Help with Next Snake!

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

Here's what's going on! Lily, my soon to be 9 yr old, originally wanted frogs for her day, now she wants a snake too! Fine by me, she wants a "tree" snake meaning more arboreal, she said she wanted a more natural colored snake or at least a green one. I as Mom am putting a 9 ft limit on the snake whether she likes it or not! So, y'all know way more about snakes than me can y'all shoot me some names that fit this description so I can see what we can do? Her birthday is in October so I have time to research, I'm no dummie even though I may sound like it occasionally lol! A bit crazy but they had their chance to keep me, not my fault they let me out!

[LRRoberts0122]

Sounds like she wants a GTP, lol.

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

Apparently that's too green! She wants a "camo green colored snaked" so I guess natural colors lol

[nazanova]

Carpet Pythons are a good shout. They're semi-arboreal so if you give them something to perch/climb on they will use it, they come in a variety of colours and are really easy to look after. There are also Amazon Tree Boas, Emerald Tree Boas and Ratsnakes (RS are semi-arboreal, the other 2 are fully arboreal) but I have very limited knowledge on all 3 of them so they would be options you can look for yourself.

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

Cool thanks now she's thrown a kink in the works, she wants an evil looking snake! And red is OK as long as it looks really EVIL! Lmao! Only my children! She wears frills and pink and wants heels, make-up & an EVIL looking tree snake!

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

Oh and I forgot the rocket launcher! She wants one of those too! With a skull on the barrel!

[Mikoh4792]

Carpet Pythons are a good shout. They're semi-arboreal so if you give them something to perch/climb on they will use it, they come in a variety of colours and are really easy to look after. There are also Amazon Tree Boas, Emerald Tree Boas and Ratsnakes (RS are semi-arboreal, the other 2 are fully arboreal) but I have very limited knowledge on all 3 of them so they would be options you can look for yourself.

amazon tree boas are similar to carpets in that they are semi-arboreal. They will use the ground just as much as any perch or elevated area in the enclosure.

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

I think she just wants another snake and she wants a different one from her sisters in every way possible. a semi-arboreal would be different enough from blaze. I've noticed she seems to lead towards more triangular heads lol. And likes the pictures that are snakes that coil around branches lol. I can't get it in her head that all arboreal snakes do this! Arg!!! Children!!!

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

We've come full circle back to the GTP. So now for the research part. Lol which is fun for me and lily too. I've already started! Watched several videos, been to several websites. This is one time my insomnia helps me. Trying to figure out the best enclosure for them is going to be fun. I'm going to go with some kind of custom display or viv. I don't do Rubbermaid tubs, no offense to those who do. Its fine but I like watching my snakes, the insomnia thing. I know to cover three sides. I'm no carpenter so me doing itis a no go,& my husband can take a car & computer apart and put them back together but give him wood and he'll cut off his own leg, with the hammer!

[pdomensis]

If it were me I would steer her towards something super easy and indistructible. Have her look at corn morphs or hoggies. If she's like most kids she is going to want to handle the snake (at least for the first week or 2) a lot. I don't think GTPs are a good fit, and I would stay away from carpets even though I think they're awesome, because they can be really nippy early on and that could make your daughter afraid of it.

[Mikoh4792]

I don't think GTPs are a good fit, and I would stay away from carpets even though I think they're awesome, because they can be really nippy early on and that could make your daughter afraid of it.

Same here. For kids that age, I would look at something else. Gtp's should not be handled often, and it is recommended you don't handle them for their first year. Carpets are also more high strung than other snakes.

