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- Sep 9, 2004
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I'm curious to hear opinions on what snakes people think are the best beginner snakes and why they think that. Also what snake is the worst beginner snake and why.
I've never given Corns or any other native Colubrids access to a heat source, and keep them at room temp year-round, and I've had some live for 18-19 years, which is pretty darn old for a Colubrid-not a record, but not far from it. In addition to Corns, Black Rats, any of the L. getula complex, Garters, and Waters, I'd recommend the Asian Rats in the "Beauty" Snake group, especially Taiwan Beauties. They actually prefer a cooler temp, are easy to feed, are very attractive, can become extremely tame, and if you like a larger snake than what the North American Rat Snakes provide, this is it. I've had Blue Beauties that were easily nine feet, and I've seen others belonging to other people that are verifiable at 10 feet, yet they are slender enough to be a manageable snake. The Pituophis family also provides some really good snakes, but be aware that their temperaments vary a lot, and many can be moody. African House Snakes(Lamprophis) are another good choice, although they do like it warmer than most North American Colubrids, and I've seen quite a few of these that were almost as "bitey" as an Amazon Tree Boa.Pbl: Willing to reccomend some snakes that are ok at roomtemp? I noted you mentioned corns/kings. I've heard of people keeping corns w/o heat but it is noted they do better with at least frequent access to a heat source.
BP's are only considered good beginner snakes because so many of them are imported. And honestly morphs matter little to most beginners because few will have that kind money to plunk down on a first snake.
I was debating with myself(which makes for some interesting conversations, let me tell you)about whether or not to include Colombian Boas(I don't call them "Red-Tails" unless they are Boa constrictor constrictor, which most in the pet trade are not)in the list of Best Beginner Snakes. They CAN attain a pretty large size, females can at least, of 10 feet or thereabours, with considerable girth, which makes housing and handling a bit of a issue for many starting-out keepers, but on the other hand, I've never known anyone to have been injured by a Boa, and there are no documented human fatalities associated with these snakes. It's a rare Boa that has a nasty or even moody disposition unless it's really been abused or unless it's a female that has just given birth to a litter. I got my first Boa, a TRUE Red-Tail(Brazilian Bcc), when I was 12, and I've never had any problems dealing with one at all. They DO of course, require auxially heat, being tropical snakes, and they DO attain a size at which feeding jumbo rats(or similar-sized feeder animals like young chickens or rabbits)is necessary, so if that is a problem, then these probably shouldn't be considered. I've found that rats are easier to obtain year-round than mice, since rats do not slow down their breeding in the winter, unlike mice, so feeding large snakes has never been an issue for me. And, like Ball Pythons and Corns, if you don't like one color, there are plenty of others to choose from, depending on your taste and your bank account.Red-tailed boas and ball pythons, IMO are great first snakes. Neither get very large and both are generally very docile.
I disagree completely with the statement that most ball pythons won't eat frozen-thawed rodents. I've had over 20 ball pythons and every single one of them have eaten frozen-thawed. Yes, they do tend to go on pro-longed fasts which can be infruriating at times but it does no harm to the snake itself. As long as you have the patience to deal with a snake that may not want to eat for a few months out of the year, and realize that it's just a natural part of the ball pythons habits then there is nothing to worry about.
The one caveat comes with imported adults. They have been accustomed to their natural diet which, surprise, is not captive bred rats. Recent imports can be a giant pain to feed, and some will starve to death. In short, don't buy them. If you buy CB from a reputable breeder then you have nothing to worry about. Or you can just buy from me in a few months. I should have a number of different morphs and normals available.
I also think a water snake would be a bad first snake. So would a Hognose snake.The best begginer snakes are either Corn Snakes or Ball Pythons. And that is only because they are not on the large side of snakes, they are very hardy, and easy to care for. I think Corn snakes are better though because ball pythons will go of feeding a lot and corn snakes hardly ever do.
The worst to start with though(not including hots) would be either Amazon Tree Boa, Emerald Tree Boa, Or green tree python. These snakes need very specific care and are not hardy. If the tempeture or humidity drops with these guys for even a couple days it could kill them. They also can be picky feeders if not kept in ideal conditions.
I live where Corns are common in the wild. EVERY Corn I've caught has either been found at night, or underneath something like a sheet of tin lying in the SHADE. I've never seen a Corn out in the open if the temperature was 80 or above. Most people do not take things like that into account, because they have absolutely no experience with those snakes in their natural habitat. My house stays around 70-72 in the winter, and around 76 in summer. Like I said, I've never kept any native snakes in an artificially-heated enclosure, and they thrive just fine.I'm curious about not having heat on your corns. Everywhere I've read said they need to be at 82-85. I've noticed that mine seem to hang out on the cooler side a lot, but will venture on to the UTH. My home is cool (65) in the winter.
The only reason i dont think they are good beginner snakes is because people see it say Kenyan SAND Boa and they automatically assumer to put it on sand. Which is very bad and can cause impaction easily.I'm surprised nobody mentioned Rosy boas or kenyan sand boas as far as great snakes to start with. They top out at less then 3 feet usually, get dog tame. Generally are great feeders too. Although you will need to provide them with a heat source but that is a given for most snakes.
My only problem with garters is that they wont be able to eat mice til they are pretty big. They need fish which can be harder to obtain for a beginner keeper. I know most pet stores sell feeder goldfish but those can carry parasites so its best to feed guppies, which arent as readily available as pinky mice.I also think a water snake would be a bad first snake. So would a Hognose snake.
One more good starter is a Garter Snake. That's what I started with when I was 11. I caught it in the woods near my house. She ended up having 19 babies for me, but only 15 made it. The other four where deformed at birth.