First Snake

Hello! I am new to this forum, and to reptiles. I am looking to get my first snake when I'm either thirteen or fourteen, I need help choosing which snake to start with out of my top picks (I am also open to suggestions) My top picks are: Ball Python, Borneo Shorttail (or Blood Python), Woma Python, Rosy Boa, Corn Snake, Kingsnake, Western Hognose, Boa Constrictor. I am looking for something I can spend time with, a good handling snake, as well as a good pet snake. And I really like larger animals (I am open to small ones too.) I also like ones that are not overly slow moving, but not flighty or super quick. Any Suggestions? And which one do you think is good for a starting snake for someone young? Thank you for reading :D

I personally would recommend a corn snake or a ball python but corn snakes are more social

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Originally Posted by Boidae

Hello! I am new to this forum, and to reptiles. I am looking to get my first snake when I'm either thirteen or fourteen, I need help choosing which snake to start with out of my top picks (I am also open to suggestions) My top picks are: Ball Python, Borneo Shorttail (or Blood Python), Woma Python, Rosy Boa, Corn Snake, Kingsnake, Western Hognose, Boa Constrictor. I am looking for something I can spend time with, a good handling snake, as well as a good pet snake. And I really like larger animals (I am open to small ones too.) I also like ones that are not overly slow moving, but not flighty or super quick. Any Suggestions? And which one do you think is good for a starting snake for someone young? Thank you for reading :D

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Well funnily enough I'd suggest a Corn snake . It's generally regarded as a great starter snake on occasion even called a 'gateway' snake as they get you hooked on snakes ...

I've got an adult male Amel Stripe Corn that is around 5' and never stops moving ( slowly though ) when he's out and about . Great handling snakes with just the odd 1% preferring not to be handled . So very , calm , friendly , quite active in their vivs . Mine are active in daytime whereas many snakes only come to life early evening and onwards .
They're great eaters taking d/f frozen rodents or chicks .
There's also a massive choice of colours / patterns available .

My Amel Stripe looks like a beautiful bright Orange snake but look closer and he's got a narrow Yellow stripe running head to tail on the bottom third of his body .

I could go on and on and on about them .

I started with Corns but soon added Royal Pythons ( Ball ) and Kings . Then onto Garter snakes , Ratsnakes , a Snow Boa and a Dwarf Hypo Burmese python ... 22 altogether !

Beware !!! You can easily become addicted to snakes !

Care if you consider a Hognose . They're one of the most intriguing and cutest around BUT they're rear - fanged and mildly venomous so maybe not perfect as you want to handle .

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Well funnily enough I'd suggest a Corn snake . It's generally regarded as a great starter snake on occasion even called a 'gateway' snake as they get you hooked on snakes ...

I've got an adult male Amel Stripe Corn that is around 5' and never stops moving ( slowly though ) when he's out and about . Great handling snakes with just the odd 1% preferring not to be handled . So very , calm , friendly , quite active in their vivs . Mine are active in daytime whereas many snakes only come to life early evening and onwards .
They're great eaters taking d/f frozen rodents or chicks .
There's also a massive choice of colours / patterns available .

My Amel Stripe looks like a beautiful bright Orange snake but look closer and he's got a narrow Yellow stripe running head to tail on the bottom third of his body .

I could go on and on and on about them .

I started with Corns but soon added Royal Pythons ( Ball ) and Kings . Then onto Garter snakes , Ratsnakes , a Snow Boa and a Dwarf Hypo Burmese python ... 22 altogether !

Beware !!! You can easily become addicted to snakes !

Care if you consider a Hognose . They're one of the most intriguing and cutest around BUT they're rear - fanged and mildly venomous so maybe not perfect as you want to handle .

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I'll consider a corn snake for sure! and it's too bad a Hognose is mildly venomous, they are adorable!

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Originally Posted by Boidae

I can spend time with, a good handling snake, as well as a good pet snake. I also like ones that are not overly slow moving, but not flighty or super quick. Any Suggestions? And which one do you think is good for a starting snake for someone young? Thank you for reading :D

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Based on what you're looking for, I'd say a type of Kingsnake or Corn snake. They can be flighty when they're young (as with most young snakes), but will calm down when they're older.

