Need advice on picking the right snake for a 12 year old, first time snake owner

I am actually asking this question to try and help out a good friend of mine. She has a son who is turning 12 on his next birthday, and wants to get him a snake. They have been thinking about it for quite a long time but wanted to wait until they felt he was old enough and responsible enough to take on a pet such as a snake. Even though I myself am lucky to have a rainbow boa who is super sweet and has a great temperament, she is the first snake I have had so I am pretty clueless on what to recommend. I have started researching different sites and reading tons of information, but it can be a little overwhelming with so many different types. So I thought it would be a great idea to turn to everyone here in the snake community for help, I would love to hear any suggestions you may have. Thanks!

corn snake king snake ball python

I know im new here but I would deffently recommend a corn snake.

ball python.

Athough ball pythons are awesome snakes...they are not a good starter snake. Ball pythons can be quite a challenge for someone new to the hobby.

I would say a corn snake..or a king snake would be best. They are pretty forgiving snakes when it comes to husbandry and rarely go off feed.

For my daughter's 13 birthday she wanted a snake...we got her a corn.

:)

Go with the corn.....

Ball pythons can be trouble wen they go off feeding as i recently discoverd,could be pretty dawnting for a newbie.

I would definitely say a corn snake :gj: There's not many snakes that are as easy to care for and you can get some really cool corn morphs without breaking the bank :banana:

Corn would be the best. They can handle a lil more "abuse" than a Ball python. I would of course have them read about the snake before they get it. Maybe even a small report?? Just a thought.

But remember here is something you must remember. These animals dont just die in a few years but live for many many many years. So be sure that the snake you buy is one your willing to keep as well. While they are off to school / college. Also keep in mind size when it grows up. This is a key thing when getteing a snake.

Other than all of that, have fun!! :gj:

Corn snake is a great idea......but babies can be tough to get started eating. Maybe one that's a few months old and well started.

Regardless of the snake that you choose, be sure to do your homework and understand the care and proper housing needed. I really hate to read about people who buy a snake, then complain about the cost of the proper set up.

The cost of the snake is only part of what is needed to care for the animal. Be sure to factor in the cost of everything needed to properly maintain the animal for many years.

I would recommend that when buying an animal for someone, that they help in picking it out. It doesn't matter much if you buy a sweater for someone and they don't like it and it ends up sitting in a drawer unused until it finally gets given to some charity or just thrown out. With a living animal, it is much more important to be sure they want the animal you give them.

I agree with the people who have suggested corn snakes. They are great. We have had one that is our 11 yr old daughter's for about 4 months now, and the whole family absolutely loves it, so much so that we just got a second one.

However, if the child in question has their mind set on something different, there are plenty of other alternatives that would work as well. I do not have personal experience with them, but I believe most kingsnakes and milksnakes are also easy to care for. They don't come in quite as many colors as corns, but they do have some wonderful contrasting colors which create a very striking appearance.

Ball pythons are more difficult, but there are plenty of people who have kept them successfully as their first snake. If the child in question really wants a BP, the parents should consider whether they are willing to spend a little more which may be required to keep the temps and humidity just right, and also whether or not their child is one who is responsible enough to maintain a more precise environment.

No matter what species is chosen, it should be researched thoroughly before purchasing. Going back to what I said in the first paragraph, I'd suggest that the research be a family effort, or perhaps even require that the child do a big portion of it themselves. This would help show whether or not he is really interested & dedicated enough.

Also no matter what species is chosen, it will be around for many years if it receives proper care. The parents should not purchase a snake if they are not willing to take care of it while their son is away at college.

I highly recommend corn snakes, milk snakes, garters etc. They are easy to care for in regards to husbandry, and come in a wide variety of colors. Not to mention, they don't hide all the dang time like BP's!

In my opinion, BP's are for someone that has experience with snakes and reptiles.

As always, research MANY caresheets. We have a nice caresheet section, so does Newenglandreptile.com (NERD), and many other forums dedicated to certain species of snake. (eg: cornsnake forums)

Ball pythons can have a bit of trouble eating when the husbandry isn't perfect and are much more picky about perfected husbandry!

I would go with a corn snake or king snake. Corn snakes can stay a bit smaller than kings but don't get a baby because it's hard to get them to eat. If they do decide on a baby make SURE it's feedable on f/t.

Depending on your area, corn snakes have very flexible husbandry and may not even need a heat source if the room is warm enough.

