The Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli, better known as the Pueblan milk snake or the Campbell’s milk snake, is one of the many exotic snakes that have gained great popularity among hobbyists and reptile enthusiasts around the world. Wearing colorful contrasting bands of white, black, and red that complement their sleek, shiny look, Pueblan milk snakes are quite unique and a truly special creature.
Generally shy and non-poisonous, the Pueblan provides itself a level of protection against potential predators by mimicking the appearance of its poisonous cousin, the coral snake.
It has consistently been and continues to be a popular choice among herpes enthusiasts for several good reasons; Overall, it is a robust reptile with almost no inherited medical conditions that can manifest as the snake grows.
Keeping one as a pet is not too complicated or overly challenging compared to other reptile species. The Pueblan is truly a point of attraction and a conversation starter.
Learn more about Pueblan’s stunning Milk Snake and understand what it would take to raise one of these colorful, easy-to-carry creatures while giving it a good, healthy life under its care and roof.
Facts About Pueblan Milk Snakes
Pueblan milk snakes if given a little time and patience are very adaptable to new environments. They are easy to tame, making them perfect pets for hobbyists and future hobbyists. Originally from the equally exotic lands of Mexico, the Pueblan milk snake has been able to travel around the world, having reached the coasts everywhere and settling in its new adoptive countries.
The occurrence of Pueblan has been observed in a wide range of areas and habitats where it can adapt to different conditions. They have been seen as far north as southern Canada, throughout the continental United States, and as far as Central America.
Puebla residents have been found to enjoy a15 to 20-year lifespan under the right conditions and can thrive in various species and habitats in the wild. It is this adaptability that makes these snakes ideal pets because they can exist, tolerate, and adapt to a variety of conditions. Pueblan milk snakes have been seen in dense forests, vast grasslands, and even rocky mountains.
They are most commonly seen and found in places that are arid, dry, and experience little or no rain. The Pueblan is primarily adapted to exist in dry environments, but due to its highly adaptable feature, it is able to easily establish itself in new and unfamiliar environments with relative ease, given enough time to allow the Pueblan milk snake to become familiar and reclaim in its new home. equipped by its hobbyist.
- Pueblan milk snakes are non-venomous New World snakes that have striking patterns and are brightly colored.
- Pueblan milk snakes are shy but friendly snakes that are often mistaken for a much more dangerous aspect, like the coral snake. Its apparent similarity to its more dangerous and poisonous cousin sometimes has a bad reputation with Pueblan Milk Snake.
- The Pueblan milk snake will almost never attack or bite people unless it is under extreme pressure.
- This type does not pose a threat to humans and has, in fact, been a popular choice among hobbyists and experienced beginners. If handled correctly and with gentle kindness, the Pueblan milk snake will soon become accustomed to socializing and slowly warm up with its caregiver as it assimilates, processes, and experiences being with other people.
- The Pueblan milk snake is a kind of Kingsnake and both belong to the genus Lampropeltis. The name is apt due to its bright and well-defined scales. The Greek meaning of “Lampropeltis” is “shining shield”.
- There are currently 24 recognized milk snake subspecies and many have been classified and categorized separately for better identification.
- Due to captivity and breeding methods, these snakes are currently in various colors.
- Pueblan milk snake is capable of releasing a mild odor from its cloaca when stressed, or threatened.
Average Lifespan Of A Pueblan Milk Snake
Pueblan milk snakes have an average lifespan of 15 to 20 years or more! It is like raising a child or getting married. But if you’re only considering getting a Pueblan milk snake as a status symbol, then you should rethink your choices. As much as the Pueblan Milk Snake is a wonderful addition to your home with its natural elegance and exquisiteness, its care will also demand a lot of your commitment. The responsibilities you would have to carry include feeding them, cleaning up after them, looking after their upkeep, and understanding their behavior.
Do You Need A Licence To Keep Them As Pet?
Unlike poisonous snakes, you don’t need a license to keep a milk snake. In fact, the Pueblan milk snake is one of the most docile species of snakes that exist, unlike its cousin, the coral snake.
As a reminder, there is no federal law governing the private possession or ownership of exotic animals in the United States. You should pay attention not at the national level but at the local level, with your local and state laws and ordinances, to see what is allowed and what is not.
Regulations vary from city/state to state, with some banning or completely forbidding exotic or dangerous animals, while others simply require permits that establish requirements such as microchipping, an established relationship with a vet, and even insurance.
Some may also ask you to present evidence that you are acquiring the animal from a reputable breeder and that the snake was bred in captivity (rather than being captured in the wild), so acquire a license from the Office of Environment and Heritage can really help.
It’s also a good idea to check the rules on keeping pet snakes based on where they are: city, town, neighborhood, and even in the apartment building, if applicable. These are all reasonable precautions to be taken simply due to the fact that if you are ever found to be illegally keeping a pet, the discovery could have consequences such as fines or worse, confiscation of your pet.
