Snakes????

Question

Whats a good snake to have as a pet? Something that wont bite me or choke me to death.

Answer 1

Hello; good question. ;)

Here is is a list of some great pet snakes. None of which are capable or generally inclined to cause serious injury to a human being. I am not sure how many reptiles you have previously kept, so all of these snakes are great for beginners and experienced reptile keepers alike. I've also included some information on why I chose them, and a care sheet on each species. :)

1. Rosy boa. They are small, very docile, calm, are great eaters, and are slow moving (and thus easier to handle than a lot of colubrids like King snakes and Corn snakes). They are also very hardy, low maintenance, come in lots of different colors and localities, and aren't prone to shedding problems.  

Care sheet: http://www.rosyboa.com/desertboas/caresh...

2. Kenyan sand boa. They have all of the good qualities of the Rosy like the gentle disposition, ease of care, small size, great feeders, etc, but the only problem that some keepers may have with them is that they spend most of their time under their substrate. For those who like to randomly walk by their snake's cage to check to see what the snake is up to and how it is doing, that could be frustrating for them.

Care sheet: http://www.wnyherp.org/care-sheets/snake...

3. Corn snake. They are quite docile, low maintenance, great eaters, generally are great shedders, are a bit bigger than Rosys or Kenyans but not so big that they are awkward to handle, and come in a wide variety of colors. My only thing I'd worry about for a beginner with these guys is they are very quick moving and can be quite nervous as babies, so they require a bit more caution when handling.

Care sheet: http://www.anapsid.org/corn.html

4. Childrens pythons. They are very small (the second smallest python species in the world), are low maintenance, are great eaters, and usually have a great temperament. While I wouldn’t classify them as slow moving, they aren’t all that fast, either. However while I think that they are quite beautiful; some would consider them to be ‘bland’ looking, so if one was in search of a flashy looking snake, then these guys probably wouldn’t be for them.

Care sheet: http://www.tinypythons.com/caresheet_chi...

5 & 6. King snakes and Milk snakes. I lump both species together due to their similar appearances, temperaments and care needs. The only notable difference in their behavior is that Kings tend to be a bit quicker to settle down when being handled. Both are a bit bigger than Rosys, Kenyans, or Childrens (roughly the same size as a Corn, though may be bigger or smaller depending on the subspecies), are low maintenance, great feeders, and usually tame down quickly with regular handling. The problems with these guys are that they are another quick-moving species that tend to be nervous when young. They are also cannibalistic, so it is under no circumstances a good idea to put a Milk or a King in the cage with another snake if you wish to keep both snakes alive and well.

Care sheet (works for both species): http://www.kingsnake.com/rockymountain/R...

7. Rough-scaled sand boa. These guys are a very small, generally docile, low maintenance species of sand boa. They are hardy and easy to care for, are great feeders, and are excellent for beginners. The only problems with these guys is that they are a bit harder to find than most of the others on this list, and like the Kenyans, they spend most of their time buried under their substrate.

Care Sheet: http://www.reptilia.org/care_sheets/snak...

8. Ball pythons. They are a normally very sweet-tempered, medium-sized species of snake that is quite popular with beginners. They are slow moving, beautiful and exotic looking, easy to handle, and reluctant to bite. Unfortunately due to their high humidity needs, shedding problems, and notorious issues with feeding, I would only recommend them to a beginner if they had done extensive research on their care and knew how to deal with the common problems that they may have with these guys. Better yet if they had a ‘coach’ of some sort, another Ball python owner who knew how to handle this species, and could tell you the best kind of caging for them, the best sorts of substrate, and what to do when the snake goes off of feed. If the person knew how to deal with those issues, then these guys make a wonderful beginners species.

Care sheet: http://www.anapsid.org/ball.html

9. Hog Island Boa. These are a very beautiful, generally docile species that are medium sized and medium upkeep. They require a bit less humidity than other subspecies of Boa Constrictor, and are usually fantastic feeders. The only problem with Hog islands is that they are a bit difficult to find.

Care sheet: http://www.centralpets.com/animals/repti...

10. Western Hognose Snakes. They are a usually good-tempered, low maintenance, small, amusing species that could be mistaken for a Rattlesnake if someone wasn’t well versed in reptiles. They are generally very sweet, tame down quickly, are great feeders, and are great shedders. They are mildly venomous, though not enough so that it could pose of any danger to humans. Not only are they reluctant to bite; their fangs are also located in the back of their mouth thus making it very hard for them to bite you unless you literally stick your finger in there. Even if they did manage to bite you; you’d have to let them ‘chew’ on you to get any sort of reaction at all. Generally the reaction from their venom in humans is mild irritation and swelling.

