I never thought this would happen, but....

[Clownfishie]

The more time I've been spending around this place listening to everyone talk about their snakes, the more they've been growing on me... hehe :)

Not that I'm sure that I'll actually get one or anything -- I just want to get a feel for the waters, so to speak :) I kinda like the cornsnakes... I definitely wouldn't want something that gets big. Got enough problems with the thought of having a small snake ;) Are there any other species than corns that make decent beginner snakes? For some reason I don't like the kingsnakes, don't ask me why ;) I'm definitely open to suggestions though, and I'd love to see pictures of the different species, if you have them. Speaking of which, is there a site that I can go to that will have the different species of snakes listed, with pictures & care instructions & stuff?

Anyhoo -- thanks for any input :)
Jen

[Bryan Self]

Jen,
I think the best snakes are boas. Yes they can get bigger than a corns but they are much better looking. If you go with a male they will stay smaller. Many breeders have males that are 5 ft. or less. I also like the personalty better. Most of my boas want to come out.
boa morphs (http://www.myclassreptilia.com/boa_morphs.htm)

[Clownfishie]

LOL -- 5 ft is small? *grin*... that's like almost as tall as I am!! Hehe...

Those pictures are sure pretty though :)

[Syst3m]

hehe Ball pythons are GREAT snakes, Not many speacial requirements they generally only get about 4 feet long, VERY tame. Just make sure you get a Captive Born snake, Buy it from a reputable breeder.

[silke]

i think that some of the colouring on boas is gorgeous but...don't hate...i don't care for the head shape of the boas

take a look at Kathy Love's site for some great pix http://www.corn-utopia.com/

[Clownfishie]

Thanks Silke :)

Brazilian Rainbow Boa
Dwarf Reticulated Python
Irian Jaya Carpet
Ball Python
Suri red tail boa

Just cruised through the photo galleries, and other than the corns those are the ones that caught my eye :) Don't know if any of them are even remotely suitable though!

Jen

[Bryan Self]

Even corns get 4-5 ft. And its ok to not like the shape of certain snakes. I think corns look like broom sticks. I do not like the personalty of balls. They are called balls for a reason, they curl up in one and stay that way for long periods of time.
Good luck in your choice.

[silke]

Clownfishie,
i was browsing the gallery today too and Jeff's and Lindsay's pix really got me thinking twice about the boids
I am seriously reconsidering on the emerald tree boas
i think it depands and what characteristics you would like...
what sankes hide more, what is handlable, what colours, patterns you like
don't know what else would sway the vote...
when I saw the snakes Scotty had and saw that pretty little brown and orange female I knew I had to have her

[Clownfishie]

Guess they just don't seem as big since they stay "skinny"... I guess when I think of a big snake, I think of one that's really big around, as much as one that's long....

[silke]

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4585
i think the pattern and colouring on this one is awesome...but he'll be a big 'un

[Clownfishie]

Yeah, he's a beauty, that's for sure :) Burms get WAY too big for me though :)

What I'd want -- well, I definitely don't want a bad tempered snake... I'm iffy enough about handling them at this point without that added worry. So handleable is good.

Emerald Tree Boas are absolutely gorgeous -- I could never afford one anyways though! Hehe :) And I've heard that they're not very nice... temperament-wise.... beautiful though :)

[sSNAKESs.com]

Jen, go for a corn snake then :) you can get them in a variety of colors. I would suggest you get one thats already well started though, hatchling corns can be a real pain in the butt to get eating. Find one you like that is feeding from tongs and you shouldnt have a problem :) the key to enjoying this hobby is to get yourself something you will be comfortable with. If you would like something a LITTLE bigger then go for the irian jaya carpet, which will stay skinnier then most snakes and stay in the same length category... but the key is to get something YOU feel comfortable with and if its a corn snake then get the corn snake :)

[sSNAKESs.com]

If you want a nice well started corn, email me and i will put you in touch with someone in toronto who can help you out for a great price :)

[Tim_Cranwill]

Corns are great! I like the Kingsnakes a bit more, but that's just me.

