What are the best starter snakes and why?

Question

What are the best starter snakes and why?

Answer 1

Rat snakes, I had two and they were so active and loved roaming around and climbing stuff.

Answer 2

Hello; good question. :) Here is a list of my top 10 favorite snakes for beginners, along with 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 3

My first snake was a cornsnake. ther'e excellent beginner snakes,good eaters,shedders and are usually very active. also, they dont grow that big so there easy to handle good for children to be around becuase they are very docile(well you do get the odd grouchy type) ma wee cousins absolutely love them and are fascinated by them. in my case my first snake was sort of a rescue effort as the owner informed me that he was about a year old but hadnt eaten in 6 months! when i got him he was very small and weak. i finally got him to start eating pinkies n worked his was up. now 2 years later hes 3.5ft long and abou2" in circumference. now hes very active and stong and great pet.

i would recommend them as a beginner snake!

here is the link to good cornsnake care sheet its been very useful to me.

http://www.repticzone.com/caresheets/682...

Answer 4

Ball python - very tame and easy to handle.

Answer 5

corn snake :because they are very easy to take care of and dont get very big

http://members.aol.com/Kathandcam/Hawkhe...

Answer 6

i say the rosy boa because they rarely refuse food, r slow and docil snakes and can be handled regularer and dont need a lot of attention like ball pythons.

Answer 7

I have a Cornsnake and just got a Ball Python a week ago. Different cages of course. Both are very tame and beautiful to look at. Either one would be a great choice.

Answer 8

Definitely Corn Snakes (elaphe guttata guttata). Corn Snakes can handle variations in temperatures that other reptiles cannot and are have very healthy appetites. Corn Snakes can also be tamed very easily which make them great for classrooms and people who like to handle their reptiles. Also because they are basically easy to care for, they easily breed and their eggs are very easy to incubate and hatch. I used to raise corn snakes and have also raised several other reptiles and of all of them, I recommend the corn snakes. You can also pretty much get what ever color phase and pattern you want. I DO NOT recommend a Ball Python as a beginner reptile. They may be mellow and stay on the smaller size but they can be very finicky eaters and they are very susceptible to respiatory infections. Good Luck!