Docile, and beautiful snakes for newbies

[Tiny Boidae]

Originally Posted by REM955

The elephant trunk snake is not a beginner. Just to make that clear. Was looking for care out of curiosity and they don't seem to thrive well in captivity. Not trying to be abrasive.

You're fine. I should have been more clear that I wasn't recommending any of those species at all. I think a lot of what should be considered for the op has already been mentioned.

[SerpentineDream]

No, you can't prevent the yellowing around the head and neck of corn snakes. It happens over time due to carotinoids in the fat of the mice they eat. I suppose you could simply not feed them, but that presents problems of a different sort, yes? Joking aside, it's minimal. And I think it's pretty. It makes Star more unique and interesting than a 100% white snake. You might minimize it by choosing a female.

If you really have your heart set on a solid white snake with black eyes, as I said that's a black eyed leucistic ball python. You'll pay a premium and you're not crazy about ball pythons.

There are lots and lots of unique colubrids. Just make sure you thoroughly research any you consider because many are not beginner snakes. Since you want something moderately sized that won't eat your face or die if you make the slightest mistake that narrows the field.

I might recommend black milk snakes as they are super cool. They start out banded like most other milk snakes but have tiny black dots on them. As they grow the dots spread out until the snake is transformed to a solid iridescent black. They come from the mountain cloud forests of Costa Rica and Panama so they take cool temperatures. They are very mellow and gentle but... they do get big. They are solid, hefty snakes and can get over 7 feet in some cases though most stay around 6. They are not likely to bite as they are very laid back (though watch yourself at feeding time) but they could do damage if they did. They are powerful animals. Something to consider.

[PredatorPraetor]

Originally Posted by REM955

The elephant trunk snake is not a beginner. Just to make that clear. Was looking for care out of curiosity and they don't seem to thrive well in captivity. Not trying to be abrasive

I will echo the ball python by suggesting the black eyed leucestic BP. Pretty sure someone mentioned that or some variant. A quick search puts a price about $450 as a minimum (morph market).

I don't know how others feel about adding bull snakes as a possibility (I have no experience of my own), but I know Aaron had a white sided one at one point. Here's a link to a breeder: White-Sided Bull Snake
And an "blizzard" bull on FaunaClassifieds (Inactive): Blizzard Bull snake
The only complaint I think you might have is size.
They are the only other idea I can think of that match the color preference.

Wouldn't that BP yellow over time? I am purposely taking my time on all of this because I am sure I only want 1 snake (For now) and I wanted to get the best one I can get (without breaking bank). 450 is a bit high - mostly since i dont know breeders and I don't know whose going to basically screw me over with sick unhealthy animals.

Been on fauna classifieds and see that a lot of people get screwed over(being vague but you get the drift-- it's not a set assured thing).

[PredatorPraetor]

Originally Posted by Tiny Boidae

You're fine. I should have been more clear that I wasn't recommending any of those species at all. I think a lot of what should be considered for the op has already been mentioned.

Oh I didn't consider it to be a pet anyways-- 9 foot snake is too much for me. Even if it's docile. Just meant would wish they came in a smaller variety that was easier to care for.

[PredatorPraetor]

Originally Posted by SerpentineDream

No, you can't prevent the yellowing around the head and neck of corn snakes. It happens over time due to carotinoids in the fat of the mice they eat. I suppose you could simply not feed them, but that presents problems of a different sort, yes? Joking aside, it's minimal. And I think it's pretty. It makes Star more unique and interesting than a 100% white snake. You might minimize it by choosing a female.

If you really have your heart set on a solid white snake with black eyes, as I said that's a black eyed leucistic ball python. You'll pay a premium and you're not crazy about ball pythons.

There are lots and lots of unique colubrids. Just make sure you thoroughly research any you consider because many are not beginner snakes. Since you want something moderately sized that won't eat your face or die if you make the slightest mistake that narrows the field.

I might recommend black milk snakes as they are super cool. They start out banded like most other milk snakes but have tiny black dots on them. As they grow the dots spread out until the snake is transformed to a solid iridescent black. They come from the mountain cloud forests of Costa Rica and Panama so they take cool temperatures. They are very mellow and gentle but... they do get big. They are solid, hefty snakes and can get over 7 feet in some cases though most stay around 6. They are not likely to bite as they are very laid back (though watch yourself at feeding time) but they could do damage if they did. They are powerful animals. Something to consider.

The thing about the carotonoids-- I now recall someone mentioning it. I apologize for repeat question had a busy day.

