There are a few snakes which you could consider for your child. Obviously im partial to corn snakes. They are docile, for the most part. They are smallish in comparison to most species, living happily in something as small as a 20 gallon long aquarium. And they come in a variety of colors. However, all of this could be said about almost every colubrid species. I would also recommend the western hognose. Yeah, even for a nine year old. Mine are all so expressive and lively.

The smaller python species; balls, childrens, and spotted pythons, would all make a great pet too. The pythons can be a teeny bit more aggressive, at times, but you have to remember that all snakes are wild animals. Even my corns hate me somtimes. Pythons also require a little more attention to detail as far as husbandry is concerned, but its not difficult. And they fast, but if you can accept this fact, then its no sweat off your back. Also, see all the pretty colors?

There are other species that people will add to this discussion, but since i dont know anything about them, im not going to give them the time of day. Get a corn snake. Win at life.

lol Nate.

I think it's more important to know who you get the snake from rather than what kind. Basic snakes are all fairly easy to learn to care for and go off a similar care sheet with slight temperature and size differences. I think it's most important to know who owned the snake prior to get their opinion as to if it's nice or not. I have some NASTY ball pythons. Best to know the snake not just the species.

I agree with Andrea, I have seen a ball python try to eat someone's hand whole, yet mine is so friendly and great with my 4 y/o son. I got him at 6 months old from a trusted, well researched reptile store (who also breeds) and they are all fed f/t mice as early as possible to prevent "nippy-ness" (not hating on the live eaters...I just prefer the pre-killed ones). I haven't really handled too many other types, but I've heard corn snakes are great firsts also. I have a friend with corn snakes and she loves them, and they seem to tolerate being handled often without incident. But, I'm still partial to ball pythons, just be careful where you purchase them, as for any snake also.

I'd say ball python, but I"m biased because my little boy is just so loving and curious! Hes a wonderful outreach animal...but it is really important that you get from a reliable source...pet store critters are stressed, poked at, over-stimulated, etc...and can be very aggressive and bad eaters. If you get an established one from either an adoption program or breeder, you can get some really loving and well adjusted animals.

I hear corns are a good bet too. Have fun with whatever you get :)

I must agree with alot of the previous answers. The peron/ breeder that you puchase from is one of the most important parts of choosing your snake. I have owned snakes for about 6 years and have had mostly good luck, but also have had some bad. Right now I have 32 snakes, which is 8 different types. Mostly I have ball pythons, but also have brazilian rainbow boa's, western hognose, green tree pythons,corn snakes,rosey boa's, rubber boa's, and a carpet python. I generally dont like corn snakes, or most colubrids cause their fecies smells more than most other snakes. Infact I love ball pythons, and brazilian rainbow boa's are great too after they get past their young nippy stage. But in the end the best way to choose what is right for her is to let her choose. Let her handle some at a reptile show based on the breeder's knowlage of what might be a good starter snake. If you get her a snake she don't really like chances are she won't handle it often enough or get bored with it, which could lead to the conclusion of it being a bad choice. One of the most helpfull people along my journey is Brian Barczyk from BHB reptiles. He also has a online show he does called Snakebytes. You can check him out on youtube, but here is a link to his video of the 5 nicest snakes in the world http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiEa9TIFdk8. Sometimes the show does involve some profanity, but it is a educative show none the less. I hope i am some help for you, and good luck!

My guess is most likely, you will be taking care of the Snake. My best advice is to buy something inexpensive to start out or catch a local snake. I would also try to avoid juveniles that might go off feed with too much handling. Also consider cage size, too.

My first snake as a child was a Banded Water Snake who ate Gold Fish. I also kept DeKay's Snakes which feed on earthworms. Another cool option could be a Smooth Green Snake or Rough Green Snake that would eat crickets. You could consider making a nice vivarium for these Snakes which may help to keep interest and the nice thing about these snakes the food items won't cry out like a rodent.

