- Nebraska
Ok, fed him today, that went well. Is one pinky enough? Hes about 2ft and as big around as a finger
- Messages
- 10,903
- Location
- Malton, UK
I'd be trying him on a small mouse or possibly a medium.
- Messages
- 597
- Location
- Nebraska
So should I give him another pinky?
- Messages
- 10,903
- Location
- Malton, UK
I'd leave him 5-7 days before feeding him again but that will give you time to contact the previous owner to find out what size mouse he was taking.
- Messages
- 597
- Location
- Nebraska
Happy to report all is going well with the snake. Enjoying feeding and hanging out with him. Seems to enjoy his exploration time out of the enclosure