Snakes are intriguing pets. Although they may not be as cuddly as puppies, milk snakes are intelligent, curious, and friendly companions. If you’re considering adopting a Stuart’s milk snake, what do you need to know?
Stuart’s milk snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum stuarti) are gregarious and active snakes, perfect for keeping as a pet. Their care and feeding are simple, even for first-time snake owners.
This article provides everything you need to know to ensure your Stuart’s milk snake is happy, healthy, and given the care and attention it needs. Let’s get started!
Stuart’s Milk Snake 101: Care Guide, Temperament, and Other Must-Know Facts
Lampropeltis traingulum stuarti or Stuart’s milk snakes are part of the vast milk snake family.
Here’s what you need to know about caring for one as a pet:
Appearance
Stuart’s milk snakes are primarily nocturnal and grow to between 38 and 64 inches (96.5-162.5 cm), making them one of the largest milk snakes. Stuart’s milk snakes are stout, with black noses, and the females are generally larger than their male counterparts.
Red, black, and white bands cover the snake’s body, and each serpent has:
- 21 rows of dorsal scales
- 219 to 242 rows of ventral scales
- 49 to 59 rows of subcaudal scales
- 8 to 11 rows of infra labial scales
- 7 to 8 rows of supra labial scales
- 1 anal plate
Caring for Stuart’s Milk Snakes
Stuart’s milk snakes thrive as pets, and require minimal care. However, you’ll need to set up a comfortable environment that reflects their native habitat and ensure you give your snake the appropriate food, water, and care.
Housing
Stuart’s milk snakes originate from El Salvador, Honduras, Northwestern Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. Their natural habitat consists of hot, arid forests and coastal plains.
Stuart’s milk snakes do best in a dual-temperature terrarium. Keep half the cage at 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) and the other at 78 degrees Fahrenheit (25.6 degrees Celsius).
The 78-degree (25.6 degrees Celsius) side requires no heating element, but the warmer side needs under-tank heat mats and infrared ceramic heat emitters to keep it sufficiently warm.
Both the warm and cool sides require shelter. Any enclosure suffices, but hiding spots are essential for a Stuart’s milk snake’s well-being. The shelters should only be large enough for your snake to curl up inside.
Stuart’s milk snakes need medium-sized vivariums. The general rule for selecting an appropriate home is that you need one square foot (0.09 sq m) of foundation for each foot (30.5 cm) of a snake’s length. The height should be one-third of its length.
Fill your Stuart’s milk snake’s enclosure with any of the following substrates:
- Aspen shavings
- Astroturf
- Newspaper
- Artificial grass
- Beech chippings
- Coco bark
- Orchid bark
Milk snakes enjoy climbing, a process that helps them to shed their skin. Add wild, foraged twigs to your pet’s environment cautiously because some branches have elements poisonous to snakes.
You can prepare the branches by:
- Debugging the branch with a chlorine and water solution.
- Rinsing the chlorine solution with plain water.
- Soaking the branch in fresh water.
- Drying the branch in the sun.
Feeding
Pet Stuart’s milk snakes happily survive on a diet of frozen mice and rats. When they’re freshly hatched, the baby snakes need one pinky mouse every five to six days. A mature snake eats a full adult mouse every seven to ten days.
Mice should always be frozen and then thawed to room temperature. Live rodents may bite or hurt a snake and carry diseases and infections that can pass onto a hungry snake.
Avoid handling a Stuart’s milk snake immediately after a meal because the movements and pressure can cause them to vomit.
Provide your snake with plenty of clean water daily, and use a heavy bowl. Milk snakes often tip over lightweight dishes, losing life-giving fluids and ruining their substrates. Additionally, the vessel must be large enough for a milk snake to soak its full girth.
Stuart’s milk snakes may use the water bowl as a bathroom, and if you notice waste in their dish, replace the water immediately.
Stuart’s Milk Snake Temperament
Stuart’s milk snakes are relaxed and likable snakes. They’re intelligent and don’t mind being handled. However, they may nip. You can reduce the likelihood of nipping or biting by handling them often and for short periods.
An unhappy milk snake releases a musk to express its displeasure. The musk is an unpleasantly-smelling substance that tells you to put the snake down.
Stuart’s milk snakes are curious and have plenty of energy. Allowing them to explore the world outside their vivarium satisfies their naturally inquisitive temperaments.
Stuart’s Milk Snake Health
Stuarts Milk Snakes are easy to care for and make great pets. There are, however, certain risks to be wary of.
They’re prone to developing mites, tiny black bugs that feed off their blood. Monitor your pet’s eyes, scales, and mouth because mites often set up shop in these areas, and can negatively impact your snake’s appetite and cause lethargy.
Insufficiently maintained vivariums can cause respiratory infections in a Stuart’s milk snake, and make breathing difficult. If you notice strange nasal discharge or labored breathing, your milk snake probably has a respiratory infection, in which case you should rectify the poor cage conditions.
If the condition worsens, take your snake to a vet.
The greatest threat to milk snakes is other milk snakes because they’re a cannibalistic species and will eat each other, so keep them separated.
Conclusion
Stuart’s milk snakes make excellent pets, and their good nature and curiosity make them engaging and pleasant companions.
Caring for Stuart’s milk snakes is simple. The information in this article helps ensure your pet enjoys a happy and healthy life.