[EL Ziggy]

Amy- Animal Plastics and Boaphile make some really nice enclosures. If you want something custom made check out The Cage Cartel. Good luck with your new critter.
Animal Plastics (http://www.apcages.com/home/)
Plastic Reptile Cages, Tanks and Racks. Snake, arboreal, lizard and turtle light weight custom flexwatt heated enclosures. (http://www.boaphileplastics.com/)
Custom Reptile and Snake Cages (http://thecagecartel.com/)

[Hyokenseisou]

Personally I wouldn't suggest an arboreal snake (whether it's a carpet, green tree, emerald, etc) for a first time snake... They tend to be more aggressive and would be very off putting for a beginner when you constantly have something snapping at you. Not saying there are the first out there that are friendly, but in all of my experience with carpets, they were all pretty aggressive. Plus, most carpets can reach the 6-9ft range. Emeralds I've never kept, and I was damn lucky to have a handleable GTP (I've hear nothing but horror stories of keepers not handling them at all cause they were scared of it).
Plus, they fangs are huge, it is not pleasant to be bit by one. It's inevitable that you'll be bit by something that some point, but let's face it, no one likes being bit.

Chances are you girl will want to handle this animal as well. I would suggest a regular columbian boa. While mostly terrestrial, if given the vertical option, they will often climb to explore. They're more often docile than arboreals and come in many morphs.
Now. You won't find a green one... They're typically browns, blacks, yellows, whites, and a bit of pink/red blush here and there.
And you said you didn't want anything huge (like the 9ft mark). A dwarf bci columbian would be great (male if you can, because they tend to be a little smaller).

You could also look at things like rough green snakes, or vine snakes. They tend to stay on the much much smaller size. But that also means sometimes their diet is quite different, usually consisting of bugs or feeder fish of the appropriate size. I'm not sure about the US, but in Canada, those types of colubrids are often wild caught, so they're not easy to handle in a sense that they're VERY flighty. Also with wild caught anything, they're more likely to "drop dead" due to the stress of not establishing well to a captive environment. And while I hate to out a price on life... But those tend to be more on the cheap side, about $100 and under. Where a GTP or ETB will be anywhere from $500 and upwards. Carpets, most normal morphs can be more on the affordable side ($80-150) and fancy morphs obviously costing more. (Keep in mind I'm talking in Canadian market prices. I understand that things in the states are often less??)


On the whole, maybe look into something either like a columbian, or a smaller colubrids.
While it sounds like balls and corns might not be in her colour and climbing preference, try and expose her to those species as well as they make great beginners as well.
I like to tell people that balls, corns, and Colombians make great beginner snakes, the husbandry for each is roughly similar. And price range for each is vary and differs pretty much on what colour you want it. I tell them it's like coffee... Corns are small, more active. Balls are medium, pretty 'lazy'. And Colombians are large, are mellow yet can be active.
Some people don't like large snakes, so they look more at balls or corns. Some don't like lazy ones so they look at corns. Some like them big, so they go for the boas. Some like lazy so they go for balls.
It's all about finding what works best for you in budget, size, temperament, and lastly should be the colour (IMO).

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

Actually Lily doesn't like handling the snakes. She likes to look at them. So I'm not too worried about the handling side. Plus if she wants to handle one she can hold Blaze. Thanks for the enclosure link Ziggy. As for the suggestion on corns, we have a milk so they are so similar that it would be like getting her the same snake as her sister. A similar set up. She wants an arboreal snake, and its not like she's doing it alone. We would be helping her. Besides that she's a pretty smart little girl. She not like some of the crazier kids running around these days ;)

They help mostly on cleaning days, some on feeding days (unless the snake seems extra snappy) they change the lighting from day to night and vice versa. They pick out hides and the snake itself. Mom and Dad do the harder stuff. Lily checks temps and humidity and changes water bowls. Just a reminder I am a complete stranger to you, but I know my children you do not. You may know snakes better than I and telling me they don't like being held is one thing, but don't ever say what my kids can't accomplish. It just makes me want to prove you wrong! I am one of the fiercest momma bears you will come across! No one tells my girls what they can't do but me!

