starter snake

[TonyL]

Hi all....

I keep leopard geckos but with all this forum reading about how cool snakes are.....well maybe I will get one!

I want to ensure I know as much as possible before getting one. I will look at caresheets but what I would like to know is.....

Whats the best starter snake?

I have children so the more "tame" the better. Handling would be important and good temperament. I can build or buy whatever enclosure is necessay. I am looking for a rather small snake to begin.

Any advice would be great!!!!

[Jotun]

hey lamanna, I would suggest to start out with a colubrid such as a king snake or a corn snake. They have great temperments, they're generally very pretty and they dont get too large (4-5 ft). They're expense is also pretty low since you dont need a heat lamp for most colubrid species. For my king I have him in a 20 gal long at the moment with a substrate heater that I only turn on during the winter nights, 2 hiding spots, and a piece of grapevine for him to climb on (king snakes need something to climb btw :) ) I'm upgrading him to a 29 gall which will last him the rest of his life.

Hope this helps!

PS: Be careful though, you cant stop with just one! I'm gettin a python sometime hopefully this month (Whenever the breeder decides the python is ready to go :) )

[sSNAKESs.com]

I would suggest a ball python... It was my first snake and i never had a problem... As long as you buy a captive bred specimen from a reputable dealer you should be good to go!! they get a nice size... and are super tame and your kids will love it! :)

[Jotun]

yeah Ball's are great! Never bite and are very docile. Just make sure that where you're getting it from that it's eating but thats true with all snakes :D

[TonyL]

Thanks Jotun and Jeff! I have a couple of sick geckos to take care of but after they are better I will research and see if I could be a good parent to a snake!

Thanks again!

[snakedude_03]

umm.. the best i would think is cornsnakes.. and if u need any help.. i'm pretty sure u can find alot of it..

[PoiSoNouS]

I would say cornsnakes... Iknow alot of people that has ball python and says that they have feeding problems.
maybe its just because they are not good owners... but.. its so easy to keep!!

[Linds]

Rosy boas!! Rosy boas are IMO the ultimate starter snake. They dont get too large (usually max out around 3' or so), are forgiving in their husbandry, super temperaments, slow moving (unlike colubrids and even slower than most other boids), many different colours/patterns from black/white stripes to red/blue zigzag, its easier to leave them than other snakes if you go an a short ttrip sicne they dont require water daily (you can water them as little as once every 3 weeks, but i prefer to do it weekly), and tolerate handling better than any other snakes (except rubber boas, they are jsut as good as rosy's for handling).

I woudlnt recommend a Ball Python, as they have more exacting requirements than a cornsnake or rosy, do not tolerate excessive handling, and even CB ones may go off food which can be frustrating for a new snake owner.

Cornsnakes can be a good choice too. If you prefer colubrids I would reccomend that one. I presonally don't much care for colubrids. IMO they are fast, messy (sometimes), and unattractive. That's just my own personal preference though, you might like em :)

[Nicky]

I would suggest a corn snake they make wonderfull pets small docile and beutifully coloured!It was my first

[Canadaherp]

ROSY BOAS! ROSY BOAS!! very tame..... seen many and only 1 bad one (dam ppl workign w/ me at pet store, ust of messed it up.....) but generally theyre small dont need mcuh care (who was it who keeps them on cold pancakes and others on rice krispies) and are very nice (99.99999% of the time) the only drawback is the price on some of them

[TonyL]

Thanks all again! Well I guess I will be researching rosy boas and cornsnakes!! Thanks to all who replied...this is a forum with some very helpful people......good stuff!

[RaVeNo888o]

Corn or king is good, plus they are smaller and eat smaller mice and stuff so if money is an issue, generally feeding cost less than the balls who could feed on rats if ya wanted. (right?)

[Pythonian]

My corn snake is vicious... he hisses and snaps at EVERYTHING.. and he won't even take the food unless i am out of the room my fan and light is off .. computer and tv off... and door is closed!!!! (now u all know who runs this house ;) ) my Ball Python, she LOVES being handeled.. can't get enough food. and i never had a problemw ith her... but Linds is right, everything has to be perfect for the python :( ... so I would have to reccoment a Rosy boa... or a BABY Columbian Red Tail boa... and feed it once a week... it will grow slowly.. and i garuntee once you have a snake for a while you will want bigger and better... and it will slowly grow to around 10 feet :) (unlike my python who seems to grow a foot per second ;) )

[BIG SCOTT]

Corn snakes, King Snakes,Rosy Boas, are all great starting snakes. I wanted to let you know that before I bought my corn snake i kept hearing about how nice and docile they are and that may be the case with most of them however I think i have the meanest damn Corn Snake alive it always bites and craps on me when ever I pick it up so choose carefully. A Western hognose snake is pretty easy to care for as long as you don't get paranoid when it all of a sudden goes off of it's regular eating habit and won't eat nothing is wrong it's normal. However maybe a little bit of experience would be helpfull. Rosy Boas are very easy to care for as long as the humidity is kept very,very,very low. Hope this helps, Big Scott

[SilverTongue]

heya Big Scott I live in ClearLake!! Where abouts you live???!!! :)

[BIG SCOTT]

What's up silver Tongue i'm glad their are other peolpe on this forum that don't live in Canada. I live toward Katy in the Bear Creek area around the intersection of HWY 6 and Clay Rd.