My thoughts. First, please start with a cb baby. It's pretty easy to stay out of range of an animal with a 2" strike range. Your skills will grow as the snake does. If you had a mentor to demonstrate hooking and let you practice on his animals, starting with an older animal might be a consideration.

Your concern about demeanor, how aggressive the snake is likely to be, etc. is reasonable, yet there is more to this issue. Nearly all Crotalids and Viperids will settle down enough to become manageable and enjoyable captives. The truly difficult, psychotic snake will be an aberrancy, no matter the species. There is a flip side to the benefits of having a calm snake. You will at some point be tempted to become complacent. Don't laugh. It will not happen while you are new at it, a bit apprehensive and always on your toes when interacting with your snake. But temptations will arise. A snappy snake will always demand your full attention. Second to complacency, the next greatest danger is feeding response. Even a very placid snake can develop an insane feeding response. It is worth remembering that even a snake you have come to know very well is capable of a quantum increase in feeding response at any moment.

I think it is hard to beat a copperhead for a first hot. They are beautiful and tend to become fairly relaxed captives. They have every bit as much "class" as more exotic species. If you are not quite sold on a copperhead, I'll suggest a cantil. As far as snakes go, cantils have major personality. Diurnally active, extremely alert and responsive, they will nearly always turn to greet you as you approach the cage. Did I say "greet"? I meant "bite", as biting you seems to be their eternal desire. But their snappiness makes them completely predictable. They are really much more manageable than I am making it sound. Babies tend to ride a hook better than baby copperheads.

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