What was your first snake? - Page 2

Lefitte · 10-09-15, 12:33 PM

My first snake was a California kingsnake. I loved their black and white color and patterns and everything I read made them sound like the perfect beginner snake. I'm very happy with my choice even if I've learned that rainbow boas are better suited for me. She's doing great though and growing like a weed.

prairiepanda · 10-09-15, 12:41 PM

I kept various garter snakes for short periods as a kid, but my first real pet snake was a California kingsnake. She was an adult female I found in the local classifieds and came with everything she needed for a great price. When I went to check her out, I found that she was in perfect health and was incredibly calm, friendly, and curious. I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Later on, after acquiring a second snake and while I was looking around for more, I ended up donating my cal king to a friend of mine who I felt would benefit from having a pet to care for. The two were a perfect match and the snake did make a positive difference in my friend, so I'm happy I made that choice.

Keeping that cal king taught me that colubrids were the perfect snakes for me, but also that I prefer larger snakes, which is what prompted me to go for a honduran milk snake and then pine snakes.

reptiledude987 · 10-09-15, 12:58 PM

Like many others I used to catch garters as a child all the time. I would keep them a few days or a weeek and let them go. The first pet snake I bought was a grey banded king. Her name was Jake (she was 3 by the time I had her sexed and wasnt about to change her name.) She was the best first snake. She was a great eater totally docile tolerated being handled very well. I really miss the old girl.

pinefamily · 10-09-15, 03:53 PM

Our first snake was a 7 year old bredli python. The story behind it is quite funny. For years I wanted a snake, but my wife said it was her or a snake. So we got a bearded dragon instead. He lived for 12 years or so, and after he died, we bought two more. One of my work mates told me her father had a snake he was giving away because of a break up. I told my wife, expecting the same answer; she surprised me by saying yes. When it was brought to our house with its enclosure, she had the python dumped in her lap in a bag. Fear instantly conquered, lol.
Sadly, the python died after 18 months from a tumour. But we now have a collection of 24 pythons and 17 lizards and monitors.

Charis · 10-10-15, 09:55 PM

First snake(s) were two young garter snakes found near the house we were living in at the time and my brother and I kept them quite awhile, we were pretty young then. In fact, I do not remember what happened to them ... Then a bit less than a year after we got those, we were out hunting grasshoppers for our WC mantids and the neighbor, thinking we were looking for snakes, gave us a large garter snake they had caught. We kept her for a bit more than a year, mom was never really a fan, until the day I walked in to find 11 cute little baby snakes all over "Champ's" cage! That was enough for my mom though and she made us let them all go down at the marshy area a little ways away. (The younger original garters might have gone in that purge too)

First bought snake was a Classic corn snake, after a lot of research, that I thought was enough at the time but I'd probably have done a few things differently in hindsight. She was a very good snake though. I sold her to a localish friend of a friend in some of the local online reptile groups, because several people I trusted vouched for her. She really didn't fit into my breeding plans and my interest had gone in a bit of a different direction and I could've used the space she was occupying for those interests but it was still an agonizing decision to sell my "first!" Figured I'd probably never find a better person for her to go to though ...

Princess-dad · 10-11-15, 12:29 AM

I ended up becoming the caretaker of a BCI after my wife decided she was not a BOA person . So yah I'm now a reptihalic and that cute little two foot long small guy is over five feet and very thick . Thats Prince when young hes soaking in a glass bread pan . Thats him now , thats a 12 inch serving bowl he is laying across . They grow so fast .

Doug 351 · 10-11-15, 01:43 AM

Funny...I was really scared of snakes...but I knew rough earth snakes and "garter snakes" were harmless....so I never kept any...but I had many rough earth snakes for short periods....the first snake I tried to keep as a pet was a ribbon....(which I mistakenly thought was a garter).... my first real pets were Texas rat snakes...

Doug 351 · 10-11-15, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug 351

Funny...I was really scared of snakes...but I knew rough earth snakes and "garter snakes" were harmless....so I never kept any...but I had many rough earth snakes for short periods....the first snake I tried to keep as a pet was a ribbon....(which I mistakenly thought was a garter).... my first real pets were Texas rat snakes...

Whoops....I misread...I thought it said pests....LOL!

Georgia · 10-11-15, 08:44 AM

Ribbon snake at the age of 6...my mom brought it home as a present from th pet shop.