Yeah I don't want a snake that can bite my nose off(to make a milder joke) and I'd prefer it to be very resilient if possible. I don't mean that I'd skimp in care. I feel as if that might be misunderstood, but because I am a newbie and my location isn't exactly the same constant temps year round... I'd like a snake that if it gets a little cold it won't die (I don't mean freezing cold, but if the temp is supposed to be for example 80degrees on the hot side and 75 degrees on the cool side then if it comes a day that it gets unusually cold and forwhatever reason it gets some degrees lower than it should be then it wont just die right there).

Some animals like for example even little finches-- a draft can apparently kill them. I liked the idea of a snake because there's not much requirements to the keeping of a snake (no offense meant) as compared to something like diamond back terrapin, salt water aquariums(think corals, frags, etc)...

I was hoping it'd be more "resistant" to simple mistakes because while I will always try to be careful, the idea that an animal will die because it's a few degrees cooler is a bit off putting, or that the animal will die if I pick it up(being extreme about it but you get the point)... Like what I am trying to say is... I'd prefer to avoid "extreme fragility".. I would think people might misunderstand what I am saying for abuse and all but that's not what I meant. To make a further point- if you've ever heard of a cow fish(salt water) they're fish that should be kept solo... because they are literary ticking time bombs(or toxin bombs?).. if there is even a little bit of stress they can end up essentially wiping out the tank(themselves included) with the toxins they release.

As for that black milk snake. Looks rather cool and a bit like that snake that they have in puerto rico (a big black snake-- a coloubrid-- I was too young to know what it was).

[PredatorPraetor]

Originally Posted by MesoCorney

There are some truly unique snakes out there. A few that come to mind are bush vipers, spider tailed horned vipers, thread snakes, dragon snakes, file snakes, and blue coral snakes. None of these I suggest keeping, but some great eye candy. If you are looking for something unique in the hobby you should check out rhino rat snakes.

Nice. Love the rhino snake, beautiful color.

[akane]

We were discussing on another forum the skull shape of a few snakes starting with corns. They have relatively limited jaws for muscle space and relatively limited teeth so bites even from bigger adults are rarely much.

Personally though I'd have to say if you don't take finding an individual with specific handling and known personality in mind the rosy boa are probably the "safest" without being small and fast. Oddly it is the only snake that has fully bit me but it was a very starved and kept cold who knows how long rosy that I just gotten and warmed up. She was grabbing anything that might be food that only lasted a short time. She left a few shallow breaks in the skin that for me stopped bleeding in seconds even after she spent awhile twisting her jaws around on my finger trying to see if it removed for food. They have small, shallow heads and often prefer prey smaller than their body thickness would normally have you feed on other snakes. No longer starving mine says she only feels like hopper mice now. They are very hard to get bite otherwise. Even not handled much. Majority enjoy being out or just quickly settle into not caring if there is nothing scary and unfamiliar gong on. I don't know about most sand boas but I have seen people talk about their sand boas they haul around on their arm or have on their lap or desk all the time without signs they dislike it. Not that either species gives many signs since they rarely give any threat, make minimal attempts to get away since they are so slow, and I haven't heard of them musking. Maybe if you accidentally injured one or scared it equally as badly and suddenly. Overall bites are limited to accidents often while feeding and attempts to get away are more likely to be recoiling backward where it's easy to pull in their extended body unless they see something close by since they don't continue forward fast enough to outrun anything very far.

A well handled juvenile or already adult of the species commonly mentioned like corn, king, rat, and milk are quite unlikely to bite and like I said are limited in damage potential even if they are going to be a bit bigger and longer teeth than a rosy or sand boa generally has. Smaller snakes can be tamed but many remain quite jittery if you don't consistently put in time so while good to watch and unlikely to bite (some even can't) handling is often difficult if you want occasional without extra effort taming and always with increased risk they'll bolt. Not many small snakes are as calm as ones like rosy and sand boas because most will use speed to escape lacking other defenses. Rosy boas are one of the slowest snakes in the world. Of course many snakes with handling are at worst a bunch of bluff. I've got bull snakes and while I don't generally go ahead and grab one in full strike position (especially the new 6 1/2' one) they still often don't actually bite or hold back on it. I've been glanced as one meant to go on past me and I've been nose banged which will they will do as a more direct threat. Once you have their main body loop lifted up they usually just give up. Same for related species. However, that doesn't mean they don't have hardware so if an accident is a health risk any species with bigger teeth or potential jaw strength and resulting damage is still not the best idea.

