Small Snakes for Exotic Pet and Their Diet

These small snakes are affordable exotic pets to keep because they require minimal expenses for their food and maintenance.

Spotted Python (Antaresia maculosa)

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The beautiful Spotted Python is a non-venomous snake of Northern Australia. It is a very popular pet among Australian reptile enthusiasts due to its small size which can attain a length of up to 140 cm only.

Diet:

Its favorite food is bat but will usually accept mice and small rodents in captivity.

Albino Checkered Garter Snake (Thamnophis marcianus)

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The Albino Checkered Garter Snake is a lovely-looking snake native to the United States. The Checkered Garter Snake is typically green in color, with a distinct, black checkerboard pattern down its back. It is capable of growing to lengths of 42 inches or less than 4 ft. It is the easiest garter snake to tame; even a wild one can become tame in a few days when handled carefully.

Diet:

It feeds on small frogs, toads, small fish and earthworms. If already trained, it feeds also on small mice or fish fillet. It rarely bites but it releases a smelly liquid onto your body.

Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus sauritus)

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The Eastern Ribbon Snake is a small snake that can be kept as exotic pet. It is native to the United States and gets its name from its very thin body. It can achieve a length of up to 86 cm. It is also informally called Common Ribbon Snake.

Diet:

The Ribbon Snake generally eat small fish, tadpoles, salamanders, small frogs and toads, and occasionally insects. In some cases the female has been observed eating her young.

Pygmy Python (Antaresia perthensis)

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Another species of small python native to Australia is the Pygmy Python which grow to a length of 50 cm only or less than 2 ft and weigh up to 210 grams only. It is relatively smaller than the Spotted Python and the Children’s Python.

Diet:

This small exotic reptile pet feeds on small rodents such as mice and rats.

Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix)

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Another relatively thin and slender snake is the Plains Garter Snake. It is endemic to the United States and has a distinctive orange or yellow stripe that goes from its head to tail. It can grow up to 91 cm in length.

Diet:

This garter snake typical diet is consists of earthworms, slugs and small amphibians, such are larvae of salamanders. It also feeds on small birds like Bank swallows and Easter Meadowlarks.

San Francisco Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia)

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The San Francisco Garter Snake is a slender multi-colored snake native to California, USA. This endangered species prefers wet and marshy areas and is elusive to see or capture. It is estimated that there are up to 2000 individuals that remains.

Maritime Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus)

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The uniquely-patterned Maritime Garter Snake or scientifically named Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus is a subspecies of garter snake.  The specimen on the above photo was taken in Nova Scotia.

See also 

• World’s Most Beautiful, Colorful and Highly Recommended Small Exotic Snake Pets 
• The World’s Most Colorful Snakes 
• Stocky, Colorful and Beautifully Marked Snakes for Pet
• The World’s Most Attractive and Colorful Reptiles
• Bizarre and Exotic Pets: Weird and Unique Turtle 
• Uniquely Patterned and Colorful Slender Snakes
• World’s Most Colorful Banded Snake and Their Distinct Characteristics
• Brightly Colored Snakes with Unique Geometrical Patterns 
• Top 15 Most Venomous Cobras in the World 
• The World’s Most Venomous Snakes 
• World’s Largest and Longest Snakes Ever 
• Snakes With Unique Patterns and Distinct Blotches and Markings 

The World’s Most Colorful Medium-sized Slender Snakes for Exotic Pets

If you don’t like large and small colorful snakes for pet, you can consider colorful medium-sized snakes for pet.

Here’s a list of colorful medium-sized slender snakes for you to choose from.

Green Unicorn (Rhynchophis boulengeri)

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The brightly colored Green Unicorn is a beautiful slender snake from Vietnam and other parts of Asia. It looks like a unicorn for the distinctive, scaled protrusion on the front of its snout. This snake that features a single horn on the front of its snout is also known as Rhinoceros Ratsnake, Rhinoceros Snake, Rhino Rat Snake and Vietnamese Long-nosed Snake.

Honduran Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis)

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As its common name implies, the colorful, slender and beautiful Honduran Milk Snake is endemic to Honduras. This snake is one of the more commonly bred milk snakes in captivity. It can grow up to a length of 5 ft and its base color is red with distinct rings or bands of black and yellow. It adapts well to captivity due to its docile nature. It must be housed alone.

Diet:

The Honduran Milk Snake feeds on other snakes, birds, eggs, lizards and rodents and uses constriction to kill its prey.

