Western New York Herpetological Society
www.wnyherp.org
© 2001 - 2002 by Western New York Herpetological Society
This document is for guidance only and should not be used as the sole source of information. New information is being developed
daily. It is recommend that a concerted effort be made to maintain up-to-date knowledge of the animals of interest.
Common Name:
Milk Snake Latin name: Lampropeltis triangulum
Native to:
Southeastern Canada to northern South America
Size:
From 6" to 28" for L. t. elapsoides, the Scarlet Kingsnake to 16" to 48" for L. t. gaigeae the
Black Milk Snake and
L. t. hondurensis, the Honduran Milk Snake.
Life span:
20 + years, average is 15 years.
General appearance:
This species is represented by three general pattern types: tri-colored in
which the snake possesses bold rings of white/ yellow, black, and red/orange, which may
or may not extend onto the belly and completely encircle the snake. The other commonly
encountered pattern type for this species is that of a light tan, gray or cream background
color with darker red, russet or brown dorsal and lateral blotches. The last pattern type
belongs only to the black milk snake
L. t. gaigeae. This snake starts out tri-colored but
turns into a completely patternless black snake by two years of age.
Depending on the sub-species, milk snakes can be either heavy bodied (Pueblan, Black
and Mexican) or slim (Sinaloan, Nelson's and Scarlet Kingsnake).
Housing requirements:
Enclosure:
Milk snakes are secretive animals that prefer to conceal themselves. Because
of their desire to squeeze into the tiniest of cracks and crevices, they are also born
escape artists. Their enclosure should reflect these characteristics. The length of
a milk snake's cage should be at least 2/3's of the snake’s body length and should
possess multiple hiding areas. Baby milk snakes will do well in either plastic
shoebox containers or small glass aquaria, 2 1/2 to 5 gallons. Adults can be
successfully maintained in 16" by 24" plastic sweater boxes or larger glass
aquaria, 20 to 30 gallon long tanks. In all cases, the opening to the enclosure
must be secure or the snake will escape.
Temperature:
Being a temperate to a sub-tropical species, milk snakes will do well with
daytime ambient air temperatures ranging from 78 to 82 degrees F. The air
temperature may be allowed to drop to 65 to 70 degrees F. at night.
Unless they are being brumated (hibernated) milk snakes should always have
access to warmer localized temperatures to aid in digestion, immune function and
metabolism. These higher temperatures are most easily achieved by placing a
heat pad underneath 1/4 to 1/3 of the enclosure and either set to the low setting or
adjusted with a rheostat (dimmer switch) and monitored to make sure it stays
within the appropriate range of 84 - 88 degrees F. This thermal gradient will
allow the snake to choose the temperature that suits its immediate needs.
Western New York Herpetological Society
www.wnyherp.org
© 2001 - 2002 by Western New York Herpetological Society
This document is for guidance only and should not be used as the sole source of information. New information is being developed
daily. It is recommend that a concerted effort be made to maintain up-to-date knowledge of the animals of interest.
Heat/Light:
Added light is not necessary if temperatures can be maintained within the
desired ranges with a heat pad. Milk snakes are crepuscular, meaning they come
out during the subdued lighting of dawn and dusk. They do not like bright light.
If lighting proves to be necessary in order to maintain adequate temperatures,
keepers should either use blue, red or black colored lights to reduce the
brightness within the tank. If no other option is available, low wattage
incandescent "white" lights can be used as long as the snake has adequate hiding
areas and the lights are turned off in the evening. As with the other heat sources,
temperatures should be monitored with an accurate thermometer.
Substrate:
Being secretive, milk snakes will thrive in particulate substrates that they can
bury themselves in. Acceptable choices are pine and aspen shavings as well as
cypress mulch for larger specimens. Other acceptable substrates include
newspaper, butcher paper, paper towel and indoor - outdoor carpeting (astroturf).
Never use cedar shavings as they exude compounds that can be irritable to
the snake's mucus membranes.
Environment:
The enclosure of a milk snake should always be dry. It should contain
multiple hiding areas and a sturdy bowl for drinking. Water should be changed at
least once a week.
Diet:
In nature, milk snakes feed on a number of small vertebrates, including frogs, small rodents,
other snakes and lizards. In captivity, most milk snakes will eagerly feed on domestically
bred, pre-killed mice. Snakes should be well started on rodents prior to sale in a retail
outlet. Never feed your milk snake foods procured from the wild, as they will transmit
harmful internal parasites. As the snake grows it should be given proportionately larger
food items. Babies with start on pre-killed pink mice, while adults of most sub-species
can handle pre-killed sub-adult mice. A good rule of thumb when feeding any captive
snake is that the food item should not be larger than 1 and 1/2 times the girth of the snake
at its widest point.
Maintenance:
If kept in a dry cage with a sturdy water bowl, milk snakes can be very easy to
maintain. The cage should be spot cleaned for feces daily if particulate substrates are
used (mulch, shavings etc.) If paper substrates are used they should also be changed as
they are soiled. The entire cage should be cleaned with an antibacterial dish detergent at
least monthly. As stated earlier, the water bowl should be disinfected with antibacterial
soap and changed at least weekly.
Other references or recommended reading:
The General Care and Maintenance of Milk Snakes, Robert W. Applegate, Advanced
Vivarium Systems, 1992.