Good luck with your choice. I hope you enjoy your snake!

[Clownfishie]

Thanks Jeff :)

I'm not really looking immediately -- actually I'm going to be moving out to Victoria next month, that's going to be enough fun with my gang of leos, nevermind adding another critter to the bunch :) And while I have someone to look after the leos until I find a place to live out there, I don't think that she'd go for looking after a snake too ;)

I think that that about narrows things down to the corn or the jaya then... they're irian jaya carpet pythons? or boas... pythons I think (have you noticed how easy it is to type pythongs? I do it every time, and then have to correct it... hehe...). How big to the jayas get?

Truthfully, the one thing that's really holding me back from getting a snake is feeding time -- I'm sure that I'll get used to handling them, but the idea of feeding them fuzzy little animals just gives me the shudders.... I'm ok with feeding insects, they're just ugly little things... but mice are cute, and furry... and pinkies are even worse, they're so small and helpless looking... ack :) So now my master plan is to get a snake, and then find a roommate who'll feed him for me... LOL :) The best of both worlds ;)

Jen

[Linds]

Jen,

I think the perfect snake for you would be a rosy boa!!! These guys stay small (2-3 feet), very slow-moving, very tolerant of handling and forgiving in their husbandry, come in all sorts of colour and pattern variations, etc. Even people that are afraid of of snakes don't seem to have a problem with rosy boas :)
Irian Jayas usually reach lengths of 4-5 feet, some females may exceed 5'. Corns reach the same length, but nowhere near the same mass. They can be good beginner snakes, I personally don't like em. I find them to be too skittish and quick (like all colubrids...yucky! :rolleyes:).

[Bryan Self]

Here is why I like boas. My hypo 66% het albino
<img src="http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/447dsc00248.jpg">
Albino
<img src="http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/447dsc00244.jpg">
These are 2 of my favorites from my collection. I love the colors samons get they all look different.

[Clownfishie]

Those are beauties Bryan :) No doubt about it...

Hmmm... Rosy Boa? Got a pic Linds? Are you sure that those things are good tempered? I seem to remember a leo girl that I know getting one of those for her first snake -- and I also seem to remember seeing quite a few bloody hand pictures ;) By that point I think that she had given the handling of him over to her boyfriend to try and tame him down a bit (the snake, not the boyfriend :D! Hehe)... I'd love to see a pic anyways though, maybe this girl just got a particularly bad tempered little brute :)

[silke]

i hope i didn't sound like I was trying to make it tougher for you
the more i see, the more i like and there are so many wonderful pix available
I'm going through a serios snake appreciation phase , that's all

[silke]

aw man...
Bryan those are gorgeous!
I have never seen or handled a boa in real life...just pix
i might just have to reconsider...
damn ... the list gets longer

[reverendsterlin]

The garter is always an option, they don't handle well usually but love water and eat fish. African and American Sand boas and the rubber boas make great pets and are not expensive, though may be hard to find a rubber in Canada. African House Snakes are nearly as simple as corns to keep, and the kings and milks have been mentioned. Pines and Bulls make great pets and usually have a little weight advantage over corns. Indigos are great but like the Mandrin are spendy. Rainbows are beautiful as are bloods but they need more specific environments. Look at a pic of a leutistic (sp?) texas ratsnake. The giant madagasscar hognose is another. There are lots of that aren't usually considered when folks ask about first snakes because they just aren't as common and fewer folks are familiar with them. For feeders buy frozen, a mouse may be cute but a mouscicle just doesn't register that way.

[Tim_Cranwill]

I was also going to say "Garter Snake". Handling is about 50/50, I find. Some are great handlers and almost seem social. They will eat worms, frogs, pinkies, fish, home-made food....

They are possibly not THE prettiest snake in the world, depending on your taste, but they do make a great pet, especially for a beginner.

http://www.gartersnake.co.uk/
or
http://www.thamnophis.com/features/ScottFelzer/

Godd luck with your move. Victoria is so nice. I might have to join you out there in a few years.....

