The vast majority keepers opt to house their king snakes or milk snakes individually, only introducing them together for mating. Milk snakes and king snakes may actually attempt to eat a cage mate that is smaller than they are. Generally, king snakes and milk snakes are best housed alone. If your pet king snake or milk snake is not getting this via ambient room lighting or lighting from a window, consider adding a light on a timer. King snakes and milk snakes do require a regular day/night cycle. Therefore, lighting is often not needed for your pet king snake or milk snake. King snakes and milk snakes typically are not very active during the day, and are mostly nocturnal. Temperatures should be carefully monitored in your pet king snake or milk snake’s enclosure. Many such products exist on the market for this purpose, including temp guns and digital thermometers. If the temperature is too low, a night time heat bulb can be use to raise the temperature.Īll temperatures should be routinely monitored to insure your pet king snake or milk snake is getting the heat it needs. Not only will the thermostat make sure your critter is getting warm enough – it’ll ensure it doesn’t get too hot in case of an equipment malfunction.Īt night, the temperature can drop into the high 60s without issue. There are several varieties of heating pads available for king and milk snakes – I find Exo Terra’s Heat Mat provides the ideal temperature for your pet king snake or milk snake. Heating equipment should always be used in conjunction with a thermostat. Aim for a basking spot of approximately 85-90F, and a cool end in the high 70s/low 80s. Temperatures for king snakes and milk snakes are quite easy to maintain with a heating pad. Spot clean your chosen reptile substrate every day, and replace it every 1-2 months or more often if necessary.Īspen Bedding is a good substrate choice for king snakes or milk snakes. Personally, I prefer to keep king snakes and milk snakes on aspen bedding or a recycled paper bedding. Some keepers even prefer to use newspaper. Acceptable substrates run the gamut from reptile bark to reptile carpet. Opinions about king snake and milk snake substrates vary widely. Josh’s Frogs offers many care kits that make caring for your kingsnake or milksnake easy.Įxo Terra Glass Terrariums are suitable for smaller king snakes or milk snakes. After your pet king snake or milk snake is longer than that, a 40B (36”x18”) aquarium would work well. A standard 20L glass aquarium (30”x12”) will work well for a young king snake or milk snake, up to about 36″. If a standard aquarium is used, make sure to use an appropriately sized screen top. Standard glass aquariums or Exo Terra Glass Terrariums work well for young corn snakes. Most importantly, you want the enclosure to be secure, as snakes are excellent escape artists. Basically, you want an enclosure that retains heat well, does not hold in humidity, and allows for easy viewing of and access to your pet king snake or milk snake. When it comes to selecting an enclosure, king snakes and milk snakes are not too picky. Milk snakes tend to be slightly smaller, but very similar in size.Ĭaptive life span of king or milk snakes is typically approximately 10-15 years, although records exist of king snakes surviving in captivity for over 20 years. Typically, a male is a good 1-1.5 feet shorter than a female.
Through most of North and Central America, and into Northern South AmericaĪ large adult female king snake may be up to 6 feet in length. This is probably due to their prevalence in barns, due to a higher presence of rodents there.Ĭolubridae Lampropeltis sp. There is an old wive’s tale that claims Milk Snakes would such milk from dairy cows, hence their common name. King snakes are called this because of their habit of eating other snakes in the wild.
King snakes are typically referred to as such in the hobby. Pet stores, reptile shows, and private breeders are all great places to purchase a king snake or milk snake as a pet. King Snakes and Milk Snakes are commonly available as healthy, captive bred animals from a variety of sources. King snakes and Milk snakes are widely available and make great pets.
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