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
Milk or king snakes, rat snakes, royal python. All are quite forgiving when it comes to husbandry. They all come in a variety of colours and patterns too
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.
aslong as you have the money and have done the neccesary research any snake could be classed as a beginner, just find a snake you like and research the hell out of it, go and handle some and then get one,
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.
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.
Have a look at Western Hognose's. I always wanted one of these and when I finally got one I got caught the bug. Best advice has been said though, research, research and research some more. Do not impulse buy!
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
The reptile shop I bought 2 of mine from let me handle adult corns and hoggies as well as the babies, first adult corn I handled was a lavander male and he was just shy of 6ft and it was really great handling him.
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.
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.
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:
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:
Sorry if this seems blunt but if you can't handle a corn snake, regardless of it's apparent temperament, I would seriously suggest that you find a different hobby.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Reptile Forums
12.6M posts
140.2K members
Since 2005
A forum community dedicated to reptile owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about breeding, health, behavior, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more!