Hi guys, I am looking to get a pair of colubrid species of some kind around next April (babys or juveniles). I would like a colubrid that has the same care and breeding standards as the corn snake (with some exceptions maybe). I am thinking of the hognose snake or the milksnake. Tell me what you guys recommend. Thank you in advance.
4 Likes
Black milk snakes are a really cool species. I believe they’re kept just a bit cooler than corn snakes, but otherwise have similar and easy care requirements.
5 Likes
I personally prefer the African house snakes out the the colubrids. They are just as easy to keep as corns and easier to breed. They also have a nice little selection of morphs!
8 Likes
There are a lot of options. Hognoses and milk snakes would work well. They aren’t technically colubrids but I agree that house snakes are great. Sand boas could also work but they need a higher temperature.
2 Likes
Hognose and milk snakes arent colubrids? That’s not what it says on google, what do you mean by not technically?
This is what pops up on google when I search if they are colubrids.
2 Likes
I might have worded it wrong but I meant that house snakes and sand boas weren’t colubrids. Though their requirements, anatomy, and behaviors are similar to colubrids.
4 Likes
Oh, I see what you were saying now 
I just read it wrong. I wouldn’t do sand boas because I am trying to keep with something that breeds the same as my corn snakes.
2 Likes
You could get one of the other North American native rat snakes, like the Bairds rat snake, black rat snake (aka Eastern rat snake) or maybe gopher snakes. Japanese rat snakes are just as easy to keep as corn snakes and prefer it a bit cooler as well.
3 Likes
Hognose are technically colubroids not colubrids. I learned this only a couple months ago from Colubrid & Colubroid Radio which is an excellent podcast hosted by Dr Zac Loughman and Matt Most.
Well started Grey Banded Kings are probably one of the easiest colubrids to keep. They’re super easy to handle or care for. Never seen one be defensive or bite. House snakes are awesome too. Both cases you want well established rodent feeders or you’ll be outside caching lizards and frogs respectively lol.
4 Likes
I do love the Japanese rat snakes, but I have heard that they aren’t allways really the friendliest of snakes and I would like something friendly like my corn snakes.
1 Like
A large amount of rat snakes are defensive as hatchlings, but I haven’t heard much about Japanese rat snakes being that bad. They are easy to tame down as well. If you plan to breed as well, house snakes are not something I recommend. The babies are hard to get started and often have failure to thrive issues. Baird’s rat snakes are docile and I haven’t heard of one being defensive.
3 Likes
That’s why I was thinking of getting into hognoses, cause they don’t bite.
1 Like
Incorrect hognoses like any snake can and will bite!
2 Likes
I don’t mean that no matter what they won’t bite, but that they tend not to as its not a from of defense for them.
1 Like
I think that depends on the individual I’ve seen some super spicy hoggies lol
2 Likes
How hard is it to get babies to eat?
1 Like
Hognoses? It’s pretty straightforward. As long as you get a well established hatchling from a breeder, you really shouldn’t run into any problems. I find that the majority of problem feeders come from husbandry issues.
1 Like
Well, I want to breed them that’s why I’m asking. I currently breed corn snakes and wanted to branch out into another colubrid species.
1 Like