King / Milk Species and their differences.
The Milk/ King Snakes are a group of non-venomous snakes found throughout the Americas. They are well-known for their beautiful coloration and patterns, which can vary significantly between subspecies.
California King Snake
Scientific name: Lampropeltis getula californiae
From: Native to southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico. Kingsnakes are one of the most widespread snake species in the USA.
Max Size: 3-4 Foot
Eastern King Snake
Scientific name: Lampropeltis Getula
From: Mexico, Arizona and California.
Max Size: 3-4 Foot
Mexican Black King Snake
Scientific name: Lampropeltis Getula nigrita
From: throughout the eastern United States north to New Jersey
Max Size: 3 Foot
Honduran Milk Snake
Scientific name: Lampropeltis Triangulum Hondurensis
From: Found in tropical regions of Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica
Max Size: 5-6 Foot
Nelson’s Milk Snake
Scientific name: Lampropeltis triangulum nelsoni
From: Found in Mexico from southern Guanajuato and central Jalisco to the Pacific Coast.
Max Size: 3-4 Foot
Pueblan Milk Snake
Scientific name: Lampropeltis Triangulum Campbelli
From: Native to the Mexican state of Puebla, as well as other dry, arid desert regions throughout Central Mexico.
Max Size: 4-5 Foot
Snake Husbandry
Daily Chores
● Fresh water daily
● Spot clean daily
● Spray Daily (Full clean once a month)
● Use F10 Veterinary Disinfectant
Vets and Insurance
● Exotics Vets are not easy to find, here in Brighton we use Coastways in Kemptown as they have an exotic vet called Celine. It is essential you find an exotic vet.
● There is insurance you can get for your reptile through Exotic Direct.
Handling your Snake
When handling your Snake ensure you support its body and ensure your surroundings are safe. Do not handle your snake after feeding. They need to be left alone so they can properly digest their food. Wait a minimum of 2-3 days before handling after feeding.
Handling sessions should be no longer than 45 minutes. snakes are really curious animals and will try to fit into small spaces so never leave the snake unattended.
Always make sure there are no pets like dogs and cats around when handling your Snake.
Equipment such as Snake Hooks and Feeding tongs are needed when owning snakes.
King/Milk Snake Diets
Kingsnakes are powerful constrictors that prey upon a wide variety of animals, including other snakes, rodents and other small mammals, lizards, frogs, salamanders, birds, and large invertebrates. They also eat lizard eggs, snake eggs, and bird eggs.
When kept in captivity, kingsnakes typically eat rodents and mice. King/Milk snakes are cannibalistic so should never be kept or handled with another snake
Why can I not handle my snake after feeding?
You should never handle your snake just after they’ve eaten, as they can regurgitate their food. As you can imagine, this is even more unpleasant for your snake than it is for you who have to clean up! When your snake regurgitates their food, its esophagus will be irritated by the stomach acid that they bring up with the food. Therefore, if they regurgitate their food, you’ll need to wait for two weeks before feeding again.
How to Feed a Snake
Step 1 – Defrost the prey in hot tap water, this can be in a bucket or mug etc.
Step 2 – Leave the prey to fully defrost (roughly 30 minutes). The size of the prey will affect how long you need to defrost it for.
Step 3 – Check that they prey is soft and completely thawed out.
Step 4 – Discard of the old water, reheat the prey with fresh warm water and then dry off the prey. (This is just so you do not scare the snake with wet food.
Step 5 – Offer the prey to the snake, using feeding tongs and always offer the head to the snake. If the snake does not take after 20 minutes, leave it in the tank on the cold side. We call this drop feeding. 12 hours later if he hasn’t taken the prey, discard of the prey and try again in a week.
Young snakes – Feed every 7 days
Juvenile snakes – Feed every 7-10 days
Adult snakes – Feed every 7-14 days
Supplementing your Snake’s Diet
The use of high-quality reptile supplements in the correct amounts at the correct frequencies will help to ensure optimum bone health and skin health for your reptile, and help to avoid a plethora of nutrition-related illnesses such as metabolic bone disease.
For Tortoises EarthPro-A on every feed with CaMg every 4th feed on all items. A quality powder with D3 and A at feed 6 or 8 as a cycle. Also, FlowerBoost can be added into the usual fresh diet at 10% of the volume of the feed. Check out the feeding schedule using the link below https://www.arcadiareptile.com/earthpro/feeding-programme/herbivores/
Minimum rehoming Requirements for a King/Milk Snake
You can source all enclosures, equipment, electrics and decor from us as we run a shop.
Young Snakes only
4ft x 18inches x 18inches Vivarium
Arcadia Reptile ProT5 Shadedweller Aboreal Kit £40
50W Arcadia Reptile Deep Heat Projector £21
Dimming thermostat £55
Arcadia Reptile Ceramic bulb holder and plug £15
Habistat Heat Cage £15
Substrate and decor is up to you. We advice a Sand X Soil mix as substrate and a minimum of 2 hides and a water dish.
Young Snakes only
3ft x 2ft x 2ft Vivarium
Arcadia Reptile ProT5 Shadedweller Kit £40
50W Arcadia Reptile Deep Heat Projector £21
Dimming thermostat £55
Arcadia Reptile Ceramic bulb holder and plug £15
Habistat Heat Cage £15
Substrate and decor is up to you. We advice a Sand X Soil mix as substrate and a minimum of 2 hides and a water dish.
4ft x 2ft x 2ft Vivarium
Arcadia Reptile ProT5 Shadedweller-Max Kit £40
50W Arcadia Reptile Deep Heat Projector £21
Dimming thermostat £55
Arcadia Reptile Ceramic bulb holder and plug £15
Habistat Heat Cage £15
Substrate and decor is up to you. We advice a Sand X Soil mix as substrate and a minimum of 2 hides and a water dish.
If you are getting a vivarium from us, we will set it up for you free of charge. If not, when setting up your electrics, ensure both the UVB and heating are on the same side. Fit your UVB on the top front of the viv, behind the runner and heating should centered on the warm side UVB.
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