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 Curious about what your options are when looking for an easy to keep species?  Here is a list and review of the most common species seen in pet stores; to see how they rate as the best snake to start off with.  They will be rated on husbandry (how easy they are to care for), personality (how docile or prone to biting), Size, Caging, feeding, color (how attractive they are, and if there are morphs available), and price/availability.

*Reviews are based off of mine and other's experience with the species, and this information alone should not be used as the main deciding factor, but to list out what all is available and what they're like, so the species can be further researched.  Also remember that this information is about the species as a whole, but there always are individuals within a species who differ from the group.*

**Check your local laws; many of the species here could be native and many places native species are illegal to keep*

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 The Species

Ball python, Blood python and short-tail python, Boa constrictor (red-tail boa), Bull/Pine/Gopher Snake, Burmese python, California kingsnake, Carpet pythons, Children's python, Cornsnake, Garter snake, Green tree snake (Rough/Smooth), Hognose (Western/Eastern), Other Kingsnakes, Milksnakes, New world ratsnakes, Old world ratsnakes, Rainbow boas, Reticulated python, Ribbon snake, Rosy boa, Sand boa (Kenyan), Tree boas/pythons (green tree, emerald tree, amazon). ~ Outcome

 

 

 

Ball Python
Python regius - Also called the royal python.  Native to Central and Western Africa, these snakes are short and big bodied.

Husbandry - Not hard to care for, however they are very touchy with errors.  Many wont eat if the temps are a few degrees off, and if the humidity isn't right there will be shedding problems.  They are prone to getting sick easier then other species.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Personality - Generally they are very shy; they get their name from their habit of rolling into a ball when scared.  Most, but not all, are reluctant to bite.  Slow moving and gentle, so handling them is very easy.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Size - 3-5 feet on average, with males usually staying at the smaller end.  They are quite girthy, especially the large females.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Caging - The smallest males can live comfortably in a 20 gallon, however a 30-40 gallon is much better.  Long 3' plastic containers work great too.  They are one species who much prefer smaller enclosures over large ones, so less room then you would think they want is better.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Feeding - They can be picky; if their husbandry isn't right many will refuse to eat, which is the most common reason.  Some, especially those not captive bred, have a preference to one particular rodent (gerbils, African soft-furred rats) or color of rodent (black or brown).  Some may also need the aid of scenting with chicken to get them to eat.  Some balls like a certain rodent so much that they will refuse to eat anything else, so its important not to try new things if they're eating fine on rats or mice.  Balls will often skip feedings, especially if they are fed large meals; and many will completely stop eating during the winter.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Color - Normal coloration is different shades of brown, black, yellow, and white, with swirvy almost alien-like patterns.  There are a ton of morphs out there, however they have a huge price tag; a good thing to look into for an investment breeding project. but not very economical for just a pretty pet snake.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Very common; with prices from $25 to $100 for a normal depending on where (pet stores always charge more), and if its captive bred or imported (captive hatched, farm raised, and wild caught will always cost less).  For the morphs pastels are the cheapest, with males about $200, others can go as high as multiple thousands (most morphs are not under $500).	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Overall - Balls are one of the most common pet snakes out there.  They are larger bodied but still stay small, making them very easy to handle.  They are a wonderful introductory species to the most common problems found in keeping snakes.  There are a lot of people who have problems with their balls, mainly with getting them to eat; but to prevent this buy one captive breed that has a great feeding record.	Overall Rating: 4/5 Stars

 

 

 

Blood Python and Short-tail Python
Python curtus - Medium length large bodied snakes, native to Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo.

