What was your first snake?

[Bandit]

I'm sure there has been a thread like this in the past, but this topic can always have a fresh start. What was your first snake? And was there any particular reason you went with that snake?

Mine was a Ribbon snake that I caught in a friend's backyard. Two months later she popped out 11 babies. I had her for years and she was honestly one of the most pleasant snakes I've ever dealt with. Here she is with one of the babies.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e313/connor323/Slice%20amp%20Shock_zpswb1ctwrf.png (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/connor323/media/Slice%20amp%20Shock_zpswb1ctwrf.png.html)

Looking forward to seeing everyone's responses!

[TxScarlet15]

A juvenile wild-caught banded water snake, cutest little thing and so mellow too. It was always fascinating to watch him catch fish from his bowl or a small frog. Unfortunately I don't have any digital pics, I don't think. I should go check...

[bigsnakegirl785]

My first serious snake was my ball python. Got him as a late birthday present when I turned 12, did chores for months to save up for him and everything. Still with me even though he's a major pain. haha

If you count snakes I caught and kept a few days or a few weeks, then I'd say a wild caught water snake. I kept it for a few days, and then released it when I felt bad I didn't know what it ate. I wouldn't do that now, but I did that a few times with water snakes and a few ringneck snakes as a kid.

[jjhill001]

Corn Snake, got a hatchling and it escaped in 2 days and we never found it, then I got a Sonoran Gophersnake at a reptile show and kept it for years before selling her before going into the military.

[PsychoSnake]

A rosy boa. She said, "Buy me," for weeks at the local pet shop. I still have her.

[Minkness]

First caught snake was an unidentified rat or corn snake. Kept it in a coffee can for a few days while trying to convinced my mom to let me get it a tank....but then it got out one morning and by the time I cane home from school the cats decapitated it...I was super young and knew nothing about snakes other than I loved them, and mom was never a fan. She didn't agree to let me have another on for YEARS.

My first real 'pet' snake was my MBK. She was ok but musked and darted around too much for my kiking, not to mention she never came out of hiding. Soooo.....I don't have her any more....

[Sylphie]

My female Russian Rat Snake (E. schrencki). She's shy, always hiding, agressive and has terrible feeding response... but she was my first snake so I'll have her her whole life. Even if I'm sometimes tempted to get rid of her... (yes, Minkness I really know what you feel, haha)

[serpentgirl123]

Mine was a male 5+-yr old yellow rat snake, which I named Winter after my favorite season. He passed away a few years back.

[Bandit]

My first real 'pet' snake was my MBK. She was ok but musked and darted around too much for my kiking, not to mention she never came out of hidingMy milk snake used to be like that. Took him a couple of years to really calm down. I'm glad I kept him, but he was definitely frustrated me at times haha.

[trailblazer295]

My male fire ball python Mushu. He was the only juvie that didn't hide when I looked at him. He was calm and bold. Not to mention nice colour. He has been pretty good as far as ball pythons go. Refused a few times lately but ate last time. I wouldn't consider getting rid of him. He is my little buddy :) he has a lot of personal significance and meaning beyond just a snake.

[Wingbeats]

My original plan: Get an awesome axanthic ball python! I was doing lots of research, preparing a tub, getting snake supplies...all that jazz.

Then, on a whim, I visited the local reptile shop. I was talking to the owner about what snakes he had, and that I was interested in getting my first one. He then pulled out an integrade Brazilian/Colombian rainbow boa and handed her to me, and I immediately fell in love.

I hadn't heard of rainbow boas until then, but I was immediately impressed by how iridescent and pretty she was, as well as how gentle and calm she was. So I impulse bought her.

Which, probably wasn't the greatest idea, but luckily the tub I had held humidity just fine and I read about rainbow boas carefully that night.

And so, Chaska the rainbow boa was my first (and currently only) snake, and I still absolutely adore her. I may or may not have just reserved my second snake last night...gonna go make a thread about that, hehehehe.

[Doug 351]

Mine was actually a wild caught ribbon as well....it escaped...and we couldn't find it....

My aunt killed it in her apartment and apologized for years for that....We pieced it together later....there was a typewriter that went from our house to her apartment...then she found a snake in her Venetian blinds....

Right now...I'm hunting one in my backyard.....it was also my daughter's first snake...not my favorite...but a nice snake nonetheless....

