Hi. I am looking to get my 1st snake. Inhave geckos, chameleons and tarantulas. I began research and i was looking at milk and corn snakes, but diacovered they are illegal in Georgia.
Good selection of snakes i wanted arent allowed. I havenpurchases all supplies but the enclosure, which i almost brought yesterday.
Any advise on a beginner snake that would be ok? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Hey! I know you can have Florida Kingsnakes because the breeder of mine comes from there. They’re great beginner snakes, in my opinion. And there are lots of morphs. 
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House snakes make nice pets too!
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Are all species of milk snake illegal in Georgia, or just the native species? If it’s just native species, there are other species of milk snake you could look into. Maybe something like a Honduran?
I’m assuming, based on your listed choices, that you want something that stays relatively small. Are you only into colubrids, or are you open to small python and boa species too?
African house snakes make great pets (not technically a colubrid, but also not a python or boa). For pythons, you might look into the Anteresia genus. Something like a pygmy or spotted python could be a nice choice. They stay quite small, actually smaller than most adult corn snakes, and from what I understand, their husbandry is pretty straightforward. For boas, you might look into Keyan sand boas or rosy boas. Both stay small and are easy to care for. A Kenyan sand boa was my first snake, so I can vouch for them being very beginner-friendly. You might even consider a dwarf locality boa constrictor. Some of the smallest localities, like Tarahumera Mountain boas, don’t get much longer than 4’.
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Bullsnake! These guys are great eaters and have very easy environmental requirements (temps, humidity, lighting, etc.). I keep mine at room temp (73–74F) with the warm side around 80F and a hot spot at 83-85F. They can get larger (typically 5-6’) than some of the more common NA colubrid species you see in the hobby but not by a lot.
Young ones can be defensive but that’s no different than pretty much every other species. Hatchlings and juveniles can be hissy, tail buzzers, and may bluff strike, but my experience has been that with regular handling they will calm down. They are very interactive and inquisitive snakes, and seem to be very in tune with their surroundings. When I come in to the snake room, they always come out of their hides to check out what I am doing. They’re probably hoping I have food for them because they are little piggies.
They are very hardy snakes and, in IMO, undeserving of the reputation they have in the hobby. They also come in a variety of very cool color morphs.
My almost two year old hybino female bull.
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Yes I have been currently researching kingsnake… certain ones are still illegal in GA. But i am loving the different colorings.
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Milksnakes and cornsnake according to dept of wildlife… any morph of either is supposed to be illegal. We are mcoing to Mississippi end of the year wondering if I should just wait.
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Wow pretty. I will def do some research on this species. Thank you.
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Both are gorgeous thank you for the pics and info
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I’m not talking about morphs, I’m talking about species. There are many different species of milk snake, some of which are not native to the United States at all. But it’s possible that whoever wrote these laws was an idiot who didn’t understand that.
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Yeah, after doing a bit of my own research, I can’t find any indication that they distinguish between milksnake species. Which seems silly to me, but I guess it is what it is.
If you really have your heart set on a milksnake, you could certainly just wait until you move. There are also some species of kingsnake (including some that are legal in Georgia, I believe) that have very similar coloring to milksnakes. Arizona mountain kingsnake comes to mind.
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Personaly, I think the best would be some kind of dwarf lokal of boa constrictor. My reasoning is becouse if i could own only three snakes for my entire life one of those snakes would be some kind of boa. Also some species are incredible beginner snakes, and if you have room for an 8x4x4 you could get a larger non dwarf species like a common boa or a smaller red tail.
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@heathkourt If you do wait to get a milk snake you should be prepared to go through a stinky musking period if you get a baby……
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If you’re interested in the milksnake look, another option to consider would be a Nuevo Leon Kingsnake (Lampropeltis leonis) aka the variable kingsnake. One of their common and affordable variations is called Milksnake Phase (MSP) because their coloration and pattern looks just like some milksnakes. Leonis are much more docile than other milks or kings I’ve worked with too.
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Thank you so much!
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Looking at a rosy boa. I am not wanting anything too big.
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Oh yeah you will be making a great decision if you decide on a rosy! I have an orange stripe rosy. He is the sweetest little boy. Their bodies feel so smooth and silky!
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