Husbandry - Extremely touchy and very prone to getting sick; their setup has to be just right for them to thrive.	Rating: 1/5 Stars
Personality - Known for being nippy, especially as babies; have seen many handleable adults though.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Size - 4-6 feet on average, depending on species and gender.  Black bloods are usually the smallest, and males generally stay smaller and less girthy then females.  These are huge snakes in short bodies, their girth can just be massive.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Caging - Most people overestimate the size of their enclosure.  Many of these snakes don't do well in what other snakes their size would find a comfortable amount of room.  They need close quarters, room enough for just a hide and a water dish.  They are ambush predators, spending most of their time in one spot waiting.  The size of the enclosure depends on the species.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Feeding - When setup properly they feed well; adults taking rats and rabbits.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Color - Very beautiful unique colors, ranging from blacks, browns, yellows, whites, and reds; depending on the species.  There are some morphs out there but still rare and expensive.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Less common and higher priced (some species more then others).	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Overall - These beautiful snakes are much more of an intermediate species do to their exact husbandry needs, size, and temperament.	Overall Rating: 2/5 Stars

 

 

 

Boa Constrictor (red-tail boa)
Boa constrictor imperator/Boa constrictor constrictor - Medium sized girth snake from Central and South America.

Husbandry - Quite easy, they are a lot less touchy about changes and errors then ball pythons.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Personality - Babies can be nippy, but most adults are very gentle and handle without a problem.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Size - 6-8+ feet, males usually smaller while females are larger, some getting over 10 feet.  They are bigger bodied too, especially females.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Caging - Boas will need special caging because of their size.  4'x2' is fine for all but the biggest ones; and giving them a little hight never hurts, even as adults they enjoy climbing.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Feeding - Good feeders; most adults do well on large rats, but small rabbits are used too.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Color - Shades of browns, grays, and yellows, often with deep red on their tails.  Some can develop pinks and peaches.  Morphs and selective bred varieties available, but often costly.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Pretty common, although especially in pet stores they come at a higher price; normals usually around $40-$200.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Overall - There are two main subspecies out there; Boa constrictor imperator and Boa constrictor constrictor.  B.c.i.'s are the most common (also called common or Columbian boas).  B.c.c.'s are harder to find and draw in a higher price tag, and are usually locality specific.  They are known as the 'true red tails'; pet stores however in order to increase sales and up prices tagged on the name red-tail to the commons they sell, so these days red-tail is more a term for commons.  If you don't know what of the two species the boa is, then its nearly 100% a common B.c.i.;  B.c.c.'s will almost always be sold with their name, locality, and higher price, so when getting one you will know exactly what your getting. As for pets, boas make great choices for those prepared to deal with a larger snake; if it wasn't for their size they would outrank balls for their ease of care.  Before deciding to get one know exactly what your going to do about adult caging, whether building one or buying one; large snakes are not something to buy first and figure out later.  If size is more of an issue, go with a male; Central American boas usually stay a bit smaller; Hog Island boas also stay smaller and are a very beautiful but harder to find and more expensive choice.	Overall Rating: 3/5 Stars

 

 

 

Bull/Pine/Gopher Snakes
Pituophis Sp. - Large colubrids native to North America.

Husbandry - Pretty simple, basic NA colubrid husbandry.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Personality - Very tough snakes; strong willed and opinionated.  Most are fine though when used to handling, but some wont hold back from telling you they don't like you.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Size - 4-6 feet depending on the species, with a good amount of body mass to them too; one of the longer snake species in the states.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Caging - 20 gallon or bigger, depending on the species and the individual's size.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Feeding - Usually aggressive feeders, some getting large enough to take rats.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Color - Pretty, but not too bright or flashy.  Most are browns, blacks, and yellows.  Some nice morphs available that are usually pretty affordable, along with locality specific lines.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Not seen too common in pet stores, but still quite affordable.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Overall - Good snakes for those who want a more uncommon species who doesn't mind the possibility of a hot-headed snake.  The different species and subspecies all have different looks and qualities to them, making it an over all nice variable group to get into.	Overall Rating: 3/5 Stars

 

 

Burmese Python
Python molurus bivittatus - Giant heavy bodied snakes from Southeast Asia.

