Happy Shoebox Sunday, Missians!
I know it's been a while since I've done a Sunday blog entry, so I decided to bring back some old school Missy Show and do one today. As promised in yesterday's show, I am doing this post to further expound on yesterday's pet trivia answers regarding which snakes make the best pets. So for those of you out there considering a pet snake, check out this information courtesy of www.reptileknowledge.com
So, you've decided to get a pet snake and now you're wondering which kind of snake to get. If so, I promise you will find this article helpful. I've listed below four of the best snakes to keep as pets based on my 25 years of snake keeping experience.
I've chosen what I feel are the best pet snakes based on four important criteria:
Pet Snake #1 - The Corn Snake
This snake shows up on a lot of people's lists of best pet snakes, and with good reason. Corn snakes meet all of the criteria I've outlined above: (A) they rarely grow to over six feet long, averaging just over five feet; (B) they have good temperaments and can easily be tamed when handled once a week or so; (C) they will generally accept frozen / thawed mice or rats on a consistent basis; and (D) they will generally live long, healthy lives if their basic needs are met.On top of all this, corn snakes come in a wide variety of color "morphs" with names such as snow, pewter, blood red, candy cane and creamsicle ... just to name a few.
It's hard to go wrong by choosing the corn snake as your type of pet snake! I put the corn snake on the top of my list of pet snakes -- especially for the first-time keeper.
Pet Snake #2 - The Kingsnake
There are actually a wide variety of kingsnake species and sub-species, and many of them make good pets for the reasons outlined above. The California kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula californiae) is one of the most common types of pet snakes in general, and one of the most popular kingsnakes among keepers. Other kingsnakes commonly kept as pets include the grey-banded kingsnake, the Florida kingsnake, and the mountain kingsnake varieties.
The kingsnake species mentioned above (and several others) meet the four criteria I've outlined for good snakes to keep as pets. Depending on the species, adult kingsnakes will average between four and six feet in length. They can be tamed easily, they eat well, and they do well in captivity.
Also, because of the wide variety of species and sub-species, you can get a pet kingsnake with many different colors. Some are speckled, some are striped, some are banded -- but all are interesting in their own way. The kingsnake is truly a great type of pet snake for any level of snake-keeper.
Pet Snake #3 - The Gopher Snake
I have an albino San Diego gopher snake (one of several gopher snake species), and I refer to him as my "ambassador" to the snake world. He is my ambassador because he has the best temperament of all my pet snakes. So he is the snake I get out whenever a curious -- but somewhat intimidated -- houseguest wants to learn about snakes. I tell them, "Wait right here. I've got just the snake for you to meet."
I've shared this story because it's indicative of gopher snake behavior. When you raise them by hand, they become extremely tame and are very predictable when outside of their enclosures.
Also, in the six+ years that I've had him, my gopher snake has only turned down a handful of meals ... out of hundreds of meals! Usually, it would be because he was going into shed. So that satisfies another of our pet snake criteria -- feeding behavior.
Gopher snakes reach an average adult length of just over six feet (though some species can grow a foot or so longer than that). Gopher snakes are the longest snakes on my list, but they are still a manageable size, and they do well in the 4' x 2' cages that you can find everywhere.
In addition to the San Diego gopher snake that I keep as a pet, there are Sonoran gopher snakes and Great Basin gopher snakes. While they don't come in as wide a variety of colors as corn snakes and kingsnakes, the gopher snakes are still beautiful to behold.
For all of these reasons, gopher snakes are an excellent type of pet snake for the novice and the experienced keeper alike.
Pet Snake #4 - The Ball Python
I've put the ball python last on my list of best types of snakes to keep as pets for one reason only. They can be a bit more finicky with their eating.
For example, I currently keep four ball pythons that are the same age and kept in the exact same types of conditions (cages, heat, etc.). Nevertheless, they all have their own eating habits. Two of them will eat frozen / thawed rats on a fairly consistent basis. One will sometimes eat frozen / thawed, and sometimes not. The last one has only eaten frozen / thawed rats once -- all the other times I've had to offer fresh rats. Yes, that means regular trips to the pet store!
As long as you accept this characteristic about ball pythons, and you're okay with it, then I would still recommend them as a pet snake. They are very docile and reluctant to bite (I've never even had one strike at me). They rarely get longer than five and a half feet. And they do well in captivity if you take care of their basic needs. In fact, they can live for 25 years or more in captivity. So be sure you're in it for the long haul if you choose a ball python as your type of pet snake.
