Suggestions for my 8 y.o's first snake

[GoFride]

for an 8 year old a corn may be something to look into

I agree with this completely. Corns may be a better choice. They make a better display snake, are not as shy, and come in lots of bright colors and patterns. And you can't beat the cost! Your 8 year old may not be happy with a pet that needs to remain hidden. I'd recommend a young corn - not a 2012 hatchling, but maybe a 2011 or 2010.

[h00blah]

Of course, since this is a ball python forum I would suggest getting a ball python =].

Corn snakes are pretty quick and they move around a lot. Ball pythons will sniff around the place, but they won't really move as quickly.

Females get bigger than males but not by much (around 1 or 2 feet longer). Also, if you buy a pastel female, as an example, for 200, in about 2 years, she would probably be worth ~500. That's a pretty good investment. However, take into consideration the cost of rodents, electricity, and housing that she'll need as she grows. The same kind of costs would go into the male, but the male's monetary value won't go very high. Females that are old enough and large enough to breed will cost more than a male that's old enough and big enough to breed, no matter the morph. That being said, keep in mind that if you ever need to re-home this big female, it probably won't take very long, and you might even get some outstanding offers for her

I think ball pythons are GREAT first snakes! I'm pretty sure it was an episode of snakebytes, or some other random youtube video, but the person speaking hit the nail on the head when explaining why. They have a real snake-like head (unlike corn snakes or other snakes that seem like giant worms). They have big full bodies, and they come in crazy patterns and colors!

Even though pastels are very common, you can still appreciate how cool looking this black and yellow snake is .

[DooLittle]

I suppose it depends on the kid. Our daughter has been around snakes since she was 6. We started with a corn, and now have bps too. She prefers the bps to the corn. The corn is so busy and always on the move. She likes the bps that sit with her like lap cats. She will take them out and sit and watch tv with them, and they just curl up and hang out, sucking up her warmth.

[sirchaosofgb]

Thank you ALL for you help...we will be visiting this place again this week to do a "double check" and learn a little more. Our 8 yr old son is kind of a brainiac and loves researching things. He's very particular in his wants....he ideal "dream snake" is a leopard spot piebold....he saw that and instantly fell in love and we've been researching the prices and we're finding 1500 is a base price for a male but oh no AJ wants a girl and he's even gotten specific in naming her too We just picked up what we believe to be an Enchi tonight...i sent my friend who is a snake breeder a pic and he said to snag it and tomorrow we will find out if it is a Lucy or a Bubba. We're hoping for a Lucy. She's adjusting pretty well at the moment. Very curious and AJ loves her alot and keeps asking when she'll be ready for him to take her to school. I'm sure this snake will end up in his hands most of the time bc he's so fascinated at this point. Our 5 y.o loves it too.

[The Serpent Merchant]

Just make sure you give it a week to settle in. I know that it is hard to leave them alone at first but it really is important.

[sirchaosofgb]

Yes i will make sure she is settled a week. Tomorrow she will be going to a vet to get a look over and then we'll see if it's a he or she. I always like to take store bought pets straight to a vet soon after purchase just to make sure they're safe. So far AJ has swooned over how pretty she is and all her bright colors...although my husband says she doesn't look any different than Chaos to this AJ about flipped and pointed immediately the color differences, length of tail and all her pretty stripes. It was all i could do to get him to go to bed. He wants her tank in his room so he can wake up to her....i know he's gotten bitten by the snake bug! LOL

[h00blah]

Yes i will make sure she is settled a week. Tomorrow she will be going to a vet to get a look over and then we'll see if it's a he or she. I always like to take store bought pets straight to a vet soon after purchase just to make sure they're safe. So far AJ has swooned over how pretty she is and all her bright colors...although my husband says she doesn't look any different than Chaos to this AJ about flipped and pointed immediately the color differences, length of tail and all her pretty stripes. It was all i could do to get him to go to bed. He wants her tank in his room so he can wake up to her....i know he's gotten bitten by the snake bug! LOL

LMAO

Sounds like me talking to my mom haha XD. I know i talk about it too much XD.. The hobby that is