We suggest that only pre-killed prey be offered. It is most likely to move at night.Īlthough many hobbyists believe it best to feed a snake live food, the bite of a live rodent, if it is not eaten immediately, or if it is gripped and constricted incorrectly by the snake, can cause injury to, or even the death of your snake. When you see your snake begin to move, it is probably time to place a pre-killed mouse or two in its habitat. A Honduran milk snake will emerge from its hiding spot to prowl its territory in search of food. You can tell whether your snake is hungry by watching its movements. Milk snakes have an amazing resistance to the debilitating effects of the poison of venomous snakes, and may include these in their diet.Īn adult milk snake will eat one or two good-sized mice a week. Besides rodents and insectivorous mammals, they will also eat snake eggs, other snakes, frogs and lizards. Captives are usually fed a diet exclusively of rodents, but in the wild this snake has a varied diet. Like the kingsnakes, milk snakes eat a wide variety of prey. They will push to test the resiliency at what they think to be a weak spot in their cage so your terrarium or cage must be tightly covered with a top that will lock in place.Ī shallow dish of fresh water must always be available. There should be a hiding spot in both the heated and cooler sections of the tank. Be sure no furniture can shift or topple and injure your snake. These are secretive animals so the tank should also be furnished with furniture such as corkbark or other commercial hides. Heat only one end of the tank to provide a thermal gradient. Temperatures should be between 82 and 88 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 75 and 80 degrees at night. Be sure that the snake cannot come in contact with a bare bulb or ceramic heating unit, lest they burn themselves. You can heat one end of the tank by using a heating pad that sits beneath it or by using a bare light bulb or ceramic heating unit that sits above the snake. There should also be a hiding spot in both the heated and cooler sections of the tank. To meet their needs, your tank should have a temperature gradient that makes it warmer on one end than on the other. Instead, they rely on their environment to do that. Snakes are ectothermic, meaning that they cannot regulate their body temperatures on their own. If the cage substrate is damp, this snake may develop blister disease. It is a good idea to clean the entire tank at the same time, washing down with window cleaner. The substrate should be removed and replaced whenever the snake eliminates. The tank should have a substrate of newspaper, packing corrugate, paper towels, dry leaves or dry mulch. Since the Honduran milk snake is essentially terrestrial, an average sized specimen requires a minimum floor space of 12 by 30 inches – the size of a 20-gallon long aquarium. It seems as if new morphs appear with each passing year. Herpetoculturists have now developed albinos, patterns that diminish with age, pinstripes and many others. Wild specimens may be ringed in black and red (bicolored phase), black, red, and white (tricolored phase), or a beautiful tangerine and black (tangerine phase). Naturally of variable pattern, Honduran milk snakes have smooth (non-keeled) scales and a head that is not much wider than the neck. The usual adult size of this snake is 2.5 to 3.5 feet, but they occasionally top four feet in total length.
#Honduran milksnake morphs full#
If properly cared for, they can grow to full length in the first two years of their life. AppearanceĪt hatching, Honduran milk snakes are about a foot-long. It’s life span in captivity may exceed 20 years. Naturally variable in color and pattern, it has become an easily bred hobbyist’s favorite. The Honduran milk snake is one of the Central American representatives of the common milk snake. Hatchlings are usually quite like the adults they will become, but a few of the designer phases alter patterns with growth. There are also captive bred in many designer colors and patterns. Honduran milk snakes occur in several natural colors and patterns, all variations of red or tangerine and black rings. Despite those drawbacks, the Honduran milk snake’s brilliant coloration, ready availability and very wide range of costs, make this hardy snake a hobbyist favorite. Adults are usually less apt to bite, but often squirm strongly and void the contents of their cloaca when restrained. Hatchlings can be feisty, striking and biting when only minimally provoked. They are primarily terrestrial and are nervous creatures that can be difficult to handle. Called milk snakes due to the fable that they milk cows, Honduran milk snakes, are secretive and powerful constrictors that can attain a length of up to four feet.
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