Learn more about keeping ball pythons as pets.
We learned about four important criteria when choosing a pet snake:
Elsewhere on this website, you can find more interesting articles on types of snakes including the biggest snakes on the planet.
Read more: http://reptileknowledge.com/articles/article16.php#ixzz42n7YcvUb
Also be sure to read the scribol.com article on snakes as pets here:
http://scribol.com/lifestyle/pets/5-most-popular-pet-snakes
Just remember, as with any pet, take your time in making a choice and be sure to do thorough research!
I'll see you guys later in the week for more Missy Show blog posts. And remember this upcoming Saturday, our show is, "Beyond Dogs and Cats: Farm Animals as Pets" at our normal time of 5pm Central.
Have a great shoebox Sunday,
This is your host J,
signing off........................................................
I know it's been a while since I've done a Sunday blog entry, so I decided to bring back some old school Missy Show and do one today. As promised in yesterday's show, I am doing this post to further expound on yesterday's pet trivia answers regarding which snakes make the best pets. So for those of you out there considering a pet snake, check out this information courtesy of www.reptileknowledge.com
The 4 Best Snakes to Keep as Pets (In My Experience)
© 2015, Brandon Cornett | All rights reservedSo, you've decided to get a pet snake and now you're wondering which kind of snake to get. If so, I promise you will find this article helpful. I've listed below four of the best snakes to keep as pets based on my 25 years of snake keeping experience.
My Criteria for Best Snakes as Pets
Ask ten different snake keepers what the best types of pet snakes are, and you'll get ten different lists. That's because everyone has their own opinions and experiences. Regardless, I am willing to be the four snakes listed below come up on most of those lists!I've chosen what I feel are the best pet snakes based on four important criteria:
- Average adult size
- Temperament / behavior
- Feeding habits
- Health in captivity / hardiness
- Average Adult Size -- For health reasons, a snake should be able to stretch out two-thirds of its body length inside its own cage. So if your pet snake reaches an adult length of six feet, the snake should ideally have a cage that's around four feet in length. Adult snake size is important when you're talking about types of pet snakes, because most people have limited space in their home that they can dedicate to snake keeping. The longest snake on my list usually will not exceed six and a half feet in length.
- Temperament / Behavior -- Experienced snake keepers and breeders will sometimes work with "unruly" snakes. But such snakes don't make for good pets. So I've listed four types of snakes that generally have good temperaments (meaning they are reluctant bite and easy to tame).
- Feeding Habits -- If you're going to keep snakes as pets (regardless of the species), you are going to be handling rodents. There's no way around it. But it sure makes life easier when your pet snake readily eats frozen / thawed rodents, because you can buy them in bulk that way. Three out of the four snakes on my list will readily accept frozen / thawed rodents on a consistent basis. The fourth snake on my list (the ball python) can be a bit more "hit or miss" with regard to the foods they accept -- at least in my experience. But they are still an excellent type of pet snake so I've included them on my list.
- Health in Captivity / Hardiness -- Some snakes are difficult to keep in captivity, and are best left to the professionals. So when considering a type of snake to keep as a pet, you'll want to choose a snake species that does well in captivity from a health and wellness standpoint. The four pet snakes no my list will all thrive in captivity if their basics needs are met (proper temperature, clean cage, fresh water and regular feeding).
Best Types of Snakes to Keep as Pets
So those are the four criteria I used when making my list of best snakes to keep as pets. And now, without further ado, here are the four types of snakes I recommend as pets -- especially for the novice snake-keeper.Pet Snake #1 - The Corn Snake
This snake shows up on a lot of people's lists of best pet snakes, and with good reason. Corn snakes meet all of the criteria I've outlined above: (A) they rarely grow to over six feet long, averaging just over five feet; (B) they have good temperaments and can easily be tamed when handled once a week or so; (C) they will generally accept frozen / thawed mice or rats on a consistent basis; and (D) they will generally live long, healthy lives if their basic needs are met.On top of all this, corn snakes come in a wide variety of color "morphs" with names such as snow, pewter, blood red, candy cane and creamsicle ... just to name a few.
It's hard to go wrong by choosing the corn snake as your type of pet snake! I put the corn snake on the top of my list of pet snakes -- especially for the first-time keeper.
