My snakes too. Including a 15 inch long California kingsnake that decided my finger was just the right size for his dinner.Originally Posted by John1982
Most of the Pituophis genus (bullsnake, pine snakes, gopher snakes) of North America make excellent pets. The bullsnake is the biggest of the bunch, but most of them are nearly as big. Albino Sonora gopher snakes and Pacific gopher snakes are fairly easy to get. The black pine is the most mellow of the Pituophis I've owned. The southern pines were the least friendly but could still be managed. I've also kept Sonora gopher snakes and Great Basin gopher snakes and liked them a lot. Worst thing I can say about the group is that they need handling fairly often because if handled rarely, they learn to expect food whenever the cage is opened. A five foot snake with its mouth open as it shoots out of the cage door can be a bit startling. Handled often, most are puppydogs.
The subspecies of Pantherophis obsoletus are also good. These include the black rat snake, gray rat, yellow rat, etc. The yellow rat is the least friendly, and even they tame well if raised from babies. They are more slender than Pituophis, though.
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