Good snake for me?

[New2Noodles]

As a member mentioned to me in my introduction post, there are apparently a lot of different kinds of snakes. I'd like a little help in narrowing my choices down to a few that would really suit me, if you don't mind. I already have a Ball Python as a potential species, but I'd like to learn about other options, as well! Here's what I would like in a snake.

-Preferably between 2.5 and 6 feet at adult size (Not a necessity)
-It would be my first-ever reptile, let alone snake
-NO insect diets! I hold a strong hatred for insects, and my mom is NOT willing to feed a snake.
-Must tolerate being handled for short periods
-I would prefer one of the more docile species, as, although I know it doesn't hurt much, I would prefer to not get bitten all that often.
-Must be less than 200$. I will have a 300$ budget once I get the snake, and I want to be able to spend at least 100$ of it on a good cage and supplies. I'm planning to THOUROUGHLY clean (Vet disinfectant and the like) out a thrift store tank to save money in that aspect.
-I am willing to adopt a rehome, but there are really only balls, corns, and Reticulated pythons on Craigslist, is there another site anyone could point me to?

Thank you all!

[Sallysmom]

Ball pythons check out all of your requirements really. I wouldn’t be much help with other snakes as I only deal with BPs. I just want to point out that 100$ for the full set up is not anywhere near enough.
Besides the tank you have to purchase a heat pad with a thermostat, reliable humidity and temperature gauge, hides, water bowl, substrate, quite possibly a CHE or over head heat of some sort and all that adds up quite quickly. I’d recommend doing your research in terms of things you’re going to buy for your snake to have a realistic budget. BP can run anywhere between 70$ and 20 000$ depending on the morph.

[Michelle-07]

As Sallysmom already said, those supplies will cost much more, and even more if you're living in a place where your temperature in room where snake will be drop down to 60-low 70-ish degrees... I think that a BP is perfectly suitable for your points, altough you're gonna spend more on cage and supplies than on a snake.

[Crowley136]

If you don't care about displaying it, then a female Kenyan Sand Boa would be a great first snake. They don't really go on hunger strikes like the males, max out under 3 feet. And their humidity requirements are easier than ball pythons. FYI, the males stay under 2 feet.

[New2Noodles]

Thank you all! The 300 was just an estimate, as I am still learning a lot about care requirements and such, and I'm still researching for a good few months.
If I did end up with a BP, I would probably go with either the Pastel or Fire mutation, both are absolutely gorgeous in my opinion.

Never heard of Sand Boas. I'll have to take a look. Might be a bit hard to find, I live in an area where EVERYBODY has a dog or cat, but it's really hard to find exotics outside of the normal, well-known ones, like geckos, turtles, BPs and corns, and small parrots.

I consider myself extremely lucky to even see a large parrot for sale or rehome near me.

[Bogertophis]

Not sure if they're still around but there used to be a reptile rescue IN Colorado...ask the vets, they should know about it? or animal shelters would know.
Also used to be a few other rescues (in Virginia etc) but they don't ship, you have to apply & pick up in person.

That reminds me, many people can't wait to buy a tiny hatchling or neonate snake, but honestly, they are delicate & can be difficult to feed, even if they fed
for the breeder OK; so when you are new to keeping snakes, it's often better to buy a yearling snake if you can...if you can find a good breeder that changed
their mind about a "hold-out" for example. What you DON'T want is a wild-caught snake from a pet store or other source...often have parasites that need
some expertise to treat or were exposed to other sick snakes, whereas a "clean" c/b (captive bred) snake should be easier to raise & cost-effective.

As for other snakes that would be great to start with (good size & temperament etc): (NO snakes that make good pets eat insects so you're safe there! )

Corn snakes are popular for good reasons: it's hard to even FEEL the teeth of a hatchling (more like a bit of sandpaper the size of a sunflower seed, lol...)
They come in ALL kinds of colors...you can pay more for a fancy color or far less for a more common one, but all make great pets...easy to handle, and
by the time their teeth are big enough to feel, it's rare for them to want to bite. They generally have good appetites, and they are FAR easier to keep than
BPs (sorry BP fans!): I say this because they don't require the high temperatures & humidity that BPs do, plus they don't have the feeding quirks (refusing
food). They do great in an aquarium with screen top, so you can see them, and they like to climb & use branches. (ie. they don't hide as much)

Australian spotted python: stays smaller than a corn snake, but a true PYTHON! Crazy feeding response, but normally docile to handle, mine is anyway.
Mine loves to bask on driftwood under a warming light (yes, they need warmer temps & need a humid hide to shed well) but because they stay small,
it's easier to manage cage conditions. Mine has never bit me, & never refuses food. And she's super alert, any time I walk near her cage, if she's hiding,
she pops up to see if it's a meal heading her way...she's a fun little snake. Not fancy colors, mine is 'granite phase' (dark greenish w/ speckles) but a
winner...and they PREFER f/t food, very easy to feed.