Husbandry - Fairly tolerant to husbandry mistakes, however it can be costly and challenging giving such a big snake the right setup.  The are prone to upper respiratory infections though, so mistakes shouldn't be a commonplace.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Personality - Hatchlings can be very nippy, but adults are often known as gentle giants.  Always remember though that no matter how tame one seems, its still a wild animal capable of killing a person.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Size - One of the biggest snakes in the world, these guys range from 13-20+ feet, with females being larger.  They are also big bodied, so they are also one of the heaviest species.	Rating: 0/5 Stars
Caging - While they don't need a ton of room, such a large snake still needs a very large cage; 6'X2' being the absolute minimum for small males. 8'X2' is better, but if you can go wider thats better.  They don't climb much as adults, so hight isn't important.  A cage either has to be built (and it needs to be built well) or bought ($400-$800+).  These snakes are super fast growers, an adult cage is usually needed by its first birthday, and most pre-made cages take over a month to get; so you need to be extra prepared, its not a snake you want stuck without appropriate housing.	Rating: 1/5 Stars
Feeding - Burms are very aggressive feeders, to the point where it makes them dangerous. Almost all of the injuries and deaths from these snakes happens out of a feeding response.  Babies start on rats right away and keep moving up untill they're on rabbits and pigs.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Color - Beautiful browns, blacks, and golds.  Albino burms are very common, if not more common then normals.  A few other morphs are available too.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Price/Availability - The market is saturated with normal and albino burms, but they hold their price pretty well ($50-$300, albinos being more expensive).  Other morphs are not hard to find, but will cost a bit more.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Overall - Burmese pythons do not make good starter snakes; they are dangerous, capable of killing people (which they have).  It takes experience, money, and time to care for them responsibly.  Please avoid and encourage others to avoid this and similar species untill they are actually ready to care for one; these snakes lose their 'kool' appeal fast when it become obvious how much work needs to go into them.	Overall Rating: 1/5 Stars

 

 

 

California Kingsnake
Lampropeltis getulus californiae - Small to medium sized colubrids from California.

Husbandry - Very simple; they handle changes in environment well too.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Personality - Often pretty high strung; I know many an aggressive Cali king, but also many who are just fine.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Size - 3-5 feet, rounder thicker bodied then most ratsnakes.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Caging - 20 gallon minimum for an adult; but bigger never hurts.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Feeding - Normally super aggressive feeders; they usually do not think when it comes to food (heard of one eating so much it died).  They are cannibalistic, snake eaters, so you have to pay extremely close attention and never hold them without washing your hands first after handling another snake.  They will eat just about anything, including snake eggs; and if they think its food they will more then likely try to eat it, whether it be hand, snake bag, container, etc.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Color - Very crisp colors, ranging from black and white to yellow and brown, with a pattern that can be banded to striped to anything in between.  Few morphs are known and available.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Very common and inexpensive ($30-$100).	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Overall - One of the better species to start out with, their only drawback is their crazy feeding response and often crazy attitude.	Overall Rating: 4/5 Stars

 

 

 

Carpet Pythons
Morelia spilota ssp. - Medium to large semi-arboreal snakes from Australia and New Guinea.

Husbandry - Not hard, but touchier to mistakes.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Personality - Hatchlings are often very nippy, but with work most are fine as adults; care still needs to be taken, there's a higher chance of getting bit by these guys then other more docile species.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Size - 4-8 feet depending on the species, with some getting closer to 10 feet.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Caging - Custom caging is needed for most, with a little hight preferably as they are semi-arboreal.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Feeding - Usually good feeders; many of them have a harder time switching from mice to rats though.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Color - Beautiful snakes; the black and yellow jungle carpets usually being the most popular.  Other species range from blacks, browns, yellows, reds, and whites; with a big variety of patterns. A few morphs are known, but still rare and expensive.  There are many crosses and integrades out there between the species too.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Jungles are usually the most common, and many are bred selectively for clean black and yellow colors.  The better looking the higher priced normally, but even the top ones are reasonable.  Most of the other species are fairly easy to find too.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Overall - I wouldn't suggest one as a beginner snake unless they're looking for more of a challenge.  They do make great intermediate snakes though.	Overall Rating: 3/5 Stars

 

 

 

Children's Python
Antaresia Childreni - small python species from Australia.

