Looking for a new snake

[Cmwells90]

So the day has finally come, my girlfriend has finally agreed to a new snake. She would like something similar to our corn snake in that it is calm and she doesn't have to worry about it getting too big. Mind you, big is our BCC, at least for her. So I would like some opinions. I would love another corn snake to breed with my male snow corn snake in the future. Any ideas what would breed well with a snow corn? Other than a corn snake I would love a king snake, I was thinking a Mex mex kingsnake, kinda like a grey and red coloration.

Any ideas guys?

[millertime89]

I'm a fan of Mexican black kings. As far as something to breed to your snow I'm partial to the motley trait so a motley het snow or a hypo motley het snow would be cool. Just get what you like/what you want to produce.

[drumcrush]

Mbk! Mbk! Mbk!

[Cmwells90]

I just don't know what I want! I love the mbk, but I really like the idea of breeding. I just want to get out of the white snakes, I want a cool design. I'm looking at all the morphs now and hopefully the GF will go for the MBK!

[EL Ziggy]

MBK's are gorgeous. I also like the Mosaic, Brooks, Cal, or Thayeri kings. You can't go wrong with a king of any variety if you ask me. You could also take a look at milk snakes and bull snakes as they have some beautiful morphs as well. Some get a little larger than kings though. Best wishes with whatever you choose.

[sharthun]

Mbk! Mbk! Mbk!


Yep MBK and the Black Milk Snake is an awesome addition as well! Very docile and great eaters! So many beautiful kings and milks!

[Mikoh4792]

Carpet Python or Green Tree Python

[Cmwells90]

I want a GTP SOOOO bad, but the GF wants to go with something she can raise, she's never raised a snake, and I'd love to have her learn so I don't have to do it all by myself. Plus she wants something simple, I know GTP are arboreal and need high humudity, and we just don't have the vertical room for one :(

[Mikoh4792]

They aren't that hard, and don't need that high humidity(just need a water bowl and low ventilation enclosure...barely any misting) Green trees are one of the most simplest snakes to own. Probably required the least work out of all my snakes.

How much vertical room were you thinking? I'd say 18" to 24" is the ideal minimum for these snakes.

[Cmwells90]

is that full grown? It's not too bad, maybe I can actually talk her in to one, I just want it from a hatchling!

[Mikoh4792]

Yes when full grown I'd say you could comfortably keep a green tree in an enclosure that tall. Even though some height is required for perching, horizontal space is more important.

[millertime89]

Carpets are awesome snakes. Get an Irian Jaya, they stay smaller and have awesome tempers. They're also semi-arboreal (leaning towards terrestrial) and don't need as much height as a jungle or coastal which lean towards being more arboreal.

[Cmwells90]

Well I'll pull up some really nice pictures and let you guys know if I will be getting a GTP, I really hope so, I've always wanted an arboel snake.

[Mikoh4792]

Carpets are awesome snakes. Get an Irian Jaya, they stay smaller and have awesome tempers. They're also semi-arboreal (leaning towards terrestrial) and don't need as much height as a jungle or coastal which lean towards being more arboreal.

I've found that my IJ's are just as arboreal if not more than my jungles and coastals. You're right about tempers though, I can't get a bite out of my IJ's if I wanted to....while on the other hand my jungles wouldn't mind digging a few teeth into me ahha.

I think the IJ's being the smallest is a myth. My IJ's are actually bigger than my jungles of the same age, and I regularly see IJ's that are 5-6 feet(Some 7-8), while there are jungle and coastal carpets that don't grow bigger than 4-5 feet(palmerstons and rockhamptons). It all has to do with genetics and food intake of the individual.

[millertime89]

That's strange, because that's the exact opposite of my experience. I've seen some pretty big jungles and a few truly large coastals but my IJs are both under 6ft at 5 years of age (I picked up some proven breeders last year). And they both are almost exclusively ground snakes. So much so that I removed all but one perch from their enclosures.

[Cmwells90]

Mikoh, so I've decided I'm going to convince the GF of a GTP, if she doesn't like it, she will eventually! So, what would be the best heating source? I hear RHP are best for ambiant heat, so I would think that would work best, but I've never used one so I'm not sure.Also I was thinking about just buying the adult size enclosure so it can grow into it. Would that be ok? I know some snakes don't do well in an enclosure that's too large, but all I have that are small are aquariums, and they don't retain ambiant heat too well.

[Mikoh4792]

That's strange, because that's the exact opposite of my experience. I've seen some pretty big jungles and a few truly large coastals but my IJs are both under 6ft at 5 years of age (I picked up some proven breeders last year). And they both are almost exclusively ground snakes. So much so that I removed all but one perch from their enclosures.

Strange, different experiences for different individuals I guess. Both my IJ's are in the "canopy" of their enclosures right now...but at night I don't really see them in the hanging/ambush position like my jungles and coastals get into. But I guess 2 feet of height isn't really something to base my observations on haha.

