Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am new to the snake pet area and am trying to make a final pick of these three. I am real fond of a colorful snake, and the mimic of the coral snake is very pretty to me.

My problem is that I am uncertain of the differences between milk, king and a little of the corn snake. It seems that either the king or milk are more in that color range, with the corns being more of a red.

Which is a good snake that would be multicolored? Are any of them more manageable for a newbie?

Please send any help you can to-
david.m.bailey@us.army.mil

Thanks!

and I will let you decide.My corns are perfect..they are friendly,good eaters and active.My eastern king is also very friendly and a good eater though not as active..My milksnake is rather reclusive and not very friendly, he poops on me every chance he gets and really doesnt like to be handled that much though he is a good eater as well..Its really up to you, this is just my experience..
If I had to choose Id go with either the corn or the eastern king..Im not really sure about other kings(Ive heard that some can be more difficult than others).HTH
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Hi there,
I have to agree that milksnakes tend to be more tempermental than corns or kings. Kingsnakes are usually very friendly and docile, however you may run into some that have a little bit of an attitude (like my cali king!). From my experiences, cornsankes tend to be the most docile out of the three. However, you must take into consideration the amount of effort and time you put in to socalize the snake. So ultimately it is up to you and what you are looking for, but i hope this helped as well. Corns and Kings also come in a wide array of morphs so there are lots of colours to choose from!
EVH

David,
Depending upon the species, all of your choices can make good pets. Many kings and milks are tri-colors, which is the coral mimicry you spoke of: I have a thayers king who is very docile and a great eater who fits in that category. I also have a pyro knoblochi king, a banded calif. king, a mexican black king, and a sinoloan milk. All are great snakes. The sinoloan, although he is 11 years old, is still my flighty guy: we call him the ADHD snake.

My five corns are also great eaters and temperament, and are easy to breed. For one thing, I don't worry that one will eat the other when I put them together, unlike kings and milks.

Are you thinking about getting a hatchling or a more mature specimen? Either way, research the animal's needs, and have an enclosure set up before you bring your choice home. There are many Kingsnake people who are generous with their time and experience to answer questions you may have. Best of luck and happy reptile keeping!

regards,
althea

I'd say that the corn snakes are the easiest to tame and work with. I like their coloration, but they are poor coral snake mimics.

King snakes like the eastern, Florida, desert, and California kings are variations on a black and white theme. Probably not the colors you want.

Most of the tricolor kings are relatively small and delicate. IMHO they are not good first snakes.

Milk snakes are a single widespread species within the kingsnake genus. Many milk snakes are also relatively small and delicate. But some subspecies might fit the bill. For example, Honduran milks might be suitable. They are large compared to most milks, but they are no larger than corn snakes.

I'd recommend that you go to the milk snake forum. Ask what milk has nice, bright tricolor markings and would also make a reasonably good first snake. I don't have enough experience with milks to give good advice.

Good luck.

Paul Hollander

Thanks!

Corn snakes are the easist pet snake to keep. They handle nice, are not picky eaters and come in a varity of colors. They are the #1 pet snake in the world. They are the best snake for the new snake keeper. But I also think Kingsnakes can and do make great pets. I own a cal king and she is great. A couple of things I notice compared to corn snakes. She is a little more aggressive and active, especially at feeding time. She also shuts down in October every year and I have to place her in brumation. The corns just keep feeding all year. As far as milk snakes go they tend to not like handling. If handling your pet snake is important, I would not get a milk snake.
Hope this helps some.
Chuck