What is the best beginner snake?

[drache]

I'd say a good beginner snake is different for an adult than for a child
when I got our first snake ostensibly for Mikhaila, I got the 5' king from the rescue, because I figured, she wasn't going to hurt it accidentally

[Bay_area]

awsome Retic there, how long is it? and how long have you had it?.......

Thanks, He is about 15+feet & I bought him fromm LLL Reptiles when it was a baby 4 years ago.

[enigma200316]

Thanks, He is about 15+feet & I bought him fromm LLL Reptiles when it was a baby 4 years ago.

wow, I love pythons and boa's they were my first snakes I ever had, now you make me want to get another, but I just don't have the room right now.......

[zooplan]

I think there is no snake best for a beginner.
Or even no beginner is best for any snake
Best is a book for a beginner!
When you have a nice collection of books, it´s the right time to start on life animals.

[Snaky]

In my opinion you don't buy a snake because it's a beginner snake... I wonder if you'd really have the best interest for the snake if you buy it with that intention. And how long will you be keeping the snake if that's just a snake to get you started...

I think there are good starters in every genus, it all depends what you're interested in. Just look everything up and visit some keepers, get informed and go for that first snake for 100%.

[drache]

you know
it probably all depends
I think there are snakes that are more appropriate for children of busy parents than others
there's a big difference between an adult beginner who can read things peppered with scientific terms, and a child who may have every good intention, but just not quite the skills to do it all on their own
there are people who love futzing with the specifics and there are some who prefer just having an easy to care for animal that they get to spend lots of time with

[Stefan-A]

I don't think any animal is really appropriate for children to begin with. Ultimately, it's the adult that has to take responsibility for the animal, and at least the adult has to know how to take care of it. Well, it's really just a matter of opinion, but I don't think it's reasonable to expect a child to take full responsibilty for an animal. None of this applies to anybody here, you all know how to take care of snakes, but try to imagine any random family with a kid who wants a snake. I've had plenty of pets in my youth that my parents knew absolutely nothing about, but of course you have to wonder if that was a good idea. I'm not convinced it was.



The ideal pet snake for a child is a big, aggressive rat snake. At least it won't end up like one of Lennie's mice.

[zooplan]

In Germany you must not sell any animal to a child until it is 16 years old.
So it´s very clear the adult that has to take responsibility.
But there are some parents too that buy snakes for thier chlidren in opposite to the fact that they really don´t like even to stay in the same room with a snake.

[Stefan-A]

We do have a similar law here, but I think the age limit is 18. Anyway, that law certainly never stopped any store from selling me any animals when I was a kid. In my opinion, the parent has the right and the obligation to say no, if he or she isn't prepared to take complete or even shared responsibility for an animal.

[drache]

that being said
a snake that may seem boring to us, may seem perfect for family where one person wants the pet, but another has to be responsible for it
it would never occur to me to get something for Mikhaila, I wasn't willing to take care of myself
there are children who have that perfect mindset to do it on their own, but that's pretty rare