How long to wait..

[Tsubaki]

Hmm, now i wonder how much i spend monthly, I suspect I'm out more money than you guys on avarage while I don't even have that large number of snakes anymore... I have a freezer for my snakes so i usually buy bulk whatever im out of, and they dont always carry everything.. so just looking at what I spend monthly isn't going to work, math time. Currently I use approximately 4 medium rats, 2 large rats, 4 adult rats, 4 small/medium rabbits and 4 XL rabbits a month. There are no local breeders anymore, I have to drive 2 hours to the nearest store I'm willing to support. I tried ordering online there is 1 company, but it was expensive and rubbish.. also they did not sell anything over large rats and the delivery hours made no sense. So I ended up going back to that one store I like, these are their prices.

4x1,70=6,80
2x2,30=4,60
4x3,00=12,-
4x4,00=16,-
4x5,00=20,-

So 59,40€ a month, which would be 66,25USD or 86CAD... 712,80€ a year excluding any supplies. Bit more than what seems to be average...

[dannybgoode]

I've managed to wait 9 months or so snake to snake with a lizard in between.

It's so much down to personal circumstances though. If you have the time, space, money etc and the right snake comes along then go for it.

If you're new to keeping and are still finding your feet then you may want to wait until you know what you want next and indeed to be sure that reptile keeping is the hobby for you.

Do consider each purchase carefully though. I know a person who got bit by the bug, ended up very quickly with 10 or so reptiles and are now having to move some on because they simply hadn't considered how much space they'd all take in their adult vivs.

Very easy to get carried away...

[sattva]

I'm probably a bad example! I am retire and have nothing else to do... I have bought 3 snakes in the last 4 months and with a little luck I will find a blue eyed leucistic ball python on the September 24th.

[toddnbecka]

Personally, I spend weeks resarching a species before I finally decide whether or not to add it to my collection. Have to consider both short and long-term housing and care requirements. Then, we go to a reptile show and Becky sees this Dumeril's boa she really wants, and we bring her home w/out advance preparations. Had a 33 long tank sitting empty, spare heat mats and open sockets on a Herpstat 4, so it was fine. Baby snakes are fine starting out in smaller tubs, but not for their whole lives.
If you find you're in over your head you can always reponsibly rehome a snake. Just don't do like some folks and abandon the animal/s when moving out, or neglect caring for it/them properly. You're taking on the complete responsibility for the health and overall well-being of the animal, and IMO you have an obligation to provide a proper environment and decent quality of life. As long as you can do that, the only limit to the number of animals you maintain is a matter of $ and space to house and feed them.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Originally Posted by Tsubaki

Hmm, now i wonder how much i spend monthly, I suspect I'm out more money than you guys on avarage while I don't even have that large number of snakes anymore... I have a freezer for my snakes so i usually buy bulk whatever im out of, and they dont always carry everything.. so just looking at what I spend monthly isn't going to work, math time. Currently I use approximately 4 medium rats, 2 large rats, 4 adult rats, 4 small/medium rabbits and 4 XL rabbits a month. There are no local breeders anymore, I have to drive 2 hours to the nearest store I'm willing to support. I tried ordering online there is 1 company, but it was expensive and rubbish.. also they did not sell anything over large rats and the delivery hours made no sense. So I ended up going back to that one store I like, these are their prices.

4x1,70=6,80
2x2,30=4,60
4x3,00=12,-
4x4,00=16,-
4x5,00=20,-

So 59,40€ a month, which would be 66,25USD or 86CAD... 712,80€ a year excluding any supplies. Bit more than what seems to be average...

That's even worse than what I used to spend! Granted, I only had 3 at the time and you have way more, but if I tried to feed the same amount of snakes you have at the pet store I think I'd beat even you. lol I was spending $500/yr just for Cloud, Bud, and Draco, so $41.67/month. Now it's roughly $21.67-23.33/month for 11, including the shipping if I bought everything at once.


I started out pretty good with new additions, had Bud for 5 years before I got Cloud, had Cloud like 2 years before I got Draco, got Sanji the following year, and then I've got the other 8 within the last 2 years. bahaha But, I have plenty of room for everyone's adult enclosures, I can afford their food, and was able to afford their prices.

Plus, I may or may not be getting 2 more within the next 6 months...I have my eye on a breed-ready female, and then I'll need to get a breed-ready male soon after. Or at least a yearling/subadult male and grow him up.


I also don't plan on living here much longer, I hope to move out of state in the next couple years, and hopefully I'll have enough to buy a house by then. I want to stay there for a long time.

[blakkangell]

Originally Posted by SnakeyJay

Well I said I'll have it because of the white stripe down the back.... It really reminds me of the redsided garters!

Hahaha Charlie the corn, sounds like you've got it sorted already name wise

Yup! And I want a female MBK whose name will be either Medusa or Namira, which I'm leaning towards the second. I had Jasper and Lily named before I officially had them too.

Originally Posted by toddnbecka

Personally, I spend weeks resarching a species before I finally decide whether or not to add it to my collection. Have to consider both short and long-term housing and care requirements. Then, we go to a reptile show and Becky sees this Dumeril's boa she really wants, and we bring her home w/out advance preparations. Had a 33 long tank sitting empty, spare heat mats and open sockets on a Herpstat 4, so it was fine. Baby snakes are fine starting out in smaller tubs, but not for their whole lives.
If you find you're in over your head you can always reponsibly rehome a snake. Just don't do like some folks and abandon the animal/s when moving out, or neglect caring for it/them properly. You're taking on the complete responsibility for the health and overall well-being of the animal, and IMO you have an obligation to provide a proper environment and decent quality of life. As long as you can do that, the only limit to the number of animals you maintain is a matter of $ and space to house and feed them.

I have been researching every species I'm interested in since March. I've decided to wait for awhile and go to an expo next summer.

[Tsubaki]

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

That's even worse than what I used to spend! Granted, I only had 3 at the time and you have way more, but if I tried to feed the same amount of snakes you have at the pet store I think I'd beat even you..

Wish i had another choice, but petstores is the only thing i can do right now.. And even those seem to have trouble to get food to everyone, prices are going up.. Rabbits are scarce