[SerpentineDream]

I didn't get that you were looking for a snake that you could neglect, just something easy and forgiving for a first-time owner. There *are* a lot of snakes that are aggressive and will gladly eat your face (you can cross coachwhips off your list) and those that require extremely advanced care (think green tree pythons). Some are hard to keep alive in captivity at all. Some such as indigo snakes get huge. I was being tongue-in-cheek but it really *is* easy to get captivated by a beautiful and unique species and then find out you're in over your head. Appearance isn't everything. You want a pet that you can actually enjoy. I'd love a blue coral snake for looks alone but don't much fancy the venom.

Truly, your first instinct was right. Corn snakes are so popular for a reason. They are the air ferns of the snake world and great beginner snakes. They're also interesting enough to keep you hooked (well, me at least... I'm about to have 11 of them). They are forgiving of minor mistakes and known for being gentle. If you do get bitten, it's a pinprick not a chunk. Don Soderburg is a trustworthy source and knows more about snakes than I probably will if I live to be 100.

Black milks are incredible if you aren't intimidated by the large size and enthusiastic feeding response. They are much more likely to die from being overheated than underheated. I think you mentioned having a bleeding problem. An adult is very unlikely to tag you unless it's a feeding mistake. Wear gloves and use long tongs at feeding time. Wash your hands before handling, use a hook to remove the snake from its cage and don't handle near meal time and you should be fine. *But* if it did bite you it would be no mere pinprick. For that reason if I was in your shoes I'd stick with a corn. But if you're interested you can PM me and I can give you the contact info of someone who has a very few male black milk hatchlings. Black milks are super hard to find. It took me 2 years to finally get my hands on a breeding pair.

[PredatorPraetor]

Originally Posted by akane

We were discussing on another forum the skull shape of a few snakes starting with corns. They have relatively limited jaws for muscle space and relatively limited teeth so bites even from bigger adults are rarely much.

Personally though I'd have to say if you don't take finding an individual with specific handling and known personality in mind the rosy boa are probably the "safest" without being small and fast. Oddly it is the only snake that has fully bit me but it was a very starved and kept cold who knows how long rosy that I just gotten and warmed up. She was grabbing anything that might be food that only lasted a short time. She left a few shallow breaks in the skin that for me stopped bleeding in seconds even after she spent awhile twisting her jaws around on my finger trying to see if it removed for food. They have small, shallow heads and often prefer prey smaller than their body thickness would normally have you feed on other snakes. No longer starving mine says she only feels like hopper mice now. They are very hard to get bite otherwise. Even not handled much. Majority enjoy being out or just quickly settle into not caring if there is nothing scary and unfamiliar gong on. I don't know about most sand boas but I have seen people talk about their sand boas they haul around on their arm or have on their lap or desk all the time without signs they dislike it. Not that either species gives many signs since they rarely give any threat, make minimal attempts to get away since they are so slow, and I haven't heard of them musking. Maybe if you accidentally injured one or scared it equally as badly and suddenly. Overall bites are limited to accidents often while feeding and attempts to get away are more likely to be recoiling backward where it's easy to pull in their extended body unless they see something close by since they don't continue forward fast enough to outrun anything very far.

A well handled juvenile or already adult of the species commonly mentioned like corn, king, rat, and milk are quite unlikely to bite and like I said are limited in damage potential even if they are going to be a bit bigger and longer teeth than a rosy or sand boa generally has. Smaller snakes can be tamed but many remain quite jittery if you don't consistently put in time so while good to watch and unlikely to bite (some even can't) handling is often difficult if you want occasional without extra effort taming and always with increased risk they'll bolt. Not many small snakes are as calm as ones like rosy and sand boas because most will use speed to escape lacking other defenses. Rosy boas are one of the slowest snakes in the world. Of course many snakes with handling are at worst a bunch of bluff. I've got bull snakes and while I don't generally go ahead and grab one in full strike position (especially the new 6 1/2' one) they still often don't actually bite or hold back on it. I've been glanced as one meant to go on past me and I've been nose banged which will they will do as a more direct threat. Once you have their main body loop lifted up they usually just give up. Same for related species. However, that doesn't mean they don't have hardware so if an accident is a health risk any species with bigger teeth or potential jaw strength and resulting damage is still not the best idea.

Hm I actually like Rosy boas too. Apparently they also have a white colored one. I wonder if there's like a guide on all the commonly kept snake species and the somewhat uncommons along with each color morph they come in(pictures would be nice)..

