help choosing a snake

[blackrose969]

hey everyone i have been looking into getting a new snake but am having a little trouble choosing a species, what im looking for in a snake is one that is known to be pretty calm, gets to be about 5-9 feet long, isnt a ball python, known to be relativly easy to care for and feed...............any ideas guys and girls???

[theDude]

I'm know nothing about carpet pythons but they are common in the pet trade and get to be about that size. Blood pythons stay smaller, but a nice captive bred blood would be a good pet even though they have a higher humidity requirement. Red tail boas are popular and males stay smaller than females (about 7-9 feet).

[LdyPayne]

not too many snakes that fall in that range that are known to be calm...at least I can't think of any. Carpet pythons are pretty good, though when young they can be very nippy. Brazilian rainbow boas are nice snakes, fall in the 6-7 foot range and are pretty calm, again once they past the baby nippy stage. Regular gentle handling is good to tame these snakes.

If you want a snake more for display than handling, the tree boas and pythons are quite impressive. However they tend to be nippy all the time so they don't make the best snakes to handle. From what i know with these snakes, much of their nippiness is more due to feeling insecure if pried off their perches. Lifting the perch itself out of the cage works best, as they feel secure still so thus, are not so defensive.

Checking care sheets on carpet pythons, Brazilian rainbow boa, tree boas/pythons and that will give you a better ideal on what to choose for your next snake.

[Boots]

If you are willing to look a little shorter, I would suggest a Boa. They make great pets, and can be very calm. Redtails are especially nice, and they are close to 6 feet.

Jason

[VAgirl]

I would definitely agree with the Brazilian Rainbow Boa recommendation. My 7 ft female is a great eater and very calm. Babies are usually pretty nippy as mentioned and she was no exception but adults are really chill. Care is fairly easy, humidity does have to be maintained but with the proper set up of her cage, it's not a problem. Plus, they are absolutely gorgeous and less common than a BP.

[jordo]

coastal carpet pythons get to about 9 feet if fed well and mine is pretty damn calm. i don't know how think they get though cause mine is only 3 years old and still growing. i would suggest that or a red tailed boa.

[totheend]

I'd say go for a jungle carpet python. They reach an okay size, easy to care for and great eaters. They are very pretty display animals and mine are out almost all of the time hanging out on their branches. They can be nippy when they are young, but just grow out of it. Get one that is a yearling, usually by that age they are done with being nippy. Good luck in whatever you get.

[oliphant]

Red tails are very easy! Most well eat any time and anything. Columbians/Bci red tails are easy to find and they get to the size you want! Guyana's and suri's are more colorful then the bci but they can be a pain some times for feeding. If you handle the snake enough they mostly well stay calm! Just always make sure you don't smell like there food or they can strike! Any snake can strike any time! After handling there food wash your hands and you well be good. Pick a snake that you like, then do research on them or ask about it and people here well help you with any questions. Good luck on what you pick!

[peterm15]

easy.. hog island boa.. 4-7 feet.. depending on sex.. AWSOME colour... temperment of a normal type boa.... and just a sweet all around snake..

as for blood python which was mentioned earlier.. dont.. lol. sure stays around 6 feet... but is as fat as a human thigh.. large snake thats for sure... also relitavle agressive and POWERFULL

i got taged by a newborn and ill tell you.. never want that again.. didnt get a bite down but got me on my coller bone area.. hit me hard enough that i brused... i got hit with a baseball bat last year and didnt bruse...lol

[jparker1167]

i would say a jungle carpet python, or hog island boa. i would stay away from the bloods they can get really defensive and they bite hard lol what snakes have you kept ? good luck man

[Todd Peddle]

Id say go with a BCI or BCC.Lots out their to choose from and many different color morphs & localities.
If you talk to a honest breeder you can ask him to suggest a boa he has forsale that is calm and a good feeder.
Also attending a reptile show is also a good choice for you.Go their and take a look and ask questions about all the snakes that interest you and go from their.
If you go with a BCI start out with a baby one that has been fed by the breeder several times on Frozen thawed(f/t).This way you can get used to the boa at a small size and know its history.
Good luck.

[Bluzmn59]

I would say for what you are looking for, to stay with the boas. The husbandry is fairly basic, they are good eaters and usually have excellent demeanors. I would caution beginners to stay away from blood pythons - they are freakishly strong and not for the inexperienced, IMHO.

