Can anyone recommend a beginner snake?

Cre · 16-03-2011, 07:25 PM

Just researching here, my 11 yr old son wants a snake

We have looked at Royal Pythons (Jack favourite snakes) but I am really not keen, far to big, worried it will get out and eat Alfred, worried about it not feeding frozen food and will need live feeding! The fact its nocturnal worries me too....can you tell I am not keen?
How about a Garter Sake? Pros, feeding it tons easier, to small to eat Alfred, awake during the day etc etc, however will it be to quick for him to hold, will it bite?
Can anyone suggest a different kind?
Snake ownership is a long time away for this boy, will have to wait until his birthday which is in December lol like I said its just research. Thanks for any advice.

suttysue · 16-03-2011, 07:46 PM

I would try a worm !! I Dont do snakes lol
sue
only joking !!

**16 shells** · 16-03-2011, 08:04 PM

More experienced Snake keeper's here, but looked into it a bit, Corn Snakes are a fav starter. Also many are sold on and so are the viv's, so i would not buy new from a reptile shop, i would look about.
http://thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/

michelle g · 23-03-2011, 10:36 PM

OOOOoo a topic I have experience with

I keep 2 royal pythons and they are wonderful snakes. Very slow moving...only grow to about 3.5ft-4ft but are admittedly chunky. They are very calm and if you get bitten by a royal you are very very unlucky, its not in their nature!

They can be a little bit of a pain for eating but as long as no weight is lost its not a concern in the slightest, people generally start to panic but they are usually fine as long as you buy a UKCB baby from a reputable breeder and it has taken several feeds.
I had 10 royals at one point in an aim to breed some of the morphs but then my partner was made redundant and we had to sell most

Not at any point did we have to resort to live feeding. Some would fast around breeding season but that was it.

Ive also had afew boas and a corn snake. Out of all of them the corn snake was my least favourite. They are very fast and wriggly, mine reached almost 6ft and it was a huge effort to unwrap him from my arm, belt buckle, down my top...he just wouldnt give up and go back in his viv. They have really smelly poops to.

What about a dwarf boa, they are also slow moving calm snakes but not quite as shy as a royal and usually dont say no to any food. Crawl cay and Hogg Islands fall into this catergory. I can vouch for Hogg Islands.

Please dont worry about any people getting bitten it is part and parcel of owning a snake but in my years of owning I have never been bitten once. Its about being careful and reading the signs.... always wash your hands first incase there are any tasty scents on there, watch for signs that they are hungry and if they hiss they dont want to come out and play.
I have lots of pets around my snakes and they dont bother them. I wouldnt put a snake and another pet out free to play together but thats common sense. x

**Alan1** · 23-03-2011, 10:45 PM

corn snake is a starter. don't get an anaconda, they grow quite big

Cre · 24-03-2011, 06:50 AM

Michelle, you have given me tons of advice there. I will look into the other types of snakes, really dont want to get the wrong one then a few months being to scared to handle it! Thanks tons x

kreacher · 24-03-2011, 07:54 AM

It's such a shame your not keen on royals, that was what I was going to suggest! Our royals are absolutely brilliant with my kids, even my two year old can go in and pick them up from their viv...they are essentially nocturnal but mine are out in the day all the time...they can be fussy eaters but never in the ten years I've been rescuing snakes have I ever had to resort to live feeding!

Please please please do not get a king or milk snake!
These are small so will probably be recommended to you at some point. They are very feisty snakes and I do not let my kids handle either of them. The king snake is very temperamental and very very quick and has even given me a nasty bite!

Corn snakes are a bit nippy when they are small too...I'm not a huge fan of them at all, and they do get long!

My boa is my favourite snake but he is ten foot now so a dwarf would obviously be better lol he has a fantastic temperament and is a brilliant feeder!

Herpard · 24-03-2011, 09:44 AM

I'd have to Say Royals too.

We have a Very lovely Natured Girl.

She's not had a great start in life (Her previous owners didn't care for her) but she is sooooo friendly and always want's to be out of her Vivarium.

I can't really tell you much about the Breed as she's my sisters and Snakes aren't my thing but i can give you the link to a Python Forum if you want?

