First time snake owner, advice needed!

[Jqualls]

Hey everyone,
My wife has been wanting a snake for years so this Christmas I decided I am going to get her one as a gift. Neither of us have ever owned snakes before and I'm not sure what would be the best type for "beginners" if you will. I have basically everything I need to up keep one (we used to have frogs that I gave to my nephew so I have most of the housing stuff) I feel like I've really done my research on how to upkeep them but I'm confused about the difference between Corn, Milk, Rat, & Garter snakes. They all seem like they can be treated the same as far as caring for them? How are they different behaviorally? I couldn't find anything regarding that online and the guy at the pet store didn't seem to know much at all.

Anyway, I know she is going to want the snake we get to be really vibrant in color which I have seen mostly in Corn Snakes (I.E Sunburst and Devils Garden) but the size does concern me a little. Do they really get to be 3 feet long?? How big of a tank would you need for a snake that size? and I've read that garter snakes tend to be only a foot long in size usually but I haven't seen any really bright colors in snakes like that so does anyone know of any that I'm just not seeing??

and lastly, my wife said something about snakes that feed off crickets but throughout my research they seem to all feed off mice? Even the little baby hatchlings eat pinkie mice so does a snake like she's talking about
even exist? I've also read that a diet consisting of only mice is bad for snakes because they need variety? So what else could you feed them instead?
Sorry for all the questions but I'm just trying to be responsible and I would feel terrible committing to a pet that I couldn't keep up with so any feed back would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Wolfus_305]

Hi there,
Welcome to the forum! Yes, corns can be very vibrant and have striking colours and patterns. I'm not sure if garter snakes are colourful though, i've only ever seen the dark ones.
about the size of the cornsnake, from what I have researched about them they do get to be about 3-5 feet long but they are a fairly slender snake.

Oh, this is important: buy a lock for your snake house. I really didn't think mine would be able to get past sliding glass doors on his tank but he did, luckily i caught him.

I have seen a few eastern smooth green snakes near my cottage and they eat crickets (but i don't think you can have them as pets but feel free to look into it because i might be incorrect.) Opheodrys vernalis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opheodrys_vernalis)

I hope i helped a bit.
Good luck and best wishes
Kendra

[Will0W783]

I do not really recommend garter snakes as first-time snakes, as they can be quick to musk and can be delicate. Corn snakes are great beginner snakes, as are ball pythons. Corn snakes regularly get 4 feet long, but average 3-5 feet at maturity. I do not recommend getting a baby corn snake as they are just too delicate and touchy for first-timers. You can get adult or sub-adult corn snakes for good prices ($40-70 depending on color morph) and they are hardy and easy to care for. Rat snakes are also nice snakes, but tend to be a bit flightier than corns. I have a leucistic Texas rat snake that is great, but she is fast, and I also have a pair of mandarin rats that are beautiful but very squirmy.
An adult corn snake will need a cage that the length+width equals the length of the snake at the very least. I keep my adult corns in melamine cages that are 2.5 feet x 2 feet. During breeding season, I can put a pair in that size cage together and they have plenty of room. You can keep a single corn snake in a 20-gallon long aquarium, but a 30-gallon breeder size would be even better.
Pretty much all captive snakes eat rodents. Garter snakes eat fish and crickets, but again they don't tame down nearly as much as corns in my experience. Corn snakes will eat rodents, but you can buy frozen mice or rats in bulk and thaw them out to feed the snake and it keeps costs down and is less traumatizing for people who feel badly about feeding live prey.

[Jqualls]

Very helpful thank you guys! I think I'm going to go with a corn snake then, I don't want to overwhelm us. Thanks again!

[Chu'Wuti]

Find out if there is a herp society near you--in general, the safest place to get snakes is from a member, as pet store snakes can come with assorted problems, including poor husbandry at the store. Just google "herpetological society your state" (whatever state you're in, and you should get a list. Then find the closest one and try it out.

Most herp societies have regular meetings that can be a lot of fun to attend.

Have fun!