CareSheets
Milksnake and Kingsnake care:
Milksnakes and Kingsnakes can be kept in the same
husbandry conditions. An enclosure the size of a ten
gallon will suffice for one baby snake and a twenty
long will be perfect for one adult snake. Milksnakes
and Kingsnakes are excellant escape artist so please
be sure to have a very sturdy and secure top for your
enclosure. I do not reccommend housing kingsnakes and
milksnakes together. The only time this should be
considered is during breeding, but keep a close eye on
your the two snakes when they are place together.
A thin layer of aspen or just a few sheets of
newspaper makes a good substrate. A hide box should be
used in the form of either a half log, cork tube, or
small cardboard box with a hole cut into the side of
it. Other cage furnishings can include a log for
climbing or a cork flat. Both of these will help aid
in the shedding process also.
Fresh water should be accessible to the snake at
all times. A sturdy crock-style water bowl should be
used to help deter tipping by the snake. Your snake
will soak in the water bowl periodically to aid in
shedding.
The ambient temperature of the enclosure should be
around seventy five degrees with a basking spot of
eigthy-eight degrees Fahrenheit. Kingsnakes and
milksnakes will move from one side of their enclosure
to the other to help regulate there bodies
temperature. Placing a heat lamp on one side with the
proper bulb wattage should give your snake a good
basking spot. Another method is to put a heat pad that
is controlled by either a rheostat or a thermostat
under one side of the tank. Set it to where the floor
over the heat pad is at or near the upper eighties for
a optimal basking spot for the snake.
Feeding is usually not a problem with these
snakes. Proper food size is usually the only problem.
Baby and juevinile snakes should be fed pinkie. Medium
to large adults can be kept on small to large mice.