New--snake for my son? - Page 2

drumcrush · 11-23-13, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiL Zap

I would consider a corn snake instead because king snakes can be feisty at times. There's plenty of care sheets available about corn snakes.

I won't sit here and say ALL king snakes are feisty but the majority of them I have personally seen can be snippy at times.

I'd say it can also depend on the type of king snake. But yeah, I had volunteered to do some work at a pet store by my dads, I had to feed the nastiest king they had, he had such a great feeding response, that he snagged himself lol. If you get one as a baby, and handle it An appropriate amount, they should be fine. My mexican black king is a doll, I've had her from a few days old and never bit me once. But I've heard Cali kings can be pretty aggressive, so idk bout that.

Jim Smith · 11-23-13, 11:17 AM

I think that you've gotten some good information here, however there may be a couple of other considerations you should keep in mind. I see that your name is gagirl. If that stands for Georgia Girl and if you still live in Georgia, it is illegal to own a Corn Snake in Georgia. That is because Corn snakes are native to Georgia and they are fairly strict about keeping natives species as pets. I agree with the people that recommended that you don't start with a King snake, mainly because they tend to strike and bite a bit more than other species. Some people really like snakes with a bit of attitude, but they can be scary to a new owner even though the bits won't really hurt you. That said, if your son's new king snake latches on to his nose and won't let go, it may be a bit of a turn-off on snakes. I am a big fan of Milk snakes. There are a variety to choose from such as Pueblan, Honduran, Nelson's etc. They're readily available, easy to care for, nice temperament and they come in a wide variety of colors. https://www.google.com/search?q=milk...w=1067&bih=504

Just some food for thought.

drumcrush · 11-23-13, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Smith

I think that you've gotten some good information here, however there may be a couple of other considerations you should keep in mind. I see that your name is gagirl. If that stands for Georgia Girl and if you still live in Georgia, it is illegal to own a Corn Snake in Georgia. That is because Corn snakes are native to Georgia and they are fairly strict about keeping natives species as pets. I agree with the people that recommended that you don't start with a King snake, mainly because they tend to strike and bite a bit more than other species. Some people really like snakes with a bit of attitude, but they can be scary to a new owner even though the bits won't really hurt you. That said, if your son's new king snake latches on to his nose and won't let go, it may be a bit of a turn-off on snakes. I am a big fan of Milk snakes. There are a variety to choose from such as Pueblan, Honduran, Nelson's etc. They're readily available, easy to care for, nice temperament and they come in a wide variety of colors. https://www.google.com/search?q=milk...w=1067&bih=504

Just some food for thought.

Yes, I agree with you on milk snakes!!! They vary in size, color, pattern, etc.

**EL Ziggy** · 11-23-13, 11:32 AM

My son is 4 and his first snake was a Cal King. He loves Caesar and handles him with no issues, under my supervision of course. I think they're great starter snakes. Granted, some of them can be a bit nippy or flighty especially when they're young, but neither of mine have ever bit me. Just a little tail rattling and a couple of musking episodes. With regular handling they usually tame down and become pretty docile. They're easy to care for, they grow to a nice size but not too big, and they come in beautiful morphs. They're also voracious eaters most of the time. I highly recommend kingsnakes. Best wishes.

**EL Ziggy** · 11-23-13, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Smith

I think that you've gotten some good information here, however there may be a couple of other considerations you should keep in mind. I see that your name is gagirl. If that stands for Georgia Girl and if you still live in Georgia, it is illegal to own a Corn Snake in Georgia. That is because Corn snakes are native to Georgia and they are fairly strict about keeping natives species as pets. I agree with the people that recommended that you don't start with a King snake, mainly because they tend to strike and bite a bit more than other species. Some people really like snakes with a bit of attitude, but they can be scary to a new owner even though the bits won't really hurt you. That said, if your son's new king snake latches on to his nose and won't let go, it may be a bit of a turn-off on snakes. I am a big fan of Milk snakes. There are a variety to choose from such as Pueblan, Honduran, Nelson's etc. They're readily available, easy to care for, nice temperament and they come in a wide variety of colors. https://www.google.com/search?q=milk...w=1067&bih=504

Just some food for thought.

Thanks for the info Jim, I didn't know we couldn't have corns here in GA. I don't have any experience with milks yet, but I will soon. Those hondos are awesome.

Charis · 11-23-13, 11:44 AM

I'd also recommend looking into milks and other kings, any of the mexicana complex of kings are generally very docile, stay smaller and make good pets, although some of them can be a bit harder to get eating, so I'd definitely go with a breeder that can assure you it is well established on eating.
Garters, in my experience, can be super awesome, very interactive and "smart" little snakes ... They can also be bitey, musky, whipping little devils. Some of my absolute favorite snakes have been garters and some of my least favorites. So I'm not sure they would have my full recommendation for someone new to snakes. If a garter is decided upon though, I'd recommend getting a female, as they are typically more docile and easier to tame and I'd suggest an older one, yearling or adult as the babies are quite little and may be more uncomfortable to handle, because of their small size and quickness.

