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For a Honduran milk snake, I recommend using one of three substrates. This is the material that lines the bottom of the cage. The first thing you need to do is fill the cage with some kind of substrate. A tiny snake doesn't need much room to escape from its enclosure, and a baby milk snake can be fairly small. Just make sure the milk snakes cage is 100% escape proof. The baby can be housed in a cage equivalent to the size of a shoebox, or slightly larger. When the snake is a baby, I recommend using a smaller cage than what we talked about for adults. These snakes can certainly survive in a smaller cage than this, but I firmly believe that a larger cage creates a healthier snake.
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This would give your Honduran milk snake plenty of room to move around. They often come in sizes that are four feet long by two feet deep. If you can afford it, I recommend buying a plastic cage that is specifically design for reptiles. So you'll eventually need a cage that's three feet long or longer. An adult Honduran could reach five to six feet in length. As the snake grows, however, it will eventually need a larger cage. Choosing a Cage for Your Pet SnakeĪ baby Honduran milk snake can be housed in a 10-gallon terrarium, or a plastic cage of equal size. Let's talk a bit more about the specific care requirements for the Honduran milk snake. And you only have to feed them about once a week. They don't have any excessive temperature requirements, other than a basic temperature gradient. They don't get huge, so you can house them in a three-foot-long cage. This is what makes them so popular in the pet trade. Honduran milk snakes are fairly easy to care for in captivity. The eyes, nose and mouth should be clear. It should not have any visible kinks, scarring, abrasions, or other signs of injury. It should be able to move freely and smoothly through your hands. When you handle the snake, it should be flicking its tongue to check out its surroundings. A healthy snake will have good muscle tone, and it should appear active and alert. Regardless of how and where you purchase your Honduran milk snake, you need to make sure it's healthy before you buy it. Again, you can use Google to find these kinds of shops in your area. This is one of the best reptile specialty stores in California, and they sell a variety of healthy milk snakes. For example, I live in Napa California, so I can drive an hour down to Berkeley to visit the East Bay Vivarium. If you do a Google search for "reptile shows" in your state and/or city, you should be able to come up with something.ĭepending on where you live, there may even be a reptile shop within driving distance.
#MILKSNAKE HANDLING PROFESSIONAL#
You can also connect with a professional snake breeder through a reptile show in your area. Look for a page that says "shipping policies" or something similar. This kind of information should be clearly stated on their website. Some will ship to the nearest airport, while others will ship directly to your door. Most milk snake breeders will ship the animal to you. This image is licensed under Creative Commons 3.0 And the best place to find such a specimen is through a professional breeder.
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But do you really want to? The best-case scenario is to obtain a Honduran milk snake that is healthy and robust to begin with. That's not to say that you can't cure a variety of health problems in snakes - you can. On the other hand, if you buy a milk snake from an unknown source, there's a good chance you will inherit an unhealthy snake. If you choose a breeder with a good reputation, you have a much greater chance of acquiring a healthy snake. These are people who raise and sell snakes for a living. I strongly recommend that you buy your Honduran milk snake from a professional breeder. By the time you finish reading this care sheet, you will know what it takes to keep this kind of pet snake healthy in captivity. In this article, we will talk about the basic components of Honduran milk snake care. They are large enough to be an enjoyable pet, but not so large that they present any housing problems for you. They are colorful, easy to care for, and relatively small in size. Of all the different milk snake species, the Honduran is one of the snakes most commonly kept as a pet. The Honduran milk snake is a beautiful animal that generally fares well in captivity. © 2019, Brandon Cornett | All rights reserved Reptile care > Snakes > Honduran Milk Snake Honduran Milk Snake Care Sheet
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