Best First Colubrid - Suggestions Please!

[Hardwikk]

A western Hognose. They all have great personality (there is no other snake in the hobby that does what they do), look beautiful (the normals are great, but you should see the albinos), and are really easy to get (at an expo at least. They're practically inexistent in pet stores for some reason even though they were one of the 5 snakes widely available 25 years ago). Males grow really small (rarely exceeding 20 inches) but females grow up to 30 inches (and are much more stockier than most other 30-inch snakes). You could basically call the Western Hognose snake the "Colubrid double" of the Kenyan Sand Boa.

EDIT: Man, besides for DSGB and I, no one mentioned Hoggers! I'm glad I got this post through.

[DSGB]

EDIT: Man, besides for DSGB and I, no one mentioned Hoggers! I'm glad I got this post through.

lol i noticed also. maybe people are scared of there terrifying hissing and random sticking. lol.

[Hardwikk]

lol i noticed also. maybe people are scared of there terrifying hissing and random sticking. lol.

It's better to get harmlessly hissed at than to get bitten, right? What some people (don't worry, I'm not referring to you, DSGB) don't get is that HOGNOSE SNAKES DON'T BITE. They hiss (which can be startling, freaky, and cute at the same time) instead of biting when they're scared. Hoggers are probably the safest snakes ever to be introduced to captivity since they don't bite in defense. BTW, what do you mean by "random sticking"?

[MelissaFlipski]

I have only kept one colubrid but I loves my orangey boy. =)

Very pretty! Orange does look good on snakes, doesn't it?

Don't overlook the asian rat snakes! I'm in love with them! I don't know which one(s) I'll end up with, but they are definitely on my must have someday list. I'm sure you've seen posts of Jack Spirko's Tai (Taiwan Beauty) and Medusa Owl's Ma-tsu and Neptune (Vietnamese Blue Beauties).

Here's an idea, don't worry about which one to get first! Just go to your next local show and get one of each!

Yes, I've seen them. There is a Taiwan Beauty waiting to be rescued about 1 1/2 from here... but he is already a nice 8'. I might need one that I can grow with. But maybe not.

As for getting one of each, it would be my dream. But alas, one at a time is the only way I'm sneaking all these guys in. (LOL, at first I wrote "snakeing" them in.)

lol i noticed also. maybe people are scared of there terrifying hissing and random sticking. lol.

Hissing could be entertaining. Too bad they lose the playing dead game with handling. That would be neat to show a bunch of kids at a reptile education presentation. I wonder, too, what is "random sticking"?

Also, I liked the comment about hoggies being "colubrid equivalent of kenyan sand boas." I have a KSB myself. I did notice how striking hoggies can be at the last show I was at.

My problem is that I love all animals. I fell in love with a Choco blue (bird) front the other day at an independent pet store. What personality!

Thank you all so much for the comments and pictures! Keep 'em coming!

[DSGB]

random striking. sorry im dumb and cant spell. when my guy hisses he strikes in random directions, never going for me. he is all bluff.

[Mindibun]

Personally, I'm still waiting for Jack S. to chime in about black milksnakes. He's responsible for the fact that I own one!

[Skiploder]

My first colubrid was a hoggie.

However, my favorite colubrids are drys.

While an indigo runs a high price tag, the black tail cribo is much more affordable. I picked up my female for around $250.

A cb melanurus is as handleable as any indigo and make excellent captives. They are not inclined to bite, are excellent eaters and like all drymarchon, are extremely interactive animals. As far as intelligence goes - cribos are at the top.

I have two young children and have about as much trust as I can have in any reptile with the melanurus in terms of interacting with the kids.

The only downsides - two. They are messy and require frequent cage cleaning. However, I look at this as an excuse to spend some additonal handling time with them. Second, they require large enclosures. Other than that, they are perhaps one of the most rewarding reptiles to own.

[MelissaFlipski]

My first colubrid was a hoggie.

However, my favorite colubrids are drys.

While an indigo runs a high price tag, the black tail cribo is much more affordable. I picked up my female for around $250.

A cb melanurus is as handleable as any indigo and make excellent captives. They are not inclined to bite, are excellent eaters and like all drymarchon, are extremely interactive animals. As far as intelligence goes - cribos are at the top.

I have two young children and have about as much trust as I can have in any reptile with the melanurus in terms of interacting with the kids.

The only downsides - two. They are messy and require frequent cage cleaning. However, I look at this as an excuse to spend some additonal handling time with them. Second, they require large enclosures. Other than that, they are perhaps one of the most rewarding reptiles to own.

Thank you. I'd forgotten about cribos being compared to indigos. The black rat is messy, too, so I know what you mean. I have to change out his towel/sheet about 3x a week. How large of an enclosure do these guys need?

[Skiploder]

Thank you. I'd forgotten about cribos being compared to indigos. The black rat is messy, too, so I know what you mean. I have to change out his towel/sheet about 3x a week. How large of an enclosure do these guys need?

They can be started off in a large rack. Ultimately, an adult will need at least a 6' long enclosure. I use 6' cages attached to a smaller 2' square box via a section of pipe to simulate an underground den.

[Kara]

I second the black milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae) nomination...they are simply fabulous snakes! Big, beautiful, easy keepers with great personality. LOVE them!