New Snake

[lizlover]

Hi i want a snake. My mom doesent want one that gets over 5 ft and I want a python or a boa. I wondered what is a good beginner python or boa and what size cage the boa that is best would need. I would really like one that could fit in either a 20 gallon tank or a 55 gallon tank because the pet store hooks me up :) . But if it does need a 55 or a 20 what is a good method of keeping the snake in the cage.

Thanks A Bunch

Alex

[HeatherRose]

Some pythons and boas that don't get over five feet:

Childrens pythons, ball pythons, spotted pythons, hog island boas, rosy boas and sand boas. There are probably more dwarf boa locales but I'm not too familiar with 'em and can't think of them.

For most snakes, tanks (glass fish aquariums) aren't the best enclosure. They don't hold humidity well among other reasons. Why not try a clear Rubbermaid? They go for 8-10$ at most stores, all you have to do is poke a few holes :) Rubbermaid lids also 'click' shut, so your snake will be secure in his/her cage...

Good luck :)

[lizlover]

Hi again. I read some and the spotted pythons get too big and they need different heat. Hog Island boas are the same. Also I cannot get a childrens python cuz they are too expensive.

Alex

[SerpentLust]

Spotted Pythons are really small actually. Mine topped out at 4.5 feet and they're slender. They don't require any more kinds of heat than any other boid. Where are you located and we can see about breeders. Children's and Spotteds are fairly inexpensive. If you want a small python, go with the Anthill, but it's more expensive, WAY more expensive than the Children's and Spotted, yet they're all in the same family.

Jenn

[susan]

how about a durmil boa

[lizlover]

Im located in California near Sacramento. I need a snake that can handle hot summer weather and about 40% humidity. Preferrably I want a boa or a python but it will be my first snake so I want one I can take care of and not have to worry about.

[vanderkm]

Consider rosy boas - lovely little guys that stay small. Reasonable price and for the most part great temperaments.

You may not want to be too quick to rule out colubrids either - something like a variable, durango mountain or san luis potosis kingsnake is a very neat animal at a reasonable price that will stay under about 3 feet, feed very consistently and they have exceptional temperaments.

mary v.

[Vengeance]

lizlover

Ball pythons stay around 4 - 5 ft on average, 6 ft is above average but not unheard of. Ball pythons do best in rubbermaid cages I find, glass tanks, although much nicer for display don't allways meet all the needs of your animal. As for "not having to worry about it", I don't think that is the right attitude when looking into getting your first snake. There are allot of variables to consider in the cageing of your snake, Fresh water, proper heat gradiants, hummidity levels, cleaning, these are things you are going to have to "worry about". But do your research, get a cage setup in advance and make sure to put the time and effort into the animal that it deserves and I'm sure you will get the enjoyment of keeping a healthy animal back 10 fold.

HeatherRose

I wouldn't suggest not securing a rubbermaid lid, although they do snap shut, the sides do have allot of play and almost any snake would be able to use that play to escape. I find the best method to secure a rubbermaid lid is with S hooks like so...

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/3606DSCF0035-med.JPG

You drill a hole through the lid and the rubbermaid and then secure it with a S hook to remove any play from the lid, works great.

[lizlover]

Thanks for the pic. What I meant by not worrying about it is having easy enough care that I dont worry every second of the day lol. But I understand what you mean. What are the dimensions of that cage and where do you have the air holes? How many air holes would be needed?


Thanks So Much Guys

Alex

[cnb]

Well i think the best all around snake for the novice keeper is the corn snake. They
are docile, easy to feed and will be fine in a 20 gallon tank. Also they can be bought for around 20 dollars for a normal and 30 dollars for a albino.

[Princesssss]

I would agree with CNB...a corn snake sounds more like something you might want to look at...it may not seem as "cool" to tell people that you have a cornsnake..but there great snakes. There are lots of good books out there on them, they dont get to big and there are so many different colour morphs out there for you to choose from. I think your mom would probably be a little less hesitant after seeing a cute lil baby corn.

