Your Honduran Milk Snake Is Home: What to Expect During the First Week

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MILK SNAKE HUSBANDRYHONDURAN MILK SNAKES

Emerald City Reptiles

8/26/20266 min read

You did your research. You prepared the enclosure. Temperatures are correct, the hides are in place, fresh water is available, and your new Honduran Milk Snake has finally arrived.

Now comes one of the hardest parts for a new snake owner:

Leave it alone.

I know that's probably not what you want to hear.

You just brought home a beautiful new snake. You want to hold it, watch it explore, show it to the family, take some pictures, and probably check on it every twenty minutes to make sure everything is okay.

But during those first few days, one of the best things you can do for your new Honduran Milk Snake is very little.

Let it settle in.

The First Week Isn't About You

This is something I wish more new reptile owners understood.

We know the snake is safe.

The snake doesn't.

From its perspective, everything has suddenly changed. It has been moved from the enclosure it knew, possibly transported or shipped, placed into an unfamiliar environment, and surrounded by new smells, sounds, temperatures, and activity.

Then a giant human keeps opening the enclosure to see if it's okay.

That's a lot for any animal.

Your goal during the first week isn't to begin bonding with your Honduran Milk Snake.

Your goal is to give it the opportunity to feel secure.

If you haven't already prepared your enclosure, I recommend reading our Your First Honduran Milk Snake: Prepare Before Bringing It Home article before your snake arrives.

Don't Be Concerned If Your Snake Hides

One of the first questions a new owner may have is:

"Why is my snake hiding all the time?"

Because it's a snake.

Hiding is normal behavior, especially after moving into a new environment.

A properly set up Honduran Milk Snake enclosure should provide multiple secure hiding opportunities. I don't want a new snake to feel like it has to sit out in the open where I can see it.

I want it to have choices.

If your new Honduran disappears into a hide or burrows into the substrate shortly after being introduced to the enclosure, that's not necessarily a problem.

In many cases, it's exactly what I'd expect.

Resist the temptation to repeatedly lift hides, dig through the substrate, or move things around just to make sure the snake is still there.

You'll probably find yourself doing a head count anyway—we're reptile keepers—but try not to make it an hourly event.

Some Hondurans Will Do the Opposite

Not every Honduran Milk Snake immediately disappears.

One of the things I enjoy about this species is how active and curious they can be.

Your snake may spend time exploring the perimeter of the enclosure, climbing over decorations, investigating plants, moving between hides, and generally checking out its new surroundings.

That's also normal.

What you don't want to do is mistake that activity for an invitation to start handling.

Give the animal time to establish itself first.

Hold Off on Handling

This may be the most difficult recommendation for a new owner.

Don't immediately start handling your new snake.

There will be plenty of time for that.

A Honduran Milk Snake can potentially live for many years. Waiting several days before beginning regular handling isn't going to hurt your relationship with the animal.

In fact, allowing the snake to settle in first can make those initial handling sessions much easier.

I prefer to see a new snake become comfortable with its enclosure and successfully take a meal before I start unnecessary handling.

Once it has eaten and had adequate time to digest, you can gradually begin introducing short handling sessions.

There's no prize for being the first person to hold the snake after it gets home.

What About Feeding?

Honduran Milk Snakes are one of the species I've really come to appreciate because they are generally enthusiastic feeders.

Coming from years of working with Ball Pythons, that can be refreshing.

Ball Python keepers know exactly what I'm talking about.

A perfectly healthy Ball Python can decide it isn't interested in eating, and a new owner immediately starts wondering what's wrong.

Honduran Milk Snakes are typically much more reliable at mealtime.

But that doesn't mean I recommend putting a mouse in front of a new arrival immediately.

Give the snake some time to settle.

If you've purchased your snake from a breeder, ask when it last ate and what it has been eating. A good breeder should be able to provide that information.

Then continue with an appropriate feeding schedule rather than trying to "test" whether the snake will eat as soon as it arrives.

We'll cover Honduran Milk Snake feeding in much more detail in an upcoming article.

