lets learn

Crein · 11-26-09, 02:41 PM

ok so here goes, im cj, and i dont have any reptiles yet, i REALLY REALLY want a retic and burm lol but i was told by a pretty intelligent person that should be my next snake, they did reccommend a carpet though because of their attitude and just their size, so i gotta few questions for you guys and girls

someone help me by please outlining the MAJOR diffrences in the diffrent types, like size, and attitude. i can google the husbandry i just cant seem to find a reliable source to get these from, plus who better to ask then people experienced with the snake itself.

i believe a female coastal is gonna be the largest carpet correct?

oh and any other info you guys wanna teach the noob id love to learn, ima junkie to new info

Wolfus_305 · 11-28-09, 10:29 PM

Hi there
I'm kendra and I have a ball python, bearded dragon, crested gecko, puppy and two cats.

If this is going to be your first ever reptile i would suggest something slightly smaller so that you don't become overwhelmed and stressed out. I don't really know much about the other snakes that you're interested in so I can't help out with telling you the temperament differences.
Best wishes
Kendra

Rham_Es-Hestos · 11-28-09, 10:43 PM

Heheh. You sound a little like I did when I got here a month ago. I really love burms and still do. I've been talking a bit with a friend here and she's given me a LOT of advice. I don't know if I'll still get a burm or not. Right now I'm considering starting with a coastal carpet. I'd suggest you seek out Kim and talk to her a bit (Will0W783). She's got a lot of great helpful information.

Crein · 11-29-09, 12:20 AM

lol your stalking me across forums!

yeah for the size thing kim, a carpet is nothing, i was gonna get a retic till a butthead talked me out of it, lol

yeah iv read a few of willows posts she seems to know what shes talking about, i was just told these guys are pretty smart and would be a decent start to getting into the giant world, even those these guys arnt giant, but i figure 9 feet is still a pretty big snake

Will0W783 · 11-29-09, 09:16 AM

Hello Crein! A retic will be the largest snake overall- they are the longest snake in the world. They are capable of topping 30 feet, although most captive retics stay in the 15-20 foot range. However beautiful, they are known for being testy and unpredictable. A 15+ foot, 200+ pound snake requires a certain level of experience- they are NOT good starter snakes. That being said, I know people who have started with retics, and almost all of them have no real concept of how big that animal will get and what they will do when it gets to that size. Far too many people get them because of their beauty and the idea that it will get huge and be "cool" and then when the snake grows up they realize they don't have the room for it. A good rule of thumb for housing a snake is that the length + width of the cage should equal the length of the snake for less active species and the length of the cage should equal the length of the snake for more active species. Let's say you go by the first situation, and you have a 15 foot retic. You would need a cage 8 foot x 7 foot, or 10 foot x 5 foot- basically a small room just for the snake. The same size cage holds for a burm, who usually get 12-15 feet in captivity. Burms are known for being docile snakes, but they are heavy-bodied, and routinely get 200 pounds or so. Again, although docile, NOT a beginner snake. You absolutely CANNOT handle any snake longer than 8 feet by yourself without another person in the room. It's just dangerous- the snake can tighten up to get more warmth and accidentally strangle you, or it can bite and constrict, and one person will not be able to get away.
A coastal carpet was the other snake you mentioned- I consider carpets good beginner snakes. I personally own 4 carpets- 1 coastal, 1 jungle/jag, 1 jungle, and 1 irian jaya. They are probably overall my favorite python. They are docile, curious, have nice patterns, and a dragon-like face. My adult male coastal is 8'4", but only about 10 pounds. He is a snake I can handle by myself, but he's a handful because he's always moving and exploring. He's a big baby though- extremely docile. A female coastal will get slightly larger theoretically, but there is always individual variation. But coastal carpets average 6-8 feet long. I keep mine in a 6'x2' melamine cage with a hide and a large corner water dish and aspen bedding.
If you are really sold on retics, I would get a superdwarf retic. They are more expensive- average $200, but only get 6-8 feet. I have a female superdwarf who is around 6.5-7 feet and very docile as well. She's a total sweetheart and a gorgeous snake to boot. She and my coastal eat large frozen/thawed rats. A full-size retic or burm would need large rabbits or chickens- which can get expensive, fast. A bag of 8 frozen large rats is around $30 and lasts me 2 months, as I feed every other week. Rabbits are on the order of $5-$10 apiece depending on size.
If you want, check out my photo album on here. I should have pictures of my coastal, Voodoo, and my superdwarf retic, Baby, on it.
Best of luck with your decision, and don't hesitate to ask any more questions you might have.