Slender Boa (Corallus hortulanus)

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The Slender Boa is a colorful and uniquely patterned snake. Unlike most boa species which are often stocky, this one is slender. This non-venomous snake is endemic to South America and can grow up to 6.5 feet or 2 m in length. Just take note, this animal is notorious for being very aggressive and has very long sharp teeth which make its bite a bit painful. Don’t worry, its not fatal.

Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus)

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The Corn Snake or Red Rat Snake is a colorful slender snake of North America. It is ideal for a pet due to its docile nature and reluctance to bite. It can grow up to 5.9 feet or 1.8 meters in length.

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You will surely love its bright coloration attractive pattern. It is also very simple to care which make it a popular pet snakes. It usually lives around 23 years in captivity.

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Diet:

The diet of Corn Snakes includes rodents such as mice and rats. It can be feed with small lizards and it prefers Anoles.

Black Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae)

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I don’t know why they called this beautiful and colorful snake the Black Milk Snake although its most prominent color is red. This milk snake species is the largest known Milk Snake. It can be found in the mountains of Panama and Costa Rica. It can attain a length of up to 7 ft or more than 2 meters.

Diet:

Black Milk Snakes typically eat mice, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, reptile eggs, birds, and bird eggs in the wild.

Golden Carpet Python (Morelia spilota cheynei)

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The Golden Python is one, if no the only, slender species of all pythons. This non-venomous python can be found in Queensland, Australia. This colorful python can grow up to 8 ft in length and can live up to 30 years in captivity.

Diet:

This slim-bodied python, which is the brightest of all Morelia, feeds on chicken (chicks), quails, mice and rats

Pueblan Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli)

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The Pueblan Milk Snake, which is also commonly called Campbell's Milk Snake, is a non-venomous snake. The Pueblan Milk Snake is commonly bred in captivity and is found in several color variations with base color of red with distinct rings or bands of black and whitish yellow. It can attain a length of up to 48 inches or 4 ft.

Diet:

The pretty Pueblan Milk Snakes feeds on birds, frogs, mice, rats and snakes even the most venomous species.

See also 

• The World’s Most Colorful Snakes 
• Uniquely Patterned and Colorful Slender Snakes
• Stocky, Colorful and Beautifully Marked Snakes for Pet 
• Bizarre and Exotic Pets: Weird and Unique Turtle 
• The World’s Most attractive and Colorful Reptiles 
• World’s Most Colorful Banded Snake and Their Distinct Characteristics 
• Brightly Colored Snakes with Unique Geometrical Patterns 
• Top 15 Most Venomous Cobras in the World 
• The World’s Most Venomous Snakes 
• World’s Largest and Longest Snakes Ever

World’s Most Beautiful, Colorful and Highly Recommended Small Exotic Snake Pets

Many species of snakes are extremely beautiful and colorful. They also make good pet. Be sure to select the colorful but non-venomous species if you want to have a colorful snake for a pet.

Here are the prettiest non-venomous snakes which are awesomely colored and with impressive marking or patterns.

NOTE:. All the snakes included on the list do not grow more than 4 ft in length. They are all slender and requires affordable budget for maintenance.

1.) Golden Tree Snake (Chrysopelea ornata)

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The Golden Tree Snake is an extremely colorful small snake that even its tongue is brightly colored. It is also commonly called Ornate Flying Snake and Golden Flying Snake. It can be found in Southeast and South Asia. This snake is very unusual because it is capable of gliding flight. The Golden Tree Snake’s striking coloration and gliding capability make it a popular choice for captivity.

This rear-fanged snake rarely exceeds 40 inches in length. The smallest recorded specimen is 11.5 cm while the largest is 136 cm.

2.) Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)

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Another colorful but small snake for a pet is the Redstripe Ribbon Snake. This snake is a subspecies of garter snake that inhabits southern United States. This snake is semi-aquatic, spending most of its time on the edge of permanent bodies of water like lakes, ponds, swamps and slow moving streams. It is fast moving and excellent swimmer.

Diet:

Primary diet includes amphibians like the Northern Cricket Frog, lizards and small rodents.

3.) Red Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum syspila)

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Red Milk Snake is a colorful species of Milk Snake. Because of its high value in the pet trade, many subspecies are now being bred in captivity for sale.