Cre · 24-03-2011, 04:58 PM

OMG I had better not let my son see this thread lol. He is still keen to get a Royal but has sort of aggreed (reluctantly) to a corn snake lol. I will continue to research them. Would be so lovely for him to wake up on his birthday expecting a corn and seeing a royal...am such a softie and want him to be happy lol. Do you think a 12 year old could manage a royal? They really are beautiful snakes, the one he was holding looked like some one had sprinkled gold leaf all over it! I might go back to the rep shop and see how I feel holding one myself...the good thing about getting 1 from there is I am 100% sure they will help us if needed. I didnt get my tort from there but they are very good when I go in for advice etc.

michelle g · 24-03-2011, 05:14 PM

My 4 year old niece handles my adult male royal with no problems. He is a big softie of a snake. She is always supervised but he has never so much as hissed before.

All I would say about purchasing from a shop is check where the snake was bred. Alot of baby royals in shops are captive farmed in africa (but tell you they are captive bred) and then shipped over here in the 1000s as soon as they pop out of the egg, so as you can imagine their stress levels are already pretty high and they can be a pain to get feeding and sometimes are carrying parasites as they are from a wild parent.

You could try looking on the classifieds section of RFUK, there will be plenty of breeders advertising their once the season gets under way.
There is also quite afew shows between june - nov time, there is a huge one in doncaster where all the breeders meet with their stock and you can pick a royal of your choice, and there is one in November in the midlands...you would have your pick of hundreds of royals, corns, boas...there will also be lizards and torts there! If nothing else it would be an amazing day out for your son...but get there early they get busy!

http://www.international-herpetologi...d=52&Itemid=84

My only other suggestion if you really dont like the thought of a snake is try and persuade him to get a lizard. I can recommend bearded dragons as super friendly and also leopard geckos, if you wanted something smaller. As long you can handle the live food (you do get used to it) they are brilliant pets and bearded dragons are daytime lizards to. x

16-03-2011, 07:25 PM	#1
Cre Member Incubating Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Blackpool Posts: 222	Can anyone recommend a beginner snake? Just researching here, my 11 yr old son wants a snake We have looked at Royal Pythons (Jack favourite snakes) but I am really not keen, far to big, worried it will get out and eat Alfred, worried about it not feeding frozen food and will need live feeding! The fact its nocturnal worries me too....can you tell I am not keen? How about a Garter Sake? Pros, feeding it tons easier, to small to eat Alfred, awake during the day etc etc, however will it be to quick for him to hold, will it bite? Can anyone suggest a different kind? Snake ownership is a long time away for this boy, will have to wait until his birthday which is in December lol like I said its just research. Thanks for any advice. __________________ I know I'm in my own little world, but it's ok, they know me in here.

16-03-2011, 08:04 PM	#3
16 shells Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hull Posts: 7,286	More experienced Snake keeper's here, but looked into it a bit, Corn Snakes are a fav starter. Also many are sold on and so are the viv's, so i would not buy new from a reptile shop, i would look about. http://thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/ __________________ Paul.

23-03-2011, 10:36 PM	#4
michelle g Member Incubating Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Bolton Posts: 153	OOOOoo a topic I have experience with I keep 2 royal pythons and they are wonderful snakes. Very slow moving...only grow to about 3.5ft-4ft but are admittedly chunky. They are very calm and if you get bitten by a royal you are very very unlucky, its not in their nature! They can be a little bit of a pain for eating but as long as no weight is lost its not a concern in the slightest, people generally start to panic but they are usually fine as long as you buy a UKCB baby from a reputable breeder and it has taken several feeds. I had 10 royals at one point in an aim to breed some of the morphs but then my partner was made redundant and we had to sell most Not at any point did we have to resort to live feeding. Some would fast around breeding season but that was it. Ive also had afew boas and a corn snake. Out of all of them the corn snake was my least favourite. They are very fast and wriggly, mine reached almost 6ft and it was a huge effort to unwrap him from my arm, belt buckle, down my top...he just wouldnt give up and go back in his viv. They have really smelly poops to. What about a dwarf boa, they are also slow moving calm snakes but not quite as shy as a royal and usually dont say no to any food. Crawl cay and Hogg Islands fall into this catergory. I can vouch for Hogg Islands. Please dont worry about any people getting bitten it is part and parcel of owning a snake but in my years of owning I have never been bitten once. Its about being careful and reading the signs.... always wash your hands first incase there are any tasty scents on there, watch for signs that they are hungry and if they hiss they dont want to come out and play. I have lots of pets around my snakes and they dont bother them. I wouldnt put a snake and another pet out free to play together but thats common sense. x __________________ 0.1.0 THB Shelby 0.0.1 THH Mabel 1.0.0 Leopard Gecko Mylo 1.0.0 Royal Python Napolean 1.1.0 Poochies Bailey Shar pei/lab & Tia Whippet

24-03-2011, 06:50 AM	#6
Cre Member Incubating Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Blackpool Posts: 222	Michelle, you have given me tons of advice there. I will look into the other types of snakes, really dont want to get the wrong one then a few months being to scared to handle it! Thanks tons x __________________ I know I'm in my own little world, but it's ok, they know me in here.

