Reptile Forums banner

Beginner snakes

Tags
snake starter
972 views 18 replies 15 participants last post by  ratboy 
#1 ·
Hi All

Looking into gettin a Snake I have some experience as my partner has a corn sanke and i have recently stated look after it. I heard corn sakes are usually quite friendly a good to handle but this one wont let you near it. Basically im look for a good beginner snake that looks good and is quite active and fun to have to start me off befor i go looking for a hader species to keep and look after
 
#3 ·
If you get a royal get one that's not quite a hatchling, you want an established eater really for a beginner : victory:
 
#4 ·
No snake is guaranteed to be placid and calm. Most corns just happen to be that way. If you search 'beginner snake' or 'first snake' using the search facility on this forum then you will find lots of suggestions. However, if you are having difficulty with a corn, then it does make me wonder if you are quite ready to have your own. How old is the corn, and what is the problem with handling it? If you keep any snake then you have to accept that at some point you may well get bitten. A bite, from even an adult corn, is not really that painful.
 
#7 ·
You better off finding a snake you want and then doing research on it. A lot of people get a "starter snake" and then get bored with it because it's not really what they wanted in the first place. When I started I got corn snakes. I still have them now but i prefer milk snakes and if I knew what I knew now I wouldn't of got the corns. I won't get rid of them now that I have them but a lot of people struggle for space or don't have a snake rack.
 
#8 ·
After doing my research I then went with the snakes I would most like to own, next month will be my 1st year of keeping snakes and I couldn't be more happy with the snakes I have esp my corn snake which I've watched growing from a teeny 19g hatchling to a healthy yearling of about 140g.

So, have a look at all the species out there, do your research and go with the snake you would most like to own.
 
#10 ·
Thanks guys this is helpful I guess I'm stuck where I was before though a there are so many. Also just thought I would add in if you have a grumpy animal don't make you a bad owner or handler it means you have a grumpy animal
 
#12 ·
Hey Louis, snakes have different personalities, even within species that are supposed to be more 'friendly', so my only bit of advice is to go with personality. I knw this sounds strange but when we went to get my boyfriend's snake, he wanted a hognose or a python, but once in the shop we were shown a Butter Corn (which was not remotely what he was looking for) that was as tame as a puppy and is an absolute joy to own. It's really important to handle the snakes and see how they respond, if they are healthy etc. Butters is such an amazing snake and we could have very easily passed him over.
 
#14 ·
I'd also suggest going to a decent shop, or a show. Get some experience of handling species of interest and find out as much as you can about them. Then, pick what you like most - not what other people suggest. Most snakes are pretty easy to look after and nearly all of the commonly kept species generally have good temperaments.

For what it's worth, my first was a boa (bci), which I reckon is as good a first snake as you can get, if you have space for an adult. None of my snakes has caused major headaches so far. Even the viperine is feeding quite well now - she was just a little more difficult to get started. Even something like a burm is not a major problem - just get a youngster and your experience will grow as it does.
 
#17 ·
worst advice i ever got whilst inquiring about a second snake (i wanted a carpet python) i got told "your not ready for a carpet python because you've only ever owned a corn snake, get something like a royal python and work your way up" why was it bad advise? because i didn't want a royal python and if i had got a royal i gurantee that snake would have been sold within months and thats just not fair on the snake! i wanted a carpet python, i researched, handled a few and then bought one and 2 years on i've still got him and i've never regretted it. Try not to look for snakes that people consider 'beginner friendly' just look at different snakes,research the hell out of them and if you think you've got enough money, time,space and can look after the snake well, get it :2thumb:
 
  • Like
Reactions: azza23
#18 ·
worst advice i ever got whilst inquiring about a second snake (i wanted a carpet python) i got told "your not ready for a carpet python because you've only ever owned a corn snake, get something like a royal python and work your way up" why was it bad advise? because i didn't want a royal python and if i had got a royal i gurantee that snake would have been sold within months and thats just not fair on the snake! i wanted a carpet python, i researched, handled a few and then bought one and 2 years on i've still got him and i've never regretted it. Try not to look for snakes that people consider 'beginner friendly' just look at different snakes,research the hell out of them and if you think you've got enough money, time,space and can look after the snake well, get it :2thumb:
coudnt agree more, and are you serious about that advice you were given, in my opinion carpets are a beginner snake :lol2:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top