If you handle them after a meal, they will most likely regurgitate.

Give milk snakes a couple days after they eat before handling.

After some time, the snake will adjust, and you can have painlessly longer sessions of holding. The snake may attempt to escape at first or release a smelly but harmless odor. If you have a feisty snake, hold it for a minute or so and put it back in its tank. If you get bit, place the snake back in its tank and wash off the bite with soap and water. Hatchlings are more likely to bite because we are so much bigger than them. Be gentle when handling and it will not lash out. It will already be stressed out about its new home, and trying to hold it will not help its attitude. Give your snake a week or two after you get it before you start handling it. Different sub-species of milk snakes may be naturally large and chunky like the Pueblan Black and Mexican Milk snake or slender like Nelson's milk snake. They get to be about as wide as a quarter or more, and will live an average life of 15 years in captivity. Milk snakes can be anywhere from 3-6 feet long, staying relatively small. If you can care for them properly, they will thrive and flourish within their habitat. They are now mostly captive bred, but buying a wild caught milk snake is still an option. Milk snakes inhabit south Canada and much of northern United States. The toxic sea snakes have these colors arranged differently, but in the wild most predators are fooled by their colorings. The milk snake, (Lampropeltis triangulum) has yellow, red, and black stripes making it appear deadly like sea snakes.

Milksnake care sheet