Beardie guy with a question for you snake guys.

I'm not new to herps & I'm big into beardies but I finally convinced my fiance to let us get a snake (or 2).

The problem is I don't know much about snakes & I didn't see a general snakes discussion forum on here (they're all broken down into sub categories of type of snake) so I'm not sure where to post this question or which subcategory I should be searching for my first snake in.

I need help deciding on a snake for our family. I have a few ideas of what I want but I have no idea what type of snake I need to be looking for or any of the names of the morphs or if they require special care.

#1 SIZE: The snake needs to be okay in a 40gal terrarium (so no huge 6 foot long monster snakes). Not sure what categories I immediately eliminated there.

#2 CARE: The snake needs to be relatively easy to care for. We have plenty of time for our pets but I'm concerned with special issues like overly sensitive to humidity levels or shedding problems or stuff along those lines. I want a fairly hardy species. I also want one that won't break the bank by eating me out of house & home.

#3 BODY TYPE: I like the look of the snakes that look like they have a head & neck to them like the boas & ball pythons. I'm not too keen on the no-neck look where there's no transition from the body to the head, it's all one width. This is not a major concern though just a preference.

#4 COLOR: I like either really bright snakes like this yellow one:
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...d.php?t=342917
or ones that are grey/black/white - shades that look like granite or marble. Also not a fan of those albino red eyes.

#5 PRICE: Well the less expensive the better but up to $300 max. I'd like one around the $75-$150 range but if it's amazing & perfect for me I suppose I could go as high as $300 shipped.

I saw a great looking snake on here just the other day but I can't remember what sub forum it was in & I've been searching for the needle in the haystack for a couple days now. It had a pic of 3 snakes in a clear tub & one was the perfect grey/black/white granite look & the price was good too. Seeing it was what got me started wanting a snake but now I can't wind that post.

I know it's a long shot with that vague description but if you know what post I may be referring to please send me a link to it.

If you have any suggestions on what type of snake I need to look for based on the above requirements I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
James

It appears that you are lookking for a ball python.

In addition, corn snakes are also an alternative & come in a wide array of colors.

Other than those, given your preferences, I cannot think of anything else at the moment. I have mostly boas of various species & most are not a first ti.e snake or reach 8' +.

I agree, ball python or a corn snake. Corns are a lot cheaper, especially if you want a bright morph. They can be a bit flighty when they're young though. They would be more interesting cage pets because they're active during the day. Ball pythons are only active at night. There were some hot looking corn snakes for sale yesterday (pied-sided Okeetees and those lovely blue striped ones). Really wanted to buy a couple of those but I just moved and I'm really strapped for cash. Plenty of people sell corn snakes though, I'm sure you could find a look that you like.

Originally Posted by snowgyre

I agree, ball python or a corn snake. Corns are a lot cheaper, especially if you want a bright morph. They can be a bit flighty when they're young though. They would be more interesting cage pets because they're active during the day. Ball pythons are only active at night. There were some hot looking corn snakes for sale yesterday (pied-sided Okeetees and those lovely blue striped ones). Really wanted to buy a couple of those but I just moved and I'm really strapped for cash. Plenty of people sell corn snakes though, I'm sure you could find a look that you like.

Originally Posted by Snake-Queen

It appears that you are lookking for a ball python.

In addition, corn snakes are also an alternative & come in a wide array of colors.

Other than those, given your preferences, I cannot think of anything else at the moment. I have mostly boas of various species & most are not a first ti.e snake or reach 8' +.

I noticed the one boa I was interested in, the yellow one is a GTB. I had no idea what GTB stood for (lol dang you snake guys use so many abbreviations!!!). Well of course the yellow I loved turns into green & it's not a boa that wants to be held often either so that's out.

I started looking at corn snakes & I really like the one you mentioned, the okeetee, for its pattern & brightness.

I also really like the BRAZILIAN RAINBOW BOAS.
I read this & it sounds perfect to me:
"Captive Bred Brazilian Rainbow Boas are usually quite tame and docile making them a popular snake
Sturdy & long lived (Over 15 years in captivity)
Requires a relatively simple setup, 36" x 18" x 13" or larger
Reaches full adult size of typically 5 to 6 feet
Main staple diet of mice is easily obtained"

What do you all think of those boas?

