what colubrid should I get?

[midgard]

What colubrid should I get? I like hognose, corns, kings, bulls. What one should I get? Everyone says corns are really easy but I really like hognoses too. I just want to know your opinion and maybe some basic care about the species you reccomend even though I already researched them at least a little bit.

[Marissa@MKmorphs]

Out of those, I would say corns make a great "gateway" colubrid. Smaller, tame, fantastic eater, and some of the hardiest snakes ever. They help you get a feel for how different a colubrid is from other boas/pythons that you might be used to having. Personally, I've become infatuated with Pituophis lately (bulls/gophers/pines), but they get much larger and their bluffing/defensive mechanisms can make them a little more challenging for some. As far as hogs....I've been there, done that. I had a small collection of 6 hogs, from 4 gram babies to 400g females. I found them to be extremely tricky feeders, I was worried about the possibility of having a negative reaction to their mild venom, and for as much work as they were, I didn't find them to be nearly as rewarding as the other colubrids that I have (which are corns, honduran milk snakes, and a sonoran gopher snake).

All that being said, you never know if you will enjoy keeping a species unless you give it a try. Everyone has their own experiences with these animals, so you need to keep that in mind when making a decision. Maybe visit some expos or see if there are local breeders/keepers around you that will let you interact with some of their colubrids so you can get a feel for them?

[midgard]

Yes that's what I have been hearing and corns are very easy to get, not very expensive, and so many morphs. I know a couple breeders near buffalo so I will check that out. Thank you.

[Mustang5]

Yeah I would go with a corn as well. Super tame and super easy to care for.

[midgard]

Well I'm going to get a corn or leopard gecko at the next show around where I live which I know there is one in November.

[M.P.C]

Cali king!!!! King snakes are awsome, our johnny has a quite a personality on him, always a pleasure to interact with him

[EL-Ziggy]

Corns are cool but kings are AWESOME! Same husbandry as corns, very similar in size, lots of cool morphs, inexpensive, and hard hitters at feeding time. They have a reputation for being feisty but I think it's a bit unfounded. My Cal King and MBK are both super sweet. I'm also a big fan of the Pituophis breeds (bulls, gophers, and pines). Honduran or Black Milk snakes, Leucistic Rat snakes, you really can't go wrong with any colubrid IMO. The ease of care, manageable size, wide range of morphs, and affordability make them great snakes to keep. Best wishes with whatever you choose.

[midgard]

I had a teacher with a California king and it just passed away I heard. She said it was a very interesting pet.

[midgard]

There are plenty of California kings at the breeder in buffalo and milk snakes and other types or kings. Chinese rat snakes look cool.

[DVirginiana]

I'd have to cast my vote for a hognose since you've already got experience with some snakes. Of course that may just be because I want one

Overall colubrids garters are my absolute favorite though so I'd encourage you to give them a shot. Easterns have a huge variety of morphs and I've never worked with another species that has as much curiosity toward humans or is as interactive as they are.