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Snake Keeper Guide See available animals on MorphMarket

Choosing your first snake

Short answer

Pick a species whose adult size, lifespan and diet fit your home for the next 10–20+ years[1][2]. Buy a young, captive-bred snake that is already eating[3][4], set the enclosure up a week early[1], and book a vet in the first week[3].

Five questions before you buy

  1. Can you commit for the long haul? Corn snakes live around 10–15 years[1]; ball pythons can pass 20[2].
  2. Are you fine handling frozen rodents? Pet snakes eat whole prey. VCA's vets put it plainly: if that makes you squeamish, a snake is probably not the pet for you[5].
  3. Who lives with you? The FDA advises keeping reptiles out of homes with children under 5, pregnant women, older adults or people with weakened immune systems, because of Salmonella[6].
  4. Is there a reptile vet near you? Check before you buy[7].
  5. Do you have room for the adult enclosure? A 5-foot snake needs an enclosure about 5 feet long by the RSPCA rule[1].

The four species on this site

Quick comparison (details and sources on each species page)
SpeciesAdult sizeLifespanWorth knowing
Corn snakeAround 150 cm (5 ft)[1]10–15 years[1]Active, climbs, gets used to regular handling[1]
Ball python3–5 ft, heavy-bodied[8]20+ years[2]Known for skipping meals[9]
California kingsnakeRarely over 4 ft[10]20+ years in human care[10]Must live alone; eats other snakes[11]
Western hognoseFemales 24–36 in, males 14–24 in[4]15–20 years[4]Burrower; young ones can be picky eaters[4]

Buy captive-bred

VCA's vets say young, captive-raised snakes make the best pets; wild-caught snakes handle stress worse, refuse food more often and carry more parasites[3]. Ask the seller what the snake has been eating and how often. With ball pythons the RSPCA advises avoiding one that hasn't been feeding well[2], and with hognoses, buying one that has already taken three or four rodent meals heads off most feeding trouble[4].

How to spot a healthy snake

From VCA's buying checklist[3]:

  • Bright, alert and active. Not skinny or bony, sluggish, or showing loose skin or sunken eyes.
  • Clear eyes. Cloudy eyes may mean a shed is coming, and VCA advises not buying a snake that is about to shed.
  • No mites (tiny black dots that move), lumps, sores or discoloured skin.
  • A clean, dry vent.
  • Inside the mouth: a little clear saliva and a pink tongue, not thick mucus or red gums.

The first weeks at home

  • Run the enclosure for a week before the snake arrives[1].
  • Leave the snake alone for the first week; no unnecessary handling[1].
  • Vet exam within the first week[3].
  • Keep it apart from other snakes for a month[3].

Ready to look at animals? See available animals on MorphMarket

Sources

  1. RSPCA: Corn snake care
  2. RSPCA: How to care for a royal python
  3. VCA Animal Hospitals: Owning a pet snake
  4. Canobie Lake Veterinary Hospital: Caring for your western hognose snake
  5. VCA Animal Hospitals: Snakes: feeding
  6. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Salmonella, feeder rodents, and pet reptiles and amphibians
  7. Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV): Find a vet
  8. Oakland Zoo: Royal (ball) python
  9. VCA Animal Hospitals: Common problems in pet snakes
  10. Oakland Zoo: California kingsnake
  11. RSPCA: Kingsnake

Sources last checked 2026-10-20.