Hello! I'm a newbie! I've never owned a reptile before although i have worked with snakes and lizards whilst on an animal management course. In a few weeks i plan to get my first snake but i'd like to be prepared before hand. I was wondering if anyone would be able to offer me any tips and advice on vivarium sizes and setups (heat etc). There's alot of information on the internet which varies so i thought i'd ask people who i know have had first hand experience. Also, this may sound daft but i'm really stuck on which type of snake to choose, i love them all! A friend of mine reccommended a honduran dwarf boa or a cornsnake. Another suggested a kingsnake. Personally i love them all equally. I particually like Pueblan Milksnake, Californian Red Sided Garter Snakes and the Honduran Dwarf Boa and..this list could go on forever!...my problem is i'm unsure on the sizes they grow to as adults! What size vivarium, do i buy a small one first? I guess really it'd be a good idea to choose a breed of snake before i can determine the size of the vivarium and temperature etc...i'll be back..lol

It all depends on a number of factors, whether you want to be able to handle the snake, amount of space etc that you have. I have a 4 month old pueblan Milksnake and whilst they are beautiful to look at, you will very rarely see them during the day as they are most active at night.

Corns are a brilliant starter animal and i would recommend them to anyone, they do not grow that big, about 4 foot, are quite docile and slow moving. Kings and milks can be a bit more feisty (but then again there is no hard and fast rule, some corns are like this too!).

Welcome to the world of snakes !

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1 Pueblan Milk Snake - Bullit

Hi I agree with the above.
You need to figure out how much space you have, if you want to handle the snake, and budget.
Corns are great starters, rarely feisty and grow to about 5ft max give or take and need prob min size viv of 3x2x1.5.
Royals are also a fairly good starter although can be fussy eaters, i have a Royal, never refuses food but can be pretty bitey.

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I own...
1.0 Snow Corn - Phoenix
1.0. Normal Corn - Flyk
0.1 Lavender Het Motley Corn - Kali
1.0 Grumpy Ball Python - Monty
0.1 Hognose on the way!!
1.0 Uromastyx - Steve
0.0.1 Green Bottle Blue (Chromatopelma Cyaneopubescens) - Sprite
0.0.1 Aviculara Purpurea - Vimto
0.0.1 Grammostola rosea

I also live with...
0.0.1 Bosc - Diego
0.1 Crawl Cay Boa - Kiera
1.0 Boyfriend - Roger
0.0.1 Fire Leg Tarantula (Brachypelma boehmei) Zippo

I AM A GIRL! MY NAME IS VICKY and I AM A LUMBERJACK

GAZ HAS A BOA BED AND BREAKFAST AND I'M INVITED!!! Only proper lumberjacks will be accepted.

Hello, thankyou for your replies, i agree i think i will be better off with either a milksnake or a cornsnake. I've found a mexican milksnake and an anerthrystic caramel cornsnake both which i am torn between....i could afford to buy them both....but maybe that would be too many snakes at once for a beginner i've no idea. I'm comfortable with feisty milksnakes, i studied them and handled them as part of an animal management course i took last year....aswell i love the docility of cornsnakes...hmm desicions decisions....!

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0.1 - Crawl Cay Boa - Flower

pick one then when you feel confident enough buy the other

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GET A GARTER SNAKE!!!!seriosly, they are the best for starters (My dad had 2 and they where great!) Im getting one myself and I'm really exited

IMO you'd be better off with a corn snake. They don't tend to be fussy eaters, they are sociable if you tame them and they come in all sorts of different colours and morphs.
I've got Pueblan milksnake and I hardly see her at all, and if I take her our she'll get very skittish. I do see my garter snake but he's also very skittish when I get him out. My milksnake gets so shy she wont eat when someones in the room, whereas my corn snakes will sit and eat in my hands.
Out of the three, my corn snakes are much easier to care for, and they'll practically nag me to take them out for a cuddle lol.

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1.1.0 Corn snakes (Motley and Babysnake)
0.1.0 Pueblan Milksnake (Korral)
2.0.0 Royal Pythons (Magnum and Zeblin)
0.1.0 Western Hognose snake (Hissy)
1.1.0 Inland Bearded Dragons (Ferdie and Flash)
2 Giant African Land Snails (Steve and Truffles)
1.0.0 Garter Snake (Ripley, thanks DraigGochHerp)
0.1.0 Tai Beauty snake (Jill, thanks to mEOw )
1.0.0 Black Burmese Cat (LBC)
RIP Darwin the toad

get the mexican black kingsnake..really nice easy to keep snakes

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leethal_bite@hotmail.com....

You say you like Pueblans ? I agree theyre awesome snakes. heres a pic of my 07 Apricot Pueblan.............

Heres a pic of mine ...........

I would highly recommend one , although bear in mind that they are lightning fast , and very secretive.

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1.0.0 Border Terrier - Dougal
0.0.1- 07 Florida Kingsnake - Father Ted
0.1.0- 07 Bairds Rat Snake - Mrs Doyle