24-03-2011, 04:58 PM	#9
Cre Member Incubating Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Blackpool Posts: 222	OMG I had better not let my son see this thread lol. He is still keen to get a Royal but has sort of aggreed (reluctantly) to a corn snake lol. I will continue to research them. Would be so lovely for him to wake up on his birthday expecting a corn and seeing a royal...am such a softie and want him to be happy lol. Do you think a 12 year old could manage a royal? They really are beautiful snakes, the one he was holding looked like some one had sprinkled gold leaf all over it! I might go back to the rep shop and see how I feel holding one myself...the good thing about getting 1 from there is I am 100% sure they will help us if needed. I didnt get my tort from there but they are very good when I go in for advice etc. __________________ I know I'm in my own little world, but it's ok, they know me in here.

16-03-2011, 07:46 PM	#2
suttysue Senior Member Sub Adult Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: UK / Eng / Yorkshire Posts: 1,483	I would try a worm !! I Dont do snakes lol sue only joking !!

23-03-2011, 10:45 PM	#5
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	corn snake is a starter. don't get an anaconda, they grow quite big

24-03-2011, 07:54 AM	#7
kreacher Senior Member Sub Adult Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 1,718	It's such a shame your not keen on royals, that was what I was going to suggest! Our royals are absolutely brilliant with my kids, even my two year old can go in and pick them up from their viv...they are essentially nocturnal but mine are out in the day all the time...they can be fussy eaters but never in the ten years I've been rescuing snakes have I ever had to resort to live feeding! Please please please do not get a king or milk snake! These are small so will probably be recommended to you at some point. They are very feisty snakes and I do not let my kids handle either of them. The king snake is very temperamental and very very quick and has even given me a nasty bite! Corn snakes are a bit nippy when they are small too...I'm not a huge fan of them at all, and they do get long! My boa is my favourite snake but he is ten foot now so a dwarf would obviously be better lol he has a fantastic temperament and is a brilliant feeder!

24-03-2011, 09:44 AM	#8
Herpard Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Norton Canes, UK Posts: 2,330	I'd have to Say Royals too. We have a Very lovely Natured Girl. She's not had a great start in life (Her previous owners didn't care for her) but she is sooooo friendly and always want's to be out of her Vivarium. I can't really tell you much about the Breed as she's my sisters and Snakes aren't my thing but i can give you the link to a Python Forum if you want?

24-03-2011, 05:14 PM	#10
michelle g Member Incubating Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Bolton Posts: 153	My 4 year old niece handles my adult male royal with no problems. He is a big softie of a snake. She is always supervised but he has never so much as hissed before. All I would say about purchasing from a shop is check where the snake was bred. Alot of baby royals in shops are captive farmed in africa (but tell you they are captive bred) and then shipped over here in the 1000s as soon as they pop out of the egg, so as you can imagine their stress levels are already pretty high and they can be a pain to get feeding and sometimes are carrying parasites as they are from a wild parent. You could try looking on the classifieds section of RFUK, there will be plenty of breeders advertising their once the season gets under way. There is also quite afew shows between june - nov time, there is a huge one in doncaster where all the breeders meet with their stock and you can pick a royal of your choice, and there is one in November in the midlands...you would have your pick of hundreds of royals, corns, boas...there will also be lizards and torts there! If nothing else it would be an amazing day out for your son...but get there early they get busy! http://www.international-herpetologi...d=52&Itemid=84 My only other suggestion if you really dont like the thought of a snake is try and persuade him to get a lizard. I can recommend bearded dragons as super friendly and also leopard geckos, if you wanted something smaller. As long you can handle the live food (you do get used to it) they are brilliant pets and bearded dragons are daytime lizards to. x __________________ 0.1.0 THB Shelby 0.0.1 THH Mabel 1.0.0 Leopard Gecko Mylo 1.0.0 Royal Python Napolean 1.1.0 Poochies Bailey Shar pei/lab & Tia Whippet

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