Mikoh, so I've decided I'm going to convince the GF of a GTP, if she doesn't like it, she will eventually! So, what would be the best heating source? I hear RHP are best for ambiant heat, so I would think that would work best, but I've never used one so I'm not sure.Also I was thinking about just buying the adult size enclosure so it can grow into it. Would that be ok? I know some snakes don't do well in an enclosure that's too large, but all I have that are small are aquariums, and they don't retain ambiant heat too well.


Snakes don't do well in enclosures that are open, not in enclosures that are big. You can grow a baby gtp in it's adult enclosure but you'd really have to cram that thing with decor, plants, perches...etc. I think it's more convenient to start it out in a smaller enclosure and then move it in after it's gained a bit of size.

I use RHP's for my arboreal/semi-arboreal snakes. They're much simpler than heat lamps in my opinion. They come with two screws that you use to just mount it on the ceiling and nothing else. All you need after that is a thermostat.

[Cmwells90]

So the gradiant would be from top to bottom instead of left to right? Would I put the thermostat on the top level to control the highest temp, and let the rest level out? and an aquarium wouldn't support that at all. Any simple concepts on a baby cage? I don't want to spend too much on something that'll only be used for a little while.

[millertime89]

Strange, different experiences for different individuals I guess. Both my IJ's are in the "canopy" of their enclosures right now...but at night I don't really see them in the hanging/ambush position like my jungles and coastals get into. But I guess 2 feet of height isn't really something to base my observations on haha.

I use belly heat which may contribute to it. *shrugs*

Snakes don't do well in enclosures that are open, not in enclosures that are big. You can grow a baby gtp in it's adult enclosure but you'd really have to cram that thing with decor, plants, perches...etc. I think it's more convenient to start it out in a smaller enclosure and then move it in after it's gained a bit of size.

I use RHP's for my arboreal/semi-arboreal snakes. They're much simpler than heat lamps in my opinion. They come with two screws that you use to just mount it on the ceiling and nothing else. All you need after that is a thermostat.

Great points. I'll add GTPs aren't the best animals if you want something that can be handled. They are very delicate as babies and most will never fully calm down. Sometimes you get lucky and you can get localities that are "better" but they're usually nippy all the time.

[Mikoh4792]

Here is a good link that shows a simple and very popular setup for chondros

Opinions wanted on a Rubbermaid tub set up in Morelia Viridis Forum, Green Tree Python Forum, Chondro Forum Forum (http://moreliaviridis.yuku.com/reply/216673/Re-Opinions-wanted-on-a-Rubbermaid-tub-set-up#.U6If25RdU7I)

It depends on the enclosure you choose. In my setup(a 3x2x2) the gradient is from right to left. The thermostat probe was on the highest perch set at 85F. The ambient of the enclosure was around 80F(a little warmer nearer to the RHP). But to answer your previous question, yes you would use the thermostat to control the highest temp in the enclosure.

[Mikoh4792]

I use belly heat which may contribute to it. *shrugs*



Great points. I'll add GTPs aren't the best animals if you want something that can be handled. They are very delicate as babies and most will never fully calm down. Sometimes you get lucky and you can get localities that are "better" but they're usually nippy all the time.

What's with all these different accounts! It's weird I've never come across a nippy GTP and I've handled several. All were very calm with no inclination to bite.

[Cmwells90]

Yea I just started looking in to them and most of them are saying that yearlings and under and sensitive spines and should be handled as little as possible, and that many of them see that they'll bite until taken out, and even then don't like handling. I don't think my GF would be very good for this kind, more of my kind in the long run. I'll show her the IJ, from what I see online they hardly bite and that would be perfect. But I think she wants more of a show snake. I love the ratsnakes and kings snakes, so we'll see which one she likes!

[Cmwells90]

So to my surprise she actually fell in love with the IJ, a grey banded kingsnake, and a rhino rat snake. So now she needs to do her own research and make a choice, but it's definitly looking like an IJ. Now I just need to find somewhere to get one, anyone know a good place to buy a healthy IJ? The pet stores out here are terrible so I'd like to avoid them if possible.

[millertime89]

The Sloan brothers have a bunch of IJ stuff or Kerry King (yes of Slayer) has some as well. I have done business with them both and will gladly buy from either again.

[Mikoh4792]

So to my surprise she actually fell in love with the IJ, a grey banded kingsnake, and a rhino rat snake. So now she needs to do her own research and make a choice, but it's definitly looking like an IJ. Now I just need to find somewhere to get one, anyone know a good place to buy a healthy IJ? The pet stores out here are terrible so I'd like to avoid them if possible.

Join the carpet python classified page on facebook, and other carpet python pages to get to know breeders and what animals they are working with. There are too many to name here, but a few are Nick Mutton Justin Julander, Nick Helble, Chris Salemi, Zach Baez..