I believe in "keep it simple". Which means make decisions on ease of care & feeding, along with traits & behavior.



Avoid specialty feeders! Snakes preferring frogs or reptiles should be fed exactly that. Keep them in the wild. Rodent feeders are the best suited for captivity.



I have had the following, for animal companions or study specimens:



Eastern Kingsnake

Desert Kingsnake

Mexican (Sonoran) Black Kingsnake

Baja Cape Kingsnake (nitida)

Baja Kingsnake (conjuncta, my favorite for patterns & color)

Great Basin Gopher

Red-spotted Garter

Northwestern Garter

Black Rat



Kingsnakes are not generally fussy, unless they are a special subspecies like Gray-banded, which prefer lizards. Most Kings take live or frozen mice readily. However, they are often nocturnal (Mexican Black), and not very engaging, usually seeking to escape when held or exercising.



Boas & pythons grow too big. Don't make the mistake that thousands made before you, and eventually end up giving them away to a reptile rescue & small enclosure only partially adequate. What a waste of living gems.



Milksnakes are colorful, but generally skittish and don't prefer to be handled. Like many other small colubrids.



Garters are wonderful, and highly social, but problem feeders. They are HIGHLY social, and prefer being with others. (In the wild, they are often found together, even of unrelated species.) Red-spotteds prefer frogs; mine refused worms & pinkies. Northwesterns feed readily on worms, but are very shy and don't prefer to be handled.



Rat snakes generally grow to be less than 6', feed readily, climb well, and can even be quite personable & active. I have a female Black Rat that is a gem; probably my best snake yet!



Ameron

Portland/Vancouver



0.1 Black Rat

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