I would have recommended ball pythons, but they can be very slow moving/not move at all, depending on the individual BP. They also are very picky with getting their humidity, temperatures, and cage setup ON POINT, or else they'll stop eating... which can be stressful on a first time owner. So a bit of necessary research done online in forums like these, and not advice from pet stores.

Mexican Black Kingsnakes are pretty epic though. :D

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...95070d5f98.jpg

I think king snakes are great beginner snakes too. They're inexpensive, modestly sized, they come in some really nice morphs, and the husbandry is a breeze. They can be a little defensive when they're young but neither of mine have ever bit me. If you're looking for something a little larger I'd recommend a pine, bull, or gopher snake. My bull snakes are much larger than my kings, they're really fun to handle, and they are monsters at feeding time. The husbandry is pretty simple for these guys too. Like kings, they can be a little nippy and hissy in the beginning, but they usually calm down pretty quickly. Carpet pythons are another beautiful and active display snake. I wouldn't call them great beginner snakes but with the proper research and husbandry they can be a nice first snake too. Best wishes with whatever you choose.

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

I think king snakes are great beginner snakes too. They're inexpensive, modestly sized, they come in some really nice morphs, and the husbandry is a breeze. They can be a little defensive when they're young but neither of mine have ever bit me. If you're looking for something a little larger I'd recommend a pine, bull, or gopher snake. My bull snakes are much larger than my kings, they're really fun to handle, and they are monsters at feeding time. The husbandry is pretty simple for these guys too. Like kings, they can be a little nippy and hissy in the beginning, but they usually calm down pretty quickly. Carpet pythons are another beautiful and active display snake. I wouldn't call them great beginner snakes but with the proper research and husbandry they can be a nice first snake too. Best wishes with whatever you choose.

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I've actually been thinking a lot about a California Kingsnake, I've never heard of a pine or bull snake before, I'll be sure to do some research on it :)

Whatever you choose . Try and handle it before buying unless you're buying online ...
I only buy from forum breeders never a store .
Breeders tend to be more knowledgable plus you can handle the snake first and breeders are far cheaper .

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

Carpet pythons are another beautiful and active display snake. I wouldn't call them great beginner snakes but with the proper research and husbandry they can be a nice first snake too. Best wishes with whatever you choose.

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Originally Posted by Boidae

I've actually been thinking a lot about a California Kingsnake, I've never heard of a pine or bull snake before, I'll be sure to do some research on it :)

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I wouldn't recommend carpet pythons, only because a decent percentage can be cage aggressive. So unless you really love carpets and don't mind getting bitten a few times... There are chill ones out there, but having a perfect beginner's temperament for handling is not an extreme majority like it is for corn snakes and kingsnakes.

I wouldn't recommend bull snakes at all for what you're looking for. They're kind of notorious for being defensive, and generally aren't a "handle me" snake. There are always exceptions, but generally, nah. :P

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Whatever you choose . Try and handle it before buying unless you're buying online ...
I only buy from forum breeders never a store .
Breeders tend to be more knowledgable plus you can handle the snake first and breeders are far cheaper .

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I'll be sure to keep that in mind!

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

I wouldn't recommend carpet pythons, only because a decent percentage can be cage aggressive. So unless you really love carpets and don't mind getting bitten a few times... There are chill ones out there, but having a perfect beginner's temperament for handling is not an extreme majority like it is for corn snakes and kingsnakes.

I wouldn't recommend bull snakes at all for what you're looking for. They're kind of notorious for being defensive, and generally aren't a "handle me" snake. There are always exceptions, but generally, nah. :P

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I'll also keep that in mind.. :p

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Originally Posted by Boidae

I've actually been thinking a lot about a California Kingsnake, I've never heard of a pine or bull snake before, I'll be sure to do some research on it :)

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I've got two Cali Kings .. Absolute stunners BUT they're lightening fast until they get a bit older ( somebody already mentioned that ) . .. They've got an amazing feeding response from day one though !!
I showed my friend one of mine feeding and it terrified her :)
It ignored the mouse and latched its jaws on the aluminium water dish and lifted it up off the floor and then proceeded to bite out randomly at thin air even though the lid of the viv was closed by then :). Although ...it was too fast for her as well .

She bought a Royal instead a few days later.
She got lucky by making sure she got the best feeder from the clutch of Royals .

ball pythons 4 life

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

I wouldn't recommend carpet pythons, only because a decent percentage can be cage aggressive. So unless you really love carpets and don't mind getting bitten a few times... There are chill ones out there, but having a perfect beginner's temperament for handling is not an extreme majority like it is for corn snakes and kingsnakes.