Husbandry - Tolerant to mistakes. Fairly easy to take care of.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Personality - Usually very docile as adults.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Size - Max out at 3 feet; one of the smallest python species.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Caging - 20 gallon is just fine for an adult, but more space never hurts.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Feeding - Good feeders that usually are not picky; many go off feed in the winter though, usually from 10 days to 4 weeks.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Color - Not very exciting in color; brown to olive with darker spots and a white belly.  No known morphs available.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Price/Availability - A little higher priced then some commonly available species, and not commonly found in most pet stores.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Overall - A good small python to start out with; less problematic then balls but generally seen as not as attractive.  Specialty reptile stores may often sell them, but rarely any other stores.	Overall Rating: 4/5 Stars

 *Much thanks to Logan for this entry - Free t-shirt/hat for the help!*

 

 

Cornsnake
Pantherphis (Elaphe) guttata guttata - A small to medium snake from Southeastern US.

Husbandry - It doesn't get any easier; if the room stays warm enough many can go without a heat source.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Personality - Generally very docile and active snakes.  Hatchlings can by nippy but even with minimal handling most settle down.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Size - 3-5 feet on average.  A smaller snake but not too small to make handling difficult.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Caging - 20 gallon works just fine for adults; 28qt plastic containers are fine too.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Feeding - Some hatchlings can be problem feeders, but most once eating rarely skip days.  Adults take large mice, some get big enough for small rats.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Color - Naturally oranges, reds, yellows, blacks and whites.  Morph-wise they are the most variable, with hundreds of different colors and patterns out there to choose from.  They come in nearly every color but green (not counting some with yellow-lime green) and blue (although they are working on it).	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Extremely common and extremely low priced; most of the morphs you can get easily for under $100.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Overall - One of the most common pet snakes out there; corns really are one of the best.  Their care is a piece of cake, most have great personalities, and the colors you can choose from are amazing.  The only drawback to them is babies are very small and squirmy and quite delicate; making them harder to handle especially for little kids.  Before buying one make sure its eating good too, to avoid one with feeding problems.	Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars

 

 

 

Garter Snakes
Thamnophis Sp. - Small snakes native to North America, Canada, and Central America.

Husbandry - Husbandry generally isn't demanding, although there are some differences between it and other NA colubrids.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Personality - Often not the most handleable snakes, many are nippy and musky, but many are not.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Size - 2-3 feet on average.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Caging - 10-20 gallon, depending on the size of the adult.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Feeding - Garters need a variety of food to thrive; earthworms, amphibians, and fish are the main sources of food.  Some, usually captive bred, will except pinkies.  Garters shouldn't be fed just one food source.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Color - Blacks and yellows usually; some species having red and even blue on them.  A few morphs are available as well.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Generally lower priced, although colored varieties will cost more.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Overall - Maybe not as common in pet stores, but garters are one of the most common wild caught and kept snakes out there.  They make good interesting little captives, however due to their food needs they can be harder for some to support.  Good for a little challenge and something different, but there are better species to start off with.	Overall Rating: 3/5 Stars

 

 

 

Green Tree Snake (Rough/Smooth)
Opheodrys aestivus/vernalis - Small snakes native to North America.

