Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'd like to kindly draw on the expertise of the forum members. I've owned (and own) several different kind of snakes. Before I add another member to the family I'd like to get your advice. Here's my description of the perfect snake:
1. care should be reasonably easy (tropical snakes and the humidity thing I find too time consuming).
2. they should tolerate handling (snappy snakes just bug me, I get enough of that at work)
3. they should be somewhat active either at night or during the day. I enjoy watching snakes, even if they are only out basking. But, as you know, many snakes prefer to simply stay in their hidebox until it's time to eat. And then promptly return afterwards!
4. It should be of a reasonable size (no Burmese pythons, thank you)
5. It shouldn't cost a fortune.
Gee, is that enough? I'd appreciate your insight.
Thanks.

I know it seems like corn snakes are often the answer to everything, but I can't think of a better snake to fit the bill you're looking for.

They're North American, so humidity is not an issue. They don't get huge. They're relatively inexpensive. They rarely (if ever) consider biting, if they did it wouldn't do much damage anyway. They come in a million colors and patterns which makes them fun to have. Every snake spends a lot of time in its cave, but corns move around alot more than many of your boids. They're great if you want to take them to high school basketball games (although I did get a detention when I did that in 10th grade). Did I leave anything out? I vote CORN SNAKE.
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Jesse Rothacker
Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary
Find out how YOU can get involved in reptile rescue...
www.forgottenfriend.org

I agree corn snakes are the best all around snake for most people.
They are easy to handle, they are attractive looking snakes, and every one can afford to buy one. Also they feed and breed easily.
They are the perfect snake pet.

lol. Personally, I think they are just too common.

I have a licorice stick black rat snake, also known as a white sided black rat snake. If you look at the picture on the top of the general forum, thats a full grown lic stk. Lola is about 2 years old, and has never struck, nipped, rattled her tail, or even given me an unkind look! lol. Somewhat active, getting moreso as she gets older (as all snakes do.) She will just wrap around my arm and stay there for an hour or more at a time if i let her.

I feed her f/t mice (as I feed all my snakes f/t)...and i lower one in and she opens her mouth, i place the head in her mouth and she just bites down and eats it. I have never heard of an agressive lic stk... I love her!

The longest black ratsnake on record was 9 feet, however most grow 5-6 feet.

Same housing requirements as corns (just larger enclosure) ...nothing special for humidity and such... and they're not bad $$ wise. My yearling was $125, however you can find a neonate for roughly $75-$80. Not the cheapest, but I think it's well worth it!

Nothing compared to my $350 chondro... lol.
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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Claudius)... coming soon

Lola is the white sided one (the licorice stick), and Frankie is just a regular black rat snake.

I got both of them from Mike Jolliff, and I would highly reccomend him to anyone looking for a black ratsnake - he has more morphs than i ever knew existed!

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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Claudius)... coming soon

I may have to consider one my own self, after problem explained in signature is remedied. Sigh...
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0.2 chickens
0.2 dog mutts (half ownership, only mine when they misbehave)
0.1 Halflinger horse
0.0 reptiles due to living with
1.1 parents
Still searching for 1.0 WC human

funny... im lookin for 0.1 wc human. Where can i catch ya at? lol.

(now before i look like a complete moron, in 1.2 the first is male, second is female, correct? come on its 11:30 at night!)
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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Claudius)... coming soon

>>funny... im lookin for 0.1 wc human. Where can i catch ya at?
My locality is in the East bay area, California. Do our ranges overlap?

in 1.2 the first is male, second is female, correct?
Yup. Either that, or I really need to fix my signature...
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0.2 chickens
0.2 dog mutts (half ownership, only mine when they misbehave)
0.1 Halflinger horse
0.0 reptiles due to living with
1.1 parents
Still searching for 1.0 WC human

"Do our ranges overlap?"

LOL. I have officially seen it all.

Have you seen a snake on the moon? huh huh have you? I didn't think so.

That licorice is a damn beauty!
Gees...I wish I didn't see that pic...Now I have an urge to build a new setup

Well... I did start out with cornsnakes, and they are easy feeders and breeders. In my opinion though, they generally lack a little bit to the other ratsnakes in terms of personalities. My leucistic texas rat has yet to show her true colors, but she comes out at night and is a very curious animal, while most of the corns I've had were content to hide 24 hours a day until fed.

