Help Choosing Species

Kaianuanu · 09-22-13, 03:50 PM

So I've been keeping jeeps pretty much all my life but I had never really been into snakes until this year when I got two carpet pythons, one coastal and one jungle. At the moment the coastal is a tiny 16" baby and the jungle is about 26". Anyway, out of nowhere, I started to want a big species of colubrid. I want something that is really chilled out that I can just sit on the couch and watch TV with. I was really digging black indigos but they're just not worth as much money as they sell for to me. If I was going to drop that kind of coin on a snake, it would be on a zebra jungle carpet python. And I'm just not into the look of Cribos. So I really love bull snakes but, I'm not too sure what their temperament is like. Basically, I just want a really big corn snake., that looks cooler. I love how bulls remind me of the rattlers that they imitate. Anyway, can anyone comment on the temperament of bull snakes, or recommend a species I might also be interested in? Also, I'm not looking to spend over $100 on a baby.

wrecker45 · 09-22-13, 04:30 PM

I have a corn and a cali king that are very calm when i handle them.

drumcrush · 09-22-13, 04:57 PM

Yeah, kings are awesome colubrids! I know Honduran milk snakes and brooks kingsnakes get pretty large

smy_749 · 09-22-13, 05:03 PM

Hi, typically colubrids are not a sit and relax type of snake. I can't think of any off the top of my head which you would be able to sit and watch TV with for more than a minute before hes gone. Colubrids are also not a "chill species". They can be unpredictable and full of attitude, or complete sweethearts. They can also be one half the time and switch on a dime. I won't get into the watching TV thing as I'm sure someone else will explain why its a bad idea, but some more "chill" species which aren't expensive (not colubrids) would be your smaller boa constrictor species and ball pythons. But again, most species don't sit around long enough to actually watch a program, unless they are cold.

Bold terms are disclaimers for the people who will inevitably post that there animal does not behave as mentioned.

StudentoReptile · 09-22-13, 05:26 PM

Eastern, Speckled and Florida kings can get fairly hefty, definitely over 5 ft. They are definitely not fat, lazy slugs like ball pythons are, but I have had some very well-mannered specimens over the yrs.

Terranaut · 09-22-13, 05:29 PM

I have a female gopher snake. She is like mentioned above. Typically calm but sometimes she hisses and freaks out. Not a lap snake. Very busy.

Kaianuanu · 09-22-13, 05:32 PM

I understand no snake will be motionless but I mean something that is calm enough that I won't have to put too much effort into handling, and can tolerate long periods of handling. My jungle carpet has this type of temperament and I'd like my next snake to also be this way. I'm not into milk snakes however I do LOVE a brooks king, but they usually max out around 5 feet if I remember correctly and I'd like something a bit larger.

Kaianuanu · 09-22-13, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terranaut

I have a female gopher snake. She is like mentioned above. Typically calm but sometimes she hisses and freaks out. Not a lap snake. Very busy.

How big is she and how big was she when you got her, is this representative of gophers/bulls that are raised from hatchlings?

drumcrush · 09-22-13, 05:46 PM

My Mexican black king is extremely chill

Starbuck · 09-22-13, 05:51 PM

the male parent of the mexican pine i had was about 7 feet. I cant comment much on his attitude at home, but he was used on education programs frequently. his owner is a very tiny wish foot woman, and she is very comfortable handling him on her own. my pine ws a pissy little baby, but he started to grow out of it.... certainly not calm though by any means.

I also have a tangerine honduran milk who is over 5 feet, and she is a doll to handle, but NOT a sit still and chill kind of girl.

im not sure if you will find what you are lookng for in colubrids :/

Kaianuanu · 09-22-13, 06:01 PM

It seems you guys might be right that my TV snake will probably not be a colubrid, I guess it will stay my Jungle Carpet. At any rate, I've been wanting a big colubrid for other reasons than this, a snake being a bit of a busy body is not a deal beaker for me.