Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I had been eye-balling this Albino Burmese Python at the pet shop next to my school for a while, got on the internet and did some reasearch. Found out they got to be 4-6 Ft. long within 6 months, so I changed my mind about that and went on looking for smaller snakes.

So far some of my favorite ones have been...
Mexican Black King Snake (36-50 in. as adult)
Blizzard Corn Snake (30-60 in. as adult)
Aberrant Jalisco Milk Snake (36-42 in. as adult)
Halloween Pueblan Milk Snake (30-36 in. as adult)

And to my understanding all of these snakes are docile and are easy to keep.
I was wondering if these types of snakes would be a good pet, as it will be my first snake. And which of these would probably be the best as a pet.
I dont really know how much they eat.. So if you could tell me that would also help in choosing.
I think that the milk snakes only eat once a weak (Please tell me if im wrong).
I figure that all of these snakes grow pretty slow, and im going to get bit a couple times until I get them used to me.
List of things I will need(I think):
-Aspin Substrate
-A hide big enough for the snake to fit in.
-10G-20L Tank depending on size (With mesh/wire lid that snaps)
-Seperate Tank to feed him in, so that when I reach in he will not think im food.
-1 Frozen pinkies a week depending on snake/size (Frozen so they wont hurt themselves supposably)
-Heating lamp to set on top of the cage
-Water bowl so that he can drink/stay moist

If I left something out please tell me.

Also im wondering what people mean when they say they have 1.0.0 snakes and 0.0.2 and stuff.

thanks for any input!!!
-Nate

Here are some pics of the types I want... (Even though you probably know what they look like)

Name if I Had: Shade
Mexican Black King Snake
Mexican Black King Snake2

Name if I Had: Wraith
Blizzard Corn Snake
Blizzard Corn Snake2

Name if I Had: Deviant
Aberrant Jalisco Milk Snake
Aberrant Jalisco Milk Snake2

Name if I Had: Nuke
Halloween Pueblan Milk Snake
Halloween Pueblan Milk Snake2

Corn snake without a doubt is what you need to get, the other three you listed are not good beginner snakes especially the milk snakes.Corn snakes are the best snakes you could get for your first snake, and they are addiction.

I would get a Under Tank heater instead of the light though. Besides that everything you said seems to be right.

Check out the Corn snake forum and that will be alot of help to you.

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Cameron

How come you said "especially Milk Snakes" ????
Why arent they good starter snakes? Because there cannibals?

thx
-Nate

Milksnakes are just a lot more aggressive "snappy". As the guy before me said corns are excellent beginner snakes "it was my first snake, an albino" I highly suggest them as your first. You need 2 hides one on the cool side one on the hot side. Young corns need to be fed once every 5-7 days. 1.0.0 is a way of telling the sex of an animal male.female.unidentified, I have 1.0.0 albino corn, 0.1.0 ball python, 1.0.0 bearded dragon, Its just that simple. I suggest you look up " corn snake care sheet" on google, and look around you area for reptile expos.

Perseus

Alot of milk snakes are terrible feeders, and many do not eat for you. Its difficult to get them started. There are the few species that will eat but the ones you listed can be difficult.

Corns are like the all time best begginner snake and they are a alltime great snake anyways.

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Cameron

My first snake was a corn. She was evil and still is. She'll come 3/4 of the way out of her cage to bite you. Granted it's a corn snake, it doesn't hurt in the slightest to get bit. My second snake was a ball python. Never had problems with her until she escaped. she was out for a week and when we found her, she was mean too. we tried to tame her back down for 2 months and i ended up trading her (and 150$) for a chondropython. My third snake was a red tail boa. She's about 5 years old now. She's about 4 1/2 ft. I have another one thats about 7 ft. don't know how old he is. I reccomend a RTB. I think they're great and my experience with corns hasn't been good although everyone says I just got a fluke. needless to say, I won't be taking my chances again. I've slowly progressed onto much much bigger things. i have an 11 ft. burm in my living room and i'm about to get a 20 footer through the rescue. I love em. those are my favorites.
Beth
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

I have had bad luck with corns too. I have had several with bad attitudes. I don't know what it is. Its like they just straight up hate some people and love others. I had a corn that was really aggressive that I sold to a guy for 20 bucks. He got it home and it hasn't bit, struck or anything. I agree that Red Tail boas are really good beginner snakes. If you want to go cheap all around garters, ribbons and a lot of the water snakes are good to start with to. They eat gold fish most of their life. You have to feed them more often but it still comes out cheaper. Do research though as some of the species can bring problems and are hard for the biginner. But most of the North American species are good. Hope this helps. SSR.
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There is nothing I hate more then a person buying a snake or any animal for that matter and not doing research and relizing what they are getting themselves into. Because of people like that we have such strict reptile and animal laws and they are ruining it for everyone. Not doing research is totally unacceptable and with the internet is super easy to do. There is just no excuse for that!!!