My one anery corn is an exception. She is the most curious, bipolar snake I've ever seen. Unfortunately I often walk away from her cage with some bites, but sometimes she's fine. She really does have a terrific personality. I do consider her an exception to my rule, because I've worked with 100's (or even 1000's) of corn snakes with a local breeder. Some show a lot of personality, other really don't, so its a hit or miss.

As said in the other post, there are an astounding amount of color variations with them. I saw a new one practically every time I went over to the breeders house to work with them, from motleys to phantoms (which he was first to breed). You can shout out two "snake colors" and normally find a corn that fits your specification.

The jungle carpet pythons I've had have shown the most personality, and are terrific pets that are incredibly curious and fun to watch. Kingsnakes that I've worked with show a fair amount of personality and are also very fun. My friend on one occasion had a childrens (or a spotted, I can't remember) and it was also a very interesting specimen also.

Boas vary from species to species, but I've really only done much with rosy boas, kenyan sand boas, and occasionally a dumerils. Rosy boas are sometimes great, docile pets, but other times they can be very troublesome. Sand boas are the most docile snakes I've ever handled, and it's pretty fun to have to fish them out of the sand in front of a scared to death relative. Dumerils were kinda picky, and the ones my friend had didn't make it.

I personally like the pythons the best of the snakes I've owned so far. However, my lizard and my former turtle display(ed) far more personality than any of the snakes I've had.

Just pick a species you like and go for it. I encourage you to stay in the realm of low humidity, medium cage temperature for the first snake, and once you get the hang of it to move up to something more advanced. But with research you can literally own any non-venomous snake successfully as long as you know what your getting into.
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Current Collection:
0.1 Antherystic elaphe guttata guttata - Corn Snake
1.0 Elaphe vulpina gloydi - Eastern Fox Snake
0.1 Leucistic elaphe obsoleta linheimeri - Texas Ratsnake
1.1 Morelia spilota cheyni - Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Tiliqua scincoides intermedia - Northern Blue Tongue Skink

Hi,
I noticed you have an eastern fox snake. How do you like it? A friend of mine is giving me his. Do you know any commerical breeders for the e. fox?
I agree with your assessment of the corn snake based on my experience. My son and I currently have a snow corn, a ribbon, and formerly owned a baby Columbian rainbow boa. The corn is really sweet, but all he seems to do is sleep until it's time to eat. I like the ribbon a lot. My son can handle him well and he's always out during the day sunning himself and looking for fish in his personal pond. A very interesting snake to watch. I know many hard core snake owners consider the ribbon or the garter to be beneath them, but based on my limited experience the ribbon is great.
I owned a baby Rainbow boa for a short time, then traded it for the corn. I was having too much trouble keeping the humidity and temp. right and it was a snappy little bugger. It didn't hurt, but after dealing with irate people at work all day I didn't need to come home to a feisty snake. thanks for the suggestions.
Regards,

They are one of my favorites, and are incredibly easy to keep. In my opinion, fox snakes make even better snakes than corns, but are much harder to find. Mine has never even attempted to bite me, even after feeding, which is practically unheard of for a large colubrid like he is.

Unlike the corns though, he is always out and about, not hiding at all. I've had mine for over a year and I don't think that I have ever had to get him out of his hide spot. Fox snakes do prefer a more terrestrial/aquatic setup, but will climb (though not terribly well) if given the oppurtunity.

The only Fox snake breeder I know of is Jamie Weilbacher (rosyboas.tripod.com) and he sells them in pairs, though you may be able to talking him into a single one. Actually fox snakes breed very well, one that my friend had laid 25 eggs that all but one hatched, so I really don't understand the lack of them in herpetoculture. If you ask Michael Jolliff (thesnakemachine@aol.com) he may be able to come up with one, since he lives in Ohio.

If you have any other questions about them feel free to ask / email me. I really do hope you will enjoy them as much as I have.
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Current Collection:
0.1 Antherystic elaphe guttata guttata - Corn Snake
1.0 Elaphe vulpina gloydi - Eastern Fox Snake
0.1 Leucistic elaphe obsoleta linheimeri - Texas Ratsnake
1.1 Morelia spilota cheyni - Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Tiliqua scincoides intermedia - Northern Blue Tongue Skink

How about spotteds or carpets

The antaresia complex of pythons are nice. Easy to care for and hardy, lovely irridescence, personable and good eaters. Like many pythons, juvies can be nippy, but they mature into very friendly adults. Maculosa (spotted) and childreni (childrens) seldom get larger than 4 foot, and live quite comfortably in a reasonably sized enclosure. Of all my boids, if I could only keep one species, the childreni would be it.

regards,
althea