Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I might be interested in getting a snake, but what kind of snake doesn't grow too big and is overall best with handling. I want a snake that I can pick up alot without it biting me or dying of stress. plz respond thanks

There are a lot of choices. I would possibly consider going to a Herp show and looking for an adult animal in good shape.

An adult Mexican black king.

An adult Eastern Chain kingsnake.

An adult Corn snake.

Handle the animal there, Talk to the vendor about it's history(retired breeders are great for "pets".

Bob.

I now have 20 snakes. I have 6 Graybanded kings, 2 Knoblochi kings,2 Az Mtn. kings, 2 FL. kings, 2 Hondo Milks, 1 red milk, 1 scarlet king, 1 Hog Island Boa, and 3 cornsnakes. Out of all these, my graybands, Knoblochi, Az Mtn king are the easiest to handle, and they only reach about 3 feet. I would say my graybands are the calmest because some of my others are still hatchlings. I think most kings are cool to keep. Derek

Here are smo more of my good handling snakes!

Lots of good choices. Eastern kings, Florida kings, or Mexican Black Kings. If you want a smaller king, you could go with a Thayeri or Grey-Banded King, which are very calm and stay at or under 3 feet. Cornsnakes of course. Ball Pythons are a good choice "IF" you purchase one that's Captive Bred & Born. Here's one of my young EasternKings. An 04 male that is as relaxed as a ball python. And he's just a baby. My Brooks/Florida king is the same way.

Steve

This Brooks king is also an 04, and you couldn't ask for a better handling snake. At around 10 months old and already a whopping 33-34. If you like something very docile, with an impressive size, Florida/brooks kings and Easterns are hard to beat.

Steve

I like that snake. Is that an Axanthic? I really like its colors. Will it keep those colors? Derek Lee

Yes, that is a New England Axanthic. It will keep its bluish hue, but the pattern will fade as it gets older/larger.

Steve

I like that snake. Is that an Axanthic? I really like its colors. Will it keep those colors? Derek Lee

My experience:

Ball pythons: docile but also kinda boring. They can scare easily. If you want a snake that just sits there, it's a good choice.

Children's pythons: just as docile as balls, but a bit more inquisitive. IMO these are more fun to handle.

Anthill pythons: just like the Children's only a lot smaller and even more docile.

Savu pythons: snappy when young, but they are docile once they get older and when they are out of their enclosure. Juveniles are too small to hurt you even if you do get bit. They are also semi-arboreal, so they are VERY good at climbing and will do a good job holding on and climbing around your fingers/hands/arms (whereas the balls and Chlidren's might just fall off if you aren't paying attention). Very inquisitive. IMO these are the MOST fun to handle.

Cal kings: I have one of these and it is very skittish, unlike other kingsnakes. Also not very good at climbing. Not as fun to handle.