New to Snakes - Page 2

REM955 · 04-30-15, 08:23 PM

I know this thread kind of died, but I do have one more pretty general question related to what I could possibly have for a pet snake at all.
I am moving out and the pet weight limit is 25 pounds. Provided that I don't "power feed", what species are about that weight when adult? I know you typically don't measure a snake by pounds and the Woma along with all the beginners are way under, but just curious.

reptiledude987 · 04-30-15, 09:03 PM

Pretty much just the giants like retics and burms will get that heavy. The list that will hit that weight would be fairly short.

bigsnakegirl785 · 04-30-15, 11:11 PM

Yeah, I don't think a woma will get that big. You're looking at a 10'+ snake if you want it to be 25 lbs. Well, 25 lbs and at a healthy weight. My 6' boa constrictor isn't even half that weight and he's the heaviest-bodied snake I own. He's 8.5 lbs. I wouldn't advise a snake that size just starting off, because you'd need someone to spot you.

REM955 · 05-01-15, 05:26 AM

Right. I understand. I'm just curious though. But it is still hard for me to believe that a 10 foot snake like a Burmese is still under 25 pounds. All muscle, I'm sure.

eminart · 05-01-15, 06:33 AM

Boas CAN get considerably heavier than 25lbs. But, that's a pretty big boa and it takes a few years. Like someone else said, pretty much just the "giant" snakes like retics, burms, anacondas, etc. will get that heavy.

ARCH3R · 05-01-15, 08:58 AM

The 25 pound limit is specifically towards dogs and cats as nobody is going to weigh your snake. *Ask if you can have a harmless reptile in a locked cage. However the list of possible candidates would be any snake outside of...
Anacondas / Burmese / Rock Pythons / Retics / Some RTB's / And I've heard stories but don't know if they're true of BHP's / Coastals / Scrubbies

Anyways, my biggest snake is my Woma. And I know they're are a lot of differing opinions, but mine is still that Womas are a good first snake.
Good temperament- Never nippy w/ movement even as babies
Never had a single bad shed
Missing a feed is so rare you'll be legitimately blown away when it happens
I don't like this term bc all snakes require work, but if there is a "bulletproof" snake it's the Woma.

**lady_bug87** · 05-01-15, 09:24 AM

... there arent too many common snakes (minus large boas, bloods, and giants, maybe large carpets?) that will hit 25lbs. Most species are measured in g minus those previously mentioned. 25lbs is roughly 11,363g (11.36kg)

**lady_bug87** · 05-01-15, 09:25 AM

ahhh crap I didn't see the rest of the responses. I had a blonde moment. Please continue! haha

prairiepanda · 05-01-15, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REM955

Ok. Can you explain the differences between experiencing the two? My understanding is that the woma is generally docile in temperament, while the king variety not so much. And the feeding response in the woma is pretty intense.

(These are observations which I know maybe wrong. )

Don't get me wrong; womas are generally docile and certainly easy to care for. But the size compared to a king is a huge step up, so you need to be prepared for the strength and long strike distance. Kings are a mixed bag; it seems that half are feisty devils and half are puppy dog tame. What's your friend's king like? In particular, if your friend's king has an intense feeding response then getting used to feeding it would help towards preparing you for a woma. But you'll want to get a real feel for the size of a woma too. Even though they're docile, they're still quite strong and can be extremely fast when they want to be so you need to be comfortable with their size.

As for hook training; you don't need to actually use the hook to pick the animal up. It's usually best to use your hands to pick it up, if possible. Just tap him on the nose with the hook whenever you go into the enclosure for any reason other than feeding. The tap on the nose snaps them out of feeding mode so they know food isn't coming. And you can use the hook to guide him out of the way when you're doing cage maintenance.

REM955 · 05-01-15, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairiepanda

Don't get me wrong; womas are generally docile and certainly easy to care for. But the size compared to a king is a huge step up, so you need to be prepared for the strength and long strike distance. Kings are a mixed bag; it seems that half are feisty devils and half are puppy dog tame. What's your friend's king like? In particular, if your friend's king has an intense feeding response then getting used to feeding it would help towards preparing you for a woma. But you'll want to get a real feel for the size of a woma too. Even though they're docile, they're still quite strong and can be extremely fast when they want to be so you need to be comfortable with their size.

As for hook training; you don't need to actually use the hook to pick the animal up. It's usually best to use your hands to pick it up, if possible. Just tap him on the nose with the hook whenever you go into the enclosure for any reason other than feeding. The tap on the nose snaps them out of feeding mode so they know food isn't coming. And you can use the hook to guide him out of the way when you're doing cage maintenance.

1:
As it turns out, his king is probably closer to the puppy dog as it was pretty content to sit across his shoulders. Had one hand on him to prevent a fall. Otherwise, I guess not enthusiastic enough to match near a Woma under any descriptor.

2:
I recall from the SnakeBytes video on Youtube the hook is for some maneuvering, not a snake crane.