I wouldn't recommend bull snakes at all for what you're looking for. They're kind of notorious for being defensive, and generally aren't a "handle me" snake. There are always exceptions, but generally, nah. :P

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Each snake is different and ANY snake, especially young ones, can be defensive in the beginning. I might be lucky but my 1.1 bulls, 2.0 carpets, and 1.1 kings have all been pretty tame since day one. None of them are cage defensive and I've had all but one of them since they were hatchlings. My male bull did tag me once on the first day I got him, and one other time when he was hungry, but other than that they're all sweet as pie. My bulls are also great to handle. I'd even say they're one of my favorite snakes to handle. They're fairly heavy bodied and not flighty at all. The carpets can be a little flighty for a few minutes when I first take them out but they always calm down after a couple of minutes. I wouldn't say they're the best beginner snakes but they are very manageable and their beauty and active nature makes them well worth it. :)

Thank you all for the replies, any thoughts on a blood Python or Borneo as a first snake? Just in case.

I have no new info on bloods/short-tails other than what we both could find online, so can't add anything new there. :s

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

Each snake is different and ANY snake, especially young ones, can be defensive in the beginning. I might be lucky but my 1.1 bulls, 2.0 carpets, and 1.1 kings have all been pretty tame since day one. None of them are cage defensive and I've had all but one of them since they were hatchlings. My male bull did tag me once on the first day I got him, and one other time when he was hungry, but other than that they're all sweet as pie. My bulls are also great to handle. I'd even say they're one of my favorite snakes to handle. They're fairly heavy bodied and not flighty at all. The carpets can be a little flighty for a few minutes when I first take them out but they always calm down after a couple of minutes. I wouldn't say they're the best beginner snakes but they are very manageable and their beauty and active nature makes them well worth it. :)

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Like I said, it does depends on the individual snake, and you seem to have gotten the good half with your bulls and carpets. :P But if a first-time owner is asking for a 99% "for sure" docile beginner's snake, famously handle-friendly, corns or balls would always be the way to go- can't deny that.

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Originally Posted by Boidae

Thank you all for the replies, any thoughts on a blood Python or Borneo as a first snake? Just in case.

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i wouldn't recommend either of these as a first snake. They can be pretty defensive as youngsters and frequently take some time to calm down. They're great snakes that will become easy to handle with time, but I think it best to have some snake handling experience before acquiring one. I would however recommend Sumatran short tails as they tend to be more relaxed than bloods or Borneos.

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Originally Posted by DennisM

i wouldn't recommend either of these as a first snake. They can be pretty defensive as youngsters and frequently take some time to calm down. They're great snakes that will become easy to handle with time, but I think it best to have some snake handling experience before acquiring one. I would however recommend Sumatran short tails as they tend to be more relaxed than bloods or Borneos.

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Thank you! I will look into Sumatran shorties

For starter Borneo and blood are not a beginner species they are very rewarding animals to keep but not something to get stated with.

Second when choosing a species it comes down to expectations and ability to meet optimal requirements.

Will the animal be held a lot will the animal mainly be on display, if yes to both BP make a poor choice, they are prone to stress, spend 80% of their time hiding and often frustrate their new owners, they are not as forgiven as other species.

Corns, Milks and Kings are a great choices however they are fast moving and you need to keep up with them when handling, musking may also be a temporary issue especially with young animal, they eventually will grow out of it with consistent work.

Hognose are great but it is to keep in mind that while they very rarely bite they are rear fanged animals with a very mild venom, and swelling can occur if bitten.

Carpets while great can reach a nice impressive size depending on the locality and will require to be worked with, they do have a tendency to be bitty when young.

Bulls and Gophers are often more bark than bite but still can be pretty intimidating

Boas are great choices too however keep in mind that their size is nothing compare to other species listed.

The rest is really about researching their husbandry and see which might be a better fit than the other.

My vote would probably be Milk,Corn or King they are very forgiven when it comes to husbandry, they can reach a nice size without being overwhelming either.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

For starter Borneo and blood are not a beginner species they are very rewarding animals to keep but not something to get stated with.

Second when choosing a species it comes down to expectations and ability to meet optimal requirements.

