Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I heard that the neonates are a bit "skittish", and oftentimes will be nippy. As the snake gets older, they tend to get tame. Does anyone have a hondo pet that has been handled since hatching that had been tame from the start. My son wants one, but is 6 years old, and i don't want him to start out with his own snake that will traumatize him!

Thanks for the responses!

maybe i have just been lucky, but my hondurans are super calm and never attempt to flee, bite, or musk. it may depend on the individual snake and handling, but i love mine.

I'm glad to hear it, as I considering getting one! Were they calm right "out of the egg"?

Well, I've only kept 2 hondos, so I am no expert. Still, mine never bit me even as little hatchlings. They also seemed a lot less fearful than most of my other colubrid hatchlings.

I have over 50 Hondurans and have handled several 100 over the years from juvi to adult. Do not buy a six year old a baby Honduran. Start off with a Red Ratsnake. Hondurans are not good starter snakes if your looking to handle them. Ask any of the big Honduran breeders they will say the same..

hi john, i posted my reply below before reading yours. Looks like we're on the same page!
td

In my opinion almost none of the milks are suitable as babies for a six-year-old. They ARE skittish, will poop, bite, thrash around and do what they can to escape. It's expecting too much of a six year old to expect it to show sufficient gentleness in handling the snake under those circumstances. And i say this having had two kids who i think are exceptionally thoughtful around and familiar with snakes, i wouldn't have given them a baby milk when they were six, either.

Actually, i'm going thru the same thought process now for two nephews, one 12 and one 6. I'm leaning toward rosy boas, hognoses, or a yearling king or milk or red rat.

good luck!
terry

Thanks Rtdunham and jlambert! In the future, I'll get my son a Honduran, but I'll get a super tame adult... He's handled several adult albino Nelsoni, and REALLY hit if off big time with them.

My son's very gentle with the snakes he's handled, and I'm sure the L. t. nelsoni would nerver think of biting under the circumstances. He also likes the gaigae, so I'll have to decide on one of them I guess.

Thanks!