Pet Snake #2 - The Kingsnake
There are actually a wide variety of kingsnake species and sub-species, and many of them make good pets for the reasons outlined above. The California kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula californiae) is one of the most common types of pet snakes in general, and one of the most popular kingsnakes among keepers. Other kingsnakes commonly kept as pets include the grey-banded kingsnake, the Florida kingsnake, and the mountain kingsnake varieties.
The kingsnake species mentioned above (and several others) meet the four criteria I've outlined for good snakes to keep as pets. Depending on the species, adult kingsnakes will average between four and six feet in length. They can be tamed easily, they eat well, and they do well in captivity.
Also, because of the wide variety of species and sub-species, you can get a pet kingsnake with many different colors. Some are speckled, some are striped, some are banded -- but all are interesting in their own way. The kingsnake is truly a great type of pet snake for any level of snake-keeper.
Pet Snake #3 - The Gopher Snake
I have an albino San Diego gopher snake (one of several gopher snake species), and I refer to him as my "ambassador" to the snake world. He is my ambassador because he has the best temperament of all my pet snakes. So he is the snake I get out whenever a curious -- but somewhat intimidated -- houseguest wants to learn about snakes. I tell them, "Wait right here. I've got just the snake for you to meet."
I've shared this story because it's indicative of gopher snake behavior. When you raise them by hand, they become extremely tame and are very predictable when outside of their enclosures.
Also, in the six+ years that I've had him, my gopher snake has only turned down a handful of meals ... out of hundreds of meals! Usually, it would be because he was going into shed. So that satisfies another of our pet snake criteria -- feeding behavior.
Gopher snakes reach an average adult length of just over six feet (though some species can grow a foot or so longer than that). Gopher snakes are the longest snakes on my list, but they are still a manageable size, and they do well in the 4' x 2' cages that you can find everywhere.
In addition to the San Diego gopher snake that I keep as a pet, there are Sonoran gopher snakes and Great Basin gopher snakes. While they don't come in as wide a variety of colors as corn snakes and kingsnakes, the gopher snakes are still beautiful to behold.
For all of these reasons, gopher snakes are an excellent type of pet snake for the novice and the experienced keeper alike.
Pet Snake #4 - The Ball Python
I've put the ball python last on my list of best types of snakes to keep as pets for one reason only. They can be a bit more finicky with their eating.
For example, I currently keep four ball pythons that are the same age and kept in the exact same types of conditions (cages, heat, etc.). Nevertheless, they all have their own eating habits. Two of them will eat frozen / thawed rats on a fairly consistent basis. One will sometimes eat frozen / thawed, and sometimes not. The last one has only eaten frozen / thawed rats once -- all the other times I've had to offer fresh rats. Yes, that means regular trips to the pet store!
As long as you accept this characteristic about ball pythons, and you're okay with it, then I would still recommend them as a pet snake. They are very docile and reluctant to bite (I've never even had one strike at me). They rarely get longer than five and a half feet. And they do well in captivity if you take care of their basic needs. In fact, they can live for 25 years or more in captivity. So be sure you're in it for the long haul if you choose a ball python as your type of pet snake.
Learn more about keeping ball pythons as pets.
Best Types of Pet Snakes - Conclusion and Summary
So what have we learned here today? Well, I guess you could call it the lesson of fours.We learned about four important criteria when choosing a pet snake:
- Average adult size
- Temperament / behavior
- Feeding habits
- Health in captivity / hardiness
- Proper temperature
- Clean cage
- Fresh water
- Regular feeding
- The corn snake
- The kingsnake
- The gopher snake
- The ball python
Elsewhere on this website, you can find more interesting articles on types of snakes including the biggest snakes on the planet.
Read more: http://reptileknowledge.com/articles/article16.php#ixzz42n7YcvUb
Also be sure to read the scribol.com article on snakes as pets here:
http://scribol.com/lifestyle/pets/5-most-popular-pet-snakes
Just remember, as with any pet, take your time in making a choice and be sure to do thorough research!
I'll see you guys later in the week for more Missy Show blog posts. And remember this upcoming Saturday, our show is, "Beyond Dogs and Cats: Farm Animals as Pets" at our normal time of 5pm Central.
Have a great shoebox Sunday,
This is your host J,
signing off........................................................
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