My milk snake brings all the boys to the yard... or wait, does my king snake?

I'm going to a reptile convention on August 20 (finally someone remembered that Portland exists, yay!) and I've already resigned myself to setting up a tank in advance because there's no way I'm leaving without a snake. It will just sort of happen. I know myself. ;)

Anyway, I already have a ball python and I was pretty sure I'd get another one, but a friend of a friend just got a king snake for his two year old daughter. (Well, he didn't mean to, he ran over it with a bulldozer by accident and felt bad but that's another story.) I remember king snakes being on the list of "good for beginners", along with milk snakes, so I've been researching them and they seem interesting. Plus OMG THEY ARE BOTH SO BEAUTIFUL THAT IT ALMOST MAKES ME MAD.

As someone who likes to gently handle her snake once in awhile, do you think a milk or king snake would be a good choice, or should I stick with the relative calm that is a ball python? Do you agree that they're good for beginners? And if so, which one would you choose? Sorry for all the questions. I just want to plan my August 20th purchase way in advance. :)

Edit: I totally posted this in the wrong forum, didn't I

I've heard that kings can be on the feistier side. Here's an interesting video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi3OxAG7aUE
It all really comes down to preference/availability.

Fascinating, thank you. I think, based on that info, my kingsnake may actually be the one bringing all the boys to the yard. And wow, the colors on some of them. My friend said they make good "display snakes" and I hate that phrase because it sounds like snakes are objects, but they are pretty showy, I will admit.

If you want a great personality snake get a Hognose! ;)

The western Hognose are great beginner snakes too. Mine never refuse a f/t meal and thier tanks needs are easy. They out on a great hissy fit show when you first disturb them but calm down the moment you pick them up.

All the king snakes I've handled are bitey. All the milk snakes I've handled have been fond of musking. And one particular apricot milk was the devil incarnate and would tag everyone. all the time. And not let go. As well as defecate on you :rolleyes:

I'm not a fan of handling them. Gorgeous in a natural or planted terrarium though.

If you do go with one, and want to handle it be picky about what you buy.

There are some kings and milks that are a little calmer than others, but all will be more active than a ball python. I don't have any milks, but my research tells me that hondurans and black milks are a little calmer than some of the others. They're also on the larger end of the size range. And variable and grey banded kingsnakes are less feisty than some of the other kings, and are on the smaller end of the size range.

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Originally Posted by PokeyTheNinja

I've heard that kings can be on the feistier side...

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I've had the opposite experience. I've found that milks (I've only kept pueblans and hondurans) are much more high strung than the cal kings I've kept. Yes, the baby kings are probably a little more bitey, but the young milks will definitely toss the musk (or whatever else they have available for discharge at the moment) almost every time. My kings have always calmed down at a very young age. The milks are just more nervous, even as adults sometimes. Nonetheless, I love both kings and milks and think either is the "right" choice.

I think it depends on the snake. My Cal. King is very feisty when it's dinner time - mouth gaping, hissing, all reared up... as soon as he realizes there's no food involved, he settles right down and mellows out.

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Originally Posted by Caspian

I think it depends on the snake. My Cal. King is very feisty when it's dinner time - mouth gaping, hissing, all reared up... as soon as he realizes there's no food involved, he settles right down and mellows out.

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dinner time (real or imagined) doesn't count. they're all feisty then! :rolleyes:

Oh my! Well luckily I'll have a chance to "try before I buy" at the expo, so I can pick the snake that seems the right temperament for me. :) Or I might just go for another ball python, but it's hard to resist beauty. Even if it's musky beauty :P

NOT THAT BALL PYTHONS AREN'T BEAUTIFUL, of course. <3 I am here for a reason, hehe.

I have seven king snakes and I've never been bitten and none have ever tried to bite me, although I do have a very young black and white one that strikes his food instead of eats it, well the first strike anyway LOL. They all have different personalities, all three of my Arizona Mountain kings are really picky when it comes to feeding, they really need live baby mice, most often won't take a frozen thawed. I've heard grey bandeds are picky as well. My California kings all eat very well, I have one in particular that would eat my shoe if I threw it in the tank LOL. She is a huge banana CA king and you have to watch when you open up her tub that she doesn't strike you from a huge feeding response, takes me a bit to get the back of her to let her know I'm not food. But then she is perfectly fine. King snakes have way more personality than ball pythons in my opinion, although people who are learning about snakes and are afraid of them will have a problem with kings because they move a lot, they like the non moving balls better. And king snakes will never get too big where you have to move up from an adult mouse, you'd never need a rat like a ball python (cheaper to feed). I have two in particular that will musk and poo on you, but those were not handled a lot before I got them, a well handled snake won't do that.