[Aaron_S]

Actually Lily doesn't like handling the snakes. She likes to look at them. So I'm not too worried about the handling side. Plus if she wants to handle one she can hold Blaze. Thanks for the enclosure link Ziggy. As for the suggestion on corns, we have a milk so they are so similar that it would be like getting her the same snake as her sister. A similar set up. She wants an arboreal snake, and its not like she's doing it alone. We would be helping her. Besides that she's a pretty smart little girl. She not like some of the crazier kids running around these days ;)

They help mostly on cleaning days, some on feeding days (unless the snake seems extra snappy) they change the lighting from day to night and vice versa. They pick out hides and the snake itself. Mom and Dad do the harder stuff. Lily checks temps and humidity and changes water bowls. Just a reminder I am a complete stranger to you, but I know my children you do not. You may know snakes better than I and telling me they don't like being held is one thing, but don't ever say what my kids can't accomplish. It just makes me want to prove you wrong! I am one of the fiercest momma bears you will come across! No one tells my girls what they can't do but me!

Slow down! No one is accusing you of being a bad mom or suggesting something your kids can't do. So let's drop that topic.

I mean slow down in the snake world as well.

It's great that Lily has such enthusiasm for a new snake to go along with Blaze and her little sister. You and her dad need to tap the breaks a bit here.

You're both just getting the grasp and handle of milksnake care down. We know this as we've seen a lot of threads and questions about feeding and shedding. It's great to ask questions and learn, I'm by no means telling you to stop. I am suggesting that you take a real look at your experience level and despite what your daughter can and will do, ensure the right species is chosen for your family. It's not like you can't get another one down the road!

On to some species mentioned.

Green Tree Pythons (other arboreal species included) should be cautioned greatly jumping into this species. Your daughter may not wish to handle the animal and that's great but who's reaching in to change water? Clean? Feed?

Lori (Lady_bug87 on the forum) has a very handable GTP...during the day. As soon as lights go out she's a monster for food. She sits at the back of her enclosure waiting for something to come within strike distance. (Which she can comfortably strike from the very back of the enclosure) You also don't feed them outside of their enclosure as they can be a delicate species, especially when young.
Be prepared to use hooks if need be with this species as they can be very defensive.

I would suggest something that others have already stated. Carpets are a good choice due to their semi arboreal nature. Captive bred Amazon Tree Boas MAY be an option as they tend to settle down more than the wild caught counterparts.

For red and "evil" that's a tough call. Red is very difficult to find outside of the colubrid world of milks, kings, corns and ratsnakes.

Do some research on a few different kingsnakes. Plenty of them get sizable and are easy to handle. Ball pythons come in multiple colours and so do some of the smaller boas.

Cornsnakes come in so many colours that it can look much different than Blaze. African house snakes make wonderful pets too! Often over looked. Garter snakes come in a wide variety of awesome colouration as well.

For true arboreal you're looking at venomous species, GTP's and ETB's and a few others who are commonly wild caught and not for beginners.

What's key to remember here is to look out for the best interest of the animal's well being and health.

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

I'm done here!

[Concept9]

Red Tail Green Ratsnake.

Toronto Zoo | Red-tailed green ratsnake (http://www.torontozoo.com/explorethezoo/AnimalDetails.asp?pg=615)

29545

[Aaron_S]

I'm done here!

Why? Is it because you asked for advice from those that you yourself said have more experience than you and it didn't agree with you so now you're mad?

If you want to remain set in your ways that's fine. I can't help those people so I will excuse myself from this thread.

[Hyokenseisou]

Yeah wait what? I never said you're a bad parent...or accused anything??? If anything I think it's awesome that your kids want to be involved with reptiles. My friend's daughter is the cutest, fearless little thing. She just goes and grabs my biggest boa (7ft) with no fear. Thankfully I trust Bear with kids because he's so docile (and Kohana, the child, is also very gentle with him) so I have no worries with him.
Now on the other hand, I have some very aggressive snakes that I don't bring to shows or let people handle, but I'm sure if given the chance, Kohana would 'say hi'. And while I love her enthusiasm, I don't want to traumatized her with a (different) 7ft boa striking her and ruin her love for reptiles. Even adults. I always hear of stories of so and so, loves snakes, bought a corn/ball/whatever/something cool, it strikes, now they're terrified for them. So now they're selling it as an "overly aggressive snake". I had a surrender like that. A columbian, girl claimed it had it's venom removed... Face palm... Ok... But she was scared of it because it was aggressive. It's not aggressive AT ALL. She (I keep calling she it haha) just has a REALLY great feeding response, and if anything, that's a good thing!!


