SpeciesMilk snake
Milk snake
Lampropeltis triangulum
The name covers a whole group of subspecies with noticeably different requirements. Before keeping one, you need to know which.
- Group
- Snake
- Level
- Intermediate
- Origin
- North America
Where the species comes from
- World region
- North America
- Countries
- South-eastern Canada, eastern and central United States, north-eastern Mexico
- Habitat
- Woodland, fields, rocky slopes and grassland
The natural habitat is the yardstick for how you furnish an enclosure. Knowing where an animal comes from is knowing why it needs heat zones, hides and a particular humidity.
Husbandry at a glance
The same details appear in the animal’s profile inside the app.
- Enclosure
- Depending on the subspecies, milk snakes reach 60 to 150 cm. The Animal Welfare Ordinance sets no minimum size for them. The reference is the German 1997 expert report on reptile keeping: at least 1 × 0.5 × 0.5 body lengths, i.e. 100 × 50 × 50 cm for a total length of 100 cm and 150 × 75 × 75 cm at 150 cm.
- Temperature
- Basking spot 28–31 °C, cool zone 21–24 °C.
- Humidity
- Usually 40–60 %; adjust to the subspecies.
- Lighting
- Daylight and low-level UVB are advisable.
- Substrate
- A diggable, low-dust substrate.
- Furnishings
- Plenty of hides, leaf litter, cork and branches.
- Water
- Fresh drinking water.
- Feeding
- Thawed rodents; smaller prey for juveniles.
- Behaviour
- Hide-oriented; crepuscular to nocturnal.
- Handling
- Handle with minimal stress.
- Cohabitation
- Housed alone because it preys on snakes.
- Health
- Watch weight, shedding and airways.
- Seasonal cycle
- Two to three months of winter rest at 12–15 °C. The species was split in 2014; tropical relatives from Central and South America are often still sold as “milk snake”. So first clarify the species and origin: Tropical forms rest much more briefly or not at all. Do not feed for two to three weeks before cooling down.
- Safety
- Identify the subspecies precisely; requirements vary.
Legal position in Switzerland
No permit foreseen
No permit required. The genus is on the list of harmless venomous snakes in the federal veterinary office’s ordinance on keeping wild animals (SR 455.110.3) and is therefore exempt from the permit requirement under Art. 89 let. h of the Ordinance
No certificate of competence foreseen
No proof of competence required. It is only demanded for the animals named in Art. 89 of the Ordinance
No CITES listing
Not listed in the CITES appendices: Import and transfer require no species-protection papers. Keep the proof of purchase nonetheless
Minimum enclosure dimensions
Annex 2, table 5 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance does not list this species. Among snakes the table names only giant snakes (pythons and boas), elapids, vipers and pit vipers, and a few venomous or dangerous colubrids; for the rest no figure appears there.
The general rule in Annex 2 (letter K) then applies: the enclosure must be large enough for everything the species needs (hides, basking spot, climbing branches) to be arranged sensibly. As a yardstick, the ordinance points to expert opinions on a scientific basis. There is therefore no binding figure. The guide values in the calculator come from the 1997 expert report. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office.
What the enclosure must provide
Provide an escape-proof enclosure, species-appropriate temperature zones, suitable humidity, places to retreat, water, substrate and, where applicable, a winter or dry rest period. Feeding live prey is permitted only under the narrow conditions of Art. 4 para. 3 TSchV.
Paperwork
Keep the purchase contract and proof of origin. Import and export are additionally subject to animal health and species protection legislation.
These details are a guide, not legal advice. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office; the text of the ordinance is what counts. More on the legal position
