Thinking of getting a snake...

[Kat]

I'm thinking of getting a snake only I have no Idea what kind. I was wondering if you all could offer some suggestions. I'd like something colorful, the brighter the better. I'd also like it to stay relativley small, say under 2 feet. Once I decide what one I might like then I can start to do some research into it's care. Any suggestions would be greatly apprieciated (and no comments on my spelling!!) ;)

[Big Mike]

Under two feet....that really limits your choices. Maybe decide how much room you have to house a snake and get something bigger.

Corns, Kings, Milks etc come in many colors & patterns and are fairly easy to keep. Rosy boas are pretty small and are also easy to keep.

Good luck in the search...

P.S.
Good luck only getting one...they are very addictive. ;)

[HyGhBr|d]

also kenyan sand boas are small.

[Kat]

Thanks guys! I wouldn't mind a bit longer than 2 ft, I just dont want something that's going to be 10 ft long. I love the Albino Burmese Python, but that's entirely too big!!!

As for the addiction *sigh* I guess it's like everything else....geckos...tattoos....piercings....snakes... .
You get one, you want more!!!

[tightsqueeze]

go with a ball python they don't usualy get more the 5-6' and they have an awsome personality i have 5 of them ...;)
i accualy have one for sale a female baby ...let me know what you think

i have pics if you want to see them let me know

jay

[Lisa]

For something bright you might consider a Brasilian Rainbow Boa

[stormyva]

In my opinion.....

Go with a Children's Python or Rosy Boa.

Brazilian Raninbows are great, but are not a good first snake due to more intense husbandry requirements and that they are less forgiving of errors in their husbandry.

[Kurzix]

Stormyva

Brazilians husbandry is not more intense, all you gotta do is give high humidty, and slightly lower heat than most animals, and give them plenty of places to hide, mine is always hiding, but pokes her head out to look around every now and then. I find the husbandry of my BRB easier than that of my burm, or jungle carpet. I put a piece of acrylic over the lid of my aquarium with a few holes in it, run a airline with a airstone into her water dish, poof instant 80+ humidity with no mantience other than checking the water dish (and you really should do that regularly anyways)I keep my temps 75-85

Anyways, BRB shouldn;t be ruled as a first snake, they are tame, eat good, stay smallish (about 10 lbs at 6-7 feet) and are gorgeous

and for the record keeping humidty super high is easier than keeping it like 60-70%

Just my 2 cents

[escm]

hey kurzix,

if you are using the air pump to circulate air why would you need to put an air stone on it? I thought the air stone was to help mix the air/water in an aquarium?

[Pontus]

go with a rainbow boa for a very nice color affect if u want that but u need good humidity but if u dont want to deal to much with humidity go with a ball i love mine to death and she always wants to come out and roam around and they both dont get that big

lol i on the otherhand am geting a savannah monitor in a day or 2 but i got a cage that is 6x2x3 lol and from there who knows


pontus:bsmile:

[Pythonian]

I don't want to tell you what to get.. but i will tell you what i know:
my ball python is the cutest and sweetest animal alive... (just don't tell the other members of this forum that Kali *IS* in fact the best snake ever ;) ) Right after she sheds her colors are the brightest and most eyecatching colors i've seen on a nonaquatic animal. She eats like a piggy.. and just likes her light, water, miceys and a hiding place so she is safe. she cuddles with you to steal some of ur body heat and just all around a sweet snake.

Vertigo my corn snake (recently deceased :( ) was a snappy little booger. He wasn't as bright but stayed smaller then Kali, and ate less. He was very sick when i got him ... i just wanted to try to make the rest of his life happy :) and i think i succeeded ($45 for a dying snake that they were going to let go in the wild) but the vet gave him 3 weeks.... well 5 months later poor little sucker died :( i just hope he knows how much i loved him ... ANYWAY! wow..damn off subject.. yea corn snakes and ball pythons are great snakes. and personally i wouldn't have asked for a better pair of first snakes :)

Mike

[snakekeeper]

If you want some thing small try spotted pythons or kenya sand boas they both are 3 feet or under.

If you want something larger 5-6 foot range kings, corns, balls, milks, brb would be great. They all have good temperments....

[Linds]

I would recommend going with a rosy boa, kenyan sand boa, or male african house snake (females can reach lengths of up to 5'). All of these stay under 3 feet in length and make great first snakes.