You asked for suggestions of species, and I threw out my two cents on a few options, WITH personal experience of each (with the exception of ETB, though it's "pretty much" the same as a GTP) and other things to consider when getting a new pet.
They're not disposable, so picking something only because it's green or climbs is a little unfair (to the animal). Pick an animal suitable for your family and requirements/budget, not what will match your decor (so to speak). < and this is speaking on general terms for anyone.

[franks]

Slow down! No one is accusing you of being a bad mom or suggesting something your kids can't do. So let's drop that topic.

I mean slow down in the snake world as well.

It's great that Lily has such enthusiasm for a new snake to go along with Blaze and her little sister. You and her dad need to tap the breaks a bit here.

You're both just getting the grasp and handle of milksnake care down. We know this as we've seen a lot of threads and questions about feeding and shedding. It's great to ask questions and learn, I'm by no means telling you to stop. I am suggesting that you take a real look at your experience level and despite what your daughter can and will do, ensure the right species is chosen for your family. It's not like you can't get another one down the road!

On to some species mentioned.

Green Tree Pythons (other arboreal species included) should be cautioned greatly jumping into this species. Your daughter may not wish to handle the animal and that's great but who's reaching in to change water? Clean? Feed?

Lori (Lady_bug87 on the forum) has a very handable GTP...during the day. As soon as lights go out she's a monster for food. She sits at the back of her enclosure waiting for something to come within strike distance. (Which she can comfortably strike from the very back of the enclosure) You also don't feed them outside of their enclosure as they can be a delicate species, especially when young.
Be prepared to use hooks if need be with this species as they can be very defensive.

I would suggest something that others have already stated. Carpets are a good choice due to their semi arboreal nature. Captive bred Amazon Tree Boas MAY be an option as they tend to settle down more than the wild caught counterparts.

For red and "evil" that's a tough call. Red is very difficult to find outside of the colubrid world of milks, kings, corns and ratsnakes.

Do some research on a few different kingsnakes. Plenty of them get sizable and are easy to handle. Ball pythons come in multiple colours and so do some of the smaller boas.

Cornsnakes come in so many colours that it can look much different than Blaze. African house snakes make wonderful pets too! Often over looked. Garter snakes come in a wide variety of awesome colouration as well.

For true arboreal you're looking at venomous species, GTP's and ETB's and a few others who are commonly wild caught and not for beginners.

What's key to remember here is to look out for the best interest of the animal's well being and health.

Well said sir.

[franks]

Hi newsahnake. I do not think hynok was trying to be disrectful. For many of us familiar with some of the species you mentioned "9 year old girl" and "gtp" in the same sentence makes us cringe. Hynok was not commenting on your parenting or children, but raising some good points of caution. Carpet pythons are pretty docile and fit the description to some extent that you are looking for. My girl is extremely docile even for a carpet- but there are days I cannot touch her and there are days where it is difficult to give her a rat without her launching out of her cage. I think people just wanted to clearly point out that some of the snakes you were inquiring about are considered "advanced" and are pretty much the opposite of a corn snake as far as snakes go. I think you should get whatever your family wants and can handle. You should not hold it against people who's first reaction is to caution you regarding something that (to be frank) you know little about.

We like you here. And if you cannot tell by how people react to your posts and questions- we like your enthusiasm.