You may not even be able to find a vet willing to provide medical attention to your Pueblan milk snake if found to be keeping it without the correct permissions. Permits may also be necessary to import, export, or travel with an exotic or naturally dangerous animal, especially in the UK or other parts of the world.
You should also be constantly updated on information related to local state laws at least once every six months. Regulations can change, and you don’t want to suddenly find yourself violating a law that was amended after thinking you had followed it a year ago.
If all this seems complicated and truly overwhelming, it must be remembered that you are bringing a potentially dangerous animal into a human community. One that can definitely eat anyone alive, so it’s best to be safe and follow the rules. As such, restrictions and limitations should be expected to ensure the safety of any person involved.
It should also be noted as a fact that the illegal trade in exotic animals has been an immensely profitable business for illegal breeders and importers. If you care about these animals, you should not support activities that promote their illegal capture from the wild or the breeding and transportation of these animals in inappropriate and ruthless conditions.
As mentioned above, like most snakes, Pueblan milk snakes are still carnivorous and can be agitated when handled carelessly. One must know how to approach your pet and respect the space of them. You have to keep in mind that your scaly friend has moods; Like any living creature, they can become hostile with enough provocation. It’s like having a roommate: be careful not to do anything to make them feel threatened and remember to give them some space. Respect them, and everything will be fine.
How Many Pueblan Milk Snakes Should You Keep?
Pueblan milk snakes tend to grow rapidly and will occupy a larger area in the vivarium sooner than later. They grow to an average length of 16 “-47” in a matter of a few months, so if you are thinking of housing 2 or more milk snakes, think ahead and buy or make one that allows two milk snakes enough room that they can claim for themselves.
Plan ahead and decide how many of these adorable milk snakes you will receive. Preparing large enough habitats will set expectations and allow you to adjust measurements. This is to ensure that all Pueblan milk snakes can have enough space without overloading the vivarium.
In the wild, Pueblan milk snakes are ravenous eaters and will devour any unfortunate creature that crosses their path and is moderately smaller than they are in proportion. A milk snake can dominate prey by wrapping its entire length around the living prey that slowly constricts its body. The Pueblan milk snake will then slowly swallow the entire prey.
If you choose to take one or more of these snakes with bold designs, it is best to breed them at the same time. Milk snakes also tend to eat other snakes.
Pueblan Milk Snakes With Other Pets
By housing two or more reptiles in the same vivarium, you should ensure that they have done the proper research to determine which amphibians or reptiles get along with each other.
Keep in mind that they will share territory, so once again it is recommended that the keeper/hobbyist forecast not only which species will be housed together but also their average size and length of adults.
Costs Of Owning A Pueplan Milk Snake As A Pet
Price of Pueblan milk snakes and food supplies
An adult Pueblan milk snake would cost you around $150. Others sell hybrids or Pueblan milk snake with unique colors and shades that could cost more. If you buy from backyard breeders, they would generally cost you a much lower price, hovering around $70 or more.
Your Pueblan milk snake will eat mice weekly, so be prepared to spend your pet’s food monthly. On average, an adult snake eats 4 to 5 adult mice per month. You may prefer to shop at local pet stores, which may cost you more but are convenient. Doing so can cost you around $15 a month.
Cage materials you will need
- Glass aquarium
- Under the tank heater (UTH)
- Lamp settings
- Bedding or substrate
- Supplies / Furniture
For glass aquariums, you should choose to buy your Pueblan milk snakes a bigger tank so you don’t have to replace the tank when your baby populates grows up. You can get a glass aquarium enough to house adult Pueblan milk snakes; It also uses a screen to seal the top. You should consider getting at least a 20 gallon or longer aquarium. You should also buy a heater under the tank to control the temperature inside the aquarium so that your snake is comfortable. It will cost you around $25 to $30, depending on the brand and price.
The lamp setup also serves as a heater for your snake, this setup will cost you at least $50- $75. You will have to change the bulbs frequently as they may go out after a while so expect to spend a little more.
For the substrate, many Pueblan milk snake keepers recommend using aspen shavings as bedding for their snake tank. A 24-quart bag of poplar shavings will set you back around $21.
Other materials and furniture like the water bowl, branches, rocks, and more will cost you around $25 to $ 50. This will give your snake some hiding places to help it feel more secure in its home.
Veterinary costs
Your Pueblan milk snake won’t need many visits to the vet; however, you should still take it to the vet for a checkup from time to time. Having them check out a Pueblan milk snake can cost you around $75 or more. Even if the Pueblan milk snake is not poisonous, paying the medical cost of a snake bite is not cheap.
