What snake is best for me?

[Snakefood]

Alright, I am a recent member of this forum and have been on another for a while. I do not have any snakes at the moment, but have been supplying snake food to people in my area for some time.

Being on these forums and chatting with my customers has me very interested and thinking of getting my first snake.

I have only had lizzards in the past, a colony of bitty little Anoles, and a 6 FT Iguana!! But I am enthusiastic about finding out more and maybe taking the step of getting my first snake.

I don't want anything too big, maybe 4(ish) FT at full grown?? I would like to start with a baby (any thoughts-pros/cons on age) I am interested in a breed that is considered more docile rather than less. The more colorful, the better!!

I only want a snake that eats killed food. In my house they would be fed fresh killed so heat, ect would not be a problem.

Can't wait to hear from you all!!

[Lankyrob]

Corn snake, hatchling that are proven feeders shouldnt give you any issues, adults top out a five foot, mine all eat f/t food. Number of morphs is astronomical so any colour you want pretty much.

[stephanbakir]

Kenyan sand boas stay small, same with childrens pythons.

[NennaMeerkat]

Oh I gotta put my 2 cents in for a Hognose. They are great snakes that don't get big at all. Not to mention are just so darn cute!

[presspirate]

Based on your readily available food supply, I'd recommend a BP.

[youngster]

I just got a baby corn snake. Eats amazingly totally chill and awesome animal! :] I'd recommend a corn to any beginner as he was my first.

[lpbldg18]

well a mexican milksnake of course! GREAT starter snakes (mines never musked/bit before ever) they are absolute sweethearts! And look real awesome!! That's my 2 cents :)

[Snakefood]

:rolleyes: Thanks everyone. I went online to look up your suggestions. So far I am pulling towards either corn snake or Ball Python. They fit within my size range, thier demeanor seems suitable, they are so beautiful and the colors!! There were a few color morphs in the Corn snake that were awsome, but I was left BREATHLESS by the Piebald Ball Pythons!!! And there was an electric blue Python!!

Any difference (other than size) between female and male?? In temperment, feeding, ect??

Also, I was able to look up that corn snakes are aprox 5 inches as hatchlings, what about Ball Pythons??

I have a 33 gal tank available, until what age will this be an appropriate sized enclosure for either of these breeds?

If any one else has another suggestion, please add on and I'll go do some more research!!

[stephanbakir]

Temperaments, not much. Snakes are sexually dimorphic, males being smaller then females, they both tend to go off feeding in breeding season, but if you keep the temperatures constant, some snakes just won't go into breeding mode.

BPs are lazy, and can be finicky eaters, while corns tend to have energy, and make use of branches and anything they can climb on.
Both are escape artists.

[SnakeyJay]

Corn... so many morphs available and husbandry for them is easy. Plus mines always out n about exploring, unless hes just eaten lol.

[Snakefood]

well I have been doing massive research on the net and discussing things with hubby and we are starting to pull towards the corn snake for our first darling!!

we have even found a local breeder that we can easily visit as many times as we want to learn, view, pick out a snake. He has many colors, but the ones we are pulling for are the reverse or albino okeetee. He sells these morphs for $70 each (as babies) and has a brood hatched out last month.

I am waiting for his reply to find out what they are eating, ect......

[SnakeyJay]

Ill say it again in this thread lol... if u get 2 then make sure they both have their own enclosure :)

[Snakefood]

Oh no, we're just getting one, those are the color patterns that we are most interested in, it will be an either/or situation, not both!!!

We have both agreed that our second snake (if we get another at a later date) would be a piebald BP. We have found a breeder withing reasonable traveling distance that has beautiful breeding stock and reasonable prices on piebalds.

And of course, they would each have their own enclosure, if/when that time comes.

At this time we only want ONE snake!!

[Rog]

Corns are a great choice. I live my ball pythons, but the corn has Ben the easiest snake ever. Great sheds and feeding. Mine loves his papertowel rolls.

[Snakefood]

So I am going to start setting up my enclosure. I have a 33 gal tank with a mesh top. I need to go buy an UTH, I have a hide already.

So fill me in on lighting and substrate, I have aspen bedding readily avail as I breed rats and rabbits. Is this suitable, or should I get a brick of spaghnum or????........

Also if there is more that I need to add to the enclosure, let me know!!

[Lankyrob]

Corns need hides at each end of tank, waterbowl, temp of 86f hot end, aspen will be fine (tho if you get a bp later aspen will mold cos of the higher humidity needs). Some corns like to climb too but none of my three do. When the snake goes into blue, preshed, then some damp sphagnum moss in one of the hides will help him along.

[UwabamiReptiles]

If you're getting a hatchling corn, you might want to start with a smaller tank than a 33gal. Baby snakes for the most part do a lot better if they are in smaller tanks. The bigger cage can stress them out.

[Lankyrob]

You can put them in a larger viv tho and just provide LOTS and LOTS of coverage for them to hide under. My hatchlings went straight into adult sized vivs and have had no problems eating/shedding etc etc

[Snakefood]

awsome, when I went out to the storage shed to see what other tanks I had available, I found my 10 gal with a shattered side! SUCKS!! So it's the 33 gal or buy a smaller one.

[Snakefood]

So I have found a breeder of corns that is about 20 mins away from me, I am going out tonight to take my first look at her available babies and to talk to her. I am interested in her reverse okeetee and blizzard lines.

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!

[stephanbakir]

Good luck, let us know what you decide.

[Snakefood]

Well........

We went to see the baby snakes, the ones I was looking at were born in June and are eating FT mouse pinkies. The breeder said they are usually big enough for rat pinkies by 8-10 mos. She also said that cornsnakes are in greater danger of getting fat when fed rats, anyone else heard of this or is it an old wives tale??

Hubby and I spent about an hour looking at and handling the baby snakes we are interested in and got it down to one male Blizzard Corn. We have asked her to hold him for us till friday so we could come home and brew on it for a bit. Make sure we still feel that this little guy is the one.

[Lankyrob]

The rats have more nutrients and protein that mice and a corn fed purely on rats is likely to get fat once its growing period has finished. However, if you adapt your feeding schedule to fit with the snakes needs then you can offset this easily. If you continue to ffeed rats all its life at the same schedule that you would feed mice then the snake WILL get fat.

[Snakefood]

right, that's kinds what I thought. Since snakes seem to be able to go so long without a meal, I thought I could just customize the feeding schedule to the individual snakes needs. Now she said if you can see "skin" between the scales that's how you know the snake is "fat". Sounds reasonable, is it true??

Also, if agrown corn can eat small rats, then (size-wise) they should be able to eat rabbit pinkies too, right?? I know that rabbit is the lowest fat/cholesterol content for all meats (that have been tested I assume) so if a corn eats rabbit, he would be less likely to get fat than if he ate rats??

Let me know what you think.

[Lankyrob]

Never heard of a corn eating rabbit so cant help there. Teh corn we rescued had fat deposits just in front of the cloaca on either side of its body - looked liked little marbles under the skin - we reduced his feeding from weekly to bi-weekly and gave him plenty of exercise (he had never been handled in three years!) and he is now smooth sided and going well.

[Snakefood]

awsome, well we plan on handling our guy alot, so he should get good excercise!! And it should be eay enough to customize feedings if he seems to be getting a little fat!!

We are starting to set up his enclosure, we are setting up in our bedroom so that the move + our 4 yr old does not totally stress him out!! This way i figure we can bring him out when it is quiet and stress free.