[Mikoh4792]

Hi newsahnake. I do not think hynok was trying to be disrectful. For many of us familiar with some of the species you mentioned "9 year old girl" and "gtp" in the same sentence makes us cringe. Hynok was not commenting on your parenting or children, but raising some good points of caution. Carpet pythons are pretty docile and fit the description to some extent that you are looking for. My girl is extremely docile even for a carpet- but there are days I cannot touch her and there are days where it is difficult to give her a rat without her launching out of her cage. I think people just wanted to clearly point out that some of the snakes you were inquiring about are considered "advanced" and are pretty much the opposite of a corn snake as far as snakes go. I think you should get whatever your family wants and can handle. You should not hold it against people who's first reaction is to caution you regarding something that (to be frank) you know little about.

We like you here. And if you cannot tell by how people react to your posts and questions- we like your enthusiasm.

+1 keeping both caretaker and animal in mind shouldn't be taken offensively.

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

I apologize for my bad attitude yesterday. What I haven't mentioned onhere is my suffering from major depression. I didn't find it necessary. However I chose yall to lash out at because in all honesty I was frustrasted. Whichever snake I do chose will be mainly taken care of by her father and I. She will be getting a snake its her birthday and its all she wants besides a rocket launcher. If the snake was aggressive or nippy I would never ask my 9 yr old to put her hand in the cage! My husband used to keep snakes as kid, I used this forum to keep from bothering him while he was sleeping or at work. I'm the newbie. I felt attacked and lashed out, then cried for three hours. Sometimes people need to realise you don't know how others are going to take what you're saying.

[Mikoh4792]

I apologize for my bad attitude yesterday. What I haven't mentioned onhere is my suffering from major depression. I didn't find it necessary. However I chose yall to lash out at because in all honesty I was frustrasted. Whichever snake I do chose will be mainly taken care of by her father and I. She will be getting a snake its her birthday and its all she wants besides a rocket launcher. If the snake was aggressive or nippy I would never ask my 9 yr old to put her hand in the cage! My husband used to keep snakes as kid, I used this forum to keep from bothering him while he was sleeping or at work. I'm the newbie. I felt attacked and lashed out, then cried for three hours. Sometimes people need to realise you don't know how others are going to take what you're saying.

I'm sorry you took things that way. As the others have mentioned before, disagreeing or criticism isn't necessarily attacking or bashing you, so you shouldn't take things personally. When dealing with live animals(especially sensitive animals like reptiles) you'll have lots of disagreement and debate. That's just how things are and have always been when it comes to experienced people teaching the newcomers about what they know and what they suggest(Because we've been there too).

I guess from here all I could say is to just research the different types of arboreal snakes and make sure the husbandry will not be too much for you guys. Always have the setup up and running(and sure that you can maintain the proper conditions) before buying the animal.

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

I research everything well before buying anything. I researched a full month before buying my milk. I just get overly worried sometimes. Hell who knows she was overly concerned will this ball pythons care at the pet last night when we got blazes mice and wants to get that one instead to save it from the horrible pet store ppl! (It was in a hide way too small and it made her so mad she asked is to find an associate and say something. Not that they did anything of course. I mainly used this site to double check myself. I didn't trust my own intelligence. When it came to feedings & shedding. I will do my research, on this I have no problems. Same with feeding in the enclosure for a species that requires it. 2 would be all the snakes we are getting, we don't have room for more than that. So no one needs to worry that we are going to turn into some weird hoarders or just drop them. We aren't those types either. We know our limits and our capabilities. Thank you all for the concerns, bless you hearts.

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

As for the attacking and bashing issue its a depression thing. We take everything personally. Whether its meant that way or not. You did nothing wrong, you did what you all thought was the right thing giving the information you had. I'm intelligent enough to see this now that I'm level headed again. Depression is a terrible disease I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Again I apologize for my behavior.

[CosmicOwl]

I'd consider getting a a NA rat snake species. I post constantly about my grey rat snake, because he extremely active and enjoyable to watch.

It may not strictly be within the color range you want, but there is a fair amount of variety between the black, yellow, grey and everglades rat snakes.
They can also be extremely arboreal. And seriously, don't down play the corn snake morphs. There are thousands or combinations you can come up with, that don't look even remotely like a milk snake. Look at something like this butter stripe.

