Black Milksnake

Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae

General Description The black milksnake, known to taxonomists as Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae, is a unique and impressive colubrid. They are both rare enough to pique the interest of experienced keepers, and hardy enough to make excellent pets for beginners. Black milksnakes are native to the high altitude cloud forests of eastern Costa Rica and western Panama. They start their lives with a red/black/white or red/black/yellow tricolor banded pattern common to many snakes of the genus Lampropeltis. Over the first two years of their lives, their scales become increasingly tipped or flecked with black, until the white and red bands are completely obscured. Black milks are the only milksnake subspecies to undergo this dramatic ontogenetic color change. Their black scales are highly iridescent, especially when viewed in sunlight. Adult black milks are typically 5 to 6 feet in length, with some specimens, such as the one at the San Antonio Zoo, measuring over 7 feet in length.

Housing Black milksnakes can be housed in glass aquariums, or plastic containers such as Sterilite or Rubbermaid storage boxes. All snakes of the genus Lampropeltis are ophiophagous (snake-eating) to some degree, so it is best to house them separately. The most important feature of any cage is a secure lid that provides adequate ventilation. Black milks are very strong, and capable of escaping from any cage that is not completely secured. If you choose an aquarium, get a screen cover (1/4 mesh or smaller) that can be fastened with clips, or a sliding screen top that latches. If you choose a plastic storage box, look for one that has built-in clips or latches to hold the cover on. You should also drill several holes (3/16 to 1/4 diameter) into the sides and/or top of the box for ventilation. Be sure to remove any sharp burrs from the edges of the holes. In addition to clips and latches, its also a good idea to use something heavy to hold the cover down, such as bricks placed on either end of the cages cover. Size is an important consideration as well. Black milksnakes dont need a lot of room for climbing, so longer, wider cages are preferable to tall ones. A 10 gallon aquarium (20x10) or similarly sized plastic container is suitable for young black milksnakes smaller than 3 feet in length. For an adult, at least a 30 gallon breeder (36x18) aquarium or similarly sized plastic container is recommended. The floor of the container should be lined with some kind of substrate. Cypress mulch, bark chips, or shredded aspen bedding are all good choices because they retain moisture and allow the snake to burrow. Newspaper or paper towels are also acceptable. Sand, gravel, or products made from pine or cedar are not recommended because they can cause health problems. Coconut husk products such as Bed-A-Beast are marketed as reptile substrate, but can absorb too much moisture and dry a snakes skin out, possibly leading to shedding problems. The cage should also include at least two hiding places, one on either end. A clay saucer makes an excellent cave, if you break a hole in one side and file down the sharp edges. Caves made out of driftwood, thick bark, or hollow logs are also suitable, but may be more difficult to clean if they become soiled. A few rocks should also be placed in the cage, so the snake has something to rub against when its shedding. Black milksnakes come from a high altitude environment, where it is typically 65F-75F year round. Because of this, black milksnakes dont need as much supplemental heat as most reptiles commonly kept as pets, and adults will be perfectly fine in an unheated cage. For younger snakes, a small heating pad or lamp may be provided on one side of the cage, but it should get no warmer than 85F, and the unheated side of the cage should get no warmer than 75F. If the cage is too warm, the snake may soak in its water dish for extended periods of time, or become restless or aggressive. No special lighting is required, but may be desirable for viewing purposes.

Food and Water Young black milksnakes should be fed 2 or 3 appropriately sized (just large enough to leave a visible lump in the snakes midsection) food items per week. Hatchlings will readily consume fuzzy mice, and will be big enough to take hopper mice or pinkie rats within a year. Black milks have voracious appetites and are especially prone to obesity, so be careful to not overfeed. As they mature, 1 or 2 feedings per week are sufficient. Snakes should be fed in a separate, empty container so that they do not ingest substrate or directly associate the opening of their cage with feeding. It is also a good idea to use tongs with rounded edges to feed your snake, both for your safety and theirs. Black milksnakes have an extremely strong feeding response and very poor aim, so they may snap at your fingers if you attempt to feed them out of your hand. Care should also be taken when removing them from their feeding enclosure, especially if there is any rodent scent on your hand. Fresh water in a shallow plastic or ceramic dish should be available at all times, both for drinking and to provide humidity via evaporation. Black milksnakes will occasionally soak to cool off or to ease shedding, so the water bowl should be large enough for the snake to submerge most of its body. Excessive soaking may be a sign of overheating, stress, or external parasites. Breeding Black milksnakes are very easy to breed. Most snake species require a period of brumation (similar to hibernation) in the winter to stimulate breeding in the spring. However, since temperatures remain constant in the high altitude cloud forests to which black milks are native, and the days and nights are always about the same length near the equator, black milks require no brumation for breeding. They do, however, take more time to mature than other milksnake subspecies; black milks should not be bred until they are 3-4 years old and 4-5 feet in length. When they are sexually mature, black milk males will often stop eating and become restless in the spring, and females will noticeably swell with unfertilized eggs. This usually occurs between April and May. The female will lay eggs 1-2 weeks after her postlay shed, and they should be incubated at 78F-82F. Hatching occurs in 70 to 80 days. It should be noted that due to the strict animal export laws of Costa Rica and Panama, most of the captive population of black milks in the U.S. comes from a small group (about 20-30) of specimens imported in the 1980s. Inbreeding, especially in successive generations, should be avoided. My breeders are an unrelated pair produced in 2002 by Steve Emerick of Napa Valley Snakes. The male is descended from the record-holding specimen at the San Antonio Zoo, and the female is from the Mark Bell line. Contact Nate Godin - nategodin@yahoo.com