Hello all!!!

[fredstrong]

My name is Freddy, and I live with my wife and son in Lafayette Colorado. I used to have a pretty decent collection of snakes Burmese, Reticulated, Blood, Ball python, Red Tailed Boa and more if you go back over the decades. I had a snake room specifically for my beasts, but when my wife and I moved, I let them go. Now my son is interested in snakes and I am going to reintroduce a snake into our home. My interest lay in two opposite ends of the spectrum: either a super dwarf reticulated python, or a really cool female ball python morph. Glad to be here!!! :)

[Minkness]

Hello there! And welcome to Ssnakess!

Those are definitely very different snakes. Since it is for your son, I would start him choose. =)

[fredstrong]

Well, the Ball Pythons are just so cute and docile, and some of the morphs, like banana and candido are just so subtle and pretty. Retics are beautiful and intelligent, but there is that intense feeding response, having to tap-train... My experience of them, once out of the tank, are of docile, engaging beasts, (however, I need one under 10' this time!). :)

[SerpentineDream]

For a child's first pet I would go with the ball python simply because they are so docile and non-threatening. If he does take a nasty bite from the retic it may ruin his fledgling interest in snakes. I'd save the retic for after he's got more experience and confidence under his belt.

ETA: If you're open to colubrids, Trans-Pecos rat snakes make awesome pets and while they are affordable, they aren't something you see every day. They are more active than most BPs and have cute bug eyes. They are also extremely mellow and rarely--if ever--bite. They are hardy, too. Just keep in mind that they need good ventilation and they need prey items that are one size smaller than you think they should be eating for their size. Even the tried-and-true corn snake has gotten really interesting in the last several years, with all kinds of beautiful new morphs.

[Minkness]

How old is the son? That may change things. How much interaction do you plan on having with the snake? Both my female Ivory BP and my SD retic have killer feed responses. Once while feeding the BP she missed the rat and got my arm. She latched on, coiled, ect and when I finally got her off had some serious bruising. Granted, I can also just reach into her tank at any OTHER time and just grab her while my SD does require some caution. However, I have yet to be tagged by the SD!

Ridleyis on the other hand....they are papercuts with faces...x.x

[fredstrong]

My son is going on 5. This would not be "his" snake to rear, and he would never be going into the tank, feeding it, or anything like that. He would be present while daddy takes card of it, and I would let him pet the snake, or hold if it was a BP, while out of the tank. I use tongs to feed, I have been hit, and my arm wrapped, by a 10 foot Burm, back in the day, and that gives one a whole new respect for these creatures, LOL! I have had cool colubrids. If I did I would probably go for a milk snake, or a grey banded king. But since my wife is just caving for one right now, it needs to be a python/boa. I think I am settled on a candino ball, from Bob Clark. I love retics, but they do require a different level of commitment and precaution. :) Thanks!

[Minkness]

Fair enough! I used tongs too btw lol.

Looking forward to pics of your future addition!

[fredstrong]

looking forward to posting them! But it might be a while, I may just wait until the fresh hatches next spring/summer :)

[SerpentineDream]

Check with Albert Clark (no relation to Bob that I am aware of) on this forum. He raises very nice animals and I seem to recall that he was working with Candinos.

[dannybgoode]

True SD retic for me. I have three Madu locality and they are fantastic snakes. I too have a 5 yo and under close supervision he is fine with 2 of the 3. I'm more wary of the adult female because she is a real handful.

*His* snake is a Texas black rat which he loves but even that can be feisty. He took his first strike from him the other day so any snake with a child needs to be closely supervised.

Of all the snakes I own the one that I'm happy letting pretty much anyone handle is my Boa imperator - she's totally laid back and never struck at anything except her food.

[Davor]

Hello all, I'm in my 40s traveled back in the states with a wife and toddler and infant. I've owned snakes king and corn but after many years just bought a Keynan boa for my 3 year old son but really for me. The boa is now 6 months old and now in a ten gallon terrarium with heat lamps Hepti sand and heat pad. It's nice to take him or her out and to see my son hold him. They are so slow and docile I don't worry. Still eating two live pinkies a day and growing. Im preferring the smaller and slower snake now. A rosy larger boa bit my son a few months ago and the poor boa liked my sons fresh flesh too much. I'm glad to join and I will be posting much on Kenyans boas soon. For those with small kids and coming from a new member who owned snakes for years including corn snakes, Kenyans so far are my recommended snake for children and for easy maintenance.

[Scubadiver59]

Late to the party, but .... welcome to the forum!! :)

[Shauna0522]

My son is going on 5. This would not be "his" snake to rear, and he would never be going into the tank, feeding it, or anything like that. He would be present while daddy takes card of it, and I would let him pet the snake, or hold if it was a BP, while out of the tank. I use tongs to feed, I have been hit, and my arm wrapped, by a 10 foot Burm, back in the day, and that gives one a whole new respect for these creatures, LOL! I have had cool colubrids. If I did I would probably go for a milk snake, or a grey banded king. But since my wife is just caving for one right now, it needs to be a python/boa. I think I am settled on a candino ball, from Bob Clark. I love retics, but they do require a different level of commitment and precaution. :) Thanks!

The BRB is an awesome, beautiful, and sweet snake as well. A lot of people think they are harder to take care of but I think it's pretty easy. Idk if you like them but I just thought it might be a good one for your son. My 8 year old niece holds mine.