Pueblan milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli)

Short answers

Pueblan milk snake: How big does the enclosure need to be?

100×50×50 cm (one adult animal).

Pueblan milk snake: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 24–28 °C, basking spot 30–32 °C, at night 19–22 °C (not below 18 °C).

Pueblan milk snake: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB not strictly needed; low UVB (Ferguson zone 1) optional and beneficial.

Pueblan milk snake: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 20+ years in captivity.

Pueblan milk snake: Is it suitable for beginners?

Yes – it is considered suitable for beginners (difficulty: Beginner).

Climate

Daytime temperature

24–28 °C

Night temperature

19–22 °C (not below 18 °C)

Basking spot

30–32 °C

Humidity

40–60 %

UVB

UVB not strictly needed; low UVB (Ferguson zone 1) optional and beneficial

Enclosure

Minimum size

100×50×50 cm (one adult animal)

Substrate

Bark mulch, coco humus or beech chips, mostly dry; a humid box and hides

Feeding

Food

Thawed frozen mice of a suitable size

Feeding interval

adults every 10–14 days, juveniles every 5–10 days

Key facts

Adult size

approx. 60–90 cm

Life expectancy

20+ years in captivity

Origin

Southern and central Mexico (Puebla, Morelos, Oaxaca)

Protection status

Not listed under CITES, not relevant under German species protection law; in the trade almost only captive-bred animals

Brumation

An optional brumation or winter rest of 3–4 months (November to March) at ~13–16 °C; needed only for breeding, with the gut emptied beforehand

Cohabitation

Keep them strictly singly. Milk snakes eat their own kind (ophiophagous and cannibalistic) – never keep them together; only briefly and under supervision for breeding, and feed them separately.

Notes

A small, very easy-care, docile milk snake – a good beginner's species. Striking tricolour banding (coral snake mimicry), and non-venomous. Mistakes: housing them together (cannibalism) and substrate that is too damp.

Do you keep this species?

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Look for Pueblan milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli) in the marketplace →

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• Florida kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula floridana) – Beginner
• Eastern kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula getula) – Beginner

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Pueblan milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (100×50×50 cm (one adult animal)), substrate (Bark mulch, coco humus or beech chips, mostly dry; a humid box and hides), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.