Defanitley the corn. Most experienced keepers will always give you the same anwser. I have three and love them all.

1.0 green iguana
1.0 red iguana
2.0.1 corn snakes,aztec,amelinistic,okeetee
1.0 ball python
0.0.1 tokay gecko
0.0.1 armadillo lizard
1.0 plated lizard
1.0 pixie frog
0.0.1 ornate box turtle

I'll fourth the Corn Snake. While I have never owned one, I did work at a reptile store for two years and have plenty of experience with all the snakes you listed.

As was said before, Milksnakes can be poor feeders. They can also be snappy and very shy as well. Mexican Black Kingsnakes are absolutely beautiful, but they too can be a bit snappy (mainly around feeding time). My Mexican Black is about 4.5-5' long, and he would definitely be able to give a pretty good bite if he wanted to. California Kings are great snakes; though they have the potential to be temperamental, they are generally the best Lampropeltis for a beginner.

Some Cornsnakes can be aggressive as well, but they are generally more predictable in their habits than Lampropeltis. If you haven't checked it out already, I recommend you visit http://www.cornsnakes.net. They have some 70 Cornsnake morphs, many of which are very good-looking (a favorite of mine is the blood red cornsnake).
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- Natalie
(San Francisco Bay Area)

1.0.0 Banded California King
1.0.0 Mexican Black King
1.0.0 Bay of LA Rosy Boa
0.0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa
2.1.0 Rubber Boas

I agree, a corn snake would be your best choice. The North American ratsnakes are also great beginners if you have looked into them at all.

By the way, I LOVE your prospective snakes' names! I have a pure black cat that I named Shade, so I'm partial to that name. And the name Nuke is just plain cool - that snake DOES kinda look like a radioactive/biohazard sign
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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 rescued stray grey cat (Ghost)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Zia)
1.0 Leucistic Black Ratsnake (Houdini)
1.0 White-Lipped Python (Midas)
1.2 Panduro cichlids (A. panduro)

My first snake was actually a pueblan. Had him for just under a year before I had to go off to college, so I sold him. I had never been bit by him. I don't know much about the other snakes, but I do know that I love my pueblan (paco). I kept him in a solid top lid (which nobody seems to do but me and my specialty pet shop) without ANY heating unit at all. No undertank and no light. I also had no regurgitations, so I guess that worked out pretty well. I had one hide box and one water bowl in a 10 gallon, which also worked out great. I would suggest pine bedding (buy it at Kroger in the pet section, find it with the hamster stuff). #1 - a big bag is SUPER cheap and lasts FOREVER. #2 - aspen sucks. I HATE aspen. Only an opinion, of course.
Again - I'd never had ANY problems with Paco. No splotchy sheds, no hard feeding times - though he had to get used to me on that one...it took him a month to eat his first f/t pinky (and only after I'd left the room). Eventually he ate out of my hand (which isn't advisable but hey! I was a nOOb lol).
The only thing is that pueblans are super jumpy and musk ALL THE TIME when they're young, though if you handle them enough (and consistently) they calm down, age helps the process as well.
You might also consider a Ball Python. AMAZING snakes and SUPER easy to take care of. Mine LOVES to be held. Buy it captive born and they'll be AMAZING eaters, as well. Max size is 5-1/2' for a female (though males are smaller).
Anyway...those are my thoughts on beginner snakes.

And I meant to write this but forgot:

1.0.0 means 1 Male (ugh...I think). It might mean female. At any rate, the first # means Male (or female). The second number (0.1.0), means whatever the first one wasn't. And the third one means that the animal is unsexed (due to the age of the critter, normally).

my first snakes were corn snakes I still think they are the best beginner snakes the come in all kind of diffrent morphs there fairly cheep docile and forgiving on there care requirments they are hearty and almost never get sick.

I'm new a new snake owner myself and I'll tell you what I found out. For a good beginner snake, I was always told that sand boas are a definate good first snake (especially after I ordered my ball python). I also hear ball pythons are a good beginner snake and you can get a pretty fancy pastel one for a good price if you look around the classifieds area of this website. Today I found out milk snakes are definately not a good first snake. I've been to multiple pet stores and held red tail boas, ball pythons, corn snakes and sand boas (my personal fav.) and milk snakes. Guess which one bit me 4 times. The bites don't hurt but it's weird that the small thin ones are the ones biting. They also move fast, so if you drop them or lose sight of them. Good luck trying to retrieve/find it (corn snakes are fast as well). Also because they are thin, they are hard to hold (for a beginner) because you don't know if you're holding them to tight or not. If you do hold them to tight, they'll quickly turn their head towards your fingers and snap at you. When they bite, they don't let go that easily. This is just my personal experience, but I truly recommend sand boas as a first snake. They have cons as well and you should browse the boas: rose, rubber, sand forum.