Possible First Snake Choices

Well as always I have to put in a good word for the milksnakes. :)

My 15 year old daughter owns a female Albino Nelson's Milksnake and that snake is just a fanastic pet. She's a great feeder and isn't at all picky about what she eats or how she's fed. Emi the Milksnake is really such a pretty snake that some people on seeing her the first time think she's a fake toy until she flicks her orange tongue at them. Nelson's are acknowledged as one of the calmest of the Milksnake group and Emi certainly follows that along nicely. She's never nipped and only musked twice as a very small baby. While she is active she's not frantic about it, more just curious really. Handling does not seem to stress her unduly.

This is Emi and her enclosure (20 long).....

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2.../EmiMay081.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2.../EmiMay083.jpg

All colubrids are master escape artists so a good solid lid with metal clip downs is a must. Also for those of you with really good eyes, yes that is a heat rock, however, it came in with a rescue years ago, was disinfected and the electrical cord removed. It's in Emi's enclosure simply as cage furniture and a nice shedding aid for her. :)

Emi and her very proud owner, my daughter Beth....

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...hEmiFeb092.jpg

I have to put in a good word for corns... I never used to be interested in colubrids, but I saw my cornsnake at a show a few years ago, and he was so gorgeous I couldn't resist taking him home. Since then, he has become my all time favorite snake to watch. Unlike my BP's, my corn comes out and "plays" in his enclosure (I don't know what else to call it). I actually got him a display tank with lots of climbing branches and fake plants because I enjoy watching him so much. People always comment when they come over about how beautiful he is. Furthermore, he is very good during handling - he's never so much as gone into strike position since I've gotten him, and while he's definitely faster moving than my balls, he is quite managable and has gotten better as he's grown to an adult.

Here's a picture of Jake (this is an older pic, he's grown a bit but generally looks the same as this)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...8/bodyshot.jpg

Also, one of the fun things about corns (and milks too I believe) is that there are TONS of inexpensive color morphs out here... The snake you see above only cost me $40 as a juvenile, he is called "sunglow motley", and there are loads more varieties out there depending on what kinds of colors you like. So, whereas ball pythons most morphs are pretty pricey, you can kind of go "shopping" for a corn morph at a show, and most of them will be under $100 (there are only a couple I know of that are more expensive).