Help deciding on my first large snake

rill90 · 02-10-17, 02:11 PM

So I am currently in my last year of college and I want to get a snake when I move out (parents aren't fond of reptiles), but I am having troubles deciding which one to get

so please help me make a decision. I am wanting a snake that has a "generally good disposition". And something different from ball pythons and corn snakes and such. The three I am thinking about right now are a woma python, dumerils boa, or a boa constrictor. I am open to other suggestions as well. I have kept snakes before making this decision so please try not to yell at me lol.

Cyclops · 02-10-17, 05:39 PM

I have always liked womas. cause they can be handled and you won't go broke.

rill90 · 02-10-17, 06:06 PM

Do they generally have a good disposition? I have heard they can be a bit food aggressive but I mean I would be too if I were a snake.

Cyclops · 02-10-17, 06:54 PM

Yeah, that is why you normally feed them with tongs. long tongs. lol

Cyclops · 02-10-17, 06:55 PM

But they are supposed to be accept handling.

regi375 · 02-10-17, 10:16 PM

I was in the same position as you a while ago. That's when the pet store I went to had Spotted Pythons. From what I read, they generally tolerate handling pretty well. Mine does well with handling, and I've had him for about 3 weeks now. As long as he's handled properly he won't bite. His care is fairly easy, I just use Eco earth as substrate keeping half the enclosure moist and mist once a day to maintain a decent humidity. He really likes yo climb as well, so you can get really creative with their enclosure. Just throwing another option out there for ya

**EL Ziggy** · 02-10-17, 10:45 PM

There are so many cool snakes to choose from. If you're looking for a medium to large snake that displays and handles well take a look at bull snakes and carpet pythons. Sunglow boas and SD retics are beautiful too.

GyGbeetle · 02-11-17, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rill90

So I am currently in my last year of college and I want to get a snake when I move out (parents aren't fond of reptiles), but I am having troubles deciding which one to get

so please help me make a decision. I am wanting a snake that has a "generally good disposition". And something different from ball pythons and corn snakes and such. The three I am thinking about right now are a woma python, dumerils boa, or a boa constrictor. I am open to other suggestions as well. I have kept snakes before making this decision so please try not to yell at me lol.

Womas are very high energy. Very high. And inquisitive. I love my Charlotte, and she's got a sweet disposition, but is very active when trying to hold her compared to all my BC's. She's not really all that food aggressive; I don't use tongs for any of my snakes. She is a shy eater though.

My first snake was a BCC. He's very docile, sweet as can be, not food aggressive at all (he opens his mouth so we can drop the rat in). If I had a choice, I'd go with a BC first.

GyGbeetle · 02-11-17, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EL Ziggy

There are so many cool snakes to choose from. If you're looking for a medium to large snake that displays and handles well take a look at bull snakes and carpet pythons. Sunglow boas and SD retics are beautiful too.

Retics are kinda awesome. They get really big unless you get a dwarf (even those can get pretty big). They are cool. I've heard cool things about these other snakes too, although I don't have much experience with bulls or carpets

BillyCostume · 02-11-17, 09:30 PM

I'd go for a boa constrictor. If you want something that doesn't get overly large there are many localities in the BCI that stay somewhat smaller hog islands etc

toddnbecka · 02-12-17, 02:25 AM

My first real pet snake was a red tail, not actually sure whether she was a BCC or BCI, that was about 35 years ago and such things weren't generally a consideration, lol. Main difference is the max adult size, with BCC's being a little larger, but CBB the disposition of either option is likely to be pretty easy to get along with. My ex-wife just picked up the Dumeril's today and took her, she had a pretty decent disposition but would strike at the glass whenever she saw movement near the tank on feeding day, even if the rat was lying right in front of her. Individuals vary of course, and she wasn't a baby when we got her a year ago at a reptile show, so no idea how she was raised or handled initially. Most folks say they're great, and she certainly isn't generally a problem aside from feeding day IME.

A few years back, when I was researching various species before getting back into snakes, I ran across the Dominican red mountain boa. Got a pair of yearlings, then a couple months later another pair of yearlings, and last year I picked up 4.2 sub-adults that I bred last year. If you want something that won't grow as large or bulky as a boa constrictor or Dumeril's, less active than a woma but usually a little more active than a bulkier boas, and simply never strikes or bites they're the perfect choice IMO. From newborn babies to breeding adults the worst any of mine has ever done is musk. (Stinks a bit but washes right off.) They're about the same adult size as my everglades rat snake.

