• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

difference between mbk & black milk?

F

feygirl

New member
I've noticed that MBKs and Black Milks seem to be pretty popular on here. I personally love the look of the Black Milks.
Here's my question though, If Milksnakes are a type of kingsnake then what exactly is the difference between the Black Milks and the MBKs? Sizewise, personality, care and anything else anyone can think of.
Thanks in advance:)
 
Black milks are awesome! They start out as tri-colors and turn black in aprox 1 year. Adults are much heavier & larger than mbk. I've personally seen adults over 6 ft.Both are pretty mellow, and care is about the same. The milks like cooler temps. Hope that helps.:cheers:
 
It hurts my eyes to read this. Black milks are far superior in too many ways to list. It's like having two snakes in one, you get a tri colour baby and a jet black oil slick adult. They have scales like silk, they get mahoosive (7ft easily) and are just much more magnificent in person compared to poncy MBK's... btw I am completely bias :)
 
Ha ha! Thanks for the info guys!
I've seen pics of the Black Milks and they are gorgeous.
I have my 2 corns, but I'm still definitely a newbie and I was just wondering if the milks are a good beginner snake. Are they mellow? I've heard that some milks stress if they are handled too much, is it the same with the blacks?
Thanks again:)
 
My black milk boy is a complete puppy (unless he smells food, then all hell breaks loose). He was a bit fiesty as a baby but VERY quickly grew out of it.
 
Black milks are a perfect beginner snake and are about easy to care for as it gets. Great to handle and dont get stressed out like other milks. mine are late 06's and are around 4.5'+ already! So ya BM > MBK anyday!
 
Heres my boy when I got him

noirfeeding003.jpg


And two years on, just over 4ft and around 600 grams.

bigboynoir2.jpg


bigboynoir4.jpg
 
yes, they (black milks) are AWESOME snakes. The largest of the milksnakes - and twice the size of a MBK - and can easily be very docile animals



They are, as mentioned, voracious feeders. The hatchlings and neonates I've worked with haven't been bity at all, and only one has ever musked on me.
 
Great info and gorgeous pictures!
Does anyone have anything to say about the personality and care of an mbk?
Just to make it fair:)
 
MBKs, i'd say, are much more popular. Their small size is definitely a bonus for people lacking space but wanting an all black snake. IME they are much more flighty animals. They do have a similar appetite as black milks, just as all kingsnakes tend to have.

I'd say it comes down to size. A small black snake, or a decently sized black snake. If you want a huge black snake, you could always save $$ for an indigo - but those are some MESSY animals...
 
I have MBK's and they have been super easy to care for. They are feisty as babies but it's been my experience that as they get older they tend to calm down. Mine will eat anything I put in front of them and I've been lucky that they haven't been prone to musk.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0032.jpg
    IMG_0032.jpg
    119.8 KB · Views: 59
  • IMG_0033.jpg
    IMG_0033.jpg
    117 KB · Views: 59
  • IMG_0034.jpg
    IMG_0034.jpg
    99.3 KB · Views: 59
  • IMG_0043.jpg
    IMG_0043.jpg
    103.6 KB · Views: 59
  • IMG_0048.jpg
    IMG_0048.jpg
    88.2 KB · Views: 59
He's still poncy. Look how small he is, yuck. LOL! Just kidding Jay, but I am definitely bias towards the milks.
 
Tula_Montage said:
He's still poncy. Look how small he is, yuck. LOL! Just kidding Jay, but I am definitely bias towards the milks.
Click to expand...
I am not quite up-on the lingo there in the UK but "poncy" doesn't sound like a very nice description of him. :nope: I know you is just goofin' girly. Who luvs ya? ;)
Jay :cool:
 
lol. You guys are too funny!
On a serious note, what kind of temperament does Ivan have?
I'm still pretty much a wussy and I don't want to deal with a very aggressive snake. Any advice is appreciated.
 
feygirl said:
lol. You guys are too funny!
On a serious note, what kind of temperament does Ivan have?
I'm still pretty much a wussy and I don't want to deal with a very aggressive snake. Any advice is appreciated.
Click to expand...

Go with the Black milk, they're big babies!:cheers:
 
feygirl said:
lol. You guys are too funny!
On a serious note, what kind of temperament does Ivan have?
I'm still pretty much a wussy and I don't want to deal with a very aggressive snake. Any advice is appreciated.
Click to expand...

I personally have had both. I love my black milk and my MBKs. At the time right now, I own 3 mbks. My milk passed away this last summer.
Personally, I like them both, to me there is no difference.
The milks have a silky feel to them and have a bluish tint to their scaling.
MBKs are a nice glossy black and can look jet black.

As personalities go, well it is Russian roulette with any snake. I have snakes here that are docile for me and aggressive for others. And some that are aggressive and sweet for other people. Snakes are like people and all have temperaments. The best thing to do with an aggressive animal is just to work with it all the time.

Now others have hinted at the size of the adult Milk but haven't told you anything. These guys are a nice long snake, over 6 feet. With that requires a larger cage. You need to ask yourself can you afford to go from various sizes of caging to this animal's adult size? Best size is about a 40 gallon breeder.

Now the Mbks, Some people have told me they can a good size as well, almost 5 feet. There are some massive snakes out there but still are manageable snakes. Which you can keep like a corn in a 20 gallon long.

Here is Merc a black Milk. (this snake passed away this last year)
blackmilk.jpg


Ebony oldest of my MBKs.
in blue
ebony2-1.jpg

P1010014-1.jpg
 
Also to add about their personalities. Both species I kept are fantastic.
Gentle and very friendly. I do know someone who had a monster (mean) MBK but to me that is pretty rare.

Another thing we forgot to tell you, on average price of a MBK can be from $30 - $60 dollars at a show.
Black Milks any where over $150, I have seen them as high as $250.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top