[Linds]

Jen,
Your friend must have bad luck...lol...rosies are probably one of the best natured snakes around! In general they have much better temperaments than corns, kings, sandboas, etc. Here's a few pics of my boy. He's a mexican rosy boa (they are either black and white or brown and cream striped), but these guys come in everything from orange zigzags on a blue base colour to white and red and white striped......

<img src="http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/22sweetnessshadow.jpg">

<img src="http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/2/22sweetnessinhand.jpg">

[snakekeeper]

How about a spotted Python? They stay small around 3 feet. Joe and melissa should have some pic's of them. Mine have bright orange eyes.:D

http://be7-mail.eudoramail.lycos.com/9241550463825311441033155790/attachment/spot_0308.JPG?ctype=image/jpeg&download=n&rfname=tmp_55798.JPG&delete_after_download=yes

1 more pic...
http://be7-mail.eudoramail.lycos.com/9241550463825311441033155790/attachment/SPOTTEDS_0197.JPG?ctype=image/jpeg&download=n&rfname=tmp_55951.JPG&delete_after_download=yes

[McPatch]

Jen
Iwould suggest a rosy boa.Great to handle.Don't get to big(3-4 feet)not to round.great colours.Easy to meet enviroment needs.I think they are great,But so does everybody about their own snakes.Good luck in your choice.

[Clownfishie]

snakekeeper -- those links didn't work for me... I'd love to see the pics though!

Do all the rosy's have the stripes like that? Or are some banded...

cranwill -- yep, Victoria's very nice :) I grew up there myself, just moved out to Toronto 3.5 years ago, and now I'm heading back... I'm definitely going to miss all the herp expos and stuff out here though! I don't think there's anything like that out there... although I might go nuts and head out to the TARAS show in Calgary at some point...

[J.J.]

I think that Ball pythons are great begginer snakes, a ball python was my first snake, I was really scared of him at first, cause it was weird, having a snake and all, but now I love him to peices, we have made such a special bond, I and cant wait to spend 20 to 30 more wonderful years with him!! In fact, now that I have gotten this ball python, I just had to get another, so I did, then I got a red tailed boa. Anyways, ball pythons can get to be around 4 to 6 feet, and can live to be 40 years! ( if they are very well taken care of!) They get big enough to eat a rat once every one to two weeks, or something like that, but I truly think they are wonderful snakes. Whatever your decision, good luck and god bless! Also, Corn snakes are good too, I dont know much about em, But I am begging to like them myself, they are beautiful snakes!! Alrighty, good luck and god bless!! Bye bye!

[J.J.]

Here is a pic of a Ball Python

[Clownfishie]

J.J -- yeah, ball pythons are beautiful :) 40 years -- holy crap that's a long time! And here I was getting nervous about my leos living until they're 20 :) They're definitely one that I'm considering -- although I think they get a bit bigger (girth wise) than I'd like... their looks just might win out over that reservation though :)

The spotted pythons look pretty cool too -- not as stunning in looks, but the size and everything else looks pretty good... And there were definitely some nice looking garter snakes on those websites... I like the size of the rosy boas, but I don't know if I like the look of the stripes...

[Nikki Gervais]

I agree a ball python would make a great first pet snake. I have 2 and have 2 more on the way. I just love them so much! They are quite timid when young but with lots of handling they will likely become very tame.

Another good thing about ball pythons is when they feel threatened they curl into a ball hence the name, and if you are afraid of getting bit by a frightened snake then a ball would be the best choice since they rarely bite.

I have never been bit by mine and I have had my female for almost 3 years and my male a year on Nov. 4th (my birthday :D). Once they are used to handling they will crawl all over the place, my female hasn't curled into a ball in almost 2 years.

I also have corns, they make excellent pets but if they are startled or frightened they are more likely to bite than a ball. My adult corns are extremely tame and never attempt to bite.

I suppose it all depends on what you want in a snake. Balls and corns get to approx. the same length, but ball pythons have a much wider girth.