My two carpets are great for handling, though the younger IJ was quite a spitfire when she was a hatchling. She'd strike at literally anything that moved near her, but calmed down after a couple months, and now (a year later) she's very calm and easygoing. The jungle/cross is a year older and quite a bit larger, but that one was as mellow as could be from the start. Like the Dominicans they're semi-arboreal, so they do like to climb, possibly a consideration for housing them. The boas and carpets have cypress mulch substrate to help maintain higher humidity, though the Dominicans don't need to be kept quite as warm as carpets of boa constrictors. They like a warmer spot for digesting a meal, but more often hang out on the cooler side at room temp.

My fire bull is just about a year old now too, and grows faster than any other snake I've kept. He's generally quite easy to pick up and handle, occasionally buzzes his tail when he's excited, but has never struck or acted defensive. Minimal requirements regarding heat and humidity, I keep him on aspen mixed with paper bedding because he likes to burrow and the combo holds together better than just aspen. He dosen't climb at all, strictly a ground dweller from what I've seen.

My pair of Japanese rat snakes are pretty similar to corns in care and disposition, smaller adult size (around 4') so they don't need enclosures as large as the others.

The Candoia are easy to get along with, about as active as a ball python when picked up. The male has tagged me a few times lately, going to start using tongs to feed him, but unless there's food involved no worries. They are really on the small end, female will probably grow to about 3', male a bit less. Interesting species, but not something I'd recommend for a "pet" snake in general.

akane · 02-12-17, 05:56 AM

There are soooo many things. I keep seeing snakes I want and I hate the common things like a ball python or boa constrictor. Those things are everywhere and I see all the same morphs that they really shouldn't command that price tag. Rainbow boas came to my attention recently and were really tempting but may demand conditions I'm not good at keeping. I do better with the fully terrestrial, low humidity snakes.

For now my larger snake that is easy to handle is actually a bull snake. A texas x minnesota cross. Sure he bluffs and all but he's mostly just amusing. Even my husband who hates snakes is starting to look in the tank just to laugh at the half hearted attempts to bluff. If he's feeling lazy all you get is a tail shake. Even when he's all wound up making noise you can just reach in and scoop him up. If they are cb and handled most are more eager to run if they actually don't handled than go through with their bluff. It's all bark and no bite and I feed him without tongs. I definitely cannot say the same about wild ones and you sure don't want to get tagged by one. A good cb bull you can get a possible 7' of rattlesnake impersonation that is for the most part harmless if you are familiar with the snake. They are also darn hardy things and come in quite a few interesting morphs now. Temps aren't a big deal, humidity isn't a big deal, and they are garbage disposals when it comes to food. I feed everyone else and whatever doesn't get eaten I just keep throwing it to the bull. They put it all into growth and don't usually get fat. Although power feeding is still cautioned in case really fast growth does cause long term problems. Every few weeks I run the temp gun over things to confirm and I never test humidity. I tested the overall room at around 35% humidity when moving my python because downstairs was so dry we were getting uncomfortable with sore throats ourselves. The bull has shed twice in that under a heat lamp with no issue. The only irritating thing he's done is go on a destructive redecorating binge in my bioactive tank since the snakes said spring is coming.

My other big snake is a sumatran python and while the blood python groups are right that they don't quite deserve their reputation from when wild snakes were being caught they are still far trickier. That's the only one that's tagged me for a reason other than being overly eager to eat. I'm told they do calm down a lot with size when they no longer feel as vulnerable and as they get used to you but I don't think I will ever reach in the python bin with the same confidence as the bull snake tank. Just don't smell like a rodent when you mess around in the bull tank and you are good.

Captain837 · 02-12-17, 10:27 AM

X2 for the woma. Great eater, cool personality, low humidity requirements, still not too common yet fairly affordable. Overall great first larger snake.

m0mmadusa_ · 02-12-17, 12:01 PM

My first is a Hog Island Boa

rill90 · 02-12-17, 06:29 PM

I wish I could keep a retic but Alberta laws are pretty stringent with big snakes (which I think is really stupid) also I think I have narrowed it down to a to a BCI just do to how easy they are to get here. I don't know any people who breed womas in Canada and they seem hard to find as babies :/