Will the animal be held a lot will the animal mainly be on display, if yes to both BP make a poor choice, they are prone to stress, spend 80% of their time hiding and often frustrate their new owners, they are not as forgiven as other species.

Corns, Milks and Kings are a great choices however they are fast moving and you need to keep up with them when handling, musking may also be a temporary issue especially with young animal, they eventually will grow out of it with consistent work.

Hognose are great but it is to keep in mind that while they very rarely bite they are rear fanged animals with a very mild venom, and swelling can occur if bitten.

Carpets while great can reach a nice impressive size depending on the locality and will require to be worked with, they do have a tendency to be bitty when young.

Bulls and Gophers are often more bark than bite but still can be pretty intimidating

Boas are great choices too however keep in mind that their size is nothing compare to other species listed.

The rest is really about researching their husbandry and see which might be a better fit than the other.

My vote would probably be Milk,Corn or King they are very forgiven when it comes to husbandry, they can reach a nice size without being overwhelming either.

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Thank you for this detailed reply! It is very helpful to me.

I currently have 2 ball pythons and a young brazilian rainbow boa. I've gotten pretty lucky because all of my snakes are super calm and docile. I've never been bitten or even hissed at. I'm currently searching for my next snake and I'm stuck between a rosy boa and a kenyan sand boa. Rosy's are adorable and are a very manageable size. Their care requirements seem pretty simple. Both are desert species and need very little humidity and don't need big enclosures. And, their faces! They're so cute. I can't wait until I get one or the other. I might just end up with one of each ;)

Since I haven't seen anyone else really mention them in this thread, I vote for a Rosy!

I love the look of carpets but they seem very hit or miss. My brother has one and she is horrible! If he needs to go in her enclosure for any reason, she tags him multiple times.

Love my two Kings.
Sweet, inquisitive, fun to watch them move around. Both handle well; I've been gentle from the beginning.

I like watching a long serpentine snake move. The short-tails and balls are pretty, but you just don't have the length/width ratio to get that long sinuous line.

My next will be a Corn, and I'd love one of the Pitts (Bull, Gopher,pine) some day, but for now, they look a tad intimidating.

One thing to think about - are you interested in morphs, or localities, or something else? For instance, my eyes glaze over reading the details of what went into some super motley-pastel-bananna-amel-leopard-echi-champagne, but start talking about localities, put it on a map, discuss the geographic area - development, local ecology, etc. ...then, I'm all ears. The information you find yourself gravitating to may influence your choice, so don't be in any hurry.

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Originally Posted by hazzaram

I love the look of carpets but they seem very hit or miss. My brother has one and she is horrible! If he needs to go in her enclosure for any reason, she tags him multiple times.

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Agree, I have a friend who got a jungle carpet python as her first snake... and he is a BEAUTIFUL snake, but relatively unpredictable and cage-aggressive. :P She gets tagged/struck at multiple times almost every time she tries to take him out... which was a no-go for me when I was looking for a first snake experience.

Kind of ironically, she got a corn snake for her sister's first snake. Which now ended up being her snake too. The corn is docile as heck, and just kind of runs around like a loopy thing.

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Originally Posted by distaff

Love my two Kings.
Sweet, inquisitive, fun to watch them move around. Both handle well; I've been gentle from the beginning.

I like watching a long serpentine snake move. The short-tails and balls are pretty, but you just don't have the length/width ratio to get that long sinuous line.

My next will be a Corn, and I'd love one of the Pitts (Bull, Gopher,pine) some day, but for now, they look a tad intimidating.

One thing to think about - are you interested in morphs, or localities, or something else? For instance, my eyes glaze over reading the details of what went into some super motley-pastel-bananna-amel-leopard-echi-champagne, but start talking about localities, put it on a map, discuss the geographic area - development, local ecology, etc. ...then, I'm all ears. The information you find yourself gravitating to may influence your choice, so don't be in any hurry.