Someone also mentioned garters as a first snake. I keep garters and I don't think garters make good first pets for several reasons.

Cons
1/ ppl often dont realize that unless you are giving them proper vitamin suppliments they need a varied diet or else they will become unhealthy and it could lead to serious health problems.
2/ with a varied diet ppl often have a hard time keeping them healthy because the things they eat are not commonly available and must be wild caught (amphibs, fish, worms), this increases the risk of nasty internal parasites.
3/ if feeding wc prey items and you live in an area that gets snow, you won't be able to catach fresh food in the winter.
4/ they are often quite timid as hatchlings and are quite flingy.
5/ when startled most of the time they will musk but sometimes they will bite. Mine are still quite timid and musk me almost everytime I pick them up. It won't hurt you but it stinks pretty bad.
6/ hatchlings and wc adults can be difficult to get feeding

However there are some reasons that garters make good first pets.
Pros
1/ Garters do not constrict their food so if you don't like seeing the little prey's eyes bulge out you don't have to worry about it.
2/ They stay quite small with several species staying in the 2 - 3 feet range.
3/ they do not need to feed on mice, but if you do decide to feed them mice you must scent the prey and make sure it is prekilled or it could mean disaster for the snake since they swallow live.
4/ they are really inquisitive and when you place your hand inside the tank they will often come to investigate (thats what every garter i have ever had has done) and it is really cute to see.

Whichever you decide, try to avoid wc snakes. Often they are fussy eaters, bad tempered and have nasty parasites.

If you would like more information or help finding the right snake for you, email or IM me @ i_love_reptiles@hotmail.com and we'll talk. :)

Good Luck!

[Jeff_Favelle]

Victoria is God's country, just don't tell anyone 'cause then all the redneck prairie folk and latte-sippin' Hogtown-people will invade and this place will cease to exist as I know it.

You want snakes? Wait until you move to Victoria and we'll hook you up real nice. No probs there!

[Clownfishie]

LOL Jeff :) Ooooo... I just noticed that you live on the island too -- awesome! :) At least I'll know one fellow herp addict within driving distance :D And one with connections too.... *grin*.

Snake -- no, those didn't work either... This time, when I tried copying and pasting the link, I got this message: "Session invalid.
This message occurs because you have either previously logged out or your session has automatically timed out."
If you get a chance, you could upload the pictures to the gallery, and you'll be able to post them from there....

Hmmm... the list just keeps growing -- and changing ;) I really do like the ball pythons -- maybe I'll just have to get over my "girth" issues... hehe :) The Irian Jayas are definitely nice too, and they stay a little skinnier. The spotted pythons look pretty cool, and they're a good size -- not too big at all :) For looks, the Brazilian Rainbow Boa is probably my favourite -- but doesn't make a great beginner snake from what I've been reading. Some of the other boas are very nice too -- but I think that most of them get too big for me. The surinam redtailed boa is really nice... Someone mentioned the rosy boas, but I don't really like the striped look so much -- is there any other boas in the same size range that have a different look to them?
I also had a look at a mandarin rat snake last night -- that was very cool looking :) I seem to remember someone making a comment that they were expensive though?

Anyhow -- enough rambling I guess :)
Jen

[Kurzix]

Jen

Look at the brazilian rainbows, they stay about the same length as the other snakes mentioned 5-7 feet, are absolutely GORGEOUS, and every one i have seen was very tame, and don;t let the high humidity scare you, its VERY easy to keep the high humidity these guys need. oh and at their full grown size, they'll still only weight about 10 lbs. Slender body boas :) gotta love em. :)

Jay

[Clownfishie]

Hey Kurzix,

Yeah, I really like the rainbows actually, for looks they've got to be by far my favourite that I've seen so far -- I think that they maybe get a bit long for me... but on the other hand, the fact that they don't have a big girth kinda makes the length ok I guess.
I heard that the humidity has to be at about 80%? How do you keep it that high?
I wish that there was a dwarf brazilian rainbow boa -- hehe :) Everyone seems to want to work towards BIGGER snakes though, not smaller ones... ah well ... just my luck! 10 lbs eh -- that's about the same weight as one of my cats. Hmmm... ;)

I just put in holds for like every single snake book that the library has, LOL... so we'll see what kind of information I can find in there :) It's mostly the pictures that I'm interested in though, I find that most books that are out there are either updated, or a lot of the information is just blatantly wrong...

