So you want a pet snake, huh? Well, as much as we love all snakes at Snake Buddies, it is important to remember that there are many variables to consider before buying your scaly critter. Most first time snake shoppers will simply pick out the one that appeals to them the most, aesthetically. Looks are certainly important, but there are other factors that should not be overlooked when deciding which one may be the best for you.

 

In this article we will discuss several aspects that one should take into account before handing over the credit card. Admittedly, there are many topics we will not cover for the sake of keeping the article readable and simple. Please understand that each individual animal may have its own personality and buck the trend entirely as well.

 

Today we will take a look at 10 of the most commonly available snakes in the pet trade. It should be noted that, when grouping snakes of multiple varieties together, there is an ample amount of wiggle room and subjectivity. My OPINIONS are the result of personal experience only, and though debatable, should be considered as “approximately” correct. Please don’t take it personally if I’ve rated your favorite snake toward the bottom of any certain category, as ALL of the snakes we look at today can make excellent pets for the right person.

 

The categories we look at today, will be hardiness, temperament, cost, feeding issues, breeding success, variety of colors, and size. Some of these factors, (i.e. cost and size) may be very important to you, while others (breeding success and color morphs) may not matter at all, so you are welcome and encouraged to add or subtract points based on those components that matter to you personally.

 

First, lets give some detail to each of these categories to help you understand how they might apply to your purchase.

 

Hardiness – This topic has to do with how healthy your snake is likely to be so long as you provide it with all necessary husbandry requirements and care it needs. It may also be an indicator of how likely your pet may be to survive if you happen to drop the ball at some time. Simply put, some snakes are easier to take care of, and can handle wider swings of consistency than others. If you worry that you may not be able to provide optimal care for your new pet, both you and the snake would be better off if the purchase is not made. However, a hardy pet will be more likely to survive, should you temporarily lose focus.

 

Temperament – In short, some snake species are quite docile, while others can be exceptionally nervous and shy. Regular handling of your pet will likely help it become “tamer”, but be aware that during this transition, you may need to be prepared for the occasional attempt to escape, bite, musk or even poop while being held. If you wish to avoid these experiences, your odds will improve with a more laid back species.

 

Cost – Depending on the species, gender, color and age of your pet, you can expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $100 for regularly available specimens of the snakes we have highlighted. For less common morphs, you can pay a great deal more!!! Please be aware that this is the cost of the snake only! Be prepared to spend more on an appropriate cage, bedding, heat source and place to hide etc. Some snake do require larger cages than others adding expense to your pet purchase.

 

Feeding issues – This category can be looked at in several different ways. Your snake may be prone to go off feed every once in a while making it very difficult to get it to start eating again. Perhaps you decide on a Garter Snake, and must resort to feeding it fish. Or maybe you have that great eater, that assumes you want to feed it every time you open his cage and comes out mouth open and ready to bite whatever it sees first!! Most of these issues can be dealt with, but should be a consideration for a new snake owner.

 

Breeding success – Most of us buy a pet because we like it and want to take care of it, but some of us have hopes to produce our own at some point down the road. Breeding snakes can be a trial if you have King snakes that would rather eat each other than mate. Perhaps you have snakes that simply don’t express interest in one another, or maybe you’ve successfully bred them, they’ve laid eggs that have hatched, but now the babies refuse to eat. If you plan to try breeding for the first time, it might save you some grief by starting with any easy one.

 

Variety of colors – This one is pretty self-explanatory, but you are more likely to find a rainbow of colors and patterns amongst Corn Snakes and Ball Pythons than you are with aMountain King or a Garter. This can also come in to play if you plan to breed your snakes down the road.

 

Size – There is no good size or bad size of snake, just make sure to purchase one that will fit your preference as an adult. For the purpose of the spreadsheet below, a “1” indicates the smallest snake, and a “10” represents the largest.

 

Rating system – We will be looking at 10 families of snakes, and 7 purchasing factors. Each snake will be rated 1 – 10 amongst its peers in each category. For all factors, a “1” will be given to the snake with the most “appealing” trait, while a “10” will be given to the animal with the least desirable tendency. There is a sum of all scores in the last column. The snake with the lowest total score would, all things being considered, make a better first snake, than the snake with the highest score.