[Bartman]

I agree with the corn snake. When asked what is the best first snake, id forsure go with a cornsnake. Then imo the next step up would be a ball python, boa constrictor (if you can handle the size) and other similar snakes.

The thing with corns is that they are small, slender, 90 percent will be docile with no handling, and eat on command :)

If you hearts set on another snake, just make sure you know all about it before buying it.

[Tim and Julie B]

How about a ratsnake there are many awsome N.American species and personally I think they are way cooler then corns. A rosy boa would work well for all the requirements you just said. In California they as well as pretty much anything else should be easy to find. Good luck. TB

[lizlover]

The reason I ma looking into boas and pythons is I like heavy bodied snakes. I am not a big fan of the thin ones. But for my first snake I might just stick with a corn.

Alex

[HeatherRose]

Bah! Go with what you like. I stayed away from everyone's ideal 'beginner snakes' and got something I really liked instead. Just do your research is all :D

[lizlover]

Thanks Heather. I really really want a BP. But a small boa would be ok too. I want a snake that would be easy to feed like not a picky eater and one that could have 80 degree cool side and maybe 90-100 degree basking side. That could also handle about 50% humidity. I have kinda ruled out the garage just because I dont want anything bad to happen and my parents wanna park in there.

Alex

P.S. Is there any way I could get something that would clean the air in the shed thing I would keep the lizards in when my parents park in the garage?

[JAdkins2451]

I agree with Heather get something you will like and enjoy. Not something you might not be interested in.

[DeviledDiablo]

lol i kinda had the same problems picking my first snake too.. so i kinda no wut ur goin through. i did tons of research for like 2 months b4 i finally decided wut to get. if u want a heavy bodied snake.. a BP would be ur best bet.. but i heard that they are the pickiest eaters.. so if u dun want a picky eater.. go wit a smaller type of boa.. they are great feeders.. i personally dun like too heavy of a bodied snake.. so i went wit a boa. ive had him since april 30 ( my first snake ever ) and he has never turned down a meal yet. but he probably would ( and hope to ) get over 6 feet. and i use to keep him in a 25 gal tank. ( when i first got him ) and he did fine.. all i did was cover 3/4 of the opening wit a metal street sign:D and it kept in the humid and heat great.. but since then ive built him a 6X2.5X3(h) cage.. and hes doin awesome in that.. i dun think many of the boas would be too great livin in a tank as adults.. because it mite be too small for them. persoanlly i would pick a boa ( as i did ) but from wut uve told me.. i think the best for u is BP ( and also that u love it ) they mite not be the best feeders.. but if it comes down to it.. we are all picky eaters ;) juss do some research on BP eating habbits.. and ull find the hints/help to get them eating again.. BTW im NOT speakin from experience.. but juss alot of reading lol
keep us updated on wut u decide.. and trust me.. no matter wut u get.. as long as u like the snake.. u wont regret it.. I dunno wut id do without my lil boa "Romeo"
peace and have fun

[JimmyDavid]

How about a green anaconda?
hehe, just kidding. For me i would choose a rainbow boa. Cute and not too big. And they can eat huge items even when juvenile, wich is good when you can't find nothing smaller than a hamster or adult rat. They are a mini-version of anacondas.
Some people are into ball pythons, but believe me, 80% of them will start having feeding problems at one point or another.

[lizlover]

Hmmmm I really like the Rainbow Boas. But how big do they get? And how humid and hot do they need it. Those are pretty much my main concerns about a snake and where (in the house) i could put it.

Alex

[JimmyDavid]

For a south american snake, they surprise me. Don't need much humidity and always seem to shed well. They Remain pretty active even when kept at low temps.
But i'm not an expert. You should get more info on them, good luck.

[lizlover]

Thanks Jimmy but one more question for anyone that might know. How big do the rainbow boas get?

Alex

[HeatherRose]

Rainbow boas, depending on the locale can get usually anywhere from 4-7 feet, but stay relatively slender and easy to handle.

