For best results, use a Solarmeter 6.5 to determine the best placement to achieve a UVI of 2.0-3.0 in the basking area.) (These recommendations are approximations based on available data. Use an Arcadia ProT5 or Vivarium Electronics fixture for best results. The basking branch or platform should be placed according to the following, with distance being measured between the UVB lamp and the height of the snake when on the basking surface. To provide appropriate UVB for a milksnake, you will need a Zoo Med T5 HO Reptisun 5.0 or Arcadia T5 HO Forest 6% bulb, long enough to span half of the enclosure and placed on the warm side of the enclosure, preferably not obstructed by mesh. UVB lighting can be tricky, because in order to get the right strength of UVB (UV Index, or UVI), distance and potential mesh obstruction must be considered. So although milksnakes can technically survive without UVB, we strongly recommend providing it in order to promote optimum welfare in captivity. UVB lighting has been proven to be beneficial to snakes’ health. Milksnakes are primarily active at night, so they don’t need much in the way of bright lighting. I’ve found that the easiest way to accomplish this is with a smart power strip like the Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip, but you can also do this with something simpler like a programmable digital power strip. So it’s safest to house only one milksnake per enclosure.īased on data from milksnakes’ native range, lights should be on for 15 hours/day during summer and 9 hours/day during winter, with gradual adjustments in-between. In fact, like kingsnakes, milksnakes are known to be ophiophagus (snake-eaters). Milksnakes are not social animals, and there is no significant benefit to the animal that would justify keeping two or more in the same enclosure. Custom Reptile Habitats Essential 6 Foot PVC & Aluminum EnclosureĬan multiple milksnakes be housed together?.Zen Habitats 4’x2’x2′ PVC Panel Reptile Enclosure.Custom Reptile Habitats 4 Foot Reptile Enclosure.Repti Zoo 36″ x 18″ x 18″ Reptile Terrarium.Carolina Custom Cages Large 36″ x 18″ x 18″.Exo Terra 36″ x 18″ x 18″ All-Glass Terrarium.Custom Reptile Habitats 3 Foot Reptile Enclosure.Here are some enclosures that ReptiFiles recommends for housing milksnakes, based on the snake’s expected adult length: Bigger is always better! In fact, bigger is going to be required for milksnake species known to grow larger than 48″ / 122cm long. Snake length x half snake length x half snake length = length x width x heightĪt ReptiFiles, using a larger enclosure than the minimum is always strongly recommended. This is based on the formula for calculating a snake’s minimum space needs: The majority of milksnakes are 48″ / 122cm long or smaller, which means that the minimum enclosure size for one average milksnake is going to be 48”L x 24”W x 24”H. Environmental enrichment items (pick at least 3).Black box hide (small enough to provide a tight squeeze).24″ Arcadia ProT5 OR Vivarium Electronics T5 HO fixture.22″ Arcadia Forest 6% OR Zoo Med T5 HO Reptisun 5.0 UVB bulb.Zoo Med Digital Combo Thermometer Humidity Gauge.Lutron Credenza plug-in lamp dimmer, x2.Zoo Med Combo Deep Dome Dual Lamp Fixture.48”L x 24”W x 24”H reptile enclosure, front-opening.Some of the links in this care sheet are paid links - if you’d like to know why ReptiFiles uses paid links, visit this page.
These are products I personally recommend for setting up a functional generic milksnake enclosure. With good care, milksnakes can live 20 years or more. They’re manageably-sized, fairly hardy, and generally tolerate human interaction well, which makes them good pets for people who are new to snakes. Due to their extremely wide range, they have adapted to a wide variety of habitats, including forests/woodland, rocky hillsides, swamps, prairie, farmland, and sand dunes.ĭue to their vivid coloring, milksnakes are among the most popular pet snakes in the United States. This species is primarily native to the United States, although they are present in some parts of southern Canada. Here is a compilation of average milksnake lengths by subspecies, sourced from Kingsnakes and Milk Snakes by Ronald G. Other colors and patterns are available in captivity due to selective breeding (“morphs”). Sometimes they are mistaken for venomous coral snakes. Exact color and pattern varies by subspecies: many are banded with some combination of red/orange, black, and white/yellow but some have a red/orange/brown saddle pattern with dark edges on a gray to cream base. Milksnakes can be identified by smooth scales, no differentiation between the head and neck, a small rounded head, and moderately slender body.
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