Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,

I have been wanting to finally buy my first snake. I have been doing much research in both libary books and on the internet and have narrowed it down to 3 snakes for my first snake. I would like to hear everyone's opinion on which one I should get. I have decided to go with either a Corn Snake a Ball Python or a Common Kingsnake. I know each has advantages and disadvantages, but would enjoy reading everybodies opion on which one I should get.

Many Thanks,
Scott

A corn would be a great choice for a first snake. Get one that has already put a little weight on him to be sure that he is eating well. Not an adult (it's too much fun to watch them grow), but a yearling or a very well-started hatchling. Buy from a reputable dealer, not a pet store if you can help it. If there are any reptile shows that come to your area (check out Events at the top of the page), that will give you great selection and value. Good luck, and keep up your research. Check the forums on all 3 of the snakes you are considering, especially the corn forum! Duffy

I have a ball python and 2 kingsnakes - I plan to get a corn snake sometime soon. While I love them all, I would tend to recommend a kingsnake as a good first snake. Only because (between the BP and kingsnake) they are more visible (don't hide as much as a BP) and feeding is never a problem. They'll eat F/T without hesitation and are pigs - as opposed to the sometimes difficult & frustrating problems BPs have not switching to F/T and going off feed. Also, the housing requirements are easier on kingsnakes (mostly in regards to humidity which can be difficult to maintain for BPs in tanks - but it's possible). But I do soooo love my BP. He was my first snake and is so sweet. If you go with a BP I highly recommend (actually with any snake), finding a reputable breeder, making sure it is captive bred, and ask to see it eat. If you can get one already eating F/T even better!

The only reason I don't mention cornsnakes is because I don't have one yet, although I'm a little nervous about getting one myself because I keep reading posts about owners having regurg problems with them.

Best of luck in whatever you decide!
-----
Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python
"Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa
"Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa
"Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa
"Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake
"Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
"Indigo"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

My first snake was a corn. I always read corn snakes were great beginner snakes. Mine has been great! She did regurge once when she was littler becasue I think I fed her to big a meal. That was the only time. She eats great and is real nice to hold. I liked her so much I got another corn snake.
Both are yearlings now and doing great. My ghost corn is getting real pretty as well as my amel. (My amel was my first corn.)
I don't do much with them as far as keeping up the humidity. WHen they are going to shed I just mist down their cage a bit with a spray bottle. They have always shed fine with the exception of the tips of their tails. But any snake can have that problem. They have under the tank heaters and a light during the day to help with heating. At night the lights go off.
They have a couple hiding places, like a paper towel roll, and kleenex boxes cut down to size, fake plant, substrate and water bowls. That's all I have in their enclosures.
When they were little they did hide alot but now they are both coming out in the evening to see what's going on.
I haven't had a ball python but have heard they can be problem feeders and need more humidity. In my opinion they are not a beginner snake.
Keep doing your research and you'll find you'll get hooked and want more snakes in the future!! Also reptile expos are a great place to go to see all kinds of reptiles/snakes.
I have 2 corns, a honduran milk and a jungle carpet python now and if I can figure out a place for another snake in the future...Enjoy!

well out of the three you are looking into i would say a kingsnake.the reason i say this is because my dad has a king and my sis has a corn(i have a carpet python).i enjoy the king much better and he was even a wild speckaled i caught myself.i enjoy the kings as they are more active and easier to feed.finally you just have so many different kinds of kings and different morphs of each kind.all of the kings are great beginners snakes except the scarlet and sometimes the mountain king as these can be prblem feeders like ball pythons.also i think you should go to the kingsnake caresheets and look at the african house snake page as these are snakes that make great pets and are as hardy as corns and kings and at a fraction of the cost.hope this helps
nick

My first snake was a ball python there real nice he has never struck at me. he is pretty easy to take care of make sure he has the right amount of heat and clean water place to hide and mouse once or twice a week depending on size. my snake eats live mice but it all depends how they where raised as babies
thats just my 2 cents
-----
55 gallon 3 red bellied piranhas
kiddie pool american alligator
40 gallon mesh tank vieled chameleon
10 gallon leapord gecko
30 gallon ball python
5 gallon angel fish

They're all good choices, Scott. I'm not a big python/boa fan, so I'd lean toward either the corn or the king. I probably would favor the corn slightly over the king, for a couple reasons. One is that kings are cannibalistic and generally need to be housed individually. So if you should decide down the road to get a second one, you would have to invest in a second enclosure and another set of everything (water dish, hiding place, etc etc) . Corns, OTOH, can be housed together and will coexist. (As far as I know, anyway - my rat snakes have gotten along fine together, and they're the same genus.)

Also, while virtually all snakes are escape artists, kings seem to have more talent than most other varieties in finding their way to freedom. Not to downplay the escapades (sorry! ) of the others you mentioned, but whatever you choose, be sure you have a good, secure enclosure for it.

[bleep]e in a variety of species/subspecies, providing you with a large selection but a maybe a tough decision. California? Eastern? Florida (Brooksi)? Black? Mexican? and so on. Corns aren't much easier; they're all the same subspecies, but thanks to captive breeding there are more colors/varieties out there than Baskin and Robbins ice cream. Creamsicle, ghost, candy cane, etc. But that's all part of the fun! Good luck,
-----
MichaelB

Corn is better than king for first snake as kings are normally a bit more high strung than the corns... corns make better "pets" than kings (on average).

If you get a corn, then be sure to not get a small hatchling and go for one that is several months old at least. One that's around 1.5 feet would be ideal.

the three you mention are excellent choices.as you research each try to determine which species would fit your lifestyle and personality.but in the long run you'll probaly own some of each,snakes are like potato chips,can't have just one.have fun!