Jen

[snakekeeper]

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/2/98spotteds0197.jpg

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/2/98spot0308-med.jpg

[Clownfishie]

there ya go! that worked... :) Nice snakes!

Ewwww, icky on the gobbling down food thing though *grins*... that's the one part of snake ownership that I'm not sure I'll be able to get used to... Maybe I'll just have to not watch :)

[Youkai]

Look into rosy and sand boas! They stay small and can be quite colorful, as well as tame...

[Clownfishie]

Yeah, I saw someone mention sand boas... I haven't really seen those on any of the breeders sites though I don't think...
Are they available in Canada? Pictures anywhere?

The rosy boas are a good size, but I don't like their pattern....

[Youkai]

Lots of people breed them! Usually a few vendors will have them at a show. I just got a really really nice male at the TARAS show.
They're inexpensive as well, averaging $60 each at the shows.
I found this picture for you:
http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/4811Isis1.jpg

[Clownfishie]

Thanks Youkai :)

Congrats on the new addition -- how was the show? Since I'm going to be moving to Victoria next month, I'm thinking of trying to make it to the spring TARAS show... it sounds awesome :) It'd be an experience though... have to find somewhere to stay. Don't know if I'd drive/train/plane it, but I'm sure I could figure something out... I think it would be worth going, at least once... I'm definitely going to miss the herp expos out here *sigh*....

The sand boas are definitely a good size, and they have nice looking colour -- but I don't know if I like the head shape -- I think I like snakes with more defined heads...

Thanks for the info :)

[Youkai]

The show was great! Met up with a few people I know and had some fun chatting, and looking around was great. I would suggest though, if you're moving to Victoria, to wait for the fall show. Unless you can make it to both. The fall shows tend to offer a lot more in terms of animals.

I know what you mean about the head shape. I'm the same way...but unfortunately the ones I want are out of my price range with tuition being an issue now. (Anthill pythons). But after seeing a few, and handling a few...I pretty much couldn't help it! I think it's worth a shot. Males especially stay small...and they're quite inexpensive. Maybe see if you can find some locally to have a good look at...

I mean, I'm a lizard person. And slowly these snakes are growing on me...(rather like Star Trek (any of them) which my brother and dad would watch all day every day if they could.)

[Clownfishie]

Glad to hear it was great :) Maybe I will wait till the fall show to go -- I probably won't be in a hurry, I doubt that I'll be buying anything (I have no idea where I'm going to put everything as it is when I get out there!)... more just for the experience. Ok, I should just admit it -- I probably WILL come home with something *laughs*. I don't think that I've ever gone to a show and NOT come home with something... and I'm sure it'll be even harder to resist after taking such a long trip to get there :)

Yeah -- I think that all the snakes that I like are $150-250... plus I'll probably end up having to pay shipping. But... we'll see :)
I'm a lizard person too... I always said that if there was one thing that you didn't have to worry about me bringing home, it was a snake ... well, that, or a tarantula *shudders* :) And now look what's happened... I blame it all on Ssnakess.com!! You've corrupted me... hehe... And since it's all your fault, I think that you should pay for my new snake *grin*...
What? *innocent look*... I think it's a good plan! :D

Ooo... I like the Anthill Pythons too... I think I saw some on Henry Piorun's site... they looked cool :) Far out of my price range though... $1500 each I think. Ouches...

I think -- unless something else comes up that I like -- I'll probably get either a ball python, a brazilian rainbow boa, or an irian jaya carpet python. I don't know, maybe the colubrids will grow on me a little more... I'm waiting for those books from the library to come so I can bring all 23 of them home and read through them... hehe :) God help anybody else who wants to borrow books on snakes right now, cuz I think I stole all of them :D

Jen

[Jeff_Favelle]

Just wait until you get out here then and you won't have to pay any shipping. Balls, Carpets, Milks, Rainbows etc etc etc.... Easy to get those here. There's like 5 of us breeding all those plus more!!