Diet:

Slugs, insects, crickets, and earthworms for the young

Lizard like skink, small mammals, birds, egg, frog, fish and other snake for the adult

4.) Mexican Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum annulata)

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Another highly colorful species of milk snake is Mexican Milk Snake or Lampropeltis triangulum annulata. It is native to Mexico but can also be found in the United States. It is characterized by its, red, black and cream coloration. This non-venomous snake grows up to 76 cm in length.

Diet:

Crickets, crickets, earthworms, insects and slugs for the young

Lizard like skink, small mammals, birds, egg, frog, fish and other snake for the adult

5.) Formosa Odd-scaled Snake (Achalinus formosanus formosanus)

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The Formosan Odd-scaled Snake is impressively beautiful for its uniquely colored and glossy scale. This Colubridae snake can be found in Vietnam, Taiwan, China and Rykyu Islands in Japan. It is a harmless species perfect as an exotic pet.

6.) Nelson’s Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum nelsoni)

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The Nelson’s Milk Snake is a highly colorful snake that is found in Mexico. This beautiful subspecies of milk snake can grow up to 110 cm in length. And it is non-venomous. The Nelson’s Milk Snake has a natural tolerance to the venoms of many native snakes

Diet:

Birds, small rodents, lizards, amphibians and other snakes, including venomous species

7.) Sinaloan Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae)

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The Sinaloan Milk Snake is a very colorful non-venomous snake and is one of the most commonly bred milk snake in captivity. It is highly recommended for a pet because it is a fairly docile species and will rarely bite. A fully grown adult Sinaloan Milk Snake can reach a length of about. 120 cm.

Diet:

It feeds on rodents, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.

8.) Scarlet Snake (Cemophora coccinea)

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The Scarlet Snake is a colorful small snake that can be found in southeastern United States. An adult Scarlet Snake can attain a length of up to 66 cm. This beautiful snake is non-venomous and is suitable for a pet.

Diet:

It feeds on amphibians, birds, invertebrates, reptiles but most especially, rodents.

9.) Scarlet King Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides)

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The Scarlet King Snake is a brightly-colored snake native to the United States. This lovely-looking snake is among the smallest of all king snakes. At maturity, it can grow to a length of up to 68.4 cm only.

Diet:

It feeds on rodents, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.

10.) Texas Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis annectens)

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The Texas Garter Snake is colorful snake from the United States. It is a subspecies of common garter snake. This is perfect for a pet because it is completely harmless.

Diet:

It hunts in rivers for amphibians, small fish, other snakes and invertebrates, like earthworms.

11.) Long-nosed Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei)

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There’s nothing to fear with the colorful Long-nosed Snake because it’s a non-venomous species and it is a good choice for an exotic pet. This slender snake can grow 30 inches or more in length. It is characterized by a long, slightly upturned snout, which is the origin of its name.

Diet:

This rare exotic pet often rejects rodent-based diet. It feeds primarily on lizards and amphibians and smaller snakes.

12.) Coast Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans terrestris)

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Another colorful garter snake species is the Coast Garter Snake. It can be found in Alaska, Canada down to Central America. This beautiful snake is the single most widely distributed genus of reptile in North America. The garter snake is also the Massachusetts state reptile.

Diet:

It hunts in rivers for small fish, amphibians, earthworms, other snakes and other invertebrates.

13.) Eastern Blackneck Garter Snake (Thamnophis cyrtopsis ocellatus)

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The Eastern Blackneck Garter Snake is a small garter snake with an average length of less than 20 inches. It is smaller than the Western Blackneck Garter Snake. This colorful snake displays three light stripes on a dark-colored body with uniform orange and orange-yellow spreading throughout

Diet:

It hunts in rivers for small fish, amphibians, other snakes, and invertebrates, such as earthworms.

See also

• The World’s Most Colorful Snakes
• Stocky, Colorful and Beautifully Marked Snakes for Pet
• Bizarre and Exotic Pets: Weird and Unique Turtle
• The World’s Most Attractive and Colorful Reptiles
• Wonderful Mice and Unique Rodents for Pet
• Unique Breeds of Fancy Rats for Pet
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• Uniquely Patterned and Colorful Slender Snakes
• World’s Most Colorful Banded Snake and Their Distinct Characteristics
• Brightly Colored Snakes with Unique Geometrical Patterns
• Top 15 Most Venomous Cobras in the World
• The World’s Most Venomous Snakes
• World’s Largest and Longest Snakes Ever