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Hello.
Had family dogs and a guinea pig.
Never owned a reptile before. Still have some issues with handling them. More concerned with dropping one than getting tagged. Friend has a California King. Plan on practicing with said snake.
And, because I know I'll catch some flak for it, I am interested in getting a Woma Python when comfortable. They seem to be considered beginner types despite of their cost and availability.
That's the short of my projected future.
Hello.
Never had a snake as a pet before. Quite certain much different than a dog.
Looking to own a Woma well into the future.
Have to both move out and get used to handling. Afraid of dropping more than I am of getting bit. Friend has a California King I can practice handling. Supervised.
All I can think to say.
millertime89
04-29-15, 05:56 PM
http://i.imgur.com/l9FS3jp.jpg
Merged your threads.
Albert Clark
04-29-15, 06:31 PM
Welcome REM955, that is a great desire and you stick to that! Nice of you to drop by and hang out with us.
EL Ziggy
04-29-15, 07:32 PM
Welcome and best wishes.
mistersprinkles
04-29-15, 08:29 PM
Welcome to the forum. Snakes are interesting pets. Most people have multiple snakes, rather than just 1. I suggest that you start with a beginner type and then gradually move to something more advanced as you get comfortable and learn more. I think that garter snakes are an ideal beginner snake, personally. They are easy to care for, and inexpensive, and almost always tame to handle. A lot of people do, but I don't suggest that you treat snakes as pokemon trading cards. What I mean is, don't buy, sell, trade, buy again, etc. If you buy a pet you should keep it. JM2C.
btw just incase you didnt know, this is what a garter snake looks like
http://i.imgur.com/l9FS3jp.jpg
There are many species of garter snake. Not all look like this.
Pardon me for not being clear.
I plan on holding onto any pet I own for the duration of their life. I don't see how trading would really work for me.
That being said I only want one for certain to insure its health. Perhaps I am giving a single snake too much concern. I do know too much handling will cause stress.
I do understand the logic behind starting on garter snakes, but I still do plan on pursuing a woma keeping the count at one. Only after research and exposure is enough.
This response is meant as clarification, not a hostile rebuke.
bigsnakegirl785
04-30-15, 10:56 AM
Hello and welcome. :)
prairiepanda
04-30-15, 11:24 AM
Welcome to the forum. Snakes are interesting pets. Most people have multiple snakes, rather than just 1. I suggest that you start with a beginner type and then gradually move to something more advanced as you get comfortable and learn more.
Some people have limited space, financial restrictions, or time limitations that would make having several snakes impossible. While I do agree that starting with something easy, forgiving, and low-cost(garters, kings, milks, corns) is best, if the OP can only have one or two snakes for whatever reason then we should think about his "goal" snake and consider whether we can take bigger steps towards it or if it's an alright starter snake as is.
I do think that a woma would be a fine first snake for someone who has experience with midsized pythons. A woma is veeery different from a cal king; as far as handling goes, they are much much larger, stronger, and act differently. Experience handling the king(and feeding it, if it has a psycho feeding response like many womas do) would be valuable, but would not prepare you for a woma. I think you should talk to breeders and visit expos to try and get some direct contact with midsized pythons, whether they be womas, blackheads, carpets, or whatever. Just so you know exactly what you're getting into if you really want a woma to be your first snake. As far as care goes, they're easy, but you do need to be prepared to handle a python, not a kingsnake.
Woma is the perfect starter snake in my personal experience. Awesome temperament, easy setup and decent size. They do have a heavy feed response, but from my experience it's no different from a kingsnake, and is a benefit to any keeper. I've had snakes for almost 20 years now and my newest addition is not a heavy feeder which is quite stressful. You'll love it!
The only real downside I can think of is that hook training is a necessity, and if they start rubbing there noses against you during handling I would put them back.
I do think that a woma would be a fine first snake for someone who has experience with midsized pythons. A woma is veeery different from a cal king; as far as handling goes, they are much much larger, stronger, and act differently. Experience handling the king(and feeding it, if it has a psycho feeding response like many womas do) would be valuable, but would not prepare you for a woma. I think you should talk to breeders and visit expos to try and get some direct contact with midsized pythons, whether they be womas, blackheads, carpets, or whatever. Just so you know exactly what you're getting into if you really want a woma to be your first snake. As far as care goes, they're easy, but you do need to be prepared to handle a python, not a kingsnake.
Ok. Can you explain the differences between experiencing the two? My understanding is that the woma is generally docile in temperament, while the king variety not so much. And the feeding response in the woma is pretty intense.
(These are observations which I know maybe wrong. )
The only real downside I can think of is that hook training is a necessity, and if they start rubbing there noses against you during handling I would put them back.
The mention of the nose rubbing behavior contradicts the image I had of Womas being docile...
Is there reasoning behind it?
This hook training in short is letting them know that the hook means time to come out and use that to maneuver them to pick up, right?
eminart
04-30-15, 12:30 PM
The mention of the nose rubbing behavior contradicts the image I had of Womas being docile...
Is there reasoning behind it?
