Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am looking to venture into the world of snakes and not sure what kind would make the best pet. Ive had lizards nearly my whole life but only ever had 1 snake which was a baby corn snake i caught when i was 10 living in Orlando. I was thinking of going the corn snake route but also considering milks and kings. any input on which would make a better choice while thinking in terms of temperament would be helpful. Thanks

>>I am looking to venture into the world of snakes and not sure what kind would make the best pet. Ive had lizards nearly my whole life but only ever had 1 snake which was a baby corn snake i caught when i was 10 living in Orlando. I was thinking of going the corn snake route but also considering milks and kings. any input on which would make a better choice while thinking in terms of temperament would be helpful. Thanks

How confident are you with snakes? Not just their care but also the whole getting bitten etc. Some people get snakes that are really totally scared of them and get them out cringing all the time. If you are okay with nippers and comfortable with them then go to the milks or kings. I say this 'cause IMO most of the milks and kings are WAY nippier than a corn. Some are also a lot less handleable for fun...just cause they are so very active. So research is key anyway.
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Sonya

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

a friend of mine has a red tail boa i usually end up holding when i go over there and most of my time as a kid was spent chasing down black racers, gardner snakes and pretty much anything scaly i could get a hold of so being uncomfortable isnt an issue. ive been bitten before by snakes and as long as its not poisonous its game on. im going to school to be a vet so im sure i have a lifetime of twitchy, scared animals trying to and successfully biting me. but in your opinion youd say that corns have a much more docile temperament and are more tolerable to handling than milks and kings?

I have raised many different types of snakes for a long time, and I would recommend getting used to something like a corn or common getula(kingsnake), or a number of other types before venturing into the milksnakes. These can be VERY high-strung and nervous, especially when young, and often don't make the best "holding" snake. Especially the young will often bolt off your hand onto the floor if you are not extremely in tune with their behavior.

good luck!, ~Doug

ps, it's "garter" snake, not "gardner" snake. These got their common name from their resemblance to a ladies garter belt from many years past.
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

did you decide?
I like sand boas a lot actually, and spotted pythons are good too...

A few years back, I put together a spreadsheet that compares the attributes of a number of the more common pet species. It compares characteristics such as handleability, ease of housing, ease of feeding, temperament, etc.

It is anything but perfect, but at least it might give you some species to consider that you haven't yet.

Last tip - buy your snake from a reputable breeder, not a big pet store. You want a snake that was captive bred and born, not a wild caught animal or a farm born import (like all those Petsmart/Petco "captive born" Ball Pythons). The best place to get one if from a breeder at an expo.

Ignore the Gray-bamded Kingsnake photo. It seems that once you select any photo from the pull down list, you can't unselect it. Stupid list!

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

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

yea i made the petco mistake with my first beardie. never again. its all been reptile expos since then, most frequently the Cleveland expo. i plan on going up there hopefully on their Oct. 4th date but could end up being put off til Nov. but thanks for everybody's advice

Great advice everyone.

Here are some snakes I enjoy or have enjoyed keeping (in no particular order):

Mexican black kingsnake Lampropeltis getula "nigrita"
Cornsnake
Florida kingsnake (big, slow and docile as adults, great pet)
Great Plains ratsnake
Bairds ratsnake
Prairie kingsnake
Hognose snake (fun personalities, often out and about during the day, small snakes)

And after some experience,
Spotted python
Childrens python
East African sandboa (aka "Kenyan" sandboa)
Boa constictor (Central American localities)

For me, the snake with the best keeping qualities is the boa. And now with some of the Central American localities being bred into many boa morphs, you don't have to end up with an 8ft monster boa.
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Mark

Corns are the easiest and best first timer.

Pits (gophers bulls and Pines) eat and poo and can be intimidating but are very active.

Kings bite and musk but do settle down. They do eat like no other.

Rat snakes bite but settle down. They climb and explore more than the rest.

Do some research and figure out what snake intrigues you, that way your prepared to keep it for the long run. I don't think you can go wrong with any readily available CB NA snake.

Nate

Gosh boas are nice (if you have the room and can keep the cage warm enough in Winter)

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Mark

I have to go with Mark on this one. No offense to the corns or milks or kings. I like snakes that are fun to play with and not that hard to lose. Boas got a pretty good temperment as well. They do get a good size sometimes, but they also live along time and I personally think they make great pets. I have a ball python and they are very good for first timers also. I have a retic and an anaconda as well, but DO NOT GET EITHER if you are a first timer.