Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been going through the Care Sheets/FAQS/Features section and most of them talk about snakes in a breeders point of view. I know most of you guys are breeders but what are some good snakes in just a simple pet owner's point of view. I've read the best and worst reptiles for beginners sheet/page but was wondering if you guys have other suggestions. So far I will have a ball python (by tuesday) and looking at sand boas, rosy boas, grey banded king snakes and ATB. What are some good pet snakes that are easy to handle (as a pet) and don't get any bigger than 5 ft. I prefer something that's actually less than 5 ft. Also I'm not really a fan of corn or milk snakes. They tend to be too small as babies and bite frequent, well they bite me often.

I don't have any better suggestions, but I would say 2 things:

1) If you don't like being bitten, cross the ATB off your list now. Not only will they bite you every chance they get, but their teeth are several times longer than most snakes.

2) If you're getting bit a lot by corn snakes, you probably need to find someone to show you how to handle snakes properly. You're probably moving to fast or something else that scares them. Unless you're specifically talking about the babies, and any baby snake will be more likely to bite you. They will get over it quickly with regular handling, if you're doing it right. Of the last two rat snakes I caught in the "wild" one never bit me and the other bit me once, but that's because someone had set a full 5 gallon bucket on it's tail...
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What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.

I don't mind getting bitten once in a while, they don't really hurt. Well I've only handled babies so far, so I don't know how a full grown snake's bite feels like. But the milk snakes that have been biting me are the baby ones. I always thought it was because I don't know how much pressure to hold them initially. When I pick them up they snap at me, and run away. But if someone places them on my hands then they're fine. I really like how ATBs look like though. Would it be ok, to collect snakes and not handle them as often. I really like how ball pythons and sand boas are more keen into being handled than other snakes. I'm personally afraid of red tailed boas (cause every baby I try to pick up at the pet store hisses at me).

Brent

I would personally suggest corns, but I have had a corn for quite some time and he's never bitten once. He was a hatchling when I got him and handled him daily, not I handle him weekly and still no bites. I would still strongly suggest corns as when they get older they lose the tendancy to bite most the time with regular handling. I myself have been bitten by burmese and ball pythons, both hurt lol. I've been bitten by a couple times by ball pythons and well now I wont own one lol. I love their colors and think they're some of the mose beautiful snakes on the planet, but am afraid of them because they've made me bleed so much lol. I've heard of Kings biting alot as well but have yet to be bitten by one of those either, so opinions vary. Good luck friend.

Here's a little table I put together a few years back. I put it together in an effort to objectively answer this question, which gets posed here a lot.

Basically, I made a list of a few dozen snake species that are popular beginner snakes and then ranked them based on a bunch of criteria, such as adult size, handleability, cost of feeding, etc., and scored them. I then ranked them by the "best" score to the worst. I was actually surprised how well it came out.

Some species, like Milksnakes, scored low because while some are OK starter snakes, others are definitely not (biting, high strung, feeding problems, etc.). The right milksnake (a Mexican Milk for example) can be good starters.

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

WOW! Thanks a lot. I really like the criteria you put into consideration. This really helps a lot. Hopefully I'll have a big collection one day (not just snakes... I'm really into the tegus as well. I like the fact that you could take them for a walk outside.)

Ahh. The one snake that I've been looking at is ranked last. Are the MERAUKES consider amazon tree boas? I love the way they look and how they hang on the branch.

Ahh. The one snake that I've been looking at is ranked last. Are the MERAUKES consider amazon tree boas? I love the way they look and how they hang on the branch.

Actually Merauke is a locality for Green Tree Pythons, not Amazon Tree Boas. GTPs came second last on the list however.

While they are beautiful, they aren't for beginners. They require careful attention to housing details, can be difficult feeders (although most aren't) and have LONG teeth which they aren't afraid to use.

Frankly, if you want a colorful snake that sits coiled on a tree branch, save some money and buy one of the colorful varieties of Amazon Tree Boa (not the Emerald Tree Boa - they are a pain generally). They are much cheaper, and a pretty Amazon Tree Boa can make a great display snake, as long as you don't intend to handle it and you don't mind being bitten viciously when you try.

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

I'm not too keen on display snakes. I love playing with my ball python (which I had for less than a day). I don't see the point of acquiring a pet that you don't interact with other than feeding it or cleaning after it. That's why I'm leaning towards a tegu and some sand boas. Maybe if I get along with my friends red tail I might consider one as well for the future.
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1.0 Graziani Pastel Ball Python

Chris, I saved this awhile back when you posted it. What a great, well-thought-out table.
Thanks,
-Jack
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V.P.
Austin Herp. Soc.