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Michael1

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Well my cousin came and brought the snake, it's 2 1/2 - 3 years old and about it looks very very similer to the Red Milk exept it has bands not bloches (it has a few bloches though) He says not to put the heat lamp on (it's really a ceramic heat bulb thing) because it's hot enough around here, but to put it on in the fall and spring (winter if you don't want it to hibernate). I really don't belive him on this, should I turn it on(theres no way to make sure it gets to hot or to cold it's just the lamp nothing to controll it) He feeds it 2 pinkys a week. I made 2 mistake's handling it right away when it got here (should of let it rest and get used to it) and he fed it this morning and i handled it :(
My question is. Should i change anything (especialy the heat)?
Thanks for reading
 
Congratulations on your first snake

Hi, just a warning. Don't use any heating device without a good quality thermostat. When I use any new heating technique I set it up for a day or two B4 I put the animal in. This way I know I'm not going to cook or let the animal get to cold
I'm not familiar enough with Milksnakes to give you advice but I'm sure someone will stop by and help out. Please give the temps you are keeping him @ now because the person helping you will need to know this info.
Sorry I couldn't help more, Rob:(
 
The important thing is the temperature inside the cage. This can vary from the room or outside temperature either way.
Try to provide a temperature on one end in the mid 70s and on the other end in the low to mid 80s.
I do prefer under tank heating, but a ceramic bulb is adequate as well as long as it maintains the needed temperature.

As far as feeding it during winter it's an either or situation, not a reduction of food. You either cool him for 8 weeks or so and don't feed him at all, or you keep him at normal temperatures and feed him normally.
Unless you are planning on attempting to breed him there is no requirement that he be cooled, so you can just keep everything the same through the winter.

A word on the thermostat you placed a link to. For that money you can order a ZooMed Repti Temp 500R, a model which I use in many applications and prefer greatly over the ESU model.
The best price I have found online is at Reptile Direct.
http://www.reptiledirect.com/product.asp?0=223&1=301&3=112
 
Clay Davenport, do you have milk snakes? cause you seem to know alot:)
Oh I think i'll try using the ceramic heat bulb thing, but I'm really worried it'll cook him, so I want to test it, but I would have no place to put him (or her :D ) in when i test it.
Iam in a big slump :(
 
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I have milksnakes, but their care is pretty much the same as for many North American colubrids. I keep all my corns, kings, and milks identically.

Just watch the cage closely when testing the heater so as not to let the temperature get too far out of range until you get the thermostat set properly.
And at the temps you mentioned, he will be just fine for a few days until you get a thermostat.
 
It probably only takes an hour or so for the heating thingy to warm up all the way, you could buy one of those cute little rubbermaid things with the handles to put him in in the meantime. They're only three bucks and great if you need to take a snake to the vet. You gotta drill/solder some airholes in it first, though. It's better than cooking him, at any rate.

Erin B.
 
Hi,
I'm glad you like the snake I can still remember my first snake.
I just had a few questions... what are you feeding the snake on? If you feed it on substrate with f/t pinks you could risk the snake getting the substrate in the snake's stomach and killing him, this is easily fixed if you put him in a rubbermaid container, I guess that you bought, and feed him there.
If you just have the carpet flooring in his cage just be carefull of any potentially harmfull objects.
Best of luck with your first snake!! :D
Charlene Dourty
 
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