Butter Stripe Corn Snake - Ian's Vivarium Reptile Forum. (http://iansvivarium.com/morphs/species/elaphe_guttata/butter_stripe/)
http://iansvivarium.com/morphs/species/elaphe_guttata/butter_stripe/pics/butterstripe-a.jpg

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

Thank you I'll show her.

[infernalis]

I apologize for my bad attitude yesterday. What I haven't mentioned onhere is my suffering from major depression. I didn't find it necessary. However I chose yall to lash out at because in all honesty I was frustrasted. Whichever snake I do chose will be mainly taken care of by her father and I. She will be getting a snake its her birthday and its all she wants besides a rocket launcher. If the snake was aggressive or nippy I would never ask my 9 yr old to put her hand in the cage! My husband used to keep snakes as kid, I used this forum to keep from bothering him while he was sleeping or at work. I'm the newbie. I felt attacked and lashed out, then cried for three hours. Sometimes people need to realise you don't know how others are going to take what you're saying.

and with that in mind, I ask that people here be supportive. PLEASE.

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

OK now that I calmed down and had a very long discussion with the husband, and my daughter we have decided to go with a smaller easier to care for animal. Mainly because my husband decided it wasn't fair that my oldest draught got to special order something but the younger had to get one at the local pet store. So she getting something at the pet store, she has time to look and research. They don't carry any of the exotic breeds anyway. I shouldn't try to make decisions in my dark moods and I will try to refrain from posting threads in them as well.

[StudentoReptile]

For the OP, this is my thoughts (reposted from another thread):

Our society just had a presentation on "Beginner Herps." In fact, that is why I created 4 different threads (lizards, turtles, amphibians, snakes), just because I wanted to see what people would say. In short, I think it is hard for us veteran herpers to step outside the box and evaluate what would really be the best starter ______, because we've kept most of them, and know (or think we know) everything about them.

A beginner coming into the hobby, we have to assume, knows nothing. That's not an attack on anyone personally, but its the truth. We can say "Well, if you do your research, ____ would make a good choice." Well, that's kind of an oxymoron. Most beginners do NOT do any research before getting the animal, so that really narrows down the choices. You want to suggest something simple, that few people can screw up.
---
I was very surprised on how many people suggested carpet pythons for beginners. In short, they do get fairly large, and they can be snappy (or at least cage-aggressive).

I recommend something native to the OP's area, and easy: a ratsnake, cornsnake (do they have corns in Michigan?) or a kingsnake. The reason I suggest this is because: exit strategy. If you get bored with it, you can let the thing go. No "I gotta rehome this because of ____. I need it gone asap!" etc etc etc.

I also suggest getting the beginner herp, keep it for a year and don't get anything else. We all know herps are addicting, but this mentality often leads to a mini-hoarder situation. We've all done it. We get something, but every trip to the reptile show, we bring home more, and within a matter of months, you got a roomful of herps. Many people get overwhelmed shortly after, and those herps start popping up on local classifieds ads. Get ONE snake, keep it for a year to show you are dedicated to it.

Some of you scoff, and are probably rolling your eyes, but our rescue group, and several foster homes are filled with ball pythons, corn snakes, carpet pythons and boas....all of which were "beginners" where the previous owner only had for a few months.
-----
In your case, I'm not attacking or commenting on your parenting either. Just sharing thoughts. Personally, it sounds like you have enough snakes.

Here's my question: how long have you had the ones you already possess? It sounds like your daughter is getting bored with those and wants something "cooler." Is that right? Sorry for presuming, but if this is the case. I suggest not getting any more and let her be satisfied with Blaze and the others. If this is just a boredom/whim issue, is that a real reason to keep adding to the menagerie?

[Mikoh4792]

Here's my question: how long have you had the ones you already possess? It sounds like your daughter is getting bored with those and wants something "cooler." Is that right? Sorry for presuming, but if this is the case. I suggest not getting any more and let her be satisfied with Blaze and the others. If this is just a boredom/whim issue, is that a real reason to keep adding to the menagerie?

