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Posted by glenn bartley on October 06, 2002 at 10:49:58:
In Reply to: Choosing a first snake posted by lhuffstedtler on October 04, 2002 at 23:49:59:
In my opinion, based on years of snake keeping:
Neither Milksnakes nor most Kingsnakes make 'excellent' first snakes. Yes they can sometimes be considered 'good' choices for a beginner, I would not consider them excellent and would even hesitate to call them very good. Tri-color milk snakes and virtually every kingsnake species have the habits of: secreting musk and feces when nervous such as when handled, biting when handled, chewing when they bite defensively as opposed to a quick strike and release. Many milk snakes, and many kingsnake species tend to remain rather nervous captives even when acquired as hatchlings. Sure you may wind up with one that does not have these habits just as you could wind up with a nervous specimen from a species that is usually calmer. Most if not all Milk Snakes are very secretive as are many Kingsnakes (especially the tri-colored kingsnakes). This goes along with the nervous behavior. Of course, all snakes tend to be somewhat secretive, an adaptation that helps tem survive the trials of predation, but some less so than others especially in captivity. Finally another dyed in the wool habit of lots of kingsnakes and some milk snakes is that they readily consume other snakes. I understand this is true of many other species as well; and I understand this will be your first snake. The thing is, should you choose to get another snake you will have to be careful about handling one and then the other as the kingsnake may think you now smell like food.
Instead of a Milksnake or Kingsnake as a first time snake, I would suggest some other species. There are several better candidates that fall into the very good to excellent domain. I recommend buying captive bred snakes only, and either buying a hatchling that is already guaranteed to be feeding, or a snake that is at least a few months old and obviously feeding. The slightly older snake is the better choice in most cases as you will likely have a well established feeder. I also highly recommend rodent eaters as a first snake. Although there are some very good choices among snakes that normally eat fish, amphibians or insects these are better chosen after one has some successful experience with rodent eaters.
*****Species I would recommend as an excellent first time snake are:
African House Snakes (Usually calm, easy to care for hardy snakes, also easy to breed. Sometimes nippy as young babies, I would recommend getting one that is about a few months old. Gaining in popularity and getting easier to find captive bred {C/B} specimens. Grow to 3 to 4 feet, maybe a bit larger.)
Corn Snakes (Usually calm, easy to care for hardy snakes, also easy to breed. Can also be nippy as babies and sometimes babies are hard to get to eat. Get one that is feeding well and is at least a few months old if possible; these are very popular so that should not be a problem. Can hit six feet but that is huge for this snake. Four to 4 1/2 feet is more common.)
Rosy Boas (Calm small N/A boa, requires a somewhat drier atmosphere according to some, but usually very hardy and easy to keep.)
Baird's Rat Snake (A calm Rat Snake but can grow fairly large to 5 to 6 feet or so.)
Emory's Rat Snake (A corn snake subspecies, same as a corn snake for all practical pet care purposes)
Spotted Python (about 3 to 3.5 feet, very calm and hardy snakes)
****Snakes that would make a very good choice for a first time snake are:
Sonoran Gopher Snake (Can get up to 7 feet, 5 feet is not uncommon. A very hardy snakes, easy to care for; however you need to get a young one with good temperament - they often hiss and strike but usually calm down and rarely strike resulting in an actual bite in my experience)
Pine Snakes (subspecies of Gopher and Bull Snakes - ditto for temperament and care)
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (A small species rarely getting over 3.5 feet. Very good choice if a calm specimen that is feeding on rodents.)
Children's Python (From reports I have read, they require somewhat more care regarding temperature control than do some of the excellent choices but is usually very docile, does not get much larger than about 3 to 4 feet.)
Rubber Boa (Another N/A boa. This one requires little in the way of temperature control as long as ambient temps are above 65 and below 80, although I think it prudent to supply them a warm spot to thermoregulate as with all other snakes. They tend to stop feeding for long periods which may cause more stress to the owner than to this species of snake. Very docile, rarely bite {some will claim they never bite, this is hogwash, I have been bitten a number of times by one that I own; each is an individual after all}.)
*** The following are good choices for a beginner:
Honduran Milk Snake (If a calm specimen. These can reach over 5 feet in length. A snake that may chew vigorously if it bites.)
Ball Python (Temperature and humidity requirements a bit stricter than most of the above. Not really hard to keep but even captive bred specimens go on hunger strikes more often than the other species already mentioned. Still a good choice, only usually reaches about 4.5 to 5 feet. Usually very calm and not prone to bite.)
Desert Kingsnake (L.g. splendida - Not to be confused with the desert form of the California Kingsnake. Can reach about 5 feet. Usually fairly docile and somewhat less secretive than other kingsnakes.)
California Kingsnake (A more nippy and very prone to musking and excreting feces when handled. If they bite they often hold on and chew. A ready snake eater.)
Please not that these recommendations are for an ADULT SNAKE KEEPER or for a child who has ADULT SUPERVISION. No snake should be kept by a young child as the primary care giver. Any first snake purchased should be captive bred, appear healthy, and be eating regularly. (Ask to see it eat - do not by a first snake that does not readily eat take no excuses such as it ate yesterday. Sure it may have eaten yesterday, and at most they eat twice a week when young but it could have been force fed, by an unscrupulous dealer, to make it appear as if it eats regularly. Instead go to someone else who has a hungry snake that readily eats.) A few months old snake is better than a baby in most cases. If it has being growing well it has probably been feeding well. It will usually be calmer than a baby and less easily stressed. It should be captive bred (whoops did I say that already). It should appear fairly calm when handled, exploring your hands but not writhing wildly or striking or biting or musking. Its tongue should flick frequently. So on and on.
Please do yourself and the snake a favor (it will also show your daughter a great habit): get and read a good book or three on snake care. Keeping And breeding Snakes by Chris Mattison is a very good one but is on the more expensive side in hard cover, Snakes A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual by R.D. Bartlett and Patricia Bartlett is a good one on the less expensive side as is: Snakes - Giant Snakes and Non-Venomous Snakes in the Terrarium by Klaus Griehl. Do not depend upon the internet alone for info on snake care.
By the way if you are set on a kingsnake or Honduran Milk Snake I would suggest a Desert Kingsnake; but as I said their are others much better suited to the first time keeper.
Good luck. If you need more info feel free to email me.
Best regards,
Glenn Bartley
