Hey all! I’m a first grade educator that would love to get in touch with breeders who are interested in helping me find an animal ambassador for my classroom.
I do have experience in keeping different species of snakes and geckos. I would love to bring appropriate reptile keeping information to the younger generations and to help reduce the stigma against the animals we all love.
Thank you for your help!
Hi Ashley,
We don’t allow ISO posts here on the forum and we can’t recommend any breeders (if someone sees this and want to DM you then thats fine), but we can help you decide what would be best for you and your circumstances 
What species have you had in the past and how did you find caring for them?
Thank you for letting me know! Post can be taken down if necessary 
I have had experience in keeping BPs, corns and hoggies. I was hoping to find a corn snake breeder. Thank you for letting know about my post!
As mentioned above we can’t recommend breeders but we can send you to the marketplace where you can look at animals and make your own decisions on who to buy from. I think a corn snake (or other colubrid) would be a great first grade class pet. BPs would likely be stressed by all the noise and movement and a hognose could be dangerous, but a corn snake would be perfect. You can see corn snakes for sale here.
A corn snake would be a great choice, but as a sand boa breeder I would be remiss if I didn’t throw them out there as an option. Kenyan Sand Boas are hardy and easy to care for. They don’t need a lot of space, especially males, which are significantly smaller as adults. While every snake has its own personality, almost all sand boas are very docile. With whatever snake you choose, I would say that it would be a good idea to get an older animal, because baby snakes can be fragile and prone to stress.
i second kenyan sand boas! i absolutely adore them and love working with them.
i like the idea of a ksb as a class pet because they’re out of the ordinary of what most keepers have(in my opinion) and that makes them a little more exciting to me than corns are.
but as someone who keeps both corns and ksb, i think you couldn’t go wrong with either.
Which one out of the two do you think is more visual and less likely to be hidden under stress or normal circumstances?
I would say corn snake over a sand boa. They are a lot more active and therefore probably better suited to keeping young kids interested.
Definitely the corn snake.
I know some people want to do a corn snake but personally I think a male boa would work. Especially if you guys socialized dwarf. They get size without getting too big and their overall fun snakes.
That would work except I think it could be dangerous. The animal itself might not have those intentions but they’re strong enough that they could severely hurt a small child and if it bit (unlikely but a possible scenario) then it could be a problem. It would also be too large for a child to hold and could be intimidating. I was thinking a house snake could be a good choice since they’re small and come in many different colors.
From what I know house snake care can be a bit more challenging, and babies are especially fragile. @lumpy A BCI could work if it is an already socialized adult, but their feeding response can be a bit intense. Not only that, but if they did decide to bite one of the kids, it would do a lot more damage than a corn snake would. That and keeping the humidity in a classroom with what will likely be a glass enclosure would be difficult. Corn snakes are still more active as well.
Maybe a BCI would work for 3rd or 4th graders better due to the kids being bigger
*Edit I probably should’ve read that it was for first graders 
When I was in third grade I would hold adult male boas by myself at reptile experiences. They were probably trim 5 foot animals.
The babies could be challenging but with their experience I think they would be okay raising a baby outside of the classroom and once it was a well-started adult moving it into the classroom. It would also be an option just to get an adult. Adult care isn’t too difficult and they already have experience so I wouldn’t worry too much in that aspect.
A boa’s a good idea except I still don’t think a BCI’s a great choice and I can’t think of any boas that would work well for 1st graders.
While boas make great pets for lots of people in my opinion it would just be too big for first graders. A corn snake is a good idea or maybe a BP
It’s wonderful that you’re planning to do this! I taught high school for years and I always had am assortment of animals in the classroom. In my experience, corn snakes make great classroom pets! I have also taken mine to large educational events where they were handled (with guidance and close supervision) by literally hundreds of unfamiliar children. I’ve never had a problem.
It’s been really rewarding seeing students lose some or all of their fear, and learn that these animals shouldn’t be a target.
Snakes are individuals, like any species. Some are more curious and up for interacting. Some prefer to hide away. I’d advise getting either an adult or older juvenile. Hatchlings are adorable, but they’re delicate.
Just btw, I’m assuming that you’ve gotten or will get approval from your principal. Kudos to you for doing this!
Cornsnakes 100%
I keep a good collection of KSBs, but you hardly ever see them except for feeding (until they take their prey and retreat underground with it) unless they’re out cruising at night and even that’s pretty rare.
Only problem I could see with cornsnakes is that they’re illegal to possess in certain states in the US. In my particular state, they’re legal with a permit but only as long as they’re albino.
Which state do you live in? Do you have a link to that in text?
I’m in NJ, I know they’re also illegal to possess in Georgia, but I’m unsure about other states.
Information about this can almost certainly be found on the website for your particular state’s department of fish and wildlife or similar agency.
Edit: it’s possible that cornsnakes as a whole are illegal to possess in NJ, the only source I can find saying that albinos are allowed was dated 2015. Maybe someone here can confirm or deny this.
