Milksnakes

Question
hello i have two corn snakes and i am thinking about getting another one. i went to the pet store and saw this beautiful apricot pueblan milk snake. so i wanted to know if you think this is a good snake or not and are they easy to handle. also if you dont recommend this snake do you recommend any other type or milksnake. or any pretty and easy to handle snake at all

Answer
Hi Jay,

Milksnakes are beautiful to look at but personally i don't like them as a pet to handle. to begin with, a young milksnake is often aggressive, very skitty, and as soon as you pick them up they spray musk everywhere. this makes them a pain in the backside to tame and often very messy and smelly. once older though they can make good pets, but it requires a lot of effort on your part and time spent with the snake, trying to tame it down.

as far as milksnakes go, all types are pretty similar, although you can get individuals that are the exception that proves the rule.

a better snake i feel is the royal/ball python. these are incredibly friendly snakes and grow to a good length - roughly 4ft, but on average twice the girth of a corn snake. they are slow moving and usually docile from an early age - though exceptions again. only downside to these snakes is that they can go off their food easily and can be picky feeders.

i think that, if you are willing to put in the time and effort, and are willing to get bitten a little, along with getting smelly and messy sometimes, a milksnake would, in time make a great pet. some of the most beautiful snakes i have ever seen have been milksnakes - such as hypo tangerine Honduran milksnakes. i don't want to completely dissuade you - just give you a good idea of what you would be letting yourself in for if you were to choose a milksnake ; ).

i hope this helps,

Andy