New, never had a snake

Guy · 01-18-15, 08:31 PM

Hello,

I've never had a snake but have been thinking off and on for a few years about taking the leap. I registered here to do more research. Nice to meet you all.

Evanthomas · 01-19-15, 09:37 AM

welcome and nice to meet you as well!

Guy · 01-19-15, 10:07 AM

Thanks! Glad to be here.

**EL Ziggy** · 01-19-15, 10:12 AM

Welcome and best wishes Guy. Snakes are amazing animals. I hope you decide to take the plunge after doing your research.

**Tsubaki** · 01-19-15, 11:59 AM

Welcome

nice to have you join us!

Jim Smith · 01-19-15, 12:53 PM

Welcome aboard. This is a great site, loaded with experienced and knowledgeable people who are always willing to share their expertise. A couple things I would recommend that you keep in mind as you select your first snake.

1. Legality - Check with your state laws to determine if there are any restrictions or requirements for keeping certain species of snakes.
2. Size - plan for the adult size when you select a snake and understand that the snake will ultimately need an enclosure that is suitable to that sized snake as an adult.
3. Husbandry requirements - some of the cooler looking snakes have fairly specific husbandry requirements such as humidity and fairly limited temperature ranges. To accomplish this requires an enclosure that will hold humidity, a reliable heat source with a thermostat and thermometer and in some cases a misting system. All these items cost money.
4. Prey Items - While many/most snakes can be trained to accept frozen thawed F/T mice, there are some species that will only eat lizards which can be difficult/expensive to obtain.
5. Temperament - While there are exceptions to every rule, there are some species of snakes that tend to have more aggressive temperaments than others. Some herpers love snakes with attitude (i.e. going to bite your face off every chance I get) while others like myself prefer more mellow animals that I can handle without gloves and/or feed without using tongs.
6. Relocation - If you do end up with one of the larger constrictors, and end up relocating in the future, there are some states that will not allow some species to cross state lines. You can find this information online if that is a possibility.

Well, I didn't intend this to be a long welcome aboard message, but these are a few things to consider as you make your decisions.

David VB · 01-19-15, 01:01 PM

Welcome, you sure will find any info and examples of snakes on here

@Jim Smith, great welcome post (y)

Kuamata · 01-19-15, 03:34 PM

Welcome

Thanks for taking the time to consider everything and advancing your knowledge by partaking in these forums. There is alot of knowledge to be found here thanks to our experienced members.

sweatshirt · 01-19-15, 05:51 PM

Welcome

You'll find out a lot here, I did!

trailblazer295 · 01-19-15, 06:01 PM

RUN DUDE RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's too late for me, save yourself......... Bought my first snake and herp for that matter last month and already bought a new PVC cage twice the size with plans for a new snake in his old one. People aren't kidding when they say it's addictive.

Oh ya welcome

Guy · 01-19-15, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trailblazer295

RUN DUDE RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's too late for me, save yourself......... Bought my first snake and herp for that matter last month and already bought a new PVC cage twice the size with plans for a new snake in his old one. People aren't kidding when they say it's addictive.

Oh ya welcome

Yeah, that's why I've taken so long to decide. I don't want to/can't get in too deep. I have the time and budget for one. It took me about 10 years to get back info aquariums (have two), so maybe in eight years I'll finally have a snake. Lol.

D Grade · 01-19-15, 10:10 PM

Youve definitely joined the right place. I researched for a couple months and joined here for a month before plunging last week.

If you need any help for Colubrid specific species, PM me and Id be happy to help. Im not an expert by any means but I can certainly share with you what Ive learned through researching and now owning. Good luck, you wont regret the plunge!

marvelfreak · 01-20-15, 08:04 AM

trailblazer295 · 01-20-15, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guy

Yeah, that's why I've taken so long to decide. I don't want to/can't get in too deep. I have the time and budget for one. It took me about 10 years to get back info aquariums (have two), so maybe in eight years I'll finally have a snake. Lol.

I've found it's cheaper to set up a PVC snake cage with all the equipment than an aquarium. My 24x24x12 cost about the same as my 10g planted tank. Not including cost of the snake.

Guy · 01-20-15, 11:19 AM

Thanks for all of the greetings and input.

Quote:

Originally Posted by trailblazer295

I've found it's cheaper to set up a PVC snake cage with all the equipment than an aquarium. My 24x24x12 cost about the same as my 10g planted tank. Not including cost of the snake.

Yeah, aquariums can get spendy! I'm pretty low-tech and low-key about mine, but they still cost a decent amount to set up. Jumping back in after a 10-year absence, I had a lot of new things to learn about, including new technology. I did splurge on an LED light fixture, which I love.