Rosies are my personal favourite of the bunch :D They are super easy to care for so long as they are kept in an arid environment. They are slow-moving animals that tolerate handling VERY well and come in a variety of pattern and colour variations from blue base colour with orange zig zags to black and white stripe and everything in between ;)

Sandboas are also quite colourful, and are easy enough to acclimate to handling as babies. They aren't much for show though since they like to be hidden beneath substrate all the time. They can be difficult to start feeding, but are usually ok once they start.

House snakes can be a good choice and have wonderful irridescence. They are a colubrid so they are much more active/skittish than the others, but are usually good feeders and easy enough to care for ;)

[Kat]

Thank you all very much! I've decided to hold off on getting a snake for a bit though. I fear for getting evicted if I got one right now. I appreciate all your help and advice greatly!!

[Kurzix]

ESCM


if you are using the air pump to circulate air why would you need to put an air stone on it? I thought the air stone was to help mix the air/water in an aquarium?


the Air stone is to allow the end of the air line to placed into the water dish, the bubbles then help carry the moisture into the air inside the cage, so no only are you pumping air in, but you are pumping in humid air so no misting is required

[krrc]

I'm getting a new snake soon and have really been pretty set on a bp size isent an issue since I have a burm but I wanted to go smaller I have been looking at the rainbow boas though and they look really cool. how's their temperment? and whats the price ranges. maybe I'll get two new snakes! :) :)

[Justin]

Well really you dont have to ait ...my first snake was a rat snake.. The color on them is really great looking and plus they stay under 5 feet. With being only about 1 1/2 wide ....or as meaning the Gerth of the snake..But they are really good starter snakes ....But another thing if you ever do decide to get one the are quite nippy at first but ive been bitten by one many many time it feels like a tiny pinch

[Linds]

Assuming you mean Brazilian Rainbows (the temperament and husbandry varies a little bit in the different subspecies).......

They have some of the best temperaments around IMHO. Many of them tend to be very nippy as babies but calm down very quickly with regular, gentle handling sessions. They don't seem to be variable the way BCI's or BCC where you can get both agressive adults or completeley docile, most BRB's generally mature into very handleable animals. They make very good captives, they are voracious feeders with no problems as long as their humidity requirements are met.

[JakeS]

You should get a colubrid of some kind...becuase if your looking for a pet with alot of different color mutations and is still in a one time pet price rang...Corns and kings would be a good choice, easy to take care of, small and don't mine being handled... http://www.ajsnakes.com/available.htm

[makeajazznoise]

Originally posted by Kat
I'm thinking of getting a snake only I have no Idea what kind. I was wondering if you all could offer some suggestions. I'd like something colorful, the brighter the better. I'd also like it to stay relativley small, say under 2 feet. Once I decide what one I might like then I can start to do some research into it's care. Any suggestions would be greatly apprieciated (and no comments on my spelling!!) ;)

I too am looking into getting my "first" snake, well, in many years at least. I have kept snakes in the past (late 80s through about '95). Space is an issue, I am looking to stay relatively small (not quite like Kat.... up to 6-8 feet good, although I am not against smaller). I am likely to stick to a 20/30 gallon tank..so 8 feet might be a bit much. My favorite snakes on earth are burmese but hey... not an option for me :(

I find ball pythons a bit too.... I dunno... common... boring. My last snake was a red tail boa... I loved that thing! I have also had a ball python, rat snakes (and numerous lizards)... but I had a roomate who had it all: burmese(s), retic, anaconda, carpet python, various kings (I've probably left some out).

I am pretty fond of the Gray Banded King... can anyone enlighten me on things like size, temperment, how they feed, handling them, what its like keeping them etc. Its one thing to read dry, scientific web pages... I'd like to hear first hand from an owner/keeper of them. Same for Indigo snake (my daughter likes indigo's) , rainbow boas, Children's Python, Rosy Boa... (are milk snakes at all interesting?)

(Damn I'm asking a lot here arent I?!) Sorry

There are a few reptile shows coming up and I hope to make a purchase this spring. I will also be looking for housing... like a ?20? 30? gallon tank or something (and all the peripherals)... so if anyone in the Niagara Region has any alternatives to just going to a pet shop (ie Henley, Kris', SuperPet) please let me know.