Don't need much humidity and always seem to shed well

:S

Possibly the BIGGEST issue in keeping these snakes is that they need very high humidity. Baby Brazilian rainbows need over 90% humidity while adults do well at 85% humidity. Other locales can handle slightly lower humidity, like Colombians Guyanans, but not by much. My cages are so humid I can feel the moisture hit me when I take the lids off. Keeping them in rubbermaids is usually the best way to achieve such high humidity, and another trick is putting their water dish over their heating pad.

Good luck :)

[JimmyDavid]

A friend of mine had one that didn't like much humidity. She would eat more and be more active with less humidity, so i guess it can depend on the individual a bit too.
But like i said, i'm no expert about it.
That average size seems right to me as well (4-7 feet).

[HeatherRose]

Thats strange...I guess stranger things have happened though. It'd be like me saying ball pythons are crazy, feisty eaters in general just because I got extremely lucky and mine is :D The humidity issue is more important to their well being in general, however.

As a general rule humidity is way important with these guys. With my Brazilians, if the humidity is not above 85% they tend to look 'dried out' ,in their face especially, and I notice a definite change in their scales at higher humidity. They look 10 times more brilliant, bright, alert and eat like crazy.

If you're going to get a rainbow boa (which I highly recommend, they're my favourite snake) decide if you can provide an environment suitable for their needs first. It's not hard at all, like I mentioned above...a rubbermaid is probably the easiest way.

[lizlover]

Heather what do you do to get the humidity that high? I want a BP but I wouldnt be able to get it till feb. if my mom even changes her mind. Do you have to mist it a lot or what? And are BP's not very good eaters? Or is it just what they like to eat?


Thanks
Alex

[HeatherRose]

My Brazilian rainbow boas are in rubbermaids, misted often, and once in a while I put their water bowl over the heat pad.

My ball python needs less humidity (about 60%) so he's fine in a rubbermaid with 10 holes on each of the shorter sides.

Ball pythons are just well known to be picky eaters. It can be extremely difficult to switch them over from live to dead, or from mice to rats, things like that. It can be a challenge, but not always. Every individual is different...

If you can't get your ball until February, it gives you a great opportunity to get an enclosure set up, find a place to buy feeders from, and buy a book or two...

Good luck :)

[ydnic]

Whe I lived in banff I kept a ball and found that when I kept a wet towel in the corner of the rubbermaid it kept it very humid and he seemed to like laying on it from time to time as well

especially if he was hot hor was about to shed

[lizlover]

I have another question for you guys. Somone told me that i shouldnt worry about humidity with bp's. Should I not worry about it or should I spray it and try the towel thing? They said that 50%humidity was ok and if I sprayed it it would get too humid :S. I think I want to listen to you guys and what my reading has told me.

Thanks Guys For The Help

Alex

[ydnic]

Yah you still need to worry about humidity - they still need over 50% maybe 60 or 65% especially before shed

[ravensgait]

I'd go with the Ball, they are easy to keep and somewhere around 50% humidity will be fine for them. For the most part they are not difficult to get to eat they just don't eat as much as some snakes like rainbow boas. They are very tame (though I'll admit that the first snake that ever bit me was a ball in shed lol) They get stocky but not very long. They are a really nice first snake. Randy

[lizlover]

thanks guys for all the help. I have looked into just about everything and a ball seems right to me. I would make a custom cage with a locking top. I think my mom is starting to give in a little about letting me have one and keep it in the house. I will keep you guys posted but i wouldnt be able to get one until feb. at the earliest. I am thinking about www.proexotics.com or www.joecompelreptiles.com for buying. I am open to suggestions because proexotics hasnt emailed me back yet :(. Oh well talk to you guys later

Alex

[BoidsUnlimited]

Originally posted by susan
how about a durmil boa

Ignore that post...they exceed 5ft pretty often.

I would say a Ball Python or a Childrens Python would be nice. I have heard NO complaints about Childrens. Ball Pythons are also great, just enjoy not feeding sometimes....just get a nice CBB one if you do choose a Ball Python.