Cali kings can make great pets and there are some out there that are super docile and have never attempted to bite anyone. There are also a few individuals who are just plain mean, like in any other species, because they do all have their own temparements. But the main issue with a lot of Cali's is that they are so food motivated. It makes them very nice, because there is almost never any issue with getting one to eat. But they like to test bite things, shirts, towels, bedding, any bit of human skin that catches their attention they will just open up, bite down and chew for a bit to see if it might be edible. It's generally not in any way "mean" or aggressive biting but it can be very startling and a bit painful with a bigger snake. They are so food motivated, and a bit dim, that they have been known to start to swallow themselves, since kings do eat other snakes, they must think they've got hold of another snake. They usually figure it out and spit themselves back out before any harm is done.

purplegeyser · 11-23-13, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Smith

I think that you've gotten some good information here, however there may be a couple of other considerations you should keep in mind. I see that your name is gagirl. If that stands for Georgia Girl and if you still live in Georgia, it is illegal to own a Corn Snake in Georgia. That is because Corn snakes are native to Georgia and they are fairly strict about keeping natives species as pets. I agree with the people that recommended that you don't start with a King snake, mainly because they tend to strike and bite a bit more than other species. Some people really like snakes with a bit of attitude, but they can be scary to a new owner even though the bits won't really hurt you. That said, if your son's new king snake latches on to his nose and won't let go, it may be a bit of a turn-off on snakes. I am a big fan of Milk snakes. There are a variety to choose from such as Pueblan, Honduran, Nelson's etc. They're readily available, easy to care for, nice temperament and they come in a wide variety of colors. https://www.google.com/search?q=milk...w=1067&bih=504

Just some food for thought.

^^ Great point.

Milksnakes are easier to handle than a king snake for sure.
They are also very beautiful and come in similar colors to king snakes.

shaunyboy · 11-23-13, 04:02 PM

another thing i would have against Kingsnakes with such a young keeper is their feeding response.....

ive seen plenty of pictures of Kings eating their way up their own tails,due to their crazy feeding mode

someone so young, who's parent ain't too keen on snakes, would imo have problems should that situation arise

ive seen more crazy bitey Kings, than i have calm placid ones

cheers shaun

gagirl · 11-23-13, 04:43 PM

Wow, you guys are amazing! Thank you for your thoughtful responses. I will get busy looking into all of your suggestions and links. As for storing frozen food in my freezer, I find that much more tolerable than live rodents. And by tolerable, I mean the lesser of two evils

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Smith

I am a big fan of Milk snakes. There are a variety to choose from such as Pueblan, Honduran, Nelson's etc. They're readily available, easy to care for, nice temperament and they come in a wide variety of colors.

Jim, I'm right down the road from you in Covington. Did you get your milk snakes locally?

sharthun · 11-23-13, 05:22 PM

Don't overlook the Black Milk Snake.Very docile and easy to feed and house at room temps with no added heat source.

swolek · 11-23-13, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharthun

Don't overlook the Black Milk Snake.Very docile and easy to feed and house at room temps with no added heat source.

I second this! I absolutely love mine, he's one my more docile reptiles and very, very easy to care for.

However, they do get on the larger side, growing up to 5-6 feet easily.

Jim Smith · 11-23-13, 05:32 PM

gagirl,

Wow, you really are just down the road. To answer our question, yes I did buy one of my Ghost Honduran Milk Snake locally from a man in Decatur. I wanted a specific morp (color pattern) and he had one available. My other Honduran I bought from a breeder in Dallas Texas. That involves shipping which can be rather expensive. Typically, the different colored morphs cost quite a bit more than a "normal" colored snake. There are a couple on Craig's list now that may meet your needs.

DragonsEye · 11-23-13, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaunyboy

my youngest son started with a Kingsnake at the age of 8,after it bit and held onto his nostril,it totally put him off snakes...

i wish i had said no to the Kingsnake and got him a garter or a corn, as a starter snake

I don't know, Shaun. I think such an incident could have occurred with just about any snake. Has your son been able to get past that incident?

Only down side to milks is their tendency to musk.

Btw, just out of idle curiosity, are rat snakes (as close relatives of corns) also illegal pets in Georgia?

As far as getting bitten goes, GAgirl, with the snakes mentioned -- king, corn, or garter -- it really is not a huge deal. ( Mention this as one of the big fears many non-snake enthusiasts have is the "danger" of getting 'tagged'.) IMHO, the worst part of getting tagged by one of these is not the actual bite, but the shock/surprise of having been bitten. Their teeth are teeny tiny backward pointing hooks ... somewhat like the front claws of a cat. So if one of these does bite you, the best (and hardest) thing to do is NOT jerk your hand/arm away. Jerking away can break off little teeth into your skin (kind of like getting splinters) and/or make the scratches from the teeth worse (not unlike jerking away from a kitten that has latched its claws on you). Instead, stay calm and the snake will, realizing its mistake, "unhook" its mouth from you. The following is a link to a picture posted by a member who got tagged by their python (a far more robust snake than the types suggested here). You can see how laughably minor the "damage" was. I've received worse wounds weeding too close to a rosebush.

(And don't worry about the link title -- "Bloody Mary" is just the name of the snake because it is a "blood python") link: http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/pytho...uck-again.html

Charis · 11-23-13, 07:11 PM

^Agreed^ I've gotten worse damage being bitten or scratched by a kitten or hamster than any snake bite I've ever gotten.

Mikoh4792 · 11-23-13, 07:13 PM

Getting bit is no biggie. It'll surprise you the first few times because the fast strikes look menacing but the most you will get out of snakes like corns and kings are scratches and pin holes.

I'm in the process of taming down a few snakes in my collection so getting bit is a daily routine.

For a first snake I would recommend a kingsnake if corns or rats are illegal in your area. They might not be the best to have as a lap snake but I think snakes do better when you don't molest them. They aren't a "cuddly" pet anyways. If that's what you are looking for a dog would be a better choice.