[ManSlaughter33]

My first was my Boa :) she needed a home. Original person backed out because the potential size was too intimidating. So she came home with me.
This was the first day I got her

[Sasha2]

My first petstore snake was 30 years ago and was a yellow ratsnake, they didnt have alot of choices back then and no good keeping advice. I kept her on corncob bedding with a hot rock and fed live mice.But she was with us for many years.

[CK SandBoas]

My first serious snake, or snakes, were two normal ball pythons I picked up from the adoption coordinator of my local herp society. I still have the male to this day, 12 years later :I went with Ball Pythons because I had always loved them and wanted a good snake that had a calm temperament.

[Lefitte]

My first snake was a California kingsnake. I loved their black and white color and patterns and everything I read made them sound like the perfect beginner snake. I'm very happy with my choice even if I've learned that rainbow boas are better suited for me. She's doing great though and growing like a weed.

[prairiepanda]

I kept various garter snakes for short periods as a kid, but my first real pet snake was a California kingsnake. She was an adult female I found in the local classifieds and came with everything she needed for a great price. When I went to check her out, I found that she was in perfect health and was incredibly calm, friendly, and curious. I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Later on, after acquiring a second snake and while I was looking around for more, I ended up donating my cal king to a friend of mine who I felt would benefit from having a pet to care for. The two were a perfect match and the snake did make a positive difference in my friend, so I'm happy I made that choice.

Keeping that cal king taught me that colubrids were the perfect snakes for me, but also that I prefer larger snakes, which is what prompted me to go for a honduran milk snake and then pine snakes.

[reptiledude987]

Like many others I used to catch garters as a child all the time. I would keep them a few days or a weeek and let them go. The first pet snake I bought was a grey banded king. Her name was Jake (she was 3 by the time I had her sexed and wasnt about to change her name.) She was the best first snake. She was a great eater totally docile tolerated being handled very well. I really miss the old girl.

[pinefamily]

Our first snake was a 7 year old bredli python. The story behind it is quite funny. For years I wanted a snake, but my wife said it was her or a snake. So we got a bearded dragon instead. He lived for 12 years or so, and after he died, we bought two more. One of my work mates told me her father had a snake he was giving away because of a break up. I told my wife, expecting the same answer; she surprised me by saying yes. When it was brought to our house with its enclosure, she had the python dumped in her lap in a bag. Fear instantly conquered, lol.
Sadly, the python died after 18 months from a tumour. But we now have a collection of 24 pythons and 17 lizards and monitors.

[Charis]

First snake(s) were two young garter snakes found near the house we were living in at the time and my brother and I kept them quite awhile, we were pretty young then. In fact, I do not remember what happened to them ... Then a bit less than a year after we got those, we were out hunting grasshoppers for our WC mantids and the neighbor, thinking we were looking for snakes, gave us a large garter snake they had caught. We kept her for a bit more than a year, mom was never really a fan, until the day I walked in to find 11 cute little baby snakes all over "Champ's" cage! That was enough for my mom though and she made us let them all go down at the marshy area a little ways away. (The younger original garters might have gone in that purge too)

First bought snake was a Classic corn snake, after a lot of research, that I thought was enough at the time but I'd probably have done a few things differently in hindsight. She was a very good snake though. I sold her to a localish friend of a friend in some of the local online reptile groups, because several people I trusted vouched for her. She really didn't fit into my breeding plans and my interest had gone in a bit of a different direction and I could've used the space she was occupying for those interests but it was still an agonizing decision to sell my "first!" Figured I'd probably never find a better person for her to go to though ...

[Princess-dad]

I ended up becoming the caretaker of a BCI after my wife decided she was not a BOA person . So yah I'm now a reptihalic and that cute little two foot long small guy is over five feet and very thick . Thats Prince when young hes soaking in a glass bread pan . Thats him now , thats a 12 inch serving bowl he is laying across . They grow so fast .

[Doug 351]

Funny...I was really scared of snakes...but I knew rough earth snakes and "garter snakes" were harmless....so I never kept any...but I had many rough earth snakes for short periods....the first snake I tried to keep as a pet was a ribbon....(which I mistakenly thought was a garter).... my first real pets were Texas rat snakes...

[Doug 351]

Funny...I was really scared of snakes...but I knew rough earth snakes and "garter snakes" were harmless....so I never kept any...but I had many rough earth snakes for short periods....the first snake I tried to keep as a pet was a ribbon....(which I mistakenly thought was a garter).... my first real pets were Texas rat snakes...

Whoops....I misread...I thought it said pests....LOL!

[Georgia]

Ribbon snake at the age of 6...my mom brought it home as a present from th pet shop.