[bigdaddy]

Id say go with a BCI or BCC.Lots out their to choose from and many different color morphs & localities.
If you talk to a honest breeder you can ask him to suggest a boa he has forsale that is calm and a good feeder.
Also attending a reptile show is also a good choice for you.Go their and take a look and ask questions about all the snakes that interest you and go from their.
If you go with a BCI start out with a baby one that has been fed by the breeder several times on Frozen thawed(f/t).This way you can get used to the boa at a small size and know its history.
Good luck.
Like Todd said get all the info. you can get on the species that you want and see out of all that info. what works for you.Remember have fun doing it and always look and listen for differant info.

[drec91]

i would suggest either a red tail or ball python. Both can become very tame. I would say Brazillian rainbow boa but they require high humidity which can be hard to maintain.

[Dolly]

id agree with everyone who says a boa. maybe a rosy boa? i dont know about length but boas and Cp/ BPs tend to be very sweet and calm for sure

[Kurzix]

So far everyone here has listed a boid, what about some colubrids? They fall into the range. Personally I am not a big colubrid fan, but they come in a wide variety of colors, and eat well, and no high humidty requirements.

I will say rainbow boas are EXCELLENT first time snakes, if you can keep the humidity up. Which really isn't that hard. I'd suggest using a plastic storage tub for a cage, take a soldering iron and poke one hole in the bottom (I'll explain why later) and a few holes along the sides.

In the hole in the bottom run an aquarium air line, connected to an air pump. Place a diffuser stone on the end of the tube inside the cage, and place the stone inside the snakes water dish. The air pump makes sure there is enough ventilation, forcing fresh air in constantly, the stone in the water dish makes sure the air coming in is humid. You can EASILY maintain 80%+ humidty with this set up, the more holes you put in the sides, the lower the humidty will drop, and the walls will stay clear, and not fog up, or get water droplets forming.

[gocmando19328]

Id say carpet pythons... but thats just me... i ahve a female coastal thats 6 foot and its just a big baby, than i have a male jungle thats about 4 1/2 i just got that one yesterday and its just as nice as my coastal.

[LdyPayne]

I have thought about suggesting a colubrid but he/she wanted something at least 5 feet long. I am only really familiar with corn snakes and on average they don't often exceed four feet though a few do reach the five foot mark. Kingsnakes tend to be smaller (though I am not as familiar with these so they could get bigger than I think). Rat snakes do get 5-6 feet with some species (black rat snakes tend to fall in that range), not sure about the other rat snake species...or the Asian rat snakes. Some of those snakes are very pretty, but not sure how calm they can be.

Radiated rat snakes may fall in the lower end of the size range but I can't remember. Then again there are the bull snakes, these do get at leat 5' but not much bigger than 6' though (but again I could be wrong). Bull snakes seem to be pretty calm, at least all that i have seen and handled are calm but these have been older adults with plenty of handling.

Then again, are bull snakes colubrids anyway? They may be part of the same group of snakes that contain pine snakes and gopher snakes.

I guess it really is going to be limited by how much you can pay to buy the snake, as some of the above may be hard to find, or expensive. I never priced any of the above, save for corn snakes, some king snakes and rats snakes. Not sure how big the bairn's rat snake get, but these are quite impressive. Pictures don't do them justice though, they can have a really cool almost chrome sheen to them.

Again, research these snakes mentioned, find out which one fits your needs best.

[ReptileMan27]

Red tail boa, jungle carpet python,bull snake...

[jordo]

if your looking for a pet, it wont matter what you get. you'll love it all the same. unless you get something agressive, then you will love it a lil less. but i would go with a red tail boa because they are sexy. the picture i have is my coastal carpet python (lil jerry seinfeld). he has an awesome design and has letters/numbers all over him so its always fun to find new words naturaly written on him. mine says "DVD" "Jay" pretty clearly on his side. quite a fun animal.

[gocmando19328]

i just picked up a 7 1/2 foot female colombian red tail boa and a 6 foot long 2 foot wide tank for 70 dollars down here in the states... just figured id say that since thats the topic at the moment... cp are very sweet my six foot is a big baby basically.