[PredatorPraetor]

Originally Posted by SerpentineDream

I didn't get that you were looking for a snake that you could neglect, just something easy and forgiving for a first-time owner. There *are* a lot of snakes that are aggressive and will gladly eat your face (you can cross coachwhips off your list) and those that require extremely advanced care (think green tree pythons). Some are hard to keep alive in captivity at all. Some such as indigo snakes get huge. I was being tongue-in-cheek but it really *is* easy to get captivated by a beautiful and unique species and then find out you're in over your head. Appearance isn't everything. You want a pet that you can actually enjoy. I'd love a blue coral snake for looks alone but don't much fancy the venom.

Truly, your first instinct was right. Corn snakes are so popular for a reason. They are the air ferns of the snake world and great beginner snakes. They're also interesting enough to keep you hooked (well, me at least... I'm about to have 11 of them). They are forgiving of minor mistakes and known for being gentle. If you do get bitten, it's a pinprick not a chunk. Don Soderburg is a trustworthy source and knows more about snakes than I probably will if I live to be 100.

Black milks are incredible if you aren't intimidated by the large size and enthusiastic feeding response. They are much more likely to die from being overheated than underheated. I think you mentioned having a bleeding problem. An adult is very unlikely to tag you unless it's a feeding mistake. Wear gloves and use long tongs at feeding time. Wash your hands before handling, use a hook to remove the snake from its cage and don't handle near meal time and you should be fine. *But* if it did bite you it would be no mere pinprick. For that reason if I was in your shoes I'd stick with a corn. But if you're interested you can PM me and I can give you the contact info of someone who has a very few male black milk hatchlings. Black milks are super hard to find. It took me 2 years to finally get my hands on a breeding pair.

I so far only like a few of the corns color pattern. Wish they'd come in more colors. For a beginner snake it would entice people more if such where the case. Imagine a corn snake with really bright blues like that blue coral snake you mentioned?

Also for the black milk snake sounds rather tempting yet highly expensive (rarity = expensive as heck?)

They look like these thick black snakes found in puerto rico. (still can't find the I.D. on that puerto rican black snake though).

Yeah I have to be extra careful about bites. It's not like I will die-- just be really bad for me though... I need to be extra careful.

[PredatorPraetor]

Also, what do you guys use for substrate? I was hoping for something rather clean, non-smelling... I heard of people who keep the tanks bare with just newspaper but not sure if that's a fire hazard.. and some of you mentioned an undertank heater but if there's no layered substrate in between the snake, the glass and the heater then won't the snake get burns?

I wanted something that wouldn't be hard to clean and would be clean and keep smells at bay and good for beginners.

Something that would be good for a rosy boa, a corn snake or something like that..

We have carpet floors so we want to keep it clean so it has to be that if by accidentally some of it falls on the ground and it wont mess up the carpet... like say dirt...

[SerpentineDream]

Corn snake morphs. Just tick the amelanistic box since you need red-eyed corns and it'll show you a bunch. Guide to Cornsnake Morphs - Ians Vivarium

Ball python morphs. Sooooo many morphs. World of Ball Pythons

As for expensive, surprisingly no. Black milks are not, for as hard to find as they are. $200 to $250 is pretty standard (females usually toward the higher end) plus shipping.

I use aspen snake bedding from Zoo Med. Easy to find, absorbent, controls odors well and they can burrow in it. For ball pythons I use cypress snake bedding because they like more humidity.

[Herpin' Man]

I don't think anybody has mentioned Antaresia- the Spotted, Children's, and Stimson's pythons. There aren't many morphs available in the US, but they are quite variable regardless. They are small, easy to keep, easy to handle. Babies can be sassy, but adults seldom bite. They are somewhat active, but definitely not "squirmy".

[PredatorPraetor]

Originally Posted by SerpentineDream

Corn snake morphs. Just tick the amelanistic box since you need red-eyed corns and it'll show you a bunch. Guide to Cornsnake Morphs - Ians Vivarium

Ball python morphs. Sooooo many morphs. World of Ball Pythons

As for expensive, surprisingly no. Black milks are not, for as hard to find as they are. $200 to $250 is pretty standard (females usually toward the higher end) plus shipping.

I use aspen snake bedding from Zoo Med. Easy to find, absorbent, controls odors well and they can burrow in it. For ball pythons I use cypress snake bedding because they like more humidity.

Thank you. I appreciate the info. I see a lot of morphs in there. Nice.