Fresh Water Should Always Be Available

Your snake should have access to clean, fresh water from the moment it enters the enclosure.

Check the water daily.

Hondurans can be active snakes, and substrate has an amazing ability to end up in a water bowl no matter where you put it.

Clean and refill the dish whenever necessary rather than simply topping off dirty water.

It's a simple part of husbandry, but good reptile keeping is often about consistently doing the simple things correctly.

Watch Your Temperatures—Not Your Snake Every Five Minutes

The first week is a good time to pay close attention to the enclosure rather than constantly disturbing the snake.

Verify your warm side and cool side temperatures.

Make sure your thermostat and heating equipment are functioning correctly.

Check that the water remains clean.

Make sure the enclosure is secure.

Observe the snake's behavior without constantly interacting with it.

This is especially important because a Honduran Milk Snake can be remarkably good at finding an opening you didn't know existed.

If there is a small gap, loose lid, opening around a cable, or improperly secured door, don't assume your snake won't find it.

Escape-proofing is part of proper husbandry.

Don't Keep Changing the Enclosure

Another common mistake is constantly adjusting the enclosure because the owner is trying to make everything perfect.

You move a hide.

Then you move it back.

You add another plant.

You change the substrate.

You reposition the water dish.

You decide the snake doesn't seem to like one hide, so you replace it.

Meanwhile, the snake is trying to figure out where it lives.

If you prepared the enclosure properly before bringing the snake home, give the setup a chance to work.

Obviously, correct anything that presents a safety or husbandry problem. But don't continually redesign the enclosure because your snake spent twelve hours hiding.

That's what hides are for.

What Should You Actually Do During the First Week?

Keep it simple.

Provide proper temperatures.

Provide clean water.

Make sure the enclosure remains secure.

Observe without constantly disturbing.

Allow the snake to hide.

Follow an appropriate feeding schedule.

And give it time.

That's really it.

One of the biggest lessons reptile keeping teaches us is patience.

Sometimes good husbandry means knowing when not to interfere.

When Should You Be Concerned?

There's a difference between allowing an animal to settle in and ignoring a genuine problem.

You should pay attention to anything that appears abnormal, including obvious breathing difficulties, persistent open-mouth breathing, unusual discharge around the mouth or nose, visible injuries, severe lethargy, mites, or other concerning changes in condition or behavior.

If something doesn't look right, contact the breeder and, when appropriate, a qualified reptile veterinarian.

This is also one of the reasons I strongly recommend purchasing from a breeder who will still answer the phone after the sale.

A breeder's responsibility shouldn't end when the snake leaves.

The First Successful Meal Is a Good Milestone

For me, one of the first milestones with a newly placed snake is a successful meal.

Once your Honduran Milk Snake has settled in, eaten normally, and had sufficient time to digest its meal, you can begin gradually introducing handling.

Start slowly.

Short, calm handling sessions are better than passing the snake around the room for an hour.

Remember that Honduran Milk Snakes are generally more active than Ball Pythons. Someone accustomed to handling a Ball Python may initially be surprised by how much more movement they get from a Honduran.

That's part of what makes them so enjoyable.

Start the Relationship the Right Way

The first week with a new snake is exciting.

It should be.

But sometimes our excitement causes us to do too much.

We want to interact.

We want to feed.

We want to handle.

We want reassurance that everything is okay.

Your Honduran Milk Snake doesn't need all of that from you during its first few days.

It needs a secure enclosure, correct husbandry, clean water, appropriate food, and some peace and quiet.

Give it those things and let the snake tell you when it has begun settling in.

There will be plenty of time for everything else.

Learn More About Honduran Milk Snakes

If you're considering adding a Honduran Milk Snake to your family—or already have one—visit our Honduran Milk Snake Species Guide for our growing collection of husbandry information, care articles, breeding updates, and other resources.

At Emerald City Reptiles, my goal isn't simply to produce snakes.

I want the people who take them home to understand how to keep them successfully for the long term.

Because producing a healthy snake is only the beginning.

Helping it remain a healthy snake is what matters.

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Explore our insights on ball python breeding.

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