The Tangerine Honduran Milksnake is a beautiful color variation of the Milksnake.
This good-looking Milksnake is easy to feed and very hardy. It makes a wonderful pet for both the beginner and the experienced herpetologist. The Tangerine Honduran Milksnake is very gentle, docile, and handleable.
- For more information on keeping Snakes see: Guide to a Happy, Healthy Herptile
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Lampropeltis |
| Species: | triangulum hondurensis |
Distribution
Tangerine Honduran Milksnakes are found in Central America. Specifically, they are found in Honduras.
Description
It is a beautifully colored snake marked in broad bands of brilliant tangerine and red that are separated by narrower black bands. With it’s smooth scales and fairly slender body it is not only lovely to look at, but a pleasure to hold. They will reach about reach three to four feet in length.
Feeding
They are a constrictor and in the wild their diet consists of lizards and snakes. In captivity they will also eat rodents and birds. Feed once or twice a week, depending on the size of the food and the size of the snake. As you get to know your snake, you’ll learn what its feeding needs are. Fresh water in a shallow dish should always be available.
Environment
The milksnake, like the kingsnake is a carnivore and will eat other snakes. They must be housed separately except when they are being bred.
Milksnakes should be housed in a woodland or desert type terrarium. See the different terrarium set-ups described under Basic Reptile Care: Housing for more information. The terrarium needs to be a 20 gallon size or larger. The milksnake will need a hiding place, a small water dish, and moderate humidity.
Temperature and Lighting requirements
They do well at 72° to 88° F in the daytime, and 67° to 72° F at night. Full spectrum lighting is important for your milksnakes well being and its long-term maintenance. You can use a substrate heating device for basic heating. For additional heat, you can add a full spectrum incandescent daytime bulb and a blacklight bulb or red incandescent bulb for nighttime heating. Be sure you use a thermometer so you don’t let the terrarium become overheated!
- For more detailed information see the Basic Reptile and Amphibian Care: Housing.
Breeding/Reproduction
These snakes, if not babies, need to be probe sexed for positive sex identification. They are egg layers, and will lay up to 24 eggs that hatch in about 10 weeks. The average hatchlings are only about eight to ten inches long, with an average adult reaching 38″ to 4 feet in length. Some specimens are larger with hatchlings reportedly up to 12″ long and larger adults that grow in excess of 4 feet, with very large specimens even exceeding 6 feet in length
Availability
The Tangerine Honduran Milksnake and many color variations of milksnake are generally available as pets due to successful captive breeding.
Featured Image Credit: norsemein, Shutterstock