Quote Originally Posted by sschind View Post
If anything, I think this debate has proven that there is no such thing as a "best beginner snake" What is best for one may not fit the needs of others. Corn snakes, garter snakes, king snakes, milk snakes, ball pythons, boa constrictors, all of these can make excellent first snakes if the conditions for keeping each one can be met. And for my fellow smelt eater Gertie I will add hoggies to the list.

I know the OP had a few guidelines that would certainly preclude many snakes as being the best for him so much of what I will say now does not apply in this case, but it is just something for you to think about the next time someone asks "what is the best beginner snake?"

One of the things I think most people overlook when suggesting a first snake is the "want" factor. What kind of snake do you want? No snake is going to be good for you if you don't want it. If you let someone talk you into something you don't want there is a much greater likelihood that you will end up not taking care of it. I had a lady come in with her 16 year old son looking for a snake. He had his heart set on a ball python, she was adamant that he wasn't going to get one. He had done his homework and I felt that there was no reason why he wouldn't succeed with a ball but since mom was buying she won out and he got a corn snake. Less than a year later she brought the snake back because he wasn't taking care of it.
"See, I knew he wouldn't take care of it, its a good thing corns are so tough, the python probably would have died the way he looked after it" the kid moved out of his parents house the day after his 18th birthday and on his way to his new apartment he stopped in and bought a ball python. That was 6 years ago. He now has 11 ball pythons. He has bred albinos, pastels and spiders and he is working on pieds and ghosts, and his mom gushes over what he has accomplished every time she comes in and every time she tells me how wrong she was in insisting he get a corn snake. She even has one of his snakes. The first one he ever hatched out. I know, I know, its a real Hallmark moment. I'll pause a bit to allow you to wipe away the tear.

Seriously though, the very first question I ask when people come in to buy a snake is "what kind of snake are you looking for" If someone were to come in and say "I am looking for a snake" I think it would be very short sighted and irresponsible for me to to say " Well, the corn snake is the best beginner snake there is" without getting more information.

Obviously, just because someone wants something really bad doesn't mean it is the best one. I wouldn't recommend a rock python or a green anaconda for anyone much less a beginner no matter how bad he or she wanted it. Some sort of common sense has to come into play.

Of course, it should go without saying that people looking for a first snake should not be considering anything other than a well established, healthy and reliably feeding animal. Statements like "Ball pythons can be tough to get feeding" really are not relevant because no one in their situation should be considering a snake that is not already feeding. Some things that may make a snake unsuitable (hard to get feeding for example) are inconsequential once the snake is established. Also, the periodic fasts that some snakes can go on is also not necessarily a bad thing if the person is aware of it. Certainly it can be disconcerting for the first time ball python owner when, after two years of eating every week, his snake suddenly refuses a meal in late October and does not eat again until mid March. I have people calling me every fall, some in full panic mode, expressing concerns over this very issue. I ask a few questions, sometimes they bring the snake in, and once any irregularities are ruled out I can fairly confidently advise them not to worry, the snake will start eating again when it is ready. If they are aware of this potential development in advance, the shock is less severe when and if it comes.

I have sold corns, kings, mt. kings, balls, and boas as first snakes to people. All of them had demonstrated to me that they knew what was involved in the purchase and none of them led me to believe that they wouldn't succeed. Did they all work out? No, of course not. People change their minds. People lose interest. Other things become more important in their lives. Still, we can't know that and it is up to us, when they come to us for advice, to give them the best advice we can. We can't give them the best advice if we don't know all their needs and we certainly can't give them the best advice if we are not open minded enough to know that there can be more than one answer to some of the questions.
BRAVO…BRAVOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to explain what options are available to me. I certainly appreciate hearing your personal experiences with these species. You guys & gals ROCK!!!