Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am looking at getting a snake for my six year old (she is the middle of three, ages eight, six, and three). We already have three leopard geckos, a bearded gecko, redeye tree frogs, and many others. Do you have any suggestion for what will be the best snake? I am ok with feeding live mice (as are they), but would prefer to stick with crickets since we already have the infrastructure for those. I also would like a snake that is lively and can be picked up and held. Thanks in advance...

A lively snake is not always easy. Many snakes enjoy hiding, under the substrate, in a hide box, ect. But a few good choices for a first snake would be rosy boas, corn snakes, and california kingsnakes. All are relatively inexpensive, will eat frozen/thawed mice (NEVER feed live mice...only leads to problems), and come in different color morphs. There are many breeders or herp stores as well as expos where you can obtain them and there is plenty of info on the specific forums about these snakes.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

Cornsnakes are the best but for a young child you should try and get one thats atleast a year old, hatchlings can be a little nippy and flightly. Like snakeguy said, you never should feed live mice, some that are old enough can scratch and bite your snake and some snakes aren't very good killers and swallow the mice alive. And just so you know crickets aren't as good are a nice mouse for your snake.
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People Who Say Money Can't Buy You Happiness Obviously Didn't Know Where To Buy A Herp

2.0 Corns (CC & Norm: Peppermint & Guttata)
1.0 Ball Python (Norm: Ade)
0.1 Cali Kingsnake (Norm: Lady Macbeth)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Yellow x Gold: Vito)
0.0.1 Leopard Gecko (Norm: Pardus)
0.0.1 Marbled Gecko (Norm: B.B.)

Not that a snake like a corn would be likely to accept crickets anyway. You would be hard pressed to find a corn that accepts crickets I bet. MAYBE in the wild, but after being in captivity for generations, I would highly doubt it. Andy
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

There was a pic of a neonate E.g. eating a cricket circulating on the corn snake forum a few years ago. Makes no sense to me. All corns are big enough for pinks right out of the oven.

>>Not that a snake like a corn would be likely to accept crickets anyway. You would be hard pressed to find a corn that accepts crickets I bet. MAYBE in the wild, but after being in captivity for generations, I would highly doubt it. Andy
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>>Andy Maddox
>>AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
>>MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
>> Houston Herp Key
>> The Reptizone
>>
>>Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry
>>
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without electricity, we'd be watching television in the dark