Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I want to get a pet snake for my family. Ideally a good-tempered snake that is diurnal. Right now I am leaning towards a corn snake. Will it hide all day?

When I was young I had a pet milk snake. It was great but my biggest complaints were that it was shy and hid all day because it was nocturnal.

Can anyone suggest a breed that is:
Diurnal
Not shy
Does not get so large that it is difficult to handle
Can be handled (well tempered)

all the diurnal snakes I know of aren't that well tempered. Bull snakes, racers, coach whips...all diurnal but not usually calm or handleable (although some bullsnakes have an OK disposition, a good portion are pretty flighty). If you could handle and observe the snake before hand I'd go with a bull snake--just wait till you find one that's calm.

I have both gray-banded kingsnakes and cornsnakes, and the gray-bands are definitely more active during the day than the corns. They aren't out every day, but fairly often, especially when they get hungry.

Both the corns and GBKs can be pretty flighty when young, but with regular handling calm down pretty well as adults.

I have only been bitten by hatchlings, and that only occasionally. They sometimes see a hand coming toward them as a potential predator.

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Kent

0.1 Hypomelanistic striped cornsnake
1.0 Lavender cornsnake
1.2 Gray-banded kingsnakes, blairs phase
0.0.15 brown anoles

I also have a Gray Banded Kingsnake that is very visible during the day and night time, and he's a great snake with a great temper. I also have a ball python that spends an equal amount of time out during the day and night. I will admit my ball python is my favorite, though they are lovingly referred to as "pet rocks" by some , lol

Chrissy
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1.0 Ball Python-Siegfried
1.0 BRB-Pedro
1.0 Blair's Phase GrayBanded Kingsnake-Elvis
0.1 Paradox Albino Sand Boa-Cleo
2.2 Dodoma's
0.1 pug mix

Great looking snake!!! In addition to my own children holding the snake my plan is to be active in our local 4H – Herp club and take our pet to girl/boy scouts, school etc and allow children to handle it (supervised of course).

I have found an adult red corn snake for sale by me. No grey banded kings. Is that a good choice or should I wait?

It's all up to you All the snakes i have acquired over the past few years i have given a lot of thought into, and have researched them as well. Although i did swear to myself i wouldn't get more than 3 snakes at the most, and i have now 8 in my collection!
I've never owned a corn snake, but i have heard great things about them, and my feeling is if it's what you really want, then go ahead and get it! And of course you want to make sure the snake you get is healthy, with no health issues.

Chrissy

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1.0 Ball Python-Siegfried
1.0 BRB-Pedro
1.0 Blair's Phase GrayBanded Kingsnake-Elvis
0.1 Paradox Albino Sand Boa-Cleo
2.2 Dodoma's
0.1 pug mix

If you like the cornsnake, then that would be a great choice. Make sure you handle him, since adults of any species can be hard to handle if they have not been handled regularly when youngs. Also find out what it has been eating (live versus freeze/thawed) so you don't have any problems getting it to eat.

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Kent

0.1 Hypomelanistic striped cornsnake
1.0 Lavender cornsnake
1.2 Gray-banded kingsnakes, blairs phase
0.0.15 brown anoles

Another thing to consider would be to get a hatchling. It is lots of fun to watch them grow up, and most cornsnakes undergo quite a color change. You do need a source of pinky mice though.

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Kent

0.1 Hypomelanistic striped cornsnake
1.0 Lavender cornsnake
1.2 Gray-banded kingsnakes, blairs phase
0.0.15 brown anoles

While the cornsnake is one of the best pet snakes you can have, a truly diurnal snake is the Western hognose. These things seem to be out and about more than any snake I've kept.
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Mark

My intent is for the snake to first be a family pet and second to take to our 4h herp group as well as introduce it to boy scouts/girl scouts, classroom talks etc. so I am looking for a docile animal with a temperament that would enjoy being handled.

No snakes really like being handled. Some just tolerate it better than others.

I just don't think snakes are great pets for lots of handling. I also do not like the reaction if a kid gets bitten. For that reason, when I bring a few snakes to my son's school for a show and tell, the snake stays in a clear plastic container, or else I handle the snake. Parents tell me that they appreciate that.
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Mark

garter snakes are diurnal, very active, and nice snakes. most of mine don't mind being handled.

