Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello,
i have 2 lizards, but am interested in getting a snake. i have read a decent amount about them in general, but havent focused on a particular type. Im looking for something that tolerates handling and doesnt get too big. im not really interested in ball pythons or constrictors, but i'll accept any suggestions. pretty much a snake good for beginners.
thanks!

Welcome, it's great you want to get a snake...

Where are you located? I am in Australia, and we don't have Corn Snakes here, but, if you are in a location where corn snakes are available, most will tell you that they are the best snake to start off with.

But if you are after something a little bigger, but not too big, I would recommend a Carpet Python. There are a number of different types, my favourite being the Jungle Carpet Python (Morelia Spilota Cheynei), and also the Morelia Spilota McDowelli. Jungles grow to about 6-8 feet, and have brilliant yellow and black bands. The McDowelli's grow to similar lengths, and pattern varies from blacks to browns to sandy yellows.

Both are really easy to keep, are great feeders, and wont grow too fast. This way, you can buy a young snake that is of an easy size to accommodate and care for, and have a couple of years to gain experience before it will be at full size.

Anyways, just my favourites, with my biases included, of course. Good luck. Oh, and, BTW, after deciding on a specific snake, do a lot of specific reading. Many snakes will have varying requirements, some with temperament trends. The more reading you do, the more you will be prepared. You may even soon find yourself on some never-ending quest for info. I know i have. "Hi, my name's Aaron, and I'm addicted to snakes".

Well I'd also reccomend a corn, but not a carpet. Those are a little more challanging to keep, I wouldn't say for a first time keeper to get one. They also grow upwards of 10 feet (or so i've read.)

Since you are new, i'll give you a little info of what i'll refer to. Snakes defenses go in the following order. 1) stay perfectly still and hope they're not seen. 2) run away. 3) rattle tail. in dry leaves (as it would be in the wild) they can sound like a rattle snake and scare off would be predators. 4) closed mouth strike. 5) open mouth strike.

Corns, or any north american rat snake for that matter, would make a great starter snake. Or a kingsnake/milksnake.

I'll give you a very brief rundown on what I have experience with. On those I don't list... people don't get mad at me here i just dont know enough to give an accurate synopsis of the particular animal. this is where you can chime in

Rat Snakes:

Corn Snake - grow 4-6 feet long. handle well, mild tempered. Occasionally you'll get an agressive one, but 99% can be tamed to be very calm within a relatively short time frame. Lots of colors, readily available (every time i say this i will be referring to the US), and if you get one from a particular breeder they can tell you more about the specific snake, personality wise.

Texas Rat Snake - grows 4-6' long. tend to have a little more attitude to them. Mine loves to rattle his tail, yet has never struck at me. Some like to bite, some don't. All snakes are different, but I think these tend to be a little more wild.

Everglades and Yellow Rat Snakes - Both grow about 4-6' long. I have never had one, so no first hand experience. Others please chime in. I've been told by some that these two are somewhat agressive, however others have told me they're very docile. I have come to believe they are very similar to a texas rat snake as far as agression goes.

Gray rat snake - kinda boring IMO. They are going to grow 4-7 feet or so, and seem very docile. Even the wild ones around here that I have found have never struck at me. These interbreed with yellows or glades (dont remember which) and are labeled gulf hammock rat snake. then another morph would be a oak rat snake.

Black rat snake - another one of my favorites. Growth 5-8 feet. you can get them in all kinds of color morphs... from orange albino to white sided, ultra jet black, the one i'm going to be getting this summer is called a grape albino. lavander patches with white inbetween. I also have a regular black rat and a licorice stick (whitesided). They are both very docile, never struck at me. Never rattled their tails.

Kingsnakes/Milk Snakes

I have never had either of these (they are in the same family), so i can use all the input on these.

Kings and milks are both cannibalistic. That's one place they get their name. They are capable of killing and eating any other snake, including a rattlesnake. Therefore, never house them together. Never house two snakes together actually, not a good idea. Cannibalism can happen in any snake.

They grow from 4-8 feet or so I believe, depending on type of snake. Good eaters, and easy to handle. they can be kinda nippy as babies (but so can the rats. forgot that.) i've had some tell me that they're a little more challanging to handle, others tell me that they're just as easy. If these interest you, i'd ask over on the kingsnake forum.

