Help! I want to buy a snake for my boyfriend, however, I am not thrilled about the idea of feeding mice. I have spoken to a few people who have said that garter snakes will eat goldfish, but they make lousy pets. What I am looking for is basically a fairly small snake, that preferably doesn't eat anything small, cute, and fuzzy, that will make a good pet, and that isn't going to cost too much. Is that too much to ask? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Our anniversary is Saturday and I would like to buy one before then. Thanks!
I'd say go for a corn snake. While it's young it eats baby mice, and trust me, they aren't cute or too fuzzy. Corn snake's make great pets and they are quite cheap. I heard you can feed them lizards too...but when you buy a corn snake it'd likely be started on mice, so it'll be difficult to change it over to lizards. So, I strongly recommend the corn snake.
Thanks Matt, that's what alot of people are saying. I just don't know if I, or even he for that matter, could feed a mouse. I know, that goes along with owning a snake, but we are both pretty queazy about it. We have both had mice and rats as pets, so we kind of look at them differently. Corn snakes don't do well on let's say....earthworms?
I felt the same way about feeding mice to the snake, but we use the frozen mice. They are sooo tiny...newborn, hairless....no big deal at all. My six year old loves hamsters, mice, etc..and he doesn't have a problem feeding his snake.
Someone just told me about a Green Snake, and that it is an insect eater. Does anyone know anything about these snakes?
Might I sugest instead of a snake, that maybe a lizard might be better to go with? For the most part, crickets and worms. From what I have quick searched found on green snakes.. they are illegal to have for the most part because they are endangered.
I agree with Lisa, feeding frozen pinkies or fuzzies to your snake doesn't even feel like you're feeding another animal to your snake. I wouldn't go with a lizard just because I find snakes to be more fun than lizards.
Actually, it's the opposite. Corns are very keen to lizard scent, and one way of trying to get a corn to eat frozen mice (after being raised on live), is to rub lizard guts on the mice. Only problem is, Mice are usually about 50-75% cheaper than lizards.
if i were you then i would get a ball python. they do not get very big and there are very nice and tamed easily.
Excuse me, but bp's can get up to 6 feet and if it scents mice on you it will try to eat you at that size.... A milksnake makes a good snake pet. There cheap too. Well on the internet. Like from lllreptile. Yah they eat mice, but they don't get that big. 4 feet usually max. And they don't get to fat ether. if you do get a cornsnake, you don't have to get a lizards guts on the rat. Just rub a live lizard on the rat alil bit. I would wonder why you would rather feed a lizard to a snake more then a rat... not all rats are cute. Atleast in my view.
Once you raise a baby snake for awhile, you will have no problems feeding mice. I have mice, rats, chinchillas, and other soft fuzzy mammals as pet as well, and I had a problem at first too. But once you see yoru first frozen pinkie, you wil have no problem, they are the uglyest, creepiest things. The green snake will eat insects. I have 2 rough green snakes and they live well in cricks, superworms, and the ocassioal earthworm. But if your lookign to be able to handle your snake any, they are not the way to go. They are way to skittish, and fragil. I would still suggest the corn, and get a hachling so you start with pinkies and work your way up. Let us know how it goes, and what you end up doing.
Excuse me! but, I own several corns, hognose, and a ball python.. as do several of my friends. I have yet to own or see a ball at six feet....they are a four foot on average snake. They do get a little thicker than the corn snake, but, my corns are by far longer. The ball's like a smaller encloser than a corn, as well as the hognose ( if space is your concern too) the hognose are so cute!, and they reach a size of between 18-24 inches, and two can live out their days in a 20 gallon tank. Yes, they do all eat mice, and believe me when I say you will get over it! I have three kids, and we have had every critter under the sun... mice, rats, etc...they don't have any problem watching or feeding their snake... the newest addition to the family is another ball, I breed all the others, but my son insisted on a ball... my biggest suggestion would be to get whatever your choice of snake is.....ball, corn, hognose, milk, etc... get it young, and handle it fairly often...snakes left alone too long, can get skitterish, and then you might get a defensive reaction ( wouldn't you, if you saw something strange coming at you?) Oh, and when you do get your snake of choice.....please invest in a inexpensive pair of needle nose clamps, 18" or longer. Use these everytime you feed your snake, it will prevent any confusion for your snake associating your fingers with food! I have never fed my snakes by hand, and have never been bitten. My two cents.....
Ill give you the url or the 2 that has reports on this. You may not have seen one but there are some...
Well If you don't want to feed mice get a hognose. They will take lizards or toads quite readily. Good luck finding food though. Lizards probably won' t be to hard to find (frozen or otherwize) but I haven' t seen anyone sell frozen toads. I personally prefer feeding mice because it is cheaper and easier. But whatever you get be 100% sure that it will get fed. I would hate to see a animal starve to deathy because someone feels that feeding it is sick.
If you don't want a snake that eats mice than I would go for a Kingsnake. They eat mice but they will willingly take an anole or a green snake. Feeding those could be expensive unless you live down south where you can catch them whenever you feel like it.
Feeding a captive snake ANYTHING caught in the wild is BAD!!!! Wild caught "critters" carry parasites and a whole plethora of other things..... always try to feed frozen thawed rodents!