Crein · 11-29-09, 11:49 AM

thanks for the post willow!

all of which youv stated is exactly why iv decided to wait for my retic, i think id be ok handling it and such i just dont want to take the risk, so iv decided ill start with the smaller carpet or maby a dwarf

dwarfs i know get to like 13 feet and dont get as big as a mainland and are just under the size of a burm, but less weight. iv done a decent amount of research and talked to quite a few people about the giants lol, i just think its a more responabile desicion to wait awhile to get a retic simple because they can get so expensive.

a question for ya though, what are your oppinions on cageing a carpet? i had another guy tell me he buys adult enclosures and just makes sure there is plenty of hides and foilage for the snake to relax in. which makes sence because snakes dont stay in a 6x2 area till they are older.

Will0W783 · 11-29-09, 05:11 PM

I guess it would be ok. I had my babies in my snake rack, and now my yearling is old enough to go in a 2.5'x2'x1' melamine block. My other 2 year-old girl and my 2 year-old Irian Jaya are also in those same size enclosures. My adult coastal male is in a 6'x2'. The only problem with having huge enclosures for baby snakes is that they can get stressed out and not feel as secure, but baby carpets tend to be full of attitude anyway and aren't nearly as chicken as BPs. I think you'd be ok getting a large enclosure and placing a lot of hides in it. The other thing you can do is put in a divider and remove it when the snake gets older. Also with carpets, if it is to be your first snake, I do strongly recommend getting at least a yearling, or older if you can. It will have gotten past the hatchling "bite everything that moves" attitude. My yearling jungle/jag male is a delight- he's highlighter yellow and velvet black- a real handsome fellow and he is docile, although still a bit easily startled. He's never tried to bite, nor have my other 3. I did have 4 yearling (although quite small for their age) coastals and they were nasty little shits. They would rear up every time I walked into the room and bounce off the sides of the cage...lol. I got my current male coastal as an adult. Someone had had him and didn't realize how big he would get, and I bought him. Granted, 8 feet is not that big for a snake, but it's too big for a lot of people.
As for retics, stick with a superdwarf to start with- they will only get 6-8 feet and are generally docile. The dwarfs get almost as big as the regular retics- really not worth it.

Crein · 11-29-09, 05:26 PM

yeah when i go with my carpet, i dont think ill care what age it is, only because i got tagged in a pet store a few days back and really thought it was kinda cute haha i guess that divider idea could work, i just wasnt really sure because it does make sence, or even if i could buy 2 instead of like 4 or 5 that would be great to, i would just have to make sure there are plenty of plants and stuff for the little girl to hide in.

as for the retics, lol sd are alil to flighty from what iv heard, and a guy from another forum breeds dwarfs so even the females dont really get like 13 feet

Will0W783 · 11-29-09, 06:42 PM

Ah, well it is up to you. I was just giving my opinion. But I know that I would NOT want to get bitten by either my sd retic or my adult carpet, as they have BIG teeth. My sd is a sweetheart- very docile, and seems to love attention. I took her to one of my car club meets this past summer and everyone loved her. She kept slithering up onto people's heads and sitting her head down on theirs, especially if they were wearing baseball caps. For some reason, she loves baseball caps and will try to crawl up onto your head if you're wearing one..lol. I know personally I don't have the space nor the real desire to deal with anything over 10 feet, although I do love albino burms. Maybe someday, although for me I'd rather have 2 or 3 smaller snakes than 1 large one. There are so very many beautiful and fascinating snake species out there, ones the majority of people never really know about.