This hook training in short is letting them know that the hook means time to come out and use that to maneuver them to pick up, right?
Even the most docile snakes can, and sometimes do, bite. The nose rubbing is a feeding response. They're looking for the spot to start swallowing.
But snakes are great pets. Pick out a snake that you're interested in, and that isn't so defensive it scares you, or beyond your abilities as far as husbandry, and you'll do fine.
I know they all bite. My interpretation of docile just meant "less inclined to bite".
I know this thread kind of died, but I do have one more pretty general question related to what I could possibly have for a pet snake at all.
I am moving out and the pet weight limit is 25 pounds. Provided that I don't "power feed", what species are about that weight when adult? I know you typically don't measure a snake by pounds and the Woma along with all the beginners are way under, but just curious.
reptiledude987
04-30-15, 09:03 PM
Pretty much just the giants like retics and burms will get that heavy. The list that will hit that weight would be fairly short.
bigsnakegirl785
04-30-15, 11:11 PM
Yeah, I don't think a woma will get that big. You're looking at a 10'+ snake if you want it to be 25 lbs. Well, 25 lbs and at a healthy weight. My 6' boa constrictor isn't even half that weight and he's the heaviest-bodied snake I own. He's 8.5 lbs. I wouldn't advise a snake that size just starting off, because you'd need someone to spot you.
Right. I understand. I'm just curious though. But it is still hard for me to believe that a 10 foot snake like a Burmese is still under 25 pounds. All muscle, I'm sure.
eminart
05-01-15, 06:33 AM
Boas CAN get considerably heavier than 25lbs. But, that's a pretty big boa and it takes a few years. Like someone else said, pretty much just the "giant" snakes like retics, burms, anacondas, etc. will get that heavy.
The 25 pound limit is specifically towards dogs and cats as nobody is going to weigh your snake. *Ask if you can have a harmless reptile in a locked cage. However the list of possible candidates would be any snake outside of...
Anacondas / Burmese / Rock Pythons / Retics / Some RTB's / And I've heard stories but don't know if they're true of BHP's / Coastals / Scrubbies
Anyways, my biggest snake is my Woma. And I know they're are a lot of differing opinions, but mine is still that Womas are a good first snake.
Good temperament- Never nippy w/ movement even as babies
Never had a single bad shed
Missing a feed is so rare you'll be legitimately blown away when it happens
I don't like this term bc all snakes require work, but if there is a "bulletproof" snake it's the Woma.
lady_bug87
05-01-15, 09:24 AM
... there arent too many common snakes (minus large boas, bloods, and giants, maybe large carpets?) that will hit 25lbs. Most species are measured in g minus those previously mentioned. 25lbs is roughly 11,363g (11.36kg)
lady_bug87
05-01-15, 09:25 AM
ahhh crap I didn't see the rest of the responses. I had a blonde moment. Please continue! haha
prairiepanda
05-01-15, 10:55 AM
Ok. Can you explain the differences between experiencing the two? My understanding is that the woma is generally docile in temperament, while the king variety not so much. And the feeding response in the woma is pretty intense.
(These are observations which I know maybe wrong. )
Don't get me wrong; womas are generally docile and certainly easy to care for. But the size compared to a king is a huge step up, so you need to be prepared for the strength and long strike distance. Kings are a mixed bag; it seems that half are feisty devils and half are puppy dog tame. What's your friend's king like? In particular, if your friend's king has an intense feeding response then getting used to feeding it would help towards preparing you for a woma. But you'll want to get a real feel for the size of a woma too. Even though they're docile, they're still quite strong and can be extremely fast when they want to be so you need to be comfortable with their size.
As for hook training; you don't need to actually use the hook to pick the animal up. It's usually best to use your hands to pick it up, if possible. Just tap him on the nose with the hook whenever you go into the enclosure for any reason other than feeding. The tap on the nose snaps them out of feeding mode so they know food isn't coming. And you can use the hook to guide him out of the way when you're doing cage maintenance.
Don't get me wrong; womas are generally docile and certainly easy to care for. But the size compared to a king is a huge step up, so you need to be prepared for the strength and long strike distance. Kings are a mixed bag; it seems that half are feisty devils and half are puppy dog tame. What's your friend's king like? In particular, if your friend's king has an intense feeding response then getting used to feeding it would help towards preparing you for a woma. But you'll want to get a real feel for the size of a woma too. Even though they're docile, they're still quite strong and can be extremely fast when they want to be so you need to be comfortable with their size.
As for hook training; you don't need to actually use the hook to pick the animal up. It's usually best to use your hands to pick it up, if possible. Just tap him on the nose with the hook whenever you go into the enclosure for any reason other than feeding. The tap on the nose snaps them out of feeding mode so they know food isn't coming. And you can use the hook to guide him out of the way when you're doing cage maintenance.
1:
As it turns out, his king is probably closer to the puppy dog as it was pretty content to sit across his shoulders. Had one hand on him to prevent a fall. Otherwise, I guess not enthusiastic enough to match near a Woma under any descriptor.
2:
I recall from the SnakeBytes video on Youtube the hook is for some maneuvering, not a snake crane.
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