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My 13 year old daughter has owned just about every kind of pet there is and has now decided to join me in snake ownership!! She's pretty picky so here are her requirements:
1) Max length around three feet
2) Not too heavy bodied/thick
3) Not too nippy or hard to train
4) Doesn't hide out of sight all the time
I was thinking about the following:
1) Corn - pushing the limits on length though
2) Rosy Boa
3) Hognose
4) Spotted Python
Any recommendations and/or stories would be greatly appreciated.

Happy New Year !!

3 and 4 are out... both are hiders.
The problem is that the smaller a snake is, the more likely it is to be constantly hiding.
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

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0.1 Tigergenesis "Kelly"
1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer "Kira"

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but super mellow, cute and never gonna get huge. They are 'different' though and may not appeal looks wise or erratic eating wise. And not exactly thin, but that is relative.
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Sonya

Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with the software.

>>My 13 year old daughter has owned just about every kind of pet there is and has now decided to join me in snake ownership!! She's pretty picky so here are her requirements:
>> 1) Max length around three feet
>> 2) Not too heavy bodied/thick
>> 3) Not too nippy or hard to train
>> 4) Doesn't hide out of sight all the time
>>I was thinking about the following:
>> 1) Corn - pushing the limits on length though
>> 2) Rosy Boa
>> 3) Hognose
>> 4) Spotted Python
>>Any recommendations and/or stories would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>>Happy New Year !!

You may be doing a lot of 'process of elimination'.
Maxing at 3 feet....rosy, rubber, and sand boas...but these are gonna be hiding a lot.

Not heavy bodied or thick or nippy would qualify for corns...but they can max at 4-6 ft.

Most snakes will hide if given a proper enclosure. She may find that she is gonna have to get used to that and fill out the other restrictions in the order that is most important to her.

My daughter is deciding on her first snake. She is 9yo and the only kid who is not a herp person per se (14yo son and 11yo son both do great) and is deciding on keeping one of our hatchling Ball Pythons or a corn or rat if we have any success with them this year. But too she is a bit shy to get a more active snake. And I am not breeding Sand Boa for a few years

I wonder if the size would be less of a factor for your daughter if she finds a morph of corn that appeals to her. Also, I find sometimes growing up with something helps....so maybe a hatchling corn. Unless the size restriction is due to room allowed.
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Sonya

Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with the software.

I would have to say the absolute best bet would be a male corn snake. I have 2 and they are about 3 feet and have been that way for two years. My little 13 year old sister has one also. they love to be held, never bite. are out and about all the time. She will love them and without a doubt that is what you should get.

Thanks

My Spotted Python hides during the day, but she is active in the evening. She never tries to bite and likes being held.

Garters? I don't have any, but I would if I wasn't so worried about it getting lost. Garters are less shy than most snakes but all snakes are shy. They're nippy, but they can be tamed with persistance. I would get a northern ribbon snake, I've heard they bite a lot less often than garters.

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i think the garter or corn is a good bet. the activity of snakes seems to be unique to each animal (while yes there are species generalities). i just got my first hognose about a week ago, he hid the first 4 days all the time. i thought he was going to stay like that, but since comes out about the same time every day, real active, very calm with being held etc. overall i like garters better than corns. my roomate has 2. they are smaller, very active, his have never tried to bite, and they are great eaters. that helps with the activity, you can feed them everyday so they tend to come out when you approach the enclosure. and you can feed them a lot of different foods.

If your criterea are really as you state -
>> 1) Max length around three feet
>> 2) Not too heavy bodied/thick
>> 3) Not too nippy or hard to train
>> 4) Doesn't hide out of sight all the time

As for these criteria,
1. there are different sizes of 3 foot snakes. A 3 foot cornsnake is a much smaller snake than a 3 foot Ball Python.
2. Any particular reason? Hognose and Rosyboas are fairly thick.
3. Hard to train? You mean "will get used to handling"?
4. Most snakes do this. A western Hognose is a good bet for a snake that will be active and out during the day.

>> 1) Corn - pushing the limits on length though
- a male would work. I think this is your best bet.
>> 2) Rosy Boa
- fairly heavy bodied, but otherwise OK.
>> 3) Hognose
- actually this is probably the best fit for your criteria
- insist on a captive born Western Hognose and insist on one that is taking dead mice/pinkies
>> 4) Spotted Python
- too nippy as babies and they exceed 3 feet.

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Chris Harrison

...he was beginning to realize he was the creature of a god that appreciated the discomfort of his worshippers - W. Somerset Maugham

That way she can watch it as it grows and it will take a couple of years to hit adulthood. By then she will be older and the 3' max length may not be a factor anymore!! I would let her take a look at all the different morphs and let her decide. It would probably mean more to her being able to decide on which morph, and then even going to a show and picking one out!!
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Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

In addition to all the benefits of corns already mentioned - beauty, size, temperment etc another thing to keep in mind when getting a first snake for a child is cost. Corns are some of the most inexpensive out there so if in a few months or so she loses interest you are not out a lot of $ and they are usually easy to find a buyer. For a first snake you can't beat a corn.

They do average about 3' (might get a bit longer), are cheap, eat rodents well and once they get a little size on them are not generally nippy. I wouldn't recommend a hatchling as they are too small for a child to handle with ease but yearlings or older would work. Mine are active and mild mannered (other than during feeding). Just an idea besides corns- though corns are great. All of my corns ended up being over 3' (most over 4).
Lora

African house snakes are sweet little buggers.
I haven't seen an agressive hair yet (aside from feeding time, and she only snaps at the pinkies).
They are a bit nervous when small (what snake isnt?) but since I got her, she's grown quite a bit and isnt as nervous (I bought her for $15 and she was skinnier than a pencil then).
Otherwise they are VERY tame snakes.
You can buy a decent sized one for like $30 (this is suggested as they are tiny hacthlings).
They are fantastic eaters. I hear that they even eat better than corns (never owned a corn).
I know most people look for snakes that are flashy, but personally I think house snakes are very pretty in their own way.
They do like to hide, but they do come out and explore from time to time. Also, they don't tend to mind being taken out from their hiding spots.

I owned a Rosy for a short time. Also a very nice snake in my opinion. Easy care, but again, they will hide.
She bit me once because she thought I was food

http://www.centralpets.com/pages/critterpages/reptiles/snakes/SNK2770.shtml

Males grow to 2-3 feet, very docile and UNIQUE looking animals. Arboreal snakes are more fun that ground dwelling snakes if she's looking for visibility, and also don't get as heavy bodied as ground snakes. I have 2 of the Solomon Island ground boas, and they are the most docile snake I have ever owned, hands down.

Check out Jerry Conway's site or visit the Candoia section of this forum.
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1.1 Ball Python 0.0.1 corn snake 1.0 Bearded Dragon
0.0.2 fish 1.2 cats 3.1 kids 1.0 husband and now...
0.0.1 Pink Zebra Beauty Tarantula
0.2 Solomon Island Boas