I'd go to google, type these types in, get some info, see which ones interest you. Go to the specific forum and ask away

Also, you mentioned you don't want a constrictor. Sorry, you're out of luck. To my knowledge, the only two types of snakes in that respect are constrictors and venemous. and trust me, you don't want a venemous as a beginner. Hell, I don't want a venemous! i don't trust myself!

On that note...remember. you can lie to everybody but yourself.
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Chondros and colubrids... my 2 favorite types of snakes!

"Life is hard. Life is harder if you're stupid." - John Wayne

Well said, both.
The main catch about Kings, is while they're hardy, attractive and generally well tempered, they aren't the brightest of animals and have a strong feeding response. Which means that some of them (like my little Sophia who is otherwise very docile) tend to mistake hands for mice...
Still a decent first time snake and a spritz bottle of white vinegar persuades them to let go.
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0.1 chickens (Condor)
0.2 dog mutts (half ownership, only mine when they misbehave, Lucy & Amy)
0.1 Halflinger horse (Crissy)
0.1 Normal phase California Kingsnake (Sophia)
1.1 parents
Still searching for 1.0 WC human

Great info, but just one quick correction. Although it's true that almost all nonvenomous snakes are constrictors, there are a few colubrids that do not constrict, and are also nonvenomous (without getting into technicalities - thinking of BGF's paper). Examples would be garter snakes, members of Opheodrys (rough and smooth green snakes), racers, and indigo snakes. (I had to learn about some of these species when I found out that where I was planning to move had a blanket ban on ALL constrictors. Thankfully I don't live there anymore.)

Anyway, as far as recommendations go, I started with a Brazilian rainbow boa, and she was a bit difficult for a beginner, but not impossible for any means. From what I've heard, corn snakes and North American ratsnakes are good, like some others have mentioned. It all depends on what you want in a snake - big or small, fast or slow, thick bodied or slender, gentle or a little more feisty, display animal or pet, etc. What is most important to you? We might be able to give better recommendations if you could tell us what you like.
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::i believe in joy > http://www.winds.org/nekomi/hope.html

::my homepage > http://www.winds.org/nekomi

My Growing Zoo:

1.0 Husband (Byron) ^_^
0.1 black cat (Shade)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Zia)
1.0 Leucistic Ratsnake
1.2 Cockatoo cichlids (A. cacatuoides yellow-gold)
1.1 Panduro cichlids (A. panduro)
2.0 Endlers' Livebearers (P. sp. Endlers)

My first snake was an albino California Kingsnake, who I still have, almost 10 years later.

I have the requisite red tail boa and a couple of ball pythons, but I really love my Florida Kingsnakes. "Smart" for a snake and active and they eat like champs. They are also not "popular" so they haven't been too inbred (like corns, I hate to say).

A Children's Python might be another good option for you. Small, pretty, docile. Or a Sand Boa.

Just adding my 2 cents, I am also very new to snakes and did a lot of research. I bought a baby corn for my first snake, and due to my ignorance, and my wife loving to be mom with babies, We lost the little guy. I would recommend getting a sub-adult or adult corn as your first snake, and one that is a great eater. The reason for this is so you have a better chance at noticing things wrong with your snake, they tend to be out and about more often. The only down side is they are a little more pricey. Oh and a comment on the Venomous/constrictor thing the other guy said, i'm sure you meant a boa constrictor, not how they kill their prey, but in that they are large snakes. I wanna wish you good luck, and happy herping.
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A.J.
0.1.0- Fiancee- Emily (LOL!)
1.0.0- Amel Motley Corn- Valentine (R.I.P 5/20/05)
0.1.0- Snow Corn- Artica
1.0.0- Chihuahua- Nightro
0.1.0- Black Lab Mix- Lucie
2.2.0- Cats- Mollie, Sammie, Clowie, and Dahcota
0.0.12- Fish- Carolina, Garfield, DumDum, rest unnamed
0.0.2- Snails

A cal king isn't bad. They do have a relatively strong feeding response and can be a little hyper first out of the cage. contact me at scottsykes@sbcglobal.net if you want more info.