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I actually spoke to my mother, it seems she is willing to look at Boa Constrictors, Kings, and corns, and ball pythons. Much excitement 😎

I have a corn and a ball python. I love them both, but there are draw backs to both. I do believe these two are the best for beginners, as i have done a lot of research on line. On the corn snake, they are easy to keep and their temps are not as strict as a bp, but , if you buy from a breeder, make sure you get a baby, not a yearling, thats what i got, and she was never handled and still hates it. They are very good eaters on frozen mice, and they are very active. I got my bp at 4 mos. old and he is so much easier to handle, as i handle him quite a bit, but their humidity can be tricky specially in winter when it gets dry, so i added a fogger, which helps a lot. They can be picky eaters, but i was lucky enough to get a little guy who was already eating frozen rats at the time. Ask the breeder before what he eats. I love both my snakes, but i think number 3 will be another bp, they are just sweet mushes, and i love that. hope this helps

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Originally Posted by distaff

Love my two Kings.
Sweet, inquisitive, fun to watch them move around. Both handle well; I've been gentle from the beginning.

I like watching a long serpentine snake move. The short-tails and balls are pretty, but you just don't have the length/width ratio to get that long sinuous line.

My next will be a Corn, and I'd love one of the Pitts (Bull, Gopher,pine) some day, but for now, they look a tad intimidating.

One thing to think about - are you interested in morphs, or localities, or something else? For instance, my eyes glaze over reading the details of what went into some super motley-pastel-bananna-amel-leopard-echi-champagne, but start talking about localities, put it on a map, discuss the geographic area - development, local ecology, etc. ...then, I'm all ears. The information you find yourself gravitating to may influence your choice, so don't be in any hurry.

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omg, u got snakes? yay!!

:w00t::w00t:

i remember reading a thread about getting your partner to agree to get snakes. sounds like he turned a corner. i'm so happy for u! :)

I have both a Ball Python and a Kingsnake. I love them both, but my King is a lot more fun. Some have commented that Kings are fast-moving, and mine can be, but she's more apt to sit still when handled than the bp is...

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Originally Posted by Ax01

omg, u got snakes? yay!!

:w00t::w00t:

i remember reading a thread about getting your partner to agree to get snakes. sounds like he turned a corner. i'm so happy for u! :)

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He never did.
They just showed up in our kitchen - two little dehydrated hatchlings. One was wrapped up in the sticky stuff of a mouse trap. (For anyone's future reference, it is actually possible to free even a little snake from one of those w/o injuring it...patience.) They have fed twice, and are doing well in proper set-ups.

He won't handle them, but he likes them.

Thanks for asking!

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Originally Posted by scalrtn

I have both a Ball Python and a Kingsnake. I love them both, but my King is a lot more fun. Some have commented that Kings are fast-moving, and mine can be, but she's more apt to sit still when handled than the bp is...

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Really !! Wow

A corn snake!

I would say ball python, but, they are a little harder, just because they can go off feed sometimes, and of course because they need higher humidity. I had a ball python as my first snake, and they are amazing animals, you just have to be committed.

I personally would go with a corn snake though, they are active, and are really good feeders~ Either way, both are AMAZING snakes with their pros and cons, so just do research on both, and pick the best for you and your lifestyle. :snake:

My very first snake is a royal (ball) python. I love him to death and wouldn't trade him for the world. However, things you should consider if you choose one of these guys is as others have said, they are not very forgiving with their husbandry and can be pretty prone to sickness if you're not strict with it and you want to make sure you have a good exotic vet for the just in case (there's a pretty good list that's in a sticky on this forum actually). They can be very picky eaters if they have a mind to (Only wanting rats or only wanting mice, even down to what colour their food is sometimes). Mine is usually pretty slow moving unless he smells food. And also as everyone else said they hide like 80% of the time. Mine is kind of a cuddle bug when he has the mind that he wants to sit still instead of trying to figure out how to hide in the couch but when he does settle down he'll happily watch a movie with me. He even tends to poke his head out to see what I'm doing most of the time when I'm walking by his tank or stick his head out to watch the pictures move on the television. They don't really tend to be bitey snakes either. Only time mine has struck at me was during feeding times and that's because my skin temps are usually at mid to high 80s so he mistakes me for the rat since if I'm not quick enough to get the rat in there from warming it up I'll look warmer than it. If I hadn't fallen in love with royals I probably would have gone for a king or a corn snake though personally, lol.

My first snake was a high white California King. Sweet animal, easy to keep and fun to handle, not too big, etc. He's one of the ones I use to introduce non-snake people to snakes.

The two snakes that seem to be the best beginners are corn snakes and ball pythons. I personally really like the womas, but theyre so hard to find. Boas are also a good option if you are okay with a larger snake. Here, watch this. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1Uyf5p3QDBE

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