It's for her other daughter. Each daughter get's a snake.

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

Blaze is my other daughter's snake it was her bday present. Plus a way to teach responsibility, and how to to care for another living being. We also use the animals as study objects in home school. He is our only pet right now. No, final decision has been made on my oldest daughter's pet yet her birthday isn't until October and she by far the more difficult of the two because she's harder to persuade. We have put limitations on her choices, they must come from our local pet store and not cost us a security deposit ($500 non refundable) so she will no be getting a GTP! Our pet store doesn't carry them. I apologize again for the problems I caused. I am not sure what my daughter will end up with but it will be taken great care of that is given. I'm not a new pet owner. I'm only new to snakes. I love my daughters Blaise's Blaze as much as she does and I'm thankful my landlords allow small caged animals as no charge. My depression would be much worse without a critter around to talk to. We will however be stopping at two! I have enough to do as a stay at home mom and home school teacher! Two pets is all I can handle to keep up with, I know this. (See I can be calm and think things through when stable lol) I really hate this disease!

[StudentoReptile]

Understood. I didn't catch the part that you had 2 daughters [shows me for not reading sigs!]

Thoughts and prayers going out for your depression, and good luck on the search for her next B-day gift.

[EL Ziggy]

I feel you Amy. My animals help a lot with calming my anxieties. Keeping them helps me stay Zen. Hang in there sister. Best wishes :).

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

She chose to learn Archery instead. She's been asking for awhile now and since she couldn't decide on a pet we got her a cheap bow and some arrows to see if she'll even enjoy it, if so when her birthday gets here she will get a good bow. She has a deep love for animals but the problem was she kept wanting things out of what we felt she couldn't really handle. She even asked for a king cobra, emperor scorpion and pink toed tarantula. She's going to be a handful as a teen! I should start meditating for strength now! I'm gonna need it!

[Moreau]

That is super cool! I always wanted to learn archery. And fencing!

If she does change her mind about the snake, I have to disagree with all the comments made in this thread about carpet pythons. They make EXCELLENT beginner snakes. They are super hardy, beautiful, semi-arboreal, really great eaters and can be so docile. Plus they are fun to handle. Most of my carpets are gentle enough to be handled by my 4 and 5 year old sons. If you get one from a reputable breeder, then can help you pick out a really calm one. I can't think of a better beginner snake. They come in so many types and patterns too.

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

Good to know, I'm sure some one in this house will want another snake eventually. My husband is already talking about "his" snake since Blaze tends to use him as a restroom. But it makes cleaning up after him so much easier and the tank stays nice and clean. I have yet to find poo in the enclosure, I think he saves it up special for him. We've even done a full clean and found nothing! I try really really hard not to laugh! I'm not supposed to even like them and he'll let me get him out with a problem. He settles down quickly, not musking, no pooing. I don't get it?

[Mikoh4792]

Good to know, I'm sure some one in this house will want another snake eventually. My husband is already talking about "his" snake since Blaze tends to use him as a restroom. But it makes cleaning up after him so much easier and the tank stays nice and clean. I have yet to find poo in the enclosure, I think he saves it up special for him. We've even done a full clean and found nothing! I try really really hard not to laugh! I'm not supposed to even like them and he'll let me get him out with a problem. He settles down quickly, not musking, no pooing. I don't get it?

You must have the magic touch lol. I guess snakes tolerate interaction and handling on an individual basis. Some people may be gentler/rougher on others, or it could do with scent...etc.

[NewSAHSnakeMom]

You must have the magic touch lol. I guess snakes tolerate interaction and handling on an individual basis. Some people may be gentler/rougher on others, or it could do with scent...etc.

I think I'm slower, my husband has ADHD so he fidgets a lot, less patience I guess. Maybe the snake is trying to lull me into a false sense of security until he's big enough to eat me? He does also hunt me when he's hungry!