Breeding Honduran Milk Snakes?

Question

Has anyone ever bred Honduran milk snakes or any other milk snake??? Just let me know. I'm looking for help with mine because I wasn't prepared for them to couple because I didn't hybernate them...they did it anyway. I need some fast help. Thanks

Answer 1

Breeding:

Breeding in captivity is achieved in the same manner as with most colubrids using the following as a guideline. Towards the middle of October cease feeding totally, allowing at least 2 -3 weeks at normal temperature for clearing of the gut. Then gradually reduce the ambient tempeture inside the cage to the middle 50's/low 60's and maintain for a period of 3 months. Be sure and provide clean water and systematically check animals for general condition and welfare during this period. middle of the brumation cycle with good success. After brumation and the animals are brought back up to optimum temperature of 76 - 82 degrees, feeding should resume for approx. three weeks and the pair should be placed together under supervision for short periods of time until copulation can be confirmed. An egg laying chamber/box partially filled with damp vermiculite or sphagnum moss is helpful. Eggs should be removed immediately after laying and placed in damp vermiculite for the incubation period of 58 - 66 days at temperatures of 80 - 83 degrees.

Answer 2

the same thing happened to me with a pair of blood pythons...i tried not to breed them but they were housed together and they had other plans...when it gets close to time for your snake to lay eggs you will want to put a humidity box in the snake tank for the female to lay her eggs.  (just any plastic box large enough for the snake to get in very comfortabally filled with beaked moss that is misted lightly.  you will need to get an incubator...i used an incubator that is used for chicken eggs.  snake eggs do not need to be turned once they are laid so you dont need to get an egg turner.  once the eggs are laid you will need to get a plastic tub large enough to put all the eggs in.  for the blood python eggs i put a layer of beaked moss in the plastic container and sprayed it down a bit and then put the eggs in that.  then i put the lid to the plastic container on top (two tiny holes drilled in the plastic top) then put that in the incubator.  i sprayed the eggs very lightly every day or every other day.  you will need to find out what temp to keep the incubator at and all that good stuff.  if you have a locally owned pet shop in your area they can be a great help.  out of 12 eggs i had 10 successful babies (11 eggs actually hatched but one of the babies had an enlarged heart and i had to have it euthanized)

good luck!!

Answer 3

you can breed them i have one and i breed her all the time

Answer 4

Okay, so you already saw them mating? Hibernation triggers a stronger breeding response and increases fertility of a male's sperm, but as you noticed, isn't always necessary (although the male's sperm may not be as potent, giving you less fertile eggs). Well, it should take around 2 to 2 1/2 months before she lays. She'll shed 7 to 10 days before she lays, so I use this as a cue to place a nest box in there and take out her water bowl (sometimes they lay their eggs in the water bowl, which kills the eggs). I cut a hole in the lid of a small tupperware container and fill it halfway with moist spaghnum moss which I buy from Home Depot. She'll get very active a day or two before laying and move all over and start digging in the nest box.

I have found all of my kingsnakes and milksnakes lay their eggs during the day. I'll remove the eggs as soon as I see them and incubate them. You can get a Hovabator from http://lllreptile.com for $40. It's worth the investment, since you should get at least 6 to 10 eggs from your Hondo and they can go for $50 or more each. You can get vermiculite or perlite from Home Depot, or order a bag of Hatchrite from the above link, which is what I've been trying out lately with good results.

I keep the eggs in airtight containers filled halfway with your substrate of choice and bury the eggs halfway. If they're in a clump, don't try to separate them, just place the clump in a container and pile substrate around it without actually burying any of the eggs completely. Many people think you need air holes in the container, but this can give you humidity problems, as well as allow gnats or other bugs in the container. Opening the container weekly allows enough new air in there for the eggs to survive and keeps the eggs at a very high humidity.

Keep the eggs at 80 to 82 degrees and they'll hatch in 60 to 70 days. The babies will pip (cut) the eggs and peek out, and take a day or two to actually come out. Don't try to pull them out before they're ready.

The babies will shed at about a week of age and that's when you can offer them a pinky mouse. Don't be discouraged if you have feeding problems early on. I have had some snakes that went 2 or 3 months before accepting their first meal.

Sorry for the long paragraphs! lol If I didn't answer all of your questions, feel free to e-mail me. Good luck!