Oh - yes, that's a really nice thing about Tsoss. No 100 f. mice, no zombie dances... I thaw his food, put it in a dish in his tub that I use for food - yes, my snake has a food dish - and leave him to it. He's voracious. I had a package of five fuzzies that I needed to use up, thawed them all, put them in there, and he went to town on them at room temperature, gulped them down one at a time and was looking for more. The only time that he's ever not eaten everything in sight was when he decided to self-brumate for a while this last fall, and ever since he came out of that he's been even more voracious than before.



A very important thing to remember about Kingsnakes!!!!!!

They are cannibals. Kingsnakes eat other snakes. If you get one, don't handle your BP and then play with your Kingsnake until you have washed your hands - and possibly even changed clothes. That's no different from playing with mice and then handling your BP - worse, I think, given the feeding response of Kings! If you do, you smell like FOOD to the Kingsnake. And whatever you do, don't ever have the two snakes near each other!

I have 2 Kings a speckled and a cali. I absolutely adore them. As snakes go they are wildly intelligent. The cali in particular has learned several behaviors based on repetition. For example, he will follow the tongs, without any other indicators of prey in the room, ready to be fed. The speckled was my first snake ever. To be perfectly honest, he's a jerk. He's 4 now and no matter how much handling he's had he rattles his tail and strikes almost every time you pick him up. (Unfortunately for him, he's done it so often it's cute now) The cali is a sweetheart, except at feeding time. Then I have to trick him or else he shoots out of the tub and tries to eat whatever he latches onto first... fingers, toes, you get the picture. They have both been a blast to have in my collection. I fully intend to have more.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...d2c2cafc17.jpg
Elvis California striped king

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...a655457ff6.jpg
Specks Albino speckled king

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Both of my kings are great snakes. They don't bite, hiss, or musk. Even though my Cal King did musk a little when he first arrived three years ago. They are monsters at feeding time but really sweet any other time. They will take food breaks during breeding season and sometimes during the winter. I wouldn't call them great display snakes though. Carpet pythons are GREAT display snakes. My kings tend to stay hidden unless they're hungry. They're smaller snakes but still a lot of fun to keep.

http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/...psmtt5yx4h.jpg

http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/...psshegnokx.jpg

If you like colubrids and you're open to larger snakes you should take a look at some of the bull, pine, or gopher snakes. My bulls are super easy to care for but much larger than my kings.

http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/...psd4wkxvhv.jpg

http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/...psmzddaabi.jpg

Oh gosh, you guys. Decisions, decisions. I've ruled out the milk snake, I think, so think you for that. Perhaps I will stick with another ball python for my second snake and then if I've ready, move up to something less "mainstream"... but I think I will know my snake when I see him/her. :)

Sand boas are great snakes, too. My Kingsnake was my first pet snake, and he's wonderful, though. I actually didn't want to get into Ball Pythons, but got what seemed like a great deal... and fell in love with them.

I have picked up wild adult Cal kings that never tried to bite. They are prominent in our neck of the woods and are liked by most in their natural environment. Milk snakes in my experience like to run, musk and poop.

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Originally Posted by m1lkhoney

I'm going to a reptile convention on August 20 (finally someone remembered that Portland exists, yay!) and I've already resigned myself to setting up a tank in advance because there's no way I'm leaving without a snake. It will just sort of happen. I know myself. ;)

Anyway, I already have a ball python and I was pretty sure I'd get another one, but a friend of a friend just got a king snake for his two year old daughter. (Well, he didn't mean to, he ran over it with a bulldozer by accident and felt bad but that's another story.) I remember king snakes being on the list of "good for beginners", along with milk snakes, so I've been researching them and they seem interesting. Plus OMG THEY ARE BOTH SO BEAUTIFUL THAT IT ALMOST MAKES ME MAD.

As someone who likes to gently handle her snake once in awhile, do you think a milk or king snake would be a good choice, or should I stick with the relative calm that is a ball python? Do you agree that they're good for beginners? And if so, which one would you choose? Sorry for all the questions. I just want to plan my August 20th purchase way in advance. :)

Edit: I totally posted this in the wrong forum, didn't I

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Is this in regards to Portland ME? If so where is the convention being held? Thanks in advance

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