Snakes...which ones do you think?

Question

Snakes are not my thing. Maybe you can help? I am looking into snakes for our family (4 little boys -ages 3, 6, 9, 11). Which snake do you think is good for kids/easily handled/cared for? What snakes eat crickets? Fish? Mice? Rats? Small/baby rabbits? Will eat easily? Don't need a lot of equipment and fuss? Where would YOU get them from?

We have dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, Leopard geckos, fish so we're not completely ignorant but snakes ARE something we have not cared for before so all help/suggestions are appreciated. Thanks a bunch. :)

Answer 1

I would say a CAPTIVE BRED ball python. Wild caught ball pythons often don't eat food. Plus they don't get very big.

Answer 2

My suggestion would be a corn snake.  Ball pythons are also good first snakes but personally I don't think they're quite as easy as corn snakes, mainly for two reasons.  First, for BP you have to make sure the humidity is right (generally 50-70% depending on if they're shedding - I aim for 60%).  To much or too little and it can get sick.  A good cage solves this though.  I never had a problem with my corns with whatever the room humidity was.  Second, BP have the reputation of spontaneously deciding not to eat, sometimes for a few months.  This can be nerve-wracking to a novice.  It made me nervous and my BP was my third snake.  Every corn snake I've seen eats like a pig and you have to make sure you don't overfeed them.  But some individual corns can be extremely picky just like many BP aren't.  My BP is just apparently on the neurotic/picky side of the spectrum.

Corns eat pinky mice as hatchlings and go up to eating full sized adult mice.  BP can start eating smaller adult (or large fuzzy) mice and depending on the size of the BP go up to eating juvenile rats.

As far as being good for kids, neither of them is aggressive and it is unlikely either would try to bite.  Just make sure everyone washes their hands before holding the snake since you have so many mammal pets.  Hatchling corns are tiny and easy to lose your grip on though.  And while BP do not get that big (a huge female might hit 5ft, most are roughly 3.5-4 ft long) they are constrictors and fairly strong once they become adult sized.  I don't think they're strong enough to unintentionally hurt an adult but I don't know about kids.  I'd just keep the BP from going around your kids' necks and there won't be a problem.  Corns don't have enough muscle to damage anyone.

And as far as where to get them, don't go to a place like Petco or Petsmart unless you're lucky to have a good one nearby.  90% or more of the time the people there don't actually know squat about reptiles or the snakes are iffy as far as health goes.  I've seen BP hatchlings that look dehydrated and boas covered with mites or ticks for sale there.  I'd recommend finding a breeder in your area (try kingsnake.com) or going to a reptile show if there's one near you.  And buy captive bred no matter which snake you go with.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Female corns r more docile that males, but u really have to be careful, although they r a hardy breed small children, dogs, or cats can kill corns.

Get a baby but be aware that they r escape artists.

The equipment is the expensive part of having a snake.

Answer 4

Personally I love corn snakes. I think they are great for kids, docile, and come in many different colors and patterns. Plus they don't get huge like the constrictors will (boas and pythons). There up keep is real simple. They usually get feed pre-killed or frozen thawed pinkies and mice depending on there size.

If you are thinking about a corn snake I would recommend getting this book first by Don Soderberg (well known corn snake breeder). It is a very easy read, easy to follow and easy to understand which is a plus for the kids.

http://www.cornsnake.net/cornsnakesincap...

Good luck. My personal favorite colors phases are the creamsicle, butter corn, and snow.

Answer 5

if you aren't "into snakes" i wouldn't get one yet.  i would wait until the oldest is at least 14 or 15.  an 11 year old isn't going to take over feeding and cleaning the snakes habitat.  you will end up being the one that is responsible for all of that stuff

Answer 6

Well I would recommend a ball python or a corn snake. They are easy to care for and you don't need such a huge tank and feeders for them.

They eat mice, sizes range from pinkies to medium/large rats. They don't eat anything bigger then the large rat....most likely you don't need to feed them that big of an animal either. So for a corn snake you would probably need a full grown mice(adult corn) or a ball python(full grown) would probably just need a medium rat once a week. They don't need much feeders, so it isn't too bad. Just need to be feed once a week. They don't eat crickets or fish or rabbits. Also always feed the snake frozen/thawed feeders because live feeders could kill your snake...there is many reasons behind that too.

The only accessories you would really need is a 40 gallon tank(for a corn snake or a ball python), bedding, heat lamp, heating pad, and water bowl....and they should be set for the rest of their lives.

I would always always always recommend adopting them from local reptile rescue or maybe a local humane society. Or you could try craigslist.org but please(begging you) don't buy them from a big time pet store because their animals aren't well taken care of and most of them suffer from respiratory infection and ends up dying within a week. So check out your local reptile rescue or tried craigslist.org

I rescued all my snakes from a local reptile rescue and craigslist.org

Here is a link that goes in more depth about both the ball python and the corn snake.

Ball python:

http://www.reptilerescueca.org/Ball.html

Corn snake:

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

Hope this could help, and if you have any more questions then feel free to email me =]

Answer 7

Corn Snakes are the best by far.

The are very calm and docile and dont mind being handled

They eat once to twice every 10 days (Dead Frozen mice)

Only get to be about 2-5 feet long

Range around $30-$60 (Not very expensive for snakes)

Have amazing colors to gaze at

Only need a 10 gallon tank for their first year and then they need a 20 gallon once the are adults (lots of snakes need 40 gallon tanks or more)

Live to be about 15-20 years of age

Hope this helps...Good Luck!