Good snake for a young girl?

[kc261]

Some people have already made some great comments. I feel with any live animal gift, it is important for the new owner to be a big part of the decision process. And your niece is plenty old enough to be doing a lot of the research herself. That will help both you and her see if she is really interested in a snake as a long term commitment, or if it is more of a passing phase.

For her to join this site would be a great start. This site is very family friendly, and is much more friendly to newcomers than many internet forums.

I'm glad to hear you've already considered what will happen to the snake when she gets old enough to move away from home for college or otherwise.

As far as snake recommendations, the first thing I would suggest is that your niece should accept that most likely any snake she gets will spend a large amount of time hiding. Some species are less shy than others, but even then there is a lot of variation within a species, so she won't know for sure how much hers will want to stay hidden until she's had it a while. If she will be disappointed by this, she might want to reconsider whether or not she wants a snake at all.

Corns are great for beginners. They come in an entire rainbow of colors, and most of the morphs are quite affordable. My 11 yr old daughter has 4, and the whole family enjoys them. They are out and about a larger percentage of time than the BPs, but they still spend more time hiding than anything else. Hatchlings can be quite flighty, even striking and musking, so be aware of this. Most corns will quickly tame down with regular handling, and if your niece does get bitten by a hatchling corn, it won't hurt at all.

I do not have personal experience with king snakes and milk snakes, but I've heard that they also make good beginner snakes, and tend to spend less time in their hides. I do have the impression that on average, they do not tame down quite as easily as corns, but at least most of them should tame down with just a little persistence. Of course, I'm generalizing over a large number of species here, so definitely research the specific species you have in mind if you go in this direction.

Whatever you decide, you and your niece should feel free to come here with any questions you have, both in the process of choosing the snake, and any issues that may come up after you've purchased it. This site is really great, and there is always someone happy to help!