Opinions on what new snake species I should get?

Hello I haven’t been in the hobby for to long at this point, and to be clear I don’t plan on getting a new species any time this year. So I’ve owned ball pythons for about 7 months now and I absolutely love all of them.( I have 7 in my house and own 4 ) but I’ve been thinking about branching out to some other snakes I’ve been interested in . The species that are in question are blood/short-tail python, Mexican black king, or hognose. I’d like to hear your opinions on each of these noodles. Also I’d like to hear what your 2nd snake species is/was. Thanks guys I look forward on hearing from you guys

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Blood pythons are like huge BPs with an attitude (especially babies but adults can give nasty bites) and can weigh like 20 pounds. I don’t recommend them unless you want to be cleaning up monster poops and want an even more lazy snake than BPs. Hognose are ok but can be extra picky and difficult to feed at times, and of course have an attitude and some never tame down. You will also want to get a female since males are not the best as pets do to them being the most picky. MBK are a very rock solid snake that is a lot more active than all the others and can be housed in a tank so you can watch it. They can be kept using ambient temps in most cases as they don’t need anything higher than 86°F and are comfortable with 72-82°F with the low end being at night, and don’t require any special humidity. They usually eat everything and are a lot more personable than the other species you are interested in. Kingsnakes and rat snakes are amazing to own and watch in comparison to BPs, since they are polar opposites.

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A lot depends on your abilities and the space you have available. I had blood pythons that I loved but they are considerably bigger than the balls you are used to and need more space. They can be a little intimidating for a first time owner. All king snakes are great and I like Mexican blacks but, if you are looking for something with lots of morphs like your balls, you will be a bit disappointed. Hognose are fun and small and there are a few morphs so it may be the best of the 3 but again, it depends on what you are looking for. One of my favorite snakes ever was an African Rock Python that I took in because it had a terrible attitude and it was big and getting bigger, the owner was scared to death of it. However, I had lots of space, lots of giant snake experience and knew I was physically string enough to handle him. I wanted a challenge. Today I would not take in such a snake, I don’t have the room for one and I don’t really need to be wrestling with a huge snake that wants to eat my face. So, If I were you, I would assess my goals and limitations and base the decision on what is the best fit. Remember the ability to properly care for your animals should be the primary concern.

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Thanks that’s really helpful. I was starting to lean no to bloods because I’ve been assessing my living situation and if I really tried I could make room for one, but I agree that I should do whats best for the snake and get one when I can. I think I’m gonna loom more into hogs and mexican blacks. Thanks!!

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We love our MBK. She’s a sweetheart. Eats well, comes out to play, climbs a bit Which is entertaining, and handles wonderfully!

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Thanks for the info on hogs, and I’ve ruled out bloods for now but they remain an end goal lol.

A western hognose was the first non-ball python snake I got, though I ended up getting Mexican black kings later and I’d love to have some blood pythons too. They’re all great choices! If you’re looking for something easy to handle though, hognose snakes are the best choice. Mexican black kingsnakes can be feisty as babies, though they typically tame down as they grow and become more docile.

It’s true that male hognoses can be picky eaters sometimes, but not as bad as picky ball pythons. Most females are great eaters. They come in a lot of different morphs and have tons of personality.

Are you aware that they’re rear-fang venomous? This is the only downside to them, imo. I’ve never had a reaction to a hognose bite (and I’ve been bitten by many a hungry female) but some peple have an allergic reaction and swell up. If you or anyone close to you is allergic to bee stings or ant bites it might be worth reconsidering.

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Id recommend the mbk out of the list you provided. King snakes are jist stupid simple to keep, and have good temperments generally. What i will say is if you like morphs and colors, check out rat/corn snakes and see what different variations there are. They are minimal effort care wise, and theres alot more morphs than most people think. Just something to look into :slight_smile:

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Yea I’ve done proper research on each of these noodles. I’m not to worried about their venom, but I will still be catious.

you got me thinking about what would be a good project. Have you considered Honduran milksnakes? I used to have tricolors and tangerines back in the day and I know there are more morphs now. They are good sized, hearty, very easy to care for with great temperament. And, they might just lead you into that lampropeltis love affair that is easy to get caught up in.

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Thats actually very interesting, are they like ring necked snakes where their venom is in their saliva and they need to “chew” to inject it? Or do they have a true venom gland?

They don’t have a true venom gland, just saliva and they have to chew to get it in.

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Surprising they dont have any bright colors, but then again, not all venomous things are colorful (looking at you copperheads and timbers)

My two cents, I think copperheads are beautifully colored!

I just meant they werent bright snakes like a pit viper or coral snake haha.

I recommend a Super Dwarf Retic.

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