I would like to purchase a snake for my science classroom. I have the equipment already(tank cover etc)
Any suggestions on type of snake? I would like a non poisonous /venomous, non-biting variety. i was also planning on making a cave or caves for the tank. one for the cool spot and one for a warm spot. i make caves out of clay for fish. they will probably work for the snake. If i purchase a baby snake i can make the hole small.

Thanks,
Evan
www.rosenthalpottery.com

Well, as far as non-venomous goes, I'm totally behind you with that. Probably wouldn't make for a good opinion of the school if the kiddies were being systematically picked off by a baby cobra, hehe.

As for non-biting, there isn't really a species of snake that's guaranteed to not bite, however, there are some that have a VERY little chance of biting people once it's gotten past a certain stage of life.

Corn snakes, for example, if handled regularly will grow up to be extremely mellow snakes. I've got one here that was born in July and loves being handled. She has absolutely no problem with people holding her, and she loves wrapping around fingers to absorb body heat.

I also have other baby corn snakes that are very nippy (or at least they were when I got them). With regular handling, these snakes have calmed down over time, and most of them won't even think about snapping at you any more.

What you would probably want to do, regardless of what snake you get, is to house the animal in your home for a couple of months before taking it into the classroom. This way, you will have a period of time to get used to the snake, appreciate its moods (which is very important - you don't want it stressed out and getting ill because all the kids want to handle it when it wants to be just left alone), and you will also have time to check the animal is good and healthy (taking in a fecal to the vet's for examination, and treatment of any potential parasites it may have).

Also, having a less-stressful & less-busy environment for the first couple of months will give him time to settle in and get used to you, and your scent. Then, when you take him into the classroom, if a particular child stresses the snake out for some reason (maybe that kid's scent, the way it was handled, or very fast movements), once you get hold of the snake, it will recognize you and (usually) start to calm a little.

Some good snakes for this type of project are Corn Snakes and Ball Pythons. They both come in a multitude of colours & patterns (although the high-end ball python morphs can range in the tens of thousands of dollars). They are both pretty hardy, fairly long-lived species. A well kept corn snake, for example, could very well live 20 or more years (I think the record is 32 years, but I could be a year or two off on that).

Kingsnakes are another good choice, although, if people have snakes at home, they MUST fully wash their hands after handling the king. In nature kings are snake-eaters, and natural prey to the king can sense that a king has been around you by the scent. So, this could cause undue stress to their pets.

Also, for the same reasons (and more), you will want to make sure ALL children wash their hands immediately before handling the snake. Even if a child has already used the handwash gel & handled that snake in the morning, they would have to wash their hands again if they wanted to handle it in the afternoon.

This is more for the sake of the animal (and your wallet due to potential vet bills) than for the sake of the children. There's extremely little chance of contamination of something like salmonella, and you're far more likely to pick that particular nasty up from a kitchen counter or improperly cooked food than you are from a living reptile. However, children can very easily pick things up during the cause of their day that could be fatal to the snake (pesticides & weed killer on the school playing field, parasites from pets at home - not just other reptiles either, but dogs, cats, etc.).

Also, making sure all the children handwash before handling the animals will remove any scents that could send the snake into a biting mode (such as a pet hamster or other rodent scent all over a child's hands). This will help avoid feeding responses when being handled.

While we're still on the topic of handling, make sure that nobody handles the snake (any snake) for at least 2 days after feeding. This can cause the snake to regurgitate the food, which can lead to other (usually expensive, and sometimes fatal) problems.

As I said though, I would go with a corn snake or ball python, and only get one. Do not mix species, and it's not a good idea to raise several animals together. There can be competition for food or hiding/resting spots, and thre can be cannibalism - especially in younger snakes.

Good luck, and please keep us posted on how this project goes.