Any age group can enjoy and enjoy the experience of choosing a pet snake. This list will assist you in finding the ideal snake, whether you are an aspiring herpetologist, hoping to join the 4.5 million households that already have reptiles, or a more seasoned handler searching for a starter snake.
Snakes differ significantly from pets and cattle. They have highly varied husbandry and care requirements as a result. Selecting a snake for a beginner can be challenging. You require one that is most suited to your capacity for handling and care. Here, we’ll talk about the top 10 pet snakes that novice handlers may take care of in terms of cost, temperament, and simplicity of maintenance.
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Smooth Green Snake
Like its rough counterpart, this snake is endemic to North America and has an extremely lean build.
It can be fed insects and kept in a tiny habitat (like a 10 gallon vivarium), but it doesn’t handle prolonged handling well. They work well for people who want to maintain a reptile primarily for exhibition purposes rather than as a pet.
The Smooth Green Snake’s disposition and care needs are similar to those of its relative, the Rough Green Snake (also featured in this list). The availability of this pet lowers its ranking on the list.
Ringneck Snake
Another North American native snake with a distinctive yellow or orange ring on its neck is the ringneck (as their name implies).
They are tiny, measuring only a foot on average.
These snakes require more care (such as appropriate heating and lighting) than most others on this list because they frequently consume earthworms. They are typically calm and will put up with brief durations of handling, but if this happens repeatedly without a break, they may grow agitated.
Despite the fact that they carry venom to hurt their prey, this venom is non-harmful to humans. Any efforts to bite your finger will be ineffective because of their tiny mouths and teeth.
Rainbow Boa
Although it is not typically suggested for beginners due to its shy and spiky demeanor, the Rainbow Boa, a native of South America, has earned a spot on this list due to its other redeeming traits.
The most well-known and admired feature of Rainbow Boas is undoubtedly their breathtaking colors. They have skin that shines and gleams iridescently in the right light.
Due to their natural tropical habitat, they require specialist care and unique tank conditions that include extreme heat and humidity. With frequent handling, the right Rainbow Boa can become less aggressive and timid as an adult.
Carpet Python
The Carpet Python is a native of Australia and is found in several types and colors. The typical length of this Python is 6-6.5 feet, making it slightly longer than most snakes.
These snakes adhere to many of the same temperature, lighting, and feeding guidelines as other species on this list. They will require hot conditions, consistent lighting, and rodent prey.
infant and young Although carpet pythons are regularly handled when they are growing up, this makes them less aggressive as adults.
It is for this reason that some beginners like to start with a tamer choice, but this isn’t to say that a good Carpet Python won’t be a good pet for most.
Cape House Snake
The Brown House is a native of Africa and is 2-4 feet in length. They mostly consume rodents and have similar care and husbandry needs as the majority of other snakes.
The Brown House is a wonderful starting snake that typically costs $60-$150 USD, despite not being a very popular option.
Once they have adjusted to their new home, they typically have pleasant personalities and are manageable. Since they aren’t particularly big, they shouldn’t bite you in a dangerous way.
Dekay’s Brown Snake
Many experts concur that the appropriate Dekay’s Brown can make an excellent first snake for any beginner, despite the fact that herpetologists do not generally consider it to be a good first snake.
Due to their modest size, their environment does not need to be as large as the tanks of other species (barely reaching a foot long).
It is relatively simple to maintain this species because it is widespread throughout North America and does not require high temperatures. The Dekay’s Brown Snake is a naturally curious snake, therefore touching or human interaction rarely stresses them out.
They don’t consume tiny mammals since they are so little; instead, they devour insects and earthworms.