Good first-time snake?

[Sethian]

Would you guys say that a baby Boa is a good first-time snake? Or is it better to go with a ball python? I like ball pythons too, but for some reason I am just so drawn to getting a boa... however, I don't want to rush into anything that I might not be able to handle as a total noob Let me know what you guys think!!

[luna13]

balls are excellent for beginners but a boa is good too just remember they get bigger, but if you feel comfortable than go for it

[GoFride]

I saw sand boas at the Tampa show and was impressed with how pretty they are. From what the breeders told me, I guess they don't get very big and the care/feeding is uncomplicated. And they're stunning animals!

[mainbutter]

There's probably a dozen or more species I would consider "suitable" for someone as a first snake, and even more if you put extra effort into learning correct husbandry.

Corn snakes, king snakes, milk snakes, ball pythons, and boa constrictors are the most common "first snakes" for many people.

Garter snakes, hognose snakes, some of the aussie pythons.. there's many more species that would be suitable as well.

My advice is don't limit your choices before you know what they all are

[redpython]

boas are great 1st time snakes. that was my 1st snake and now mine is 18 years old and 8 1/2 feet long.

Be prepared to cage a snake that gets that big though.

if you want something smaller:

rainbow boas
rosy boas
sand boas

plus there are a lot of cool pythons out there.

[littleindiangirl]

Boas are great animals, their care is pretty straight forward, and they have AWESOME appetites. I would probably recommend a RTB easily, as long as the buyer knew how large they get and what locality they we're dealing with.

[mainbutter]

something I forgot to mention, if you're drawn to something in particular, that's what you should focus on. The best snake keepers are the ones who are most interested in their pet, nothing makes a worse owner than an owner who has become bored with an impulse-buy pet.

If you want an RTB, get an RTB. Don't let the size intimidate you, instead have some healthy respect without fear. Learn to handle the snake as it grows bigger and you'll learn to handle bigger and bigger snakes