Good choice Don!
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Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
Thamnophis US
Dances With Reptiles

2.1.0 Thamnophis Infernalis- California Red Sided Garter Snakes
1.1.0 Flame X Erythristic Eastern Garter Snakes
2.0.0 Melanistic Thamnophis Sirtalis Sirtalis
1.0.0 Kansas Albino Red Sided Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
0.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis Golden / Albino cross
0.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis Anerythristic morph
0.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - axanthic morph
2.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Iowa Snow
1.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Snow Het
0.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Snow/Nebraska Albino double Het
0.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Christmas Albino
0.1.0 Thamnophis cyrtopsis Easter Black Neck Garter "MoJo"
0.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis Eastern Snow "Snowflake"
0.1.0 Thamnophis similis "true blue" This gal bites!
1.1.0. Thamnophis elegans vagrans Wandering Garter
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
0.0.1 Thamnophis HybridAlbino Checkered Normal eastern"Mutt"
2.0.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters (xtreme orange phase)
0.0.0 Thamnophis butleriButler's Garter Snake (died)
0.0.1 Thamnophis proximus orariusCoastal Ribbon Snake
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - Eastern Garter baby
1.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis HET Anerythristic
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
1.0.0 Florida Black racer - fiesty yet way cool.
1.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snakes Pink eaters!
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" adult CB (pet store sale)
1.0.1. Pueblan Milk snakes "Oreo" adult & a '09 baby CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Getting Huge!
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal"
0.1.0 Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) - "Peach" (A Monitor with fins)
1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cain" Rescued from a crack house
0.1.9 Eastern MilkSnake WC "Carmella" adult super sweet temperment
1.5.0 Storeria dekayi - Brown Snakes Casper, Xena, Athena, Copper, Sharon & others
1.1.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo, Diamond b/w cockapoo

I wpould go with a cornsnake but,like some other folks have suggested,you may want to hold it first.JMO Jeff

Steve, I am always amazed at the colors of your Okeetees. Is that typical for most of the offspring you produce? I am tempted...
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Kent

0.1 Hypomelanistic striped cornsnake
1.0 Lavender cornsnake
1.2 Gray-banded kingsnakes, blairs phase
0.0.15 brown anoles

The mellowest of all garter snakes, They stay somewhat small, active all day, readily takes F/T pinks and available in assorted albino morphs.

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Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
Thamnophis US
Dances With Reptiles

2.1.0 Thamnophis Infernalis- California Red Sided Garter Snakes
1.1.0 Flame X Erythristic Eastern Garter Snakes
2.0.0 Melanistic Thamnophis Sirtalis Sirtalis
1.0.0 Kansas Albino Red Sided Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
0.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis Golden / Albino cross
0.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis Anerythristic morph
0.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - axanthic morph
2.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Iowa Snow
1.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Snow Het
0.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Snow/Nebraska Albino double Het
0.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Christmas Albino
0.1.0 Thamnophis cyrtopsis Easter Black Neck Garter "MoJo"
0.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis Eastern Snow "Snowflake"
0.1.0 Thamnophis similis "true blue" This gal bites!
1.1.0. Thamnophis elegans vagrans Wandering Garter
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
0.0.1 Thamnophis HybridAlbino Checkered Normal eastern"Mutt"
2.0.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters (xtreme orange phase)
0.0.0 Thamnophis butleriButler's Garter Snake (died)
0.0.1 Thamnophis proximus orariusCoastal Ribbon Snake
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - Eastern Garter baby
1.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis HET Anerythristic
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
1.0.0 Florida Black racer - fiesty yet way cool.
1.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snakes Pink eaters!
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" adult CB (pet store sale)
1.0.1. Pueblan Milk snakes "Oreo" adult & a '09 baby CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Getting Huge!
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal"
0.1.0 Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) - "Peach" (A Monitor with fins)
1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cain" Rescued from a crack house
0.1.9 Eastern MilkSnake WC "Carmella" adult super sweet temperment
1.5.0 Storeria dekayi - Brown Snakes Casper, Xena, Athena, Copper, Sharon & others
1.1.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo, Diamond b/w cockapoo

I have 2 corns and 3 ball pythons and one Cali king. All of my snakes are super tame and have never bit anyone except my baby corn who bites every chance he gets. I am sure he will calm as he gets older.

My corn snakes hide all the time except at night when I turn out the lights and sneak in later I will see them out of their hidey-holes. It is a big disappointment that they are so inactive since they are so pretty.

My ball pythons come out a couple of times in the day and usually come out early evening and stays out for awhile.

My kingsnake is the best of all. He comes out a lot in the day and is fun to watch as he loves climbing on things and going for a refreshing dip in the water bowl. He is super tame and loves to wind himself on your arm and crawl in your shirt.
I have small kids and they love to hold him (supervised of course). He is the only kingsnake I have owned but if he is typical of cali-kings I would recommend a Cali-king. The black and white coloring is really great too!

-AJ