I'm going to buy a snake but I'm not sure which one to buy i want one that will be good with kids cause i have kid from 10 and up at my house all the time what snake would we all be able to handle and take care of on a small budget???
2007-07-10 13:25:31 · 11 answers · asked by Amy S 1 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
King snake
2007-07-10 13:33:50 · answer #1 · answered by Matt G 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Here is a snake most people don't know about and I don't know why cause it's an amazing pet. It's called a rubber boa. they are small snakes that reach about 2 feet in length and about as wide as your finger in most cases. They WILL NOT BITE! it's not part of their defence mechanisms. They are also very low maintenance. They don't need a heat lamp and they eat frozen/thawed pinkie mice about 1-2 a week. All they need is a shallow bath, some pine shavings a climbing tree and a rock or two to hide under. They prefer tight spaces to open caves and such. Look for a reptile show in your area and you will likely find a breeder. They are somewhat hard to find but well worth the search if you have little kids you are worried might get bit. I can say from experience these guys make wonderful pets. Good luck!
2007-07-12 20:35:23 · answer #2 · answered by mystique_ayir_shadow 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Several people have given you very good advice in this thread. It comes down to personal preference, but given the requirements that you listed a young King or Corn snakes would probably top my list.
Both are very easy to care for and make great "starter" snakes. Ball Pythons and Boas are also great pets, but cost more money and are more expensive to feed.
My advice is to shop for a snake much like you would shop for a dog. Look at various snakes in the "starter snake" category and get the one that appeals to you or you form a connection with.
Good luck. Welcome to the wonderful world of keeping herps!
2007-07-11 00:09:28 · answer #3 · answered by PTBeast 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Corn snakes are easy to look after and easy to care for.
Corn snakes are one of the gentlest, best first time snakes you can have. They need about a 25 gallon terrarium.
The easiest option, and safest, is to feed it frozen mice. Corn Snakes live up to 20 years, but the oldest snake I've heard of is 25. It needs; bedding (I don't reccomend sand, but I use aspen snake bedding; Petco), a hiding place, a climbing branch (if you get one from outside, use this recipe:wrap the item in foil, put in the oven, turn oven to 250 degrees F (121.1 degrees C), let items bake for 45-65 minutes. Allow items to cool for 4-6 hours before putting in the terrarium. They can get from up to 4ft to 6ft long, but they usually get to 4ft. They are awesome snakes and are very hardy. They rarely get sick, and are usually very gentle. I own a 10 month year old corn snake and feed it fuzzies available at Petco, ect. I love corn snakes!!!
2007-07-10 22:24:52 · answer #4 · answered by Alyssa K 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ball pythons make for great first snakes. My first one was a ball python. Now, I have two of them, a kingsnake and a corn snake. Ball pythons are extremely resilient and very easy to care for. They eat twice a week when they're young and once per week when they're adults. They get to be about four or five feet long, but are very, very docile snakes. Mine have never struck me or any of the countless people I've shown them off to. (I'm, obviously, very proud of my little reptiles.) The entire cost for a ball python is around $200 to $250, this includes the snake itself, substrate, heat lamp, enclosure and so on.
Corn snakes make for great first pets, also. If you buy them very young (when they're about eight to ten inches), they don't like to be handled very much, but rarely ever strike. Once they get to be larger, around a foot or longer, they become more comfortable being handled. Adult corn snakes can be anywhere between four and six feet and come in a variety of colors and patterns (known as morphs by breeders). Corn snakes are also very hardy pets and most are content with a simple heat lamp and mild humidity. Like the ball pythons, they're very easy-going snakes.
All in all, it's up to you. Both of these snakes are at the same level when it comes to care (i.e. beginner level), and they're very similar in many ways.
Good luck with your new pet. :)
2007-07-10 21:27:42 · answer #5 · answered by Kiyoka 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yellow rat snakes are perfect for a beginner as a beginner myself i have a yellow rat who's is active and easy to hold and very gentle they make the perfect 1st snake,so i recommend this breed.
Also the great plains rat snake is placid doesn't grow any bigger than 24-42 inches.
Both of these snakes i have and they are great pets
2007-07-11 07:23:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have to agree with the corn snake. Very easy to feed, very personable. The colors these guys come in can be pretty amazing, too. They don't get huge either. Easy for children to manage.
2007-07-10 20:42:45 · answer #7 · answered by prism_wolf 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gardner Snake is a classic first snake. Eats gold fish, doesn't get very big and are easy to handle w out the fear
2007-07-10 20:43:18 · answer #8 · answered by Frib's 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Corn snakes are good beginner snakes. They are usually good tempered and good with kids.
See www.kingsnake.com or http://cornsnakes.com for more info.
2007-07-10 20:30:37 · answer #9 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
ball pythons are extremely gentle snakes, however, they do get big, and sometimes, they are picky eaters.
you cant go wrong with a corn snake!! they are alot smaller, but faster to get away from you
2007-07-10 20:33:09 · answer #10 · answered by poodle mom 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