Thank you ALL so much for giving me some good info and advice. The recommendation was asked of me from a close friend, they were leaning towards a corn snake from doing their own research but were wanting some input on the subject from some actual snake owners themselves. Reading and researching are very important and informative but it doesn't give you the same kind of advice and input that you can get from the real experiences of other snake owners. Their son first asked 2 years ago, knowing that if they said yes that is was a lifetime decision to make. So they explained to him that a snake wasn't like a fish or something that you can have and take care of for awhile then be done with it in a month or so. So if a snake is really what he is wanting that he would have to really start reading and learning all about them and what it takes to care for them, and then when they thought he was ready they would start to decide on the exact kind. The parents have been gathering and immersing themselves into the snake world as well, because even though he is the one asking to get it they know that it will take the whole families involvement to provide for all the needs a snake has. Now it's 2 years later and they know he is ready and has done everything and more to finally be a snake owner. They haven't told him that they have decided "yes" yet and are wanting to surprise him on his birthday. (he will be choosing the actual snake) So I am not worried at all, I think that they took all the right steps they could have. I can now give them the overall advise that I received from you all, which is actually the one they thought would be the best. And now that their choice has been backed up by most of you they will be be so relieved and ready for their son to make the next hard decision.........picking one out! LOL Thanks again So Much to all of you!!

Excellent advice everyone (especially Casey!). I would just add, having kids and snakes, that each child will have a very definite liking for a certain snake so a gift certificate type of thing from the parents rather than an actual snake is the way to go.

I would suggest that they consider purchasing a well started snake from a breeder rather than taking this young man down to the local pet store. Many pet store snakes are not healthy, have no records with them as far as gender, age, feeding habits, health, etc. and the last thing a new snakekeeper needs is to have his little scaley friend ill or even die on him.

I would suggest your friends visit pet stores perhaps to get an idea of their son's likes, do some googling or visit here at our many forums and then once the species is chosen, we can suggest a number of reputable breeders to them.

Don't forget that suggest that the young man in question become a member here. Even before he decides to own a snake he can learn about them, about housing (most pet store equipment is overpriced and crappy) and ask questions about what species might be a good choice for him. :)

I would suggest a Western Hognose Snake or Kingsnake. If he wants to get a WHS, make sure it's a female because males grow kind of small.

P.S. Hey, it looks like I was the first one to suggest Hoggers!

I think it really depends on the 12 year old and how responsible and confident he is.

Ball Pythons make good starter snake IMO as long as you do the research first. They are docile and slow. Odds of you getting bit are low and if you let one escape out of your hands, something is wrong with your hands.

Corns and Kings are more forgiving on the husbandry is you screw something up. But they are not slow. They are quite fast and can take off on you. You have to pay attention to them while handling especially while sitting down. They are quite docile as well but more likely to bite than a BP from my experience.

So you have your pros and cons. In the end though it boils down to personal taste. The kid may prefer on over the other on looks alone.

Just my 2 cents.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MasonC2K

I think it really depends on the 12 year old and how responsible and confident he is.

Ball Pythons make good starter snake IMO as long as you do the research first. They are docile and slow. Odds of you getting bit are low and if you let one escape out of your hands, something is wrong with your hands.

Corns and Kings are more forgiving on the husbandry is you screw something up. But they are not slow. They are quite fast and can take off on you. You have to pay attention to them while handling especially while sitting down. They are quite docile as well but more likely to bite than a BP from my experience.

So you have your pros and cons. In the end though it boils down to personal taste. The kid may prefer on over the other on looks alone.

Just my 2 cents.

---

This probably doesn't apply to the OP anymore since it sounds like the family in question have made their decision. But I wanted to say that I think Mason makes a really good point here. It doesn't matter how easy it is to care for a corn if it gets away from you while handling. This is actually a big part of why our family decided to get a BP first, although I'd sort of forgotten that in the meantime. We had some concern that a speedy little corn might escape out of the hands of our then 5 yr old, or she might easily injure a young corn without meaning too (perhaps in trying to hold on to it while it was dashing away so zippily) because they are so small & delicate.

Kenyan Boa....very docile, easy to care for, and relatively inexpensive. Full grown is 18-24 inches and if they were to bite, their teeth are not likely to even break skin. The only downside is that they prefer to burrow. So unless you have the snake out, you're not going to see it very often.