If you are definitely interested in rodent feeders, I would consider the Kingsnake family or Rat Snake Family which can feed on mice for duration of it's life. Most of these guys can live happily in a simple 20 gallon aquarium set-up for life, too. Rats are more expensive and can take a bit more nerve to feed to a snake for beginners.

My daughter started learning about reptiles from my collection. She started off with Leopard Geckos, and one of them bites her and she wanted nothing to do with it anymore. It her took a long time to give the animal trust again, but this was a good learning experience as well. She was over handling the animal and it basically said I had enough handling and bit her because it became afraid, not because it is mean.

Also agree 110% that a good local reptile show is the place to buy. Let your daughter handle the snake to feel comfortable with it. A good breeder won't start you out with a Blood Python. Stick with an established budget because you never know when the next "must have" Nintendo DS version comes out. :-)

I agree with Nate, go with an older corn snake. Most baby snakes of any species tend to be a bit spastic. I would also add that most snakes probably do not experience any type of  actual enjoyment from being handled and handling them OFTEN might not be the best thing for their overall health and well-being. Keep in mind that snakes can live for long time and you'll most likely be inheriting this snake from your daughter if she loses interest over time.

I saw feeder goldfish mentioned in one of the posts. I just wanted to point out (as I always do and always will) that feeding goldfish to any fish eater is a big no-no and should be avoided at all costs.See thamnophis.com for more information.  Also... green snakes are hard. They may eat crickets, but most of the time they inexplicably drop dead after 6 months to a year of seemingly doing fine. Definitely not a good choice for a first snake... possibly one of the worst being that 99% of all specimens for sale are WC.  Anyways, I agree mostly with everything else said. A corn snake or a king in my opinion, is the best choice. They are easy, are forgiving of beginner's mistakes, and are just so easy to maintain. There are many other species that are just as easy as kings and corns, it's just that availability and pricing comes into play, and if you want easy, there is no denying the corns and kings will fit the bill! My first snake was a california king... still have him!

The one that my daughter keeps going to are the king snakes. I am going to do more research, and I am THANKFUL for all the input.  Is it better to go thru a breeder? What about the shows?  Rescues?  There are so many different ways to go! 

Most Pantherophis and Lampropeltis species would make ideal choices.  Also, Shannon's points are spot on.

Breeder would be my first choice.

No one has mentioned yet a rosy or sand boa. I absolutely love rosy boas. They are very docile, laid back, and friendly (that, like mentioned above, comes with getting it from a good breeder or someone experienced). I personally have a juvenile snow corn snake and she is the sweetest.

Every little kid need a baby retic!!!!!   j/k,,,       Rosy boas are a great idea....   corn snakes are flighty as are most colubrids....  most kids want to be able to hold their snake.....     corn snakes seem to be the most popular kids snake... since they are cheap....  but I would thing a rosy boa would be alot more fun........      WHen my kid gets old enough....   she will be getting a Suriname BCC though.....LOL  

I will check out the rosy boas...they might be fun! Anyone in the upstate NY area that knows of good breeders?  

Going to a reputable reptile rescue would be nice. Reptile shows are great too. Check out the White Plains show and there's also a new show coming up in June in the mid-Hudson valley, Hudson Valley Reptile Expo. You can usually find Sean Casey Animal Rescue at the White Plains show and they almost always have rescue corns and kings for adoption as long as you live outside NYC.

I love rosy boas. They are the most beloved snakes in my collection. They are pretty mellow when handled on a regular basis. They are a bit more expensive than a corn, but in my opinion they are worth it. You should check out my pics on my page for some of the albinos I just received today. A reputable breeder in your neck of the woods is JC w/ Jersey Shore Rosies, in NJ of course. His website is rosyboas.to. I've purchased from him before and he knows his stuff. Otherwise localityrosys.com is a nice forum type site to get associated with if you decide on rosys.

I have a king right now and in my opinion are a bit flighty for a child. Corns are my second up after rosys. But always keep in mind there are exceptions to the rule. Corns and rosys can be evil while a king is opposite. There are so many different influencing factors involved. Good luck!! 

Get a corn snake! They are the best! Mine has never bitten anyone, even after I've had her out for hours.

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