While Pueblan milk snakes are generally docile, you still need to consider the risk that you or someone else will be agitating it; Of course, prevention is always better, but save cash in case something happens.
Pros And Cons Of Keeping Pueblan Milk Snakes
Each breed of snake is different. While keeping a Pueblan Milk Snake is a good experience, it may not be for everyone. One must carefully evaluate the pros and cons of keeping a snake, and the particular breed of snake they want to keep.
Pros
- Docile and easy to tame, generally healthy and friendly
- Rarely bites, safe near children if adequately supervised
- Easy and simple to care for compared to other snake species
- Size is manageable
- Relatively cheap to buy and not expensive to feed. Also available
- Unlikely to get sick with the right care
- Can be tamer if socialized properly or get used to being managed
- Can live between 15 and 22 years!
Cons
- Can be quite shy and inactive, mainly just by observation.
- It is not as receptive to humans as other animals generally kept as pets.
- They can live up to 20 years, so they can be difficult to relocate.
- Many people fear snakes, so be prepared for guests who do not respond positively to your pet.
Feeding Your Pueblan Milk Snake
Pueblan Milk Snake is an enthusiastic eater as experienced hobbyists and breeders have noted. Studies on the eating habits of the Pueblan milk snake have suggested that multicolored Pueblan snakes are general diners and can gobble up anything that can fit in their mouths.
Young Pueblan milk snakes in the wild choose to hunt and eat small invertebrates such as snails, crabs, lobsters, clams, octopuses, sea urchins, starfish, worms, and jellyfish, while the adult snakes can dine on lizards and baby birds.
Feeding Guidelines
Pueblan’s milk snakes are carnivorous and will hunt in the wild for invertebrates, bird eggs, or small lizards, such as five-line skinks.
Since your Pueblan milk snake will depend heavily on its breeder for its livelihood, it will not require live food to hunt and eat. When in captivity, giving Pueblan milk snake live food to chase could result in a major disaster, and the snake could be injured by a live animal defending itself from prey.
Juvenile Pueblan snakes can receive pinkie mice at first, and can then switch to hoppers, fluff, and eventually adult mice. Give your snake a moderately sized mouse, roughly measured to the size of the thickest part of the snake.
Juvenile Pueblan snake at this stage grows a little rapidly and eats every 3 to 5 days. As the snakes’ ages, they will need a properly sized mouse every 7 to 10 days.
You will want to research foods that you can feed your PMS; however, feeding your PMS with frozen and/or thawed mice and chickens will be your best option for feeding your snake. You will want to find out from the breeder how they feed the snake while they are with them, as this will give you a better idea of how to continue feeding it when PMS goes home with you.
Refrain from handling the snake for a period of 24 hours after it has fed. Time, observation, and experience have taught PMS owners that the stress of handling the snake can cause it to regurgitate its food, creating an unpleasant situation for both the snake and the owner.
Feeding Schedule
Feed your baby and juvenile Pueblan Milk Snake every 3 to 5 days. As the snake matures, you will need a moderately sized mouse or chick every 7 to 10 days.
Given this diet and the favorable conditions for milk snakes, Pueblan will grow rapidly. They will only stop eating for short periods of time just before or immediately after a molt, this is when the milk snake sheds its old skin as its body prepares and gives way to shiny new skin and shiny scales.
Pre-killed vs. Live
Many people who own snakes insist that their pets need the thrill of hunting and catching live prey, such as mice and rats. This is definitely not true. Physical and mental stimulation comes from the general environment you create for your Pueblan milk snake, and not from trying to catch live prey in a small space.
Feeding your Pueblan milk snake pre-killed prey is recommended for several reasons.
Consider the following:
- Live prey may be too active for your baby Pueblan milk snake
- Attacks from live prey can scar and permanently disfigure your snake
- There is a good chance that a live prey can attack your Pueblan milk snake, resulting in fear of it, and it can be very difficult to get that snake to feed it.
- Live prey can defend itself while feeding your snake, causing injuries such as biting the snake’s mouth area, cutting through the health of its tongue, and piercing its eyes.
Therefore, feeding your snake with pre-killed prey is safer and will leave out the possibility that the prey may bite and gnaw at your snake. The type of prey you are feeding your Pueblan milk snake will determine the severity of an attack it can cause.
If you want to feed your Pueblan milk snake as live prey, it is recommended that you provide a food source for the prey so that it does not attempt to eat it. You should watch it closely for any signs that it may be gnawing or biting your snake. If this ever happens, remove the prey immediately and take your Pueblan milk snake to the vet.
Remember, threats that a live prey animal can be completely eliminated simply by feeding pre-killed prey. Pre-killed prey can be bought alive and then you can kill it or you can buy it already killed. You can freeze pre-killed prey for up to six months. Just be sure to defrost it completely and warm it slightly above room temperature before feeding it to your Pueblan milk snake.