Which species?

[MnGuy]

Originally Posted by craigafrechette

I've kept all three species that you're considering. But I no longer keep corns, quite honestly, they bore me.

Kings are my favorite of the three, but hognose are a close second.

Kings are super easy. Husbandry is quite foolproof, they are eating machines, they are an easily manageable size but not puny, they're somewhat active in their enclosure once they get a little size on them and gain confidence, plenty of localities and morphs to choose from, will never need anything bigger than adult mice, etc...

Hognose are a ton of fun packed into little snakes. They have incredible little personalities. They can be a bit trickier to get started on food when young, especially males. And they will take food breaks from time to time.
But, if you're prepared it shouldn't worry you.
Females are much larger than males.
But they are a lot of fun. They're diurnal so active day and night. This would be the most active species of the three as far as in the enclosure. They're easy to handle but will sometimes put on quite a show when you reach into the enclosure. But they are all bluff. It's actually quite funny.
It's also very important to remind you that hognose are rear fanged and extremely mildly venomous. Though they almost never actually strike. Their delivery system is also terrible so in order for the bite to be a problem the snake would have to hold on and chew. Even then, it's usually nothing more than a little localized swelling. However, if you're allergic to bees, or have sensitivity to things like that a bite can make your hand swell to the size of a balloon.


Lastly, depending where you are located some species may be illegal to keep. Check local laws.

Good luck. If you have any more questions I would be happy to help.

Thank you for the great feedback and firsthand accounts. Really appreciate it. All three species are legal here in Minnesota.