Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My 10 year old daughter and I are experienced with Bearded Dragons (successfully keeping breeding pair for several years).

Now she wants a snake, and she thinks Ball python, whereas I was leaning to Corn snake.

In terms of relative ease of care, not biting, handleability, ease of breeding, and any other relative merits, pluses and minues for each... what do you all think?

I would say corn snake for a beginners snake. Why?

- Ball Pythons are known a picky eaters, and may starve themselves to death.
- Corn snakes stay smaller and require less space
- Corn snake morphs are much less expensive, you you can get a very colorful or unique animal without haveing to pay $500
- Corn snakes are more active and fun to hold imo

*having

.....I hate spelling words wrong lol

I agree, corn is the better choice. Ball pythons are just boring IMO, no offense to ball python owners. Corns are much more active and I think you would enjoy them if you like herps that actually move. If you want a snake that relax more than the corn you could look into rosy boas.

John

i think that bps are much more fun to handle, corns dont wrap around necks and wrist very well and can fall off. and if they are moving around for long enough they poop all over the place.
-----
jake barney

my addiction:
1.1 ball pythons
0.2.1 corns
1.0 cal king
0.0.1 wc garter

In my opinion, lizards require more daily care than snakes. If you are keeping your dragons healthy and happy, then keeping a generally-easy-to-keep snake species will be no problem for you.

Cornsnakes are easier because they are less affected by mistakes with humidity levels and temperatures. Cornsnakes are easy to "read" if you will, meaning if they are hungry you generally can tell. Corns will make use of branches and may be active during the day.

Ball pythons are shy snakes. They need adequate humidity (not necessarily high but not too low, more like moderate) and nice warm temperatures to digest food. They may feed well and then stop for reasons explained or not, then resume feeding months later. This doesn't hurt the snake at all but can test some keepers' patience. They like to hide most of the time and get more active at dusk or evening.

Check out spotted and childrens pythons (Antaresia maculosa). They are pythons the size of cornsnakes (a bit less lengthy and a bit more girthy but not much) and act like big pythons. Much more personality than ball pythons.
-----
Mark

>>
>>Check out spotted and childrens pythons (Antaresia maculosa). They are pythons the size of cornsnakes (a bit less lengthy and a bit more girthy but not much) and act like big pythons. Much more personality than ball pythons.
>>-----
>>Mark

I second this. With a spotted or childrens, you get a big python in a corn snake size body (spotted's are a bit bigger). If you've bred Beardies, you can easy handle the requirements of a spotted or childrens.

deg

I have an albino ball (I prefer to call her my royal albino ball python) and an Abbott Okeetee corn. They are both the sweetest snakes I've ever had. Both are great eaters, f/t, although the corn is quicker to the strike. The ball needed to be taught to eat f/t by grasping prey item with tongs & wiggling it about. Both handle well and enjoy baths for exersise. I trust them when my nieces take them out. Great contrasting colors too! You really can't go wrong with either. The ball morphs are amazing, but so are the corns! If money is a factor, colorful corns are wonderful. So MANY!!!

I don't find Ball Pythons boring, like John, but I don't think they are good snakes for a child. Ball Pythons are shy and really don't appreciated being handled. They will become accustomed to it, but not as quickly or predictably as a cornsnake.
Furthermore, their care requires more stringent attention to appropriate temperatures and humidities, whereas corns are a lot more forgiving. (BTW - just a note for a lizard convert - snakes don't require "basking" lamps - get an undertank heat source of some kind and put that on a rheostat/dimmer for control).

Also, corns come in a bewildering array of colors. Yes, BP come is a few variants as well, but only at ridiculously inflated prices.
-----
Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Well, my first snake was my BP, and then a corn snake. Since then, I've added 4 more corns to my collect and no more BPs. Not because I don't like my BP, but I enjoy the corns more. They have wonderful personalities that seem almost "dog like" at times. When I walk into the snake room, they are the only ones other than my ATB that come out of their hide boxes to watch me (and my ATB only does it cause he wants to bit me!) With having bearded dragon experience, you shouldn't have trouble with either one since snakes, in general, take less care than lizards do. BPs require fairly high heat, which means heat pads and/or heat lamps (I use both for my BP, which is the only one I have a heat pad for with thermostat) whereas the corns need little if none extra heat, depending on how warm/cool your house is. My male ball quit eating in March, and didn't take another rat until September...he was fine, and didn't lose any body mass, but it still stressed ME out. I've never had a problem getting the corns to eat...one time I fed my amel. female in her cage with two f/t mice presented on a plate...well I came back in the room about 20 mins. later and she ate both mice and was trying to eat the plate! lol needless to say, they have hearty appetites. Just some things to think about when deciding...good luck and I hope you enjoy your new pet! Here are some pics of my corns.

-----
-David

Check out my pet pics at:
http://www.myspace.com/obx_fisherman

1.0 ball python (Pandora - don't ask)
1.0 argentine boa (Prometheus)
0.1 hogg island boa (Andromeda)
0.0.1 brazilian rainbow boa (Inara)
1.0 kenyan sand boa (Diablo)
1.0 normal corn snake(Cypress)
0.1 amery. corn snake (Morgan LaFay)
0.0.2 baby corns (Romulus and Remus)
- 1 normal, 1 ghost
0.0.1 banded cali. kingsnake (Cain)
1.0 tangerine honduran milksnake (Narcissus)
0.0.1 snow corn snake (Valkyrie)
1.0 amazon tree boa (Pegasus)
1.0 colombian boa (Poseidon)
0.1 albino san diego gopher snake (Athena)
0.0.1 sandfish skink (Slick)
0.0.1 fire skink (Phoenix)
1.0 dog (Luke)

the wife's pets:
1.0 bearded dragon (Leonidas)
1.1 ferrets (Ares, Enyo)
0.0.1 betta fish (Captain Morgan)
1.2 cats (Galahad, Ripley and Sassy)
0.1 Boxer

id go with a corn
-----
jake barney

my addiction:
1.1 ball pythons
0.2.1 corns
1.0 cal king
0.0.1 wc garter

buy from a quality breeder, if you get a snake from a breeder who cares about quality and customer service its almost a guarentee the snake will be healthy and eat great. and you have a bigger selection

with a pet store you can choose from a couple corns and they may not eat.
-----
jake barney

my addiction:
1.1 ball pythons
0.2.1 corns
1.0 cal king
0.0.1 wc garter

voting is definitely in favor overall for Corn snake, with only argument for Ball seeming to be lower activity (wrap, won't slither away, when held).

A few suggesting Other... Childrens or Spotted python.

>>voting is definitely in favor overall for Corn snake, with only argument for Ball seeming to be lower activity (wrap, won't slither away, when held).
>>
>>A few suggesting Other... Childrens or Spotted python.

Children's are as easy as Corns for everything, just don't come in keen colors. Smaller often than corns. At least mine are.
Ratsnakes are easy but more active and 'assertive', and get bigger.
-----
Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

What about a king snake. I have a Mexican Black King and he is fabulous! about 3.5 ft long maybe the thickness of a roll of quarters right now (Dwarfed completely by my 6 ft taiwan beauty rat snake and 4ft BP)... and he eats like clock work. very good with handling and not A.D.D. if you know what i mean. Just a thought? King's also come in beautiful colors.