[sidewinder]

Alex,
In addition to all the good tips you just got from everybody, remember to give it a water bowl big enough for it to soak itself in. When you see it doing that you'll know he probably needs more humidity (or he has mites). That way you'll have the whole humidity thing figured out before he's to big to get in his water bowl. Good luck!.....Steve

[lizlover]

I dont understand Steve, dont they like to soak some times? :S I will probably be buying from www.proexotics.com so hopefully it doesent have mights lol. I was wondering if you meant if it soaks for really long periods of time. I will probably have one water bowl big enough for it to soak in and put that on the warm side so it will evaporate and make it humid, if that doesent work I will probably only have to mist the cage once a day. I will have a humidity gage so I will know if it is getting too low.

Alex

[Brent Strande]

I think that another GREAT choice would be a hog island boa (male...)

Boas are GREAT snakes, docile, and will for the most part be a better eater overall than a BP...

You should look into them too!

[gbrys122]

This being you first snake,your stressing about size,your mom doesn't really want you to have one to begin with,my suggestion and I wish someone would have given me this advise, get a KINGSNAKE!!!!I've had boas from the time my parents finally caved, til I was about 30 something,looking for exactly what you are right now,big enough for what I can really handle and house,and something that is just gonna amaze and excite that BIG something that these reptiles excite inside of all of us that visit this site.There is a reason they're called kings.They rule for the beginner and not so beginner.

[sidewinder]

Alex, All snakes like to soak now and then, what I meant was soaking for an excessive amount of time. 3 reasons are ,1. encloser is to hot. 2. Not enough humidity. 3. Mites.
If the snake has mites it will be in the water most of the time completely submerged with only it's nostrils above water. (he's trying to sufficate the mites, which works untill he gets out of the water and gets reinfested. You'll see little black specks at the bottom of the water bowl.
Keeping a close watch on the temp will solve any over heating problem.
So if those two things are ok then you know you probably have a humidity problem.

[lizlover]

ok thats what i thought you meant Steve, just making sure cuz i want to learn all i can lol. gbrys i will check into kingsnakes but i just dont know lol, but i think i really want a ball. what makes you like king snakes so much?

Alex

[Odessa78]

Alex,
Kingsnakes make awsome pets. This comming from a die hard Boa and python addict. I had always said I would never own a king, but recieved one as a gift for my kids from someone, and we all have fell in love with our Oreo as he is called. He's a nice manageable size so that my children (ages 8&5) can take him out and handle him themselves, He's extreamly active and eats like a champ. Although our spotted pythons and Children's pythons are in all honesty my kids favorites ( they can also handle them on their own) they stay a nice size and are very pretty snakes. I have always prefered the heavier bodied snakes like my Bcc's& bci''s but our little pythons have really grown on me, the kids and I are already planning on getting more as we enjoy them soooo much. My suggestion as others in this thread have said is go with what really interests you and so long as you do your homework on that particular species you will have no problems.
Laura-Lee L

[dtocher]

A question about keeping a BRB in a rubbermaid... how much height is needed? What are the dimensions that you guys keeps yours in? Also, what's a good place to get them? No Wal-Mart in my area, and the K-Mart is awful (go figure).
Danke!

[beardieguy]

I have a 90 gallontank that my crb's are in and that works great for them.

I have a fish tank pump in the water to curulate the water and a mister in there for the humidity levels. Keeps it around 70 to 75 %.

[lizlover]

Hi guys, i have found some more breeders and one that really stuck out to me was www.roussisreptiles.com . he has gotten back to me saying that he would have some normals in July but he told me they were 100 dollars a PAIR when i can only have one. I sent him an email back asking if he only sold in pairs, but i wanted to ask you guys if breeders sometimes only sell in pairs.
Alex

[lizlover]

I was wondering.......a book that i was reading said Ball Pythons were show animals. Is this true? Or can I hold it and stuff? I think I might buy from my pety store because they would specail order me a baby for 50 bucks. And they got one in from the wholesaler (that I would get a baby from) and it looks flawless. I would probably ask a bunch of questions before i bought it though. Anyone think I shouldnt do this?

Alex