Good beginners snake

I'm an experienced tarantula keeper, my young daughter (5) and I would like to get a pet snake. What's a good beginner species I can look into? Main concerns are: ease of care and small size, like a ten gallon tank or so. Thanks in advance

 

Sand boa! Years ago we had a pet Kenyan sand boa and it’s perfect for a 10 gallon tank. It’s cute and smol and stays that way.

 

Easy to care for?

 

We thought it was relatively easy. Just needs heat and to be fed baby mice. That got old, but it’s not really different from most snakes I imagine.

 

I use keep and breed alot of reptiles (also some arachnids) and worked at a large scale reptile breeder/shop when I was younger. Sand boas aren't a typical first snake for kids and due to their short/stalky size aren't the best for handling compared to other snakes. North American Colubrids like corn-, rat- king-, and milk- snakes are typically good first snakes. Ball pythons are very popular too, but get bigger (not too big) and are relatively bigger as babies (thumb width) with a bit more of a bite (in the off chance it happens) for a kid, compared to the Colubrids which are the width of a pinky and bites typically wont even break skin (as babies). All of these will end up in a tank larger than a 10 gallon, but it'll take a couple years for them to out grow the first tank.

Depending on species, commonly sold Colubrids get between 2-5 feet. If you want the most commonly sold snakes get a corn (so many varities; snow, albino, amel, etc). If you want one her friends probably have never seen, that are pretty/colorful, and stay relatively small check out Scarlet or Grey-banded kingsnakes, or one of milksnakes that stay under 3 feet (there are several species that do). Too many to list.

 

Also, I wouldn't limit yourself to the local shop(s). Lots of good breeders and dealers online with all kinds of inventory and different morphs of each species. They shouldn't sell babies till they've eaten a few times. They'll overnight them.

 

@TooTallJAMZ

 

golden lancehead
/s

 

As a tarantula keeper you already know, but dimmers are your friend. Dont just throw a heat pad on and call it. All about providing the appropriate temperature gradient and allowing it to self thermoregulate.

You need anything let me know.

 

We got a Grey Banded Kingsnake and loved her. Super easy keeper and feeder and gifted her to the son of a friend when we left Az who is having a great time with her.
Find a reputable herp shop or a private keeper who really knows what they’re doing.

 

I had a cornsnake for about 10 years. It was the size of a pencil when I got him and over four feet long when I sold him. I kept him in a greenhouse window full of plants which he loved. But in the end I think his eye sight went because after feeding he would try to strike at anything moving. Traded him for a russian tortoise which is also a bulletproof pet. They just have a really pissy attitude and hiss when picked up.