Snakes That Don't need Heating

I was wondering what snakes (if any) don't require any heating to do well? I don't want a hot snake, I know most vipers don't need heating. I was thinking a rat snake maybe?

Well, that depends on the temp in the room. If ambient is 85F, lots of snakes wouldn't need supplemental heat. If 60F, most would. Heck, if you run your room on the warm side, some would benefit from cooling (and many do need winter cooling to breed).

Even those that are often kept at 'room temp' can benefit from opportunities to thermoregulate, even a couple degrees. I give my black milks a 75F hot spot, simply for choice, and they do use it occasionally.

Since providing heat to a snake is so cheap, and so simple, I'd not recommend that this be any part of a choice of which snake to keep. There are literally scores of more important criteria.

Originally Posted by Socratic Monologue

Well, that depends on the temp in the room. If ambient is 85F, lots of snakes wouldn't need supplemental heat. If 60F, most would. Heck, if you run your room on the warm side, some would benefit from cooling (and many do need winter cooling to breed).

Even those that are often kept at 'room temp' can benefit from opportunities to thermoregulate, even a couple degrees. I give my black milks a 75F hot spot, simply for choice, and they do use it occasionally.

Since providing heat to a snake is so cheap, and so simple, I'd not recommend that this be any part of a choice of which snake to keep. There are literally scores of more important criteria.

at 72-75 degrees room temperature. By the way, not all black milk snakes are black, right? I want one with the red black and white stripes, kind of like a coral snake. (yes I know they are in a different order).

The black milk snake (which matures to solid black) is Lampropeltis micropholis. All other species in the former Lampropeltis triangulum complex are tricolors.

Originally Posted by Socratic Monologue

The black milk snake (which matures to solid black) is Lampropeltis micropholis. All other species in the former Lampropeltis triangulum complex are tricolors.

oh. I was asking because when i google "black milk snake" the first picture is of
a tricolor one.

Black milksnakes hatch out as tricolor and mature to solid black.

Originally Posted by Socratic Monologue

The black milk snake (which matures to solid black) is Lampropeltis micropholis. All other species in the former Lampropeltis triangulum complex are tricolors.

does Lampropeltis micropholis need any heating?

I give mine a 75F hot spot. Some folks run them a little cooler.

Originally Posted by Socratic Monologue

The black milk snake (which matures to solid black) is Lampropeltis micropholis. All other species in the former Lampropeltis triangulum complex are tricolors.

I believe you are thinking of Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae which is the Black Milksnake. Lampropeltis micropholis is the Andean (or Ecuadorian) Milksnake that gets darker, but not solid black like gaigeae.

More snakes that don't require supplemental heating:

Rhino Ratsnakes
Rein Snakes
Sumatran Short Tails (perfectly happy in the high 70's low 80's)
Russian Ratsnakes

Originally Posted by terrylove

I believe you are thinking of Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae which is the Black Milksnake. Lampropeltis micropholis is the Andean (or Ecuadorian) Milksnake that gets darker, but not solid black like gaigeae.

More snakes that don't require supplemental heating:

Rhino Ratsnakes
Rein Snakes
Sumatran Short Tails (perfectly happy in the high 70's low 80's)
Russian Ratsnakes

I was thinking a rein snake, i think that they look really nice in blue.
The only thing is, i don't know where I could find one? They are also rare snakes, so there are no care sheets on them. Is there a specific place you know of that sells them?

As for milksnakes, why do some milk snakes of the same species (unless they were wrongly listed as the same species) have the three bands that are blurred? I don't really like the look of that, I would like one that has the three colors bright and seperate. (sorry if I'm being picky)
For example:
This:



not this:



I don't know if it varies snake to snake, or if they are different species labeled as the same.

Thanks for you guys' help!