Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,
I am Michael and I am primarily into turtles and tortoises. But my son is showing interest in snakes and I am researching as to what the good options are for a pet snake.

I will be taking care of the snake for him so I am looking a species that stays small as an adult and isn't too aggressive. What are my best bets?

Appreciate your time and suggestions. Thank you.
Michael

The smallest species of snake is the Lesser Antillean Thread snake, along with some other species of "Blind Snakes".

What I think you really mean is,....what are some snakes that make good beginner pets, that are RELATIVELY small?. You don't want something that is so small and delicate, that it would easily be hurt.

Cornsnakes are inexpensive, have good temperaments, and come in a huge variety of color/pattern morphs. They grow to an average of around four feet or so, and really do make excellent pets.

They are also very plentiful, and can be found for sale in a number of places, a good place to start looking would be the "classifieds" button at the top of this page.

~Doug

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

Hi Dough,
Thanks for the response. I did consider corn snakes but I am indeed looking for one that stays small and thin as an adult. I won't be buying any species before understanding its needs completely and I am very particular about taking good care of my animals so I think I can handle it.

Thank you.
Michael

>>...I am very particular about taking good care of my animals so I think I can handle it.

The thread snakes and blind snakes mentioned above are literally the size of a pencil lead. They just sort of look like small worms, stay hidden underground all the time and eat specialized things like ant larvae. There is also no info availible on keeping them in captivity because hatdly anyone has ever tried it. Not good choices unless you just want something really different and a challenge...and you're OK with the fact that they will probably die anyway.

Chris made some good suggestions below. I would also mention male african house snakes, but they seem to be a bit scarce these days.

I've heard some people say that ringneck snakes are fairly easy to keep, but I've never tried. Some species only get around 12" or so.
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What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.

Like "Blecha" said, these are all good recommendations. Indeed.

Larry touched on the perils of "the smallest species" of snakes. I definitley don't want to insult your intelligence but I would like to make sure you're aware of the perils of keeping the majority of the smallest spcies.

Specialized prey, specialized living conditions, and, last but not least, handling sensitivities, whether handled by an adult or child, either one. But more so with a child.

From what's been mentioned already I particularly suggest either a sand boa, rosy boa or hognose. Feeding will probably be the deciding factor.

These are docile in nature and aren't so fast moving that makes handling by a child difficult.

I commend you for being willing to take on the responsibility in order for your child to enjoy & learn about snakes. I've always considered it an extra perk to being a father, we get to re-live our childhood days. Thanks to my son for rekindling the passion within me.

Best wishes!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

I don't have very much experience with boas, but I do think that you might be looking for a Rosy Boa. They get about 3 feet (?), and are fairly easy going. Like i said, i don't even pretend to know what i'm talking about when it comes to boas, but from what i've read and heard, it seems like a match.
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-Jacob
Proud owner of 3 lovebirds, and hopefully soon a snake (undecided as to what kind).

There are a few species that stay under 30 inches as adults that make decent pets. A few I might recommend..

Rubber Boas (hard to find captive born)
East African Sandboas (males stay under 24", females about 30"
Rosyboas - most races stay under 30", particularly some of the desert and Baja races
Checkered Gartersnakes (mosty under 30" - males smaller than females)
Twin-spotted Ratsnakes (Elaphe bimaculata) - small, cornsnake like species
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

These are all good recommendations. Western Hognose snakes are also worth mentioning in my opinion. They are one of my personal favorites. Whatever you decide, you are on the right track by researching before purchasing. Good luck.

-Joe-
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0.1.0 Colombian Red-tailed Boa (100% Het. for albino)
0.0.3 Western Hognose Snakes
0.1.1 Plains Garter Snakes
1.0.0 Red-sided Garter Snake
1.2.0 Barred Tiger Salamanders
0.0.1 Red-eared Slider
0.0.1 Common Snapping Turtle

Good point. I forgot the Western Hogs.

A male western hog rarely gets over 2 feet, and many stay under 20 inches. That's a great candidate snake - as long as you get one that is eating frozen/thawed rodents.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Another one to consider are Gray-banded Kings. They are strikingly beautiful and exceptionally docile. There are other small milk and king snakes worth considering.

Dan

You might look into spotted or childrens python's. They are very cool and stay small
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Jason

How about a rough green? They are brightly colored, don't get too big, eat an insect diet and are more often then not exposed rather then hidden.

They might be tough to handle because they tend to be jumpy, but are not aggressive.

Just king of thinking out loud.....any other opinions on them?
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"The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. Oh by the way, which ones pink?"

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. I will take the names of the snakes suggested and I will look into their care and the characteristics.

Thank you.
Michael