Husbandry - Just about all in captivity are wild caught; and even for keepers with experience these snakes can be a challenge to get adapted to captivity and thrive.	Rating: 1/5 Stars
Personality - Very flighty and prone to stress, not a snake to be handled.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Size - Reaches about 40 inches, and very thin.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Caging - A 10 gallon or smaller is fine for most.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Feeding - Insectivorous, crickets and other insects should be offered.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Color - Bright green with white to yellow bellies.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Very low priced and fairly common.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Overall - Often a very challenging species to work with; they shouldn't be handled and their husbandry needs to be quite specific so they're comfortable; keeping them as stress free as possible.  Getting them to eat is often the hardest part.  Don't be drawn in the the low price and pretty green, there is a very chance it wont survive.	Overall Rating: 2/5 Stars

 

 

 

Hognose (Western/Eastern)
Heterodon nasicus/ platirhinos - Small rear-fanged very mildly venomous snakes native to North America.

Husbandry - Not difficult at all.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Personality - Usually shyer compared to other, these guys have a higher tendency to be nippy.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Size - 15-25 inches average.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Caging - A 10 gallon is fine for most adults.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Feeding - Most Western hognoses are rodent eaters; but Easterns are more exclusively toad and amphibian eater, making them more challenging to keep.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Color - Different shades of tan and brown, with a dark belly.  Easterns have a bigger variety in color, but there are some selectively bred and morph Westerns out there.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Westerns are more common with usually a decent price; Easterns can be harder to find.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Overall - Western hognoses make decent pet snakes; but Easterns bring more of a challenge with their feeding.  Even though they are rear-fanged and mildly venomous, they pose no threat at all to anything but a toad really.  The only way for a human to be envenomated is if someone sits there and really lets it chew for a good 5 minutes; swelling, redness, and soreness of the area as a result.  When threatened these guys flatten their necks like a cobra, and their claim to fame is rolling over on their backs and playing dead.	Overall Rating: 3/5 Stars

 

 

 

Other Kingsnakes
Lampropeltis Ssp. - Small to medium sized snakes native to North America and Mexico.

Husbandry - Simple NA colubrid needs; some species being touchier then others.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Personality - Like Cali kings, most kingsnakes are high strung and can be nippy and musky.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Size - 3-6 feet depending on the species.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Caging - A 20 gallon works well for most adults.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Feeding - Some species can be picky as babies, but generally kings are aggressive eaters; cannibalistic.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Color - There's a huge variety of species out there with different colors, as well as different morphs and crosses.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Some species are more common and less expensive then others.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Overall - Kingsnakes are interesting snakes to keep, with a lot of variation between species there is always something new to look into.  Be sure to research the individual species before getting it.	Overall Rating: 3/5 Stars

 (Species includes: Florida kings, Mexican black kings, Brooks kings, Variable kings, gray banded kings, mountain kings, eastern kings.)

 

 

Milksnakes
Lampropeltis triangulum Ssp. - Small to medium snakes native to North and Central America.

Husbandry - Basic colubrid care is needed for most.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Personality - Most milks are very shy, but many are reluctant to bite or musk at first.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Size - 3-6 feet, depending on the species.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Caging - 20 gallon is fine for most adult milks.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Feeding - Generally good feeders when not too stressed, may have problems accepting frozen/thawed.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Color - Some of the most beautiful snakes out there; many milks are coral snake imitators, with bright reds, oranges, blacks, yellows, and whites.  Some of the species have morphs available.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Not as common as kings or corns, some species and morphs being higher priced.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Overall - Milks are related to kingsnakes.  Most that I have known are very shy, but not nippy.  They make great showy pets, but often need a little work to get used to being handled without stressing out too much. Remember to research the individual species first.	Overall Rating:  4/5 Stars

 (Species include: Honduran milks, Pueblan milks, black milks, Sinaloan milks, Nelson's milks.)

 

 

New world ratsnakes
Large group of species native to North and Central America.

