Honduran milk snake

- Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis

naturally, the Honduran milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis) found in the tropical rainforests of northeastern Costa Rica, in almost all of Honduras -area from which this snake receives its common name- and in Nicaragua.

The Honduran milk snake It is one of the largest species of Lampropeltis and is second only to the large Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae. They have a calm character and, Like most species of Lampropeltis, a strong feeding response. This, combined with the many mutations that exist today, makes them a fan favorite milk snakes.

On average, the Honduran milk snake In captivity it reaches a length of 130 cm.. But, there are many cases in captivity in which the snakes reach a length of 150 to 160 cm.. Young animals already measure between 25 and 32 cm when hatched.

The head is wide and slightly separated from the neck.. Two natural variants are known, the known “tricolor”, with the classic red-black-white-black band ring, and “bicolor”, also called “Mandarin”, in which the normally white band is orange to red. At the end of each scale there is a small black dot. Melanin level increases as snakes mature. Sometimes makes them almost black with faint pattern.

If you want an adult with the appearance of a Lampropeltis t. hondurensis new born, it is an option to buy one of the variants “hypomelanistic”. These have a reduced melanin content and thus retain their more youthful appearance.

They are true bottom dwellers and live naturally among the fallen leaves and branches on the jungle floor.. Temperatures here are moderate and there is little difference between day and night temperatures, humidity is relatively high. Keep this in mind when preparing an enclosure for these snakes..

They like to hide among the vegetation cover of the forest, between fallen branches, leaves and stems. In the past, the Honduran milk snake wild-caught could be very shy and would hide when disturbed. Most of the time they tried to get away, but could bite when improperly fixed or handled. Today, virtually all of the Honduran milk snakes that are kept come from the offspring of many generations of animals kept in captivity and this has resulted in active snakes, curious and calm. This species is most active during dusk and night.

Small mammals like voles, mice and rats, birds, eggs and other reptiles (ofiofagia) including snakes (even poisonous ones) and lizards.

The Honduran milk snake is well adapted to captivity due to its relative ease of care and docile nature, and its moderate size and bright colors make it an impressive and attractive pet.

Like many species of Lampropeltis, the Honduran milk snake can be cannibal, so it is advisable to always have them separated outside the breeding season. Young animals can be raised in a small tub or faunabox as the Faunarium PT2310 from Exo-Terra. For adult animals, a minimum area of 100 x 50 cm.. Large individuals deserve a terrarium with a bottom surface of 120 x 50 cm or greater.

Offer them a substrate in which they can dig, like a poplar bed or a coconut based soil, such as coco peat or Exo-Terra planting soil. The average humidity should be between 60 and the 70%. High humidity does not mean a wet substrate. Coco peat will retain moisture better and help maintain a higher humidity level, while the Aspen will have less effect in this regard. But, it is easier to see the dirt on the aspen bed and remove it when it stains. You can also choose to keep the ground cover slightly drier and offer a stash box filled with moist moss. This moist shelter will be used especially when in the shed or for laying eggs.

Heating can be done with a heating cable or heating tape. Since these snakes do not bask in the sun, you don't need a place to sunbathe. This heat source should not exceed a third of the ground floor so that the snake always has space to move away from the heat source and to thermoregulate between the warmest and coldest areas..

The average temperature should be 24-25C in the cold zone and 28C in the warm zone., with a hot spot of 30C. At night, the temperature may drop slightly, but preferably not below 20C. Always take a good look at your snakes and monitor their behavior. If your Honduran is continually on the cold side or lies in the water bowl, may be an indication that it is too hot in the warm zone.

Provide plenty of hiding places in various temperature zones in the terrarium. As these snakes are mainly land animals, the height of the container plays a small role. That makes this species very suitable to be housed in the so-called “shelving system”. Of course, It is always best to observe your snake's natural behavior in a well decorated terrarium and with a snake rack you lose a lot of the fun in keeping these animals.

The Honduran milk snake naturally withstands a period of lower temperatures. This colder season starts in October, when you stop feeding for three weeks under normal conditions. Temperatures drop during the following month to about 10 at 15C and lighting hours are reduced during this month of 12 hours to 8 hours. This break lasts an average of 8 to 12 weeks. After this period, the temperature can be raised again to its previous level.. The breeding season begins after this period, so make sure Lampropeltis are well fed before placing animals together for breeding.

By nature these snakes have a very varied diet consisting of small mammals but also a variety of lizards and snakes.. Young animals also sometimes feed on small amphibians. In captivity, this species feeds very well on small mammals such as mice and young rats.. Do not feed these snakes with a single large prey, but with several small or medium-sized prey per feeding that are no wider than the 110% from the thickest part of the snake.

Young animals can be fed once every 4 or 5 days during the first year of his life. Do not offer any food during the moulting period. The Lampropeltis subadults and adults may feed once every 7 or 10 days. Due to the large size of the young when they hatch, this species is, with much, one of the easiest to get started with mice of all Lampropeltis. Sometimes one immediately starts feeding little fuzzies instead of little mouse pinkies.

The milk snakes they got their name from the ancient belief that they drank cow's milk. People actually believed this because milk snakes were frequently found in barns full of dairy cows., where they were probably attracted by rodents that lived inside.

The price of a "Honduran milk snake" at the exotic animal market , ranges between 100 – 150 EUR.

1. Honduran milk snake (English).
2. Serpent de lait du Honduras (French).
3. Honduras Königsnatter (German).
4. Cobra leiteira hondurenha (Portuguese).
5. "Serpiente de leche hondureña" (español).