Rainbow boas are very neat. I've never owned one, but I consider them more of an intermediate-level snake than a beginner snake. It requires a bit more of a controlled environment than other species, mainly humidity requirements. I considered getting rainbow boas in the past because they're cool, but corns and balls have so much more variety when it comes to awesome paint jobs that I've decided to stick with them instead.

Originally Posted by snowgyre

Rainbow boas are very neat. I've never owned one, but I consider them more of an intermediate-level snake than a beginner snake. It requires a bit more of a controlled environment than other species, mainly humidity requirements. I considered getting rainbow boas in the past because they're cool, but corns and balls have so much more variety when it comes to awesome paint jobs that I've decided to stick with them instead.

In addition to the husbandry, they can be nippy. Every snake has its own personality like people do.

Corn snakes, after they age a little bit & get past the spastic stage, they are wonderful snakes.

Snakes are nice and low-maintenance, it's no surprise they can be addicting. I started with gophers personally, they're tough and full of personality, I just love 'em!
I do agree that a ball or corn would also work. They can both be great, but between the two of them, I'd go with a corn because they're likely to be more active.
There is a boa species that only stays around three feet as well. A rosy could work in a terrarium that size, doesn't need higher humidity, is hardy, and can come in black/white or a marbled look for cheap.
And many king and milk species can have the looks you're after without needing much special care either.

I feel that any of these listed can have very aggressive or docile individuals. If it's important, I'd recommend aiming for at least a subadult that's already known to have good temperment and feeding habits. They're often hardier too, as fresh hatchlings can sometimes be more susceptible to change.
You can browse the classifieds here for ideas! There's something for everybody, more than just the commonly cited handful are captively bred and can be easily kept, especially for the advanced beginner who does plenty of research beforehand and is willing to provide what it takes~

Brazilian rainbow boas are neat, but they're a tad more sensitive to humidity. I also can't see it living out it's whole life comfortably in a 40 gallon tank, I'd think it'd need an upgrade after a while, but some may say that's just me...

P.S.

Originally Posted by J&J Dragons

I saw a great looking snake on here just the other day but I can't remember what sub forum it was in & I've been searching for the needle in the haystack for a couple days now. It had a pic of 3 snakes in a clear tub & one was the perfect grey/black/white granite look & the price was good too. Seeing it was what got me started wanting a snake but now I can't wind that post.

I know it's a long shot with that vague description but if you know what post I may be referring to please send me a link to it.

Bit of a long shot, but these three rosy boas in a tub are on the first page http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...d.php?t=312586 You can see others with more granite patterns in that section as well. And these three black/white california kingsnakes are in a tub too http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...d.php?t=342169
Worth a try anyways! If you saw an ad that's no longer there, it's possible that the animals sold and the seller deleted their post. If you really want to find out what it was, we might be able to help if you can describe it better. Best of luck to you~

I found this one but in the pic, in the link below, it has triangular orange marks like a tiger but in all the other pics of pyro king snakes the orange is a solid band instead. Do they actually have pyro king snakes that look like that or is that just a very unique one or one at a particular stage before the bands become solid as an adult or something?

http://www.bigappleherp.com/Pyro-Kin...ve-Bred-Babies



I like the idea that the corn snakes are active as you've all told me.
The skittishness will be annoying but I can deal with that.
I like the Okeetee's color best of the corn snakes.


The Brazilian Rainbow Boas are neat & the temp I keep my house at is perfect for them but the humidity isn't. I'd have to put a bit of effort into keeping the humidity up in their tank.
I'm in AZ & it's always warm/hot here so I cool my house to 78-80 degrees but that's using an air conditioner which dries the air out & it's already really dry here in the desert.


I'm not sure what temps each of these snakes need. Would any of them need a basking light? Do they all need UVB lighting as well? I wouldn't need a heating pad for any of them would I?


Also does anyone know of any other really bright colorful easy to care for snakes? As bright or brighter than the okeetees?

Thanks for all the input/advice/insights you've all given so far. Please keep it coming. I want to make the right decision choosing my first snake.

Blood red corns are even brighter than the Okeetees. Sinaloan milksnakes are also really pretty, especially when you get into the abberant patterns. Pueblan and Nelson milksnakes also have good color.

I haven't owned many of the snakes mentioned aside from ball pythons, corn snakes and Kenyan sand boas.

Out of those 3, the corns are definitely the most active. Mine used to like weaving in and out of my hair. they calm down with handling and make very good pets. I recently sold my albino motley male to a 7yr old and he was very happy & the snake curled right up on him.