Reccomend Please!

[da_illest]

can anyone here recommend the smallest, cheapest, most docile snake?? and slow growing prefferably... i've been thinking about a corn snake, a ball python (50$ difference), and an african house snake....

 

[pategirl]

As for cheap, corn snakes are that, and don't get all that big. They're a bit more forgiving in husbandry than a ball from my understanding and are relatively easy to breed if one decides to take up that in the future. They usually eat well from birth, some are picky, but its rare. You can get most any color corn snake you can think of, and they have amazing tempraments for the most part. I've got one male that hates me, but the rest are great. I have a female yearling amelanistic that seems to actually like me somewhat, not one bit scared even though I don't handle her too much. She watches when I care for my T's and other snakes, just gazing out the sides of her tank. Here's a pic of her with her living mate for a few minutes while I cleaned his cage, bad pic, taken through the glass.

 

[skinheaddave]

If cost is that much of a factor, don't bother. It is going to cost you more to set up your snake than it is to buy it in the first place, so animal price is not as much of a factor at all. There are plenty of reasonably priced snakes that are small and can be docile (no guarantees). As for slow growing, neither your corn snake or ball python really fit that bill.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[da_illest]

well i want one that's pretty cheap due to the fact that i know i'm going to have to spend a lot of money on the setup so i figured the cheaper the snake the better although i am prepared to pay everything.... I would l\just like to save save save! (if only wal mart sold snakes) anyways i think i'm going to go with the corn snake....... Although i do have the money for the ball python (considering it's not really my money) so that's why i'm asking what do you people recommend?

 

[PapaSmurf]

go with a corn.

Josh

 

[atavuss]

check out the hog nosed snakes, the normal phases are somewhat inexpensive and don't get real big. they have plenty of personality too!
Ed

 

[Phillip]

Of what has been mentioned the corns and house snakes are going to be the easiest to care for and tend to be very regular feeders. House snakes stay the smallest of the two. Hognose are a good choice as well but it should be mentioned that a western hog is far better as a choice than an eastern as westerns take rodents right off the bat and easterns can be tricky to switch over.

Of the choices you listed I would go for the corn due to variety in color and pattern to choose from. Another possible choice though if you haven't considered it is one of the smaller milks such as pueblans and sinaloans.

Phil

 

[tarantulakeeper]

IME I cannot recommend corn snakes enough. I have two in my classroom and have had now for eight years. I bought them both within three weeks of each other as hatchlings. One is an Okootee (male) and the other is a Snow (sold to me as female, but I think its really a male). My students take them out weekly and they eat thawed adult rats without a problem. They have never shown a aggressive move towards any of my students over these eight years. John

 

[Bry]

Ditto on the corn snakes as well. I have never seen aggressive behavior from any corn snake I've come across. That is not a guarantee though, I'm sure there are some aggressive ones. If you do find one, they would be exceptions to the rule as far as corn snakes go. When people want to handle my snakes, particularly inexperienced people, my two corn snakes are always one of the snakes I take out for handling. Personally, I don't think corn snakes grow all that fast. You can maintain them in a 10 gal. tank for quite a while before they outgrow the tanks.

Bry

 

[Phillip]

I do think corns are the best overall beginner snake but I wouldn't say they don't grow fast. Throw enough food at them and they will shoot up in size. The nippy ones are however very rare although I have come across a couple of bitey individuals. Considering I've seen far more than I can count though the percentage is almost none. The only thing that makes me think something else might be more appropriate in this case is the size requirement. While most corns do remain pretty small sometimes you will run across a beast of a corn. My male pink and gren snow for instance is right at 5 feet but is 6 inches around at the thickest point. Not something that can live in a 10 gallon while a sinaloan or pueblan as well as a western hog will stay much smaller than that.

Phil

 

[Gillian]

Go for a cornie. Easy to care fo, forgiving, and docile. Balls can be docile, but are quite picky about their husbandry requirements. They are, as well, known for lengthy and quite frustrating fasts.

Peace, light & eternal love...
Gillian
)0(

 

[scorpio]

Yeah, Id go for a corn. My ball went on and off with fasts and eventually he got permanently stunted (5 years old, 26 inches long)

 

[Bry]

*sighs* I know they can't possibly live comfortably in a 10 gal. tank. I meant they can be housed comfortably in one for a while.

Bry

 

[Phillip]

I wasn't trying to imply that you thought any differently Bry. I just got the feeling that they were looking for something that would stay small for the long run and felt it should be mentioned that corns while far from huge can get some size on them depending on the individual.

Phil

 

[SpyderByte]

I have read many many posts/boards on snakes. This doesn't make me an expert but I picked up some helpful tid bits.

I was researching for the best starter snake. I wanted it to be handlable, stay small -less than 5ft, and have color. It also had to have low husbandry needs. No humidity requirements, no heat (other than room temp), easy to feed. Cost was not a factor, although, I wasn't going to spend over $200 bucks on a snake, hehehe.

I came up with 5 types of snakes on my list.

Sand Boas - Eryx sp
Rosy Boas - Lichanura sp
King/Milk snakes - Lampropeltis sp
Cornsnakes - Elaphe sp
Childrens Python - Antaresia childreni

Well I ended up getting two rosy boas and two kenyan sand boas. They are very mellow, easy to handle, eat well, and the care is extremely simple. They are not as colorful or have the color variety as kings/milks/corns but I like them a lot.

I paid $40-50 each. All are babies and very healthy. The person I bought them from (beanfarm.com) had them all feeding on live pinkies but they all made the change over to frozen/thawed without any difficulties.

I keep them in plastic shoe boxes on aspen substrate. No water bowl, I water them x24hrs every 3wks or so. The beanfarm keeps water available at all times. The require the same temp ranges as my Ts. I provide a shed box when I think they are ready to shed. And feed them once a week. I have had one for a year and the other three for a couple of months.

Try kingsnake.com, it is an excellent board dedicated to snakes. And you'll find lots on inverts but arachnopets rules.

Arns