I am trying to put together a list of the "best" starter snakes. I have experience with most of them and have a pretty good starting list, but am wondering what I have forgotten.



So, if you have any experience..what makes your top-ten-best-starter-snakes list? I am only interested in different species (i.e. Cal Kings and Desert Kings count as one species).



I have basically given each species a score for each of these criteria -

- juvenile temperament

- adult temperament

- handling

- feeding ease

- feeding ease (juv)

- feeding cost (monthly)

- housing issues (size)

- price

- availability (common/rare, CB/WC)



The snake with the lowest score is the "best". For example, Rosy Boas only beat out corn snakes by staying smaller (less food cost, less expensive housing).



I don't wish to get into discussions about which species should be 5 and which should be 6, rather I am looking for suggestions of which other species to include as contenders.



Here is the working list...

1. Rosy Boa

2. Corn Snake

3. Checkered Gartersnake

4. Mexican Kingsnakes

5. Gray-banded Kingsnake

6. Kenyan Sand Boa

7. Ball Python

8. Common Kingsnake

9. Western Hognosed Snake

10. Twin Spotted Ratsnake

11. Dione's Ratsnake

12. Common Gartersnake

13. Russian Ratsnake

14. Common Ratsnake

15. Prairie Kingsnake

16. African Brown House Snake

17. Indian Sand Boa

18. Trans-Pecos Ratsnake

19. Gopher/Pine/Bullsnakes

20. Children's Python

21. Spotted Python

22. Rubber Boa

23. Rainbow Boa

24. Rough Greensnake

25. Boa Constrictor

26. Borneo Blood Python

27. Milksnakes

28. Jungle Carpet Python

29. Burmese Python

30. Reticulated Python (for entertainment purposes only - I only included these because some people consider them as first snakes!!)



I am sure there are some flagrant omissions - what are they?
-----
Chris Harrison



...he was beginning to realize he was the creature of a god that appreciated the discomfort of his worshippers - W. Somerset Maugham

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