Most people aren't that fond of them, but some of the most beautiful display snakes out there are garters. The variety of morphs is pretty good and very vibrant, they're easy to breed, and unlike most snakes, they spend the majority of their time out moving around so you actually see your pet. I want to get into the bigger reptiles (and have gradually been working my way toward hot inverts) but I don't ever see myself not keeping garters.

If you want something big but nonthreatening you could always see how your husband feels about a large tortoise. Leopards can look pretty flashy. Might take forever if you want to breed them though. lol