Care sheet: http://www.reptileallsorts.com/westhogno...

I hope this helps, and if you have any further questions at all on the subject or on any of the species I named; please feel free to message me and I will be more than happy to assist you. :)

Good luck!

Answer 2

Ball Pythons are wonderful starters or even a Colombian Red Tail Boa i prefer boa's and pythons over corns for the fact of size but also that their head takes on more of a spade shape and doesn't make them look like a scaly worm : / but Red Tails tend to take alot of care for they grow to be roughly 6-8 feet and weigh up to 40 pounds but a ball python will generally grow to be only 3 feet or so and not way to much and both are extremely docile snakes..

Answer 3

if you want a good snake then get a ball python not only are they cheap and easy to take care of, they are friendly. corn snakes are OK to but i think ball pythons are better.though i would not recommend a red tail boa cause they get big and i got bitten by mine the other day but make sure you do plenty of research a little before you buy a snake try this

Answer 4

i would get a ball python, they are called "ball" pythons because when they get scared they ball up, and dont move. they usually get to be about 5 feet, but can get up to 7. they are usually laid back, and not in a hurry to move unless they are being fed. i would not get a red tail because of its size, nor would i get a corn snake (if this is your first snake) because they wiggle and move alot. there are some cons though, sometimes balls have a hard time shedding...do some research, and think on it. i highly recomend a ball!

Answer 5

Well I would suggest a type of garter or ribbon snake as a first snake. but if they don't strike your fancy then I would suggest a corn or a milk snake but if you still don't think you are interested in them then I would suggest a ball python but some of them tend to be picky eaters sometimes going months without eating and some starving to death because of this problem. you can usually get over this problems with proper research of the animals before you purchase them.

Here are some pictures of the above snakes:

Garters although there are many different kinds of all colors this one is a common one:

http://www.gpnc.org/images/jpegs/animals...

Ribbon:

http://michaelcravens.com/sitebuildercon...

Corn snake:

http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/4649az...

Milk snake:

http://www.applegatereptiles.com/species...

Ball python:

http://www.chelydra.org/python03.jpg

I hope these pictures help you out some. when you pick one you can post another question and I will help you find some links and information on it. Good luck!

Answer 6

If you want an extremely nice snake then go with a cornsnake. I have alot of boas and pythons but he is my favorite. He has never bitten and will only get up to 6 ft max. most are 4 feet but I got a year old thats 4 foot already and still growing fast. You could also try a ball python they are pretty nice but can be picky eaters if ecerything is not right, They get around 4-5 feet and are alot thicker than the cornsnakes

Answer 7

well i have a ball python. she is good with kids. but younger kids is not good with any young kid because they get scarede easily. she has never bit us and she has never choked us. she can get very big but it depends on how big the cage is that you get them.

hope that helps

ps you should read about wat ever type of snake you want to get they can be hard to take care of.

Answer 8

Ball pythons, corn snakes, and even a redtail boa constrictor are all good.

they are all capable of biting, but it all depends on hat environment they were brought up into.

& Yeah the red tail boa constricor, does constrict its pray...but I don't think it would a human.

The safest one I think would be a ball python.

Answer 9

RAT SNAKES DON'T HAVE VENOM, AND THEY ONLY GET TO ABOUT 2 FEET LONG. THEY CAN LIVE IN CAPTIVITY, BUT THEY ARE SNEAKY. I PERSONALLY HAD ABOUT TWELVE AT A TIME WHEN I WAS TWELVE.

Answer 10

ball pythons are the most calm small snakes. corn snakes and kingsnakes are good too but need alot of handling when theyre young . baby cornsnakes seem nervous and are very quick. mine even strikes if you suprise her but it never hurts because shes so small

Answer 11

i think cornsnake is the best you can have for pet, they are very docile animal they dont  bite onless you provoque them or if you hold its food in your hands before handling.and they got lot's of different interesting colors and they  are known to be the best first snake.the don't become very big.

My corn snake is a baby anerythristic i have it since two weeks now and it never try to bite me or strike ant me.he's a little shy when i reach in is viv to handle him but when he is in my hands he 's curious and like to crawl between my fingers.

Answer 12

if you want gentle snakes, (if it would be your first one) the king snake, corn snakes also can be a good beginner's snake. you may find Burmese pythons as one gentle giants in the snake kingdom. i wont recommend reticulated pythons as these were the most aggressive python ever, they bite and if you purchased a specimen from the wild, you may loose them.