Husbandry - Most just need the basic NA colubrid care, but some have different requirements, and some are touchier then others.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Personality - Depends on species, some are as docile as corns, others are shy, some can be aggressive (such as Texas and yellow rats).	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Size - 2-6 feet, depending on the species.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Caging - Most fit well in a 20 gallon, but larger never hurts; many of these snakes enjoy climbing.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Feeding - Overall most are good eaters, but some are known to be more picky.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Color - Huge variety, although usually not as vividly colored as other snakes out there.  Some species have morphs available, and crosses are somewhat common.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Besides corns, other ratsnakes are not as common; but most are pretty low priced.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Overall - A good group of snakes to get into, with some really nice morphs available. Some species are known though for being nippier then others, so be sure to research the individual species first.	Overall Rating: 3/5 Stars

 (Some species include: black ratsnakes, yellow ratsnakes, Texas ratsnakes, everglade ratsnakes, great plains ratsnakes, Trans Pecos ratsnakes, Baird's's ratsnakes.)

 

 

Old world ratsnakes
Ratsnakes native to Europe and Asia.

Husbandry - Depends on species, many can be quite touchy.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Personality - Generally more aggressive and flighty then NA species, but a lot depends on the species.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Size - 3-6+ feet, species depending.  Some have gotten closer to 10 feet.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Caging - Depends on the species.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Feeding - Captive bred usually feed fine, but some species still need work getting onto mice.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Color - Huge variety; Asia holds some of the prettiest colubrids.	Rating: 5/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Fairly uncommon and harder to find, captive bred can demand a pretty high price too.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Overall - Beautiful and often challenging snakes, but most species probably too much for beginners. There are often big differences in the husbandry of different species, so be sure to research.	Overall Rating: 2/5 Stars

 (Species includes: Beauty snakes, mandarin rats, tiger rats, rhino rats, Korean rats, Persian rats, king rats, red-tailed green rats, radiated rats, trinkets.)

 

 

Rainbow Boas
Epicrates cenchria ssp. - Medium sized boas from  Central and South America.

Husbandry - Quite touchy, if somethings not right in their environment they stop eating.  Humidity is a must.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Personality - Babies can be nippy, but adults are usually docile.  There are some that never grow out of the nippy stage though.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Size - 4-6 feet on average.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Caging - Custom caging is needed, even smaller ones due to their humidity needs basic aquarium setups are really not recommended.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Feeding - Usually good feeders if their husbandry is correct; they can go on short fasts though.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Color - The prettiest boa out there.  Brazilians are the most common, and one of the best looking with bright oranges and reds.  Other species are browner.  Highly iridescent, which is where they get their name; nothing can describe a rainbow boa in sunlight.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Brazilians and Colombians are the most common, with other subspecies a little harder to find and a little more expensive.  Overall though their price isn't horrible.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Overall - These beautiful snakes are very tempting, but they can be so picky about their husbandry they're often better left untill more snake experience is gained.	Overall Rating: 3/5 Stars

 

 

 

Reticulated Python
Python reticulatus - A giant snake from Southeast Asia.

Husbandry - Slightly touchy to temp and humidity levels that are not right, prone to upper respiratory infections.  Do to their large size maintaining them can be difficult.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Personality - Hatchlings are often nippy, as are some adults.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Size - The longest recorded snake species in the world; its not uncommon for them to get over 15 feet long.  Slender bodied, but still a 20 ft snake is going to be thick.	Rating: 0/5 Stars
Caging - Very large enclosures needed; 8'X2' preferred minimum for most, some will need larger.	Rating: 1/5 Stars
Feeding - Extremely aggressive feeders; most accidents with large snakes happen from a feeding response.  Adults will need rabbits or pigs.	Rating: 2/5 Stars
Color - Beautiful snakes, highly iridescent with some nice but expensive morphs available.	Rating: 4/5 Stars
Price/Availability - Normals and a few morphs are fairly common and not extremely pricey.	Rating: 3/5 Stars
Overall - Just like with the Burmese python, these snakes are definitely not recommended for beginners; it takes experience to be able to care for them safely, for these snakes are strong enough to kill someone.  They are extremely alert and intelligent, and a little more on edge and fast then burms.  As a first large snake, I suggest burms over retics as they usually are more docile and easier to deal with