The scarlet king snake is one of the smallest snakes in the reptile keeping hobby but it is not for beginners.
Best small snakes for pets.
Rosy boa ball python ringneck snake western hognose snake corn snake scarlet king snake california king snake milk snake garter snake gopher snake and sand boa.
It requires less space and often less maintenance.
In many ways a smaller snake is an easier snake to look after.
Of the small snakes for beginners perhaps the best option is the ball python.
Hognoses really are small pet snakes growing to only around 3 feet in length males can be even smaller than females.
The african house snake or brown house snake is a small under rated colubrid snake that makes a perfect pet for mos t beginner reptile keepers.
With the combination of docile nature and attractive patter corn snakes are one of the best snakes for pets.
There are a number of snake species that usually remain relatively small less than 3 feet in length.
A few of the most notable examples include.
They are relatively even tempered snakes and would rather squirm away than bite if they don t want to be handled.
Western hognose snakes are most famous for their upturned nose used for burrowing in the wild but they actually have some very interesting aspects that you do not see in other similar snakes.
As their name implies they spend most of their time burrowed in the sand.
They can occasionally be feisty but the right sand boa can make a great snake for a beginner.
The barbados threadsnake is the smallest snake in the world but it doesn t make a good pet.
Kenyan sand boa gongylophis colubrinus kenyan sand boas are native to northern africa.
The most popular king snake is the california king snake which reaches around 3 4 feet with a thin body.
Not only are hognoses quite small compared to other snakes maxing out at 4 5ft they are also rear fanged and spend a considerable amount of time burrowing.
Athe great part is that corn snakes are also reluctant to bite which is totally safe for beginners.
The best small pet snakes are the ringneck snake western hognose ball python sand boa egg eating snake rosy boa garter snake and california green snake.
The kenyan sand boa is on the smaller size reaching just a little more than 2 feet in length.
For a variety of reasons small snakes generally make better pets than large snakes do.
Small pet snakes that stay small.
Western hognose snakes are becoming increasingly popular as pets and they are readily available in captivity and there is a variety of morphs available.
The hognose is so called because it has a unique up turned snout resembling a pig s snout.
As a result they re one of the best pet snakes for those individuals with limited space available for vivariums.