Will0W783 · 11-29-09, 06:47 PM

One thing I will tell you, whatever snake you get, DON'T get it from a pet store. Most pet stores really don't know what they are doing with snakes, as they also carry mammals, birds, fish, etc. They won't know the history of the snake, or how the parents were, or anything like that, and there is a HUGE markup in price. I will tell you what I told Rham- get thee to a reptile show! They are probably the best way to see a lot of different snakes and other reptiles, get a feel for what's out there and deal directly with breeders. You will also save a TON of money. For example, an adult BP will cost you $100-150 in a pet store. The same snake will cost you $40 at a reptile show. You can buy the snake, the cage, and all the cage furnishings and probably some food at a show for what you'd pay for just the snake at a pet store. You will also be able to handle the snakes you are thinking about buying and get a feel for their temperaments. If you don't have any shows near you, send me a PM and I can recommend a few breeders that I personally trust completely and have dealt with with great results.

Crein · 11-29-09, 08:37 PM

first id like to start by thanking you for being so helpful, its great haveing experienced people to talk to so i dont get the wrong info for the snake.

second, lol iv liked big snakes for so long i just know ill have a few monsters someday down the line. im just not completly ready for it yet

and yeah id never ever ever buy a snake from a pet store, i know far to much about em to even consider it, plus there is the price factor like you said they cost alot more. and i would like to be able to talk to the guy who has breed the snake to not only get a feel if he knows what hes doin, but to be able to find out about its parents.

and i dunno if im neseccarily looking foward to gettin bit, but i have accepted thats a risk that this hobby takes and id rather get tagged by a 13'' carpet then a 13''.. a 6 foot burm. iv seen pics of what an 8 foot burm can do with a warning bite and yeah that is for he more experienced haha

Will0W783 · 11-29-09, 08:44 PM

Crein, it sounds like you are on the right track! I want to say it's very nice to see people asking questions and looking for info before they buy. So many people buy animals and then go, "uhhh, by the way, how do I care for it?" Snakes are such wonderful pets as far as I'm concerned. Low maintenance, beautiful, fascinating, and so much variety! I enjoy helping people out as much as I am able. There are others far more experienced on here than I, and still others more experienced than them. But we need to help each other out and encourage the continuation of the herp hobby!

Crein · 11-29-09, 09:40 PM

yeah im one of the silly few who really likes to know what i am getting into and then i can never seem to make up my mind haha, i love fourms like these because i can sit here and read websites all day that contradict each other and go bac kand fourth, but it is much easier for me to get the oppinions of peoplewho actually own the reptile and make a few friends along the way. im all for contributing to the hobby, one of the main reasons im getting into it is to not only learn but to teach my little cousins. sort of a hands on activity if you understand.

shaunyboy · 01-06-10, 05:51 PM

i would take willows advice mate as imo she's 100% correct in what she says.what age was the snake that tagged you in the shop i only ask as like willow says i would definatly not want to be bit by an adult carpet.i have seen bites that require stitch's.the girth of most carpets are roughly the girth of a can of coke so they are much more managable than even a dwarf retic as they are powerfull snakes.the coastal is the biggest of the carpets.i am not trying to be cheeky mate but your better starting with something managable and building your experience before going onto larger more powerfull snakes.don't get caught up in the i want to own a big snake mentality as every type of snake has a diferent nature and on top of that they have they're own individual personalitys.i have a jungle that goes out its way to bite you where i have others that are dog tame but i give them all the respect they deserve as they can all inflict damage should they wish to do so.i wish you all the best with your new snake when you get it whatever you decide on.
cheers shaun