Other rat snakes to consider that are docile by nature, easy to feed & shouldn't exceed 6': Baird's rat snakes (these can get to about 6' in time, but they're
slender, not heavy-bodied), and Trans Pecos rat snakes (get a well-started one, hatchlings can be a little tricky but after that, these are mellow, nosy snakes
that stay about 4'). I like & have kept many other kinds of rat snakes too but these 2 are the most docile by far, & easy to care for.

King snakes: personal favorite is MBK (Mexican black king snake) but many kinds make good pets- easy to feed, easy to set up caging needs; kings tend to be
very food driven, some being hard to handle without nips, so it's nice to start small (so they learn you aren't food); hatchlings are escape-artists, can get out
of the tiniest openings, and they tend to be very squirmy too, whereas rat snakes tend to hold onto your hands (as they would a branch) kings can be hard to
hold onto especially when small.

By the way, my "name" here is a reference to Trans Pecos rat snakes (Bogertophis subocularis- aka "subocs" for short)

[Bogertophis]

Another small & docile snake is the rosy boa. These stay about 3' long (females can get to about 3.5' long, males stay smaller). These are desert & SW coastal
species, so they like it warm and don't need humidity. It's typical for them to feed easily most of the year, but go off feed for a couple months in winter when
they'd normally be brumating (snoozing!) in the wild. They generally start off needing live pinky mice but can & should be changed to f/t (frozen thawed) mice
as soon as they're feeding regularly.

[Skyrivers]

My 2 cents. Corns, Kings, and small boa species like sand boa, dwarf boa, etc make great starter snakes to learn the hobby with. Stay away from tree boas as they are not for beginners. Most of the ones I mentioned are more active than a BP in general. BP's are good snakes to keep but can be pet rocks and have little need for interaction. We do it for our benefit not theirs. Get a well started CBB normal for $100 or less in most cases and then drop $300 plus on giving it a proper home. That way when you get bit by the bug to buy another you will have the experience before dropping $2k (I so can't wait for Aurora!!!!!!) on an animal that can be more work and challenge to care for.

Once you decide on a species get the setup ready and balanced out the temps and humidity and do a lot of reading, then it is time to shop for the animal. (Wish I had done this a few times.) LOL.

When picking out an animal, (again my 2 cents) if you are completely new to the hobby, find an adult that is a year or 2 old and the breeder or person who is selling it can vouch for their ease of handling. Before I got my first retic I did lots of reading. Once I asked tons of questions (bugging lots of people here) I contacted a breeder that had a female that was 2 years old and they knew her personality was chill and would be great for handling and sharing her with others. Rainbow is the prize of my collection till this day. Now she is loved by the people I share her with through education shows. Even with her being a great animal retics are not for people new to the hobby. Food mode is real!!!!!!!

Last thing. This hobby can be an addiction! Pace yourself. Not everyone can afford to feed and care for a zoo of animals like I do. Is very rewarding but a lot of work when you get more than 5... I think with Aurora I am up to 10.

Have fun, keep asking questions, and love your new pet for a lifetime.

[bagnew]

N2N

You have gotten some great info from folks here so I am just going to say I agree with what has been said and the info provided by Bogertophis. With what you described I would highly recommend a Corn Snake as fitting your niche. It will help you learn the ropes as they are fairly easy to handle and take care of. Frankly much easier then a BP. They could fairly easily reside in a 20 - 30 gal size tank with a overhead heat lamp or CHE. I might suggest getting a snake a little older then a hatching that is feeding well. Good luck in your search and welcome to the hobby.

Bill A

[Craiga 01453]

Some good poinyts were made above, and I'll reiterate that your enclosure and equipment will run you well over $100.

However, I'm going to raise a point that hasn't come up yet... I'm guessing since you're potentially relying on your mother to assist with feedings (or at leaat you mentioned she will NOT feed the snake) you are still young and living at home??
For that reason it might be worth waiting a few years before bringing a snake home. I don't know your short term plans, but if you have college in your future there's an extremely high likelihood that you won't be able to take your snake with you to a dorm or off campus apartment. And speaking of apartments, if you'renot planning on college, many landlords don't allow snakes. You'll also likely need a roommate to afford a place of your own, and having a snake will seriously limit your potential roommates. Not everybody will be willing to live with a snake.
So, if you're still at home, it may be best to wait. Snake's live 20 years or more depending on species, and unless you can commit to caring for that animal for its entire life it really isn't fair to the animal to bring it home.

If I'm mistaken, I apologize. And if this is the case of be happy to help you out with my experience with keeping snakes. I have kept Kings, corns, hognose, BP, and Borneo Short Tail, so I'd be happy to help you with info on any of those species.