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Cluster Milk Snakes: Dairy Cattle. In contrast to beef cattle raising, milk production for use as fluid milk or cream tended to cluster milk snakes near centers of human population. This occurred in the days before modern refrigeration was available, and the quick movement of milk to market was necessary if the milk was to stay sweet. Today, with efficiently cooled milk trucks and railroad cars, milk is often moved halfway across the country.
Reproduction: Oviparous; 6-24 eggs deposited June-August in piles of sawdust, manure, rubbish heaps, under logs, boards, in loose soil, and in sand; sometimes eggs adhere in a cluster milk snakes
Milk snakes are usually not hardy in captivity. The majority of them refuse to take food and are also secretive in habit. They should not be killed as they are of great economic value.
In the wild, milk and king snakes feed on mice and other small rodents, birds, lizards, and other snakes. Scarlet king snakes also feed on insects and fish. Give native food to scarlet king (see Part III). Give other milk and king snakes native food; also give earthworms; in addition, they may take freshly killed rats and mice dropped in cage. Water—Use small, flat container; place in center of cage.
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