What snake should i buy

Do not think about the answers too long. If you think you answered incorrectly, you can always go back to any question and change your answer. Are you wondering which type of snake will suit you best? These entertaining quiz questions will help you to determine which species of snake is right for you.

All Rights Reserved. Wild-caught snakes can be more difficult to handle and are often prone to parasites and diseases. Native to Australia, this nocturnal snake was named after scientist John George Children. These snakes love climbing and exploring, and they also like relaxing in hiding spots and plants. These pythons come in a variety of colors, patterns and sizes; some get up to 12 feet in length.

The carpet python loves hanging out on trees and on limbs. Carpet pythons can live up to 20 years. Our next snake is the gopher snake, which is often seen in western North America. There are nine subspecies, including the bull snake. These hardy snakes come in a variety of colors, and they can grow to about three to six feet in length. They love to bask in the sun, so provide a basking lamp. Gopher snakes can live up to 20 years. Another example of the best snake pets is the milk snake, which is a different species from the king snake.

Native to the U. Like the gopher snake, though, milk snakes are non-venomous and are actually praised for their docile temperament.

Milk snakes have long, slender bodies and can range from one to six feet in length, making them a smaller snake to consider. Please note that milk snakes can eat each other, so try to keep them separated. Milk snakes can live up to 20 years. As one of the most common snakes in the U. Though they are often found in the wild, these snakes are amazing in captivity and have tame, docile temperaments. The Smooth Green has similar care requirements and temperament to its relative the Rough Green Snake also featured in this list.

What makes this pet rank lower on the list is its availability. They are harder to come by as captive bred animals. There are only a handful of breeders and wild caught as well as being illegal to keep can be more problematic for many reasons. If you are a beginner and manage to get a hold of a good Smooth Green, they can make a great choice.

Although they cannot be handled frequently, their small size makes for easy husbandry, quick feeding and a great learning experience.

The longest it may live is 15 years, and their cost will vary depending on where they come from. The Ringneck is another native snake to North America and has a distinct yellow or orange ring on their neck as their name implies.

These snakes commonly eat earthworms and need more husbandry e. They are usually docile and tolerate handling for short periods of time; but may become irritated if they are handled for several minutes with no break. Although they carry venom to harm their prey, this venom is not dangerous to humans. Their mouths and teeth are very small, so any attempts to bite your finger will be ineffectively harmful.

Because they are not as popular as other pet snakes, they are relatively uncommon. The Rainbow Boa is native to South America and is not usually recommended to beginners for its shy and nippy behavior, but has landed a spot on this list for its other redeeming qualities.

First and foremost, Rainbow Boas are widely known and appreciated for their stunning colors. In the right light, they have a shiny, iridescent gleam to their skin. They require specialized husbandry and specific tank conditions of high heat and humidity because of their natural tropical habitat. They may be nippy and shy as babies, but the right Rainbow Boa can tame down as an adult with frequent handling.

They may be more high maintenance, but the reward of a gorgeous reptile is a high one if the right amount of time and patience is put into their care. Best for a beginner who is ready for a big commitment and to learn about correct handling. Rainbow Boas are typically feet long and can live to be more than 20 years old. The Carpet Python is native to Australia and comes in a variety of colors and several species.

This Python is a bit longer than most snakes, reaching These snakes follow most of the same husbandry requirements as others on this list in terms of: temperature, lighting, and feeding. They will need high temperatures, regular lighting, and eat rodents. Baby and juvenile Carpet Pythons tend to be very nippy , but if they grow up being handled frequently, they tend to be more tolerant as adults. Most beginners love them for their great variety of colors. The Brown House is native to Africa and is a length of between feet long.

They eat mostly rodents and have the basic care and husbandry requirements of most other snakes. They generally have good dispositions and are easily handled after they have been acclimated to their new home.

Their habitat does not need to be as large as the tanks of other species because of their small size barely reaching a foot long. This species is found throughout North America and does not require high temperatures making their husbandry very easy.

Because they are so little , they eat insects and earthworms rather than small mammals. Overall, the husbandry of this pet is on the easier side, depending on your management style, and they tolerate infrequent, gentle handling.

They are certainly manageable for a beginner with the right husbandry. The African Egg-Eating Snake, as its name suggests, feasts on bird eggs and nothing else. This is a rare and very specific feeding requirement. It is one of the few disadvantages of owning this snake. This species is not terribly large, spanning Feeding this snake in captivity is one of the most difficult parts of their husbandry. They should have finch or quail eggs as chicken eggs are too large.

However, this may bode well for you if you do not want to feed rodents. They come from arid environments, so they do not need to have high humidity like most species. Other than this, they have a passive manner of defending themselves, relying on mimicking the colors of more dangerous reptiles rather than attempting to bite. Once they have been handled frequently, they are calm, docile, and are easily handled by a beginner. The Rat Snake , though not as popular, is very closely related to the Corn Snake, sharing the same genus Pantherophis.

Average sized, reaching feet, they are commonly found throughout the United States. They commonly eat rodents and tend to live in wooded areas or in barns.

My enclosure is a gallon with a screened top, an under tank heat pad, a ceramic water bowl, two hides paper towel roll and a commercial hide and aspen substrate. They can live for a long time. Here in Southern California, the California kingsnake is popular both in the trade and to observe in the wild. They are also super popular beginner snakes, though they can be a bit nippy if not handled often enough. In the wild, these snakes are fairly opportunistic feeders, eagerly hunting down and eating other snakes, including venomous snakes, small rodents, lizards, birds, and even bird eggs.

You can house one in a gallon enclosure with a screened top, a hide and suitable substrate. An under tank heater optimized for your tank size is necessary to help the snake thermoregulate and aid in digestion. No special lighting is required to keep this species. Feed hatchling kingsnakes appropriately sized pinky mice no wider than the girth of the snake and as they grow, your feeders should grow with them Pinkies, then fuzzies, hoppers, then small mice, and then adult mice, depending on how big the snake gets.

Adult snakes can be fed frozen thawed mice or even frozen thawed rat pups. Other than coloration, they are all Lampropeltis getula californiae. Read the California Kingsnake Care Sheet here. The rosy boa Lichanura trivirgata , though not as popular as the corn snake or the California kingsnake, is still a popular pet snake in the hobby. They are not typically found in the big box retail pet stores, where you can readily find corn snakes and ball pythons.

My best friend growing up had a rosy boa that lived 16 years. Like ball pythons and corn snakes, rosy boas come a a variety of colors. The rosy boa enclosure, as with all snake enclosures, should be escape proof. Also, because rosy boas are often looking for an escape route, a screened top is not recommended, as they can abrade their noses. A gallon enclosure is ideal for adult rosy boas while hatchlings can be started in small shoeboxes or other similarly sized enclosure. For substrate, you can use newspaper, paper towels or aspen bedding.

About two inches of substrate will enable your rosy boa to burrow.