[Clownfishie]

Most excellent!! :) Glad to hear it... It lets me spend a little extra on getting what I want instead of having to worry about spending a little less so I can afford the shipping ;)

I'm definitely waiting until I get out there, no worries about that. And until I get my own place, there's no way in hell that my parents would let me keep a snake in their house :D So it might even be the new year before I can do anything... we'll see how things go though... And I'll have to save up my pennies too -- the move is pretty much draining all my funds. (*with an innocent look, thinking "nevermind the fact that I'm about to spend $650 on another gecko"*)... hehe...

Just out of curiosity... what do you think that your favourite snake to work with is? Sounds like you work with several different species, so I was wondering which one you liked the best :)

[Jeff_Favelle]

Well, Ball Pythons are frusterating because of the whole eating thing and sometimes females simply don't want to breed. But when they do lay eggs, they are soooo huge and easy to hatch. BRB's are a cinch to breed and the adults are the coolest snakes on the planet. Carpets are a whole different snake altogether!! They are soooo smart, deliberate with their actions, and their eyesight seems to be miles ahead of other snakes. Tough to say. I'd say Rainbows, followed by a tie with Balls and Carpets.

[Syst3m]

I can not say enough good things about brazilians. Both of mine as juvenile are some of the best snakes I have ever owned.
Neither of them are head shy. Neither of them are very moody. Even when they are in shed they both tend to be good feeders and I've never been nipped in any fashion by eather of them.
They seem to very much relish in staying with me when I have them out of the cage. They get active and want to explore of course but usually end up settling around one of my arms and stay there for several hours at a time. I can be almost assured they recognize me since neither of them try to run from me when I dig them out of their hides but when my friends want to see them they are very cautious but still very relaxed. I've never seen a snake that is so friendly and relaxed really. I'm sure there are more of different breeds of snakes that may share the same qualitys but with my experience I've never owned a more personable snake. After seeing my friends brazilian I've decided that brazilians were the snake for me.

And as far as special requirements go I think keeping humidty high is the easiest thing using just the Fish tank air stone, air pump and a water dish.

Over all I personally recommend brazilians as a starter snake if your familiar with keeping reptiles. If you have never owned a reptile before then I might suggest something like a Colubrid.

They really are not as hard to keep as people say they are.

[Clownfishie]

Thanks Syst3m :) They're definitely at the top of my list -- they get a little bigger than I'd like, but they're certainly gorgeous enough to make up for it!

[FireSerpent]

If you feed frozen/thawed it not only is so much safer for your snake but it is much easier on you, becasue they lose that cute factor. I have a few corns and i love them. They are so friendly and so easy to care for, as well as they are hardy eaters. I think that Corns would be a great starter snake for you.

[Clownfishie]

Yeah -- I know about the frozen rodents thing. It's definitely an improvement over live, that's for sure. It still kinda grosses me out to see them swallowing their food whole though ;)

Corns are still on my list -- although they've gotten a little lower since I started finding all the other beautiful snakes out there that would be ok for a beginner :) Hehe... There's so many gorgeous morphs of corns though... so they're definitely still an option. I think that I like the ghost corns...

[silke]

the more you see , the more difficult it gets
stating the obvious aren't i? :)

[Sean_.E.]

What about a SOLOMON ISLAND GROUND BOA
-small 2-4 feet
-need a 10-15 gallon tank
-calm like rosies
-not very popular(something different)
-interesting looking
- when babies you only have to feed them once a week when adults on 1 ever 2 or three weeks

If you were to get one make sure it is feeding first... I got mine from roy stockwell....and it ate like a champ.....

[Clownfishie]

Do you have any pictures of yours Sean? I'd love to see :) Or if you know where I can find pics.... They sound pretty cool :)