i really want to add a snake to my little animal family. originally I had always first though of ball pythons, but after working in a petshop and being snapped at alot and almost bitten in the face, i'm not so sure. maybe they were just very stressed. i have alot of experience with reptiles and other animals, but what would you reccomend as a good beginner snake?

Corn, king, rat. Balls are good, but not really a starter for one they can be picky eaters. Mine have struck at me once due to my hand smelling like a rat lol. The petshop ones were most likey stressed and smelled rats.

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must it be a python? Well as for ball pythons....they are actually known to be very placid snakes...the ones you dealt with were definetly stressed and most probably wild caught. If you purchase a ball python that is captive bred and eating very well it would make a fine pet! Mine has never snapped at anyone ever! You must be warned though...i would not recomend them as a first snake, but if you must...just be warned they are known to be problem feeders..going on really long fasts for no reason. But I love them tho

A corn, king snake, brown house snake would be a really good beginner snake. But if you really want a boid...BP are good if captive bred and eating f/t.

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Don't be jealous the voices only speak to me...

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thanks for the suggestions.

nice AFI signature

Looks like Dev and Nate covered that question, lol. I agree with corns. My first was a ball python but learned the hard way about them being picky eaters, going months without eating and stressin me out

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MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

Ball pythons are great snakes and very docile. I let my grandkids handle mine and they have never struck. The snakes must be very stressed.
BPs could be a great first snake if not for the erratic eating traits. The first winter drove me crazy. My male stopped feeding in November and didn't start up again until May. If you think you can deal with fasts like that I would say go ahead and get one. They are a great sit around the house and chill out snake. The colubrids such as a cornshake are wonderful beginers snakes as well. In fact it is probably the best first snake. However they are a bit squirmy and much more active and physically more delicate than a BP. Bps are hefty and corns are thin little worms. If you lay them down and take your eyes off of them they are GONE!
The choice pretty much depends on what type of snake and what behaviors appeal to you.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

haha merlin said it! I was not gonna...but I have to confess...i do not like corns lol. Ball Pythons rock!

but as for the easiest snake to keep for a first snake...corn snakes...they have to win.

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Don't be jealous the voices only speak to me...

www.herprecon.org

Actually Dev, I keep both corns and BPs... And love both species.
Depending on what sort of mood I am in I have snakes to actively handle or snakes to just hang out with.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

well I have kept kingsnakes, house snakes etc....but for me prefer the lazy fat ball pythons lol... corns are cool snakes, just not for me. They are definetly the perfect snake to start off with!

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Don't be jealous the voices only speak to me...

www.herprecon.org

Corn are more active as babies and harder to hang on to. Our baby ball just sits in your hand or curls around your wrist. The baby corns you have to have two hands on at all time as they try to escape. Our 3-4 year old corn will just curl around you arm and be content. I wish all my corn were adults LOL.

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Colleen