Description:
Scientific name: Lampropeltis annulata
Life span: 15-20 years
A non-venomous species of milk snake is Lampropeltis annulata, also referred to as the Mexican milk snake. The Mexican milk snake is frequently referred to as a coral snake mimic because of its distinctive red, black, and cream or yellow colored banding. Localities show that creams are cleaner to the west, unclean to the east and north, and that these creams change yellow to orange as they move further south. According to the overhead banding, the underside of annulata is black and white striped, with southern locales having a higher concentration of black and northern locales having a higher proportion of white.
Native Region/Habitat
This lizard is indigenous to the hot, semi-arid regions of northeastern Mexico in the states of Coahuila, Tamaulipas, and Nuevo León, despite the fact that it can be found as far north as the United States in southern Texas.
Behavior:
Mexican milk snakes are more active in the cooler months of spring and fall and prefer to hide when the weather is hot. They frequently have nocturnal and crepuscular behaviors. Although they occasionally eat other snakes, they usually eat lizards and rodents. However, like all snakes of the Lampropeltis genus, they will eat most, if not all, of the adequately (or reasonably) sized things they encounter.
They like sandy soils and semi-arid brushy places as their habitat. Although it has been noted that these snakes are generally nocturnal and crepuscular, they will occasionally bask briefly during the day and in captivity if given access to a basking lamp. Rainy spring evenings are ideal for breeding, and about 50 days later the female will deposit 4–10 eggs. These eggs will need 55–60 days to incubate before they hatch. The length of a newborn is roughly 6-7 inches (15–17 cm).
Care As a pet/In captivity:
The Mexican milk snake is a good choice for a pet snake because of how easily it adapts to captivity and because of its unique colors and tiny size. They are typically calm and unlikely to bite or spit musk.
A 20-gallon terrarium with a safe screen top is the ideal home for a Mexican milk snake, one of the most appealing and simple milk snakes to care for. The substrate might be made of aspen or a 2-inch-deep mixture of sand and potting soil. Newspaper is another option. Maintain specimens separately. A curved piece of bark or other beautiful ornamentation should be present in the terrarium to serve as a hiding place. Although being nocturnal, these snakes frequently bask briefly during the day using a tiny lamp placed over a flat rock or other suitable basking surface. Maintain a temperature range of 78 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, with a slight decrease at night.
Over-90 degree temperatures are neither required nor pleasant. Provide a small bowl of clean water to drink and top it over many times weekly. Specimens are typically calm and simple to handle. One of the simplest milk snakes to feed, even young ones accept pinky or hopper mice with ease, but adults prefer small adult mice. Often, feeding works best if the food is added to the terrarium right before the lights go out for the evening. Pinky mice given to infants should be sprinkled with a calcium supplement. Once or twice a week, feed.
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