Whats a good Intermediate Level snake?

JayFireBird · 01-01-20, 12:16 AM

So Im looking to size up a little with a new snake. Ive had a good number of snakes since I was a kid. Corn snake, rosy boa, hognose, and my ball python that I still have and spoil rotten.

But Im wanting to branch out a little into a slightly more advanced snake but I dont really know what I want.

I really enjoy snakes on the bigger side, but live in a smaller apartment and the largest enclosure I can comfortably house is about 65 gals. Im looking for a pet, so something that is handle-able but still has a good food response.

My gut is saying boa constrictor, but Im worried that might be too big for my current enclosure size.

Any advice or suggestions?

**EL Ziggy** · 01-01-20, 08:40 PM

If the dimensions of your 65 gallon tank are 36x18x24 you can house a few different animals temporarily. Boas or carpet pythons would be my first options. Boas grow pretty slowly so that enclosure would be good for a couple of years. There's also some dwarf boa species that you might consider.

**Aaron_S** · 01-01-20, 09:38 PM

I would look into a rainbow boa. They are moderate sized animals, a little more difficult than beginner animals and voracious feeders.

I do agree with El-Ziggy on boa growth and they could be good for a couple years but you'd have to be certain you'll be moving somewhere that could accommodate a larger enclosure.

Herpin' Man · 01-02-20, 10:43 AM

Rainbow boas, gopher snakes, rat snakes, and Antaresia (Children's, spotted, Stimson's pythons) are some additional suggestions that you might take a look at.

craigafrechette · 01-02-20, 11:17 AM

What are the dimensions of the enclosure?

There are plenty of species that could fit in there. But what is the actual floor space vs height?

JayFireBird · 01-02-20, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigafrechette

What are the dimensions of the enclosure?

There are plenty of species that could fit in there. But what is the actual floor space vs height?

Its actually a christmas tree tub that ive modified https://www.homedepot.com/p/Organize...1501/206346063

The dimensions listed are Width 53.5 in X Depth 21.75 in X Height 14.75 in

JayFireBird · 01-02-20, 09:07 PM

Its a modified plastic christmas tree box so its listed as 53.5 in wide, 21.75 in deep, and 14.75 in tall.

craigafrechette · 01-03-20, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayFireBird

Its a modified plastic christmas tree box so its listed as 53.5 in wide, 21.75 in deep, and 14.75 in tall.

With that amount of floor space you have lots of options. The 14.75" height may be a tight fit for arboreal species, but probably not a deal breaker for semi-arboreal species.

Have you looked into bloods or Borneo/Sumatran Short Tails?

JayFireBird · 01-03-20, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigafrechette

With that amount of floor space you have lots of options. The 14.75" height may be a tight fit for arboreal species, but probably not a deal breaker for semi-arboreal species.

Have you looked into bloods or Borneo/Sumatran Short Tails?

I have actually. I think they’re gorgeous snakes! Especially the heavy black Sumatran short tails. Is that a morph or is that typical?

craigafrechette · 01-04-20, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayFireBird

I have actually. I think they’re gorgeous snakes! Especially the heavy black Sumatran short tails. Is that a morph or is that typical?

I have a Borneo and love him. He's a fantastic lap snake, hahahaha. He's perfect when you want a chill, beefy animal to just relax with. They're fairly curious, but pretty slow going so easy to handle. Once they settle in they typically don't roam much.

As far as Black headed Sumatrans, I think they're gorgeous. I know very little about morphs though. I believe, but could definitely be wrong, that black heads are a single gene and fairly common. But I could be mistaken, it's been a few years since I was in the market for an STP so I'm not positive of their availability these days either.

JayFireBird · 01-04-20, 12:53 AM

Honestly, all I want is just a big chunky snake friend. And I dont think you can get any chunkier than these sausages haha.
I had heard that they can have some attitude? Ive handled plenty of aggressive snakes, just not ones THIS big so its more of a concern in this case I would suppose.

craigafrechette · 01-04-20, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayFireBird

Honestly, all I want is just a big chunky snake friend. And I dont think you can get any chunkier than these sausages haha.
I had heard that they can have some attitude? Ive handled plenty of aggressive snakes, just not ones THIS big so its more of a concern in this case I would suppose.

They developed a bit of a reputation years ago when they first started gaining popularity in the hobby. The majority of those animals were wild caught or wild hatched animals.

These days the majority in the pet trade are a few generations into captive breeding and are much more docile.

I've had my boy for two years this week actually. He can be a little hissy when I first reach in to grab him, but it's just a tiny hiss and he mellows right out. He's only struck once in two years. That happened to be during the heat wave much of the US saw this past summer. He was a bit "off" for a few weeks. But I actually spoke to some other experienced friends in the hobby and they were experiencing similar behavior in some of their typically puppy dog tame snakes. So I am pretty confident that was nothing but a weather induced fluke.
He's never shown a single sign of aggression in two years, aside from that heat wave.

**Aaron_S** · 01-04-20, 10:11 AM

I once heard an interesting tidbit about blood pythons and the subspecies. It goes "Blood pythons are for snake lovers, not reptile lovers."

Simply put, if you're looking to just keep cool and friendly reptiles then they may not be for you. Which isn't an issue or a judgement. I rather we help you find the right fit for you in your best interest and the snakes.

With that said, blacks are a subspecies all on their own. They are the smallest of the three with bloods being the biggest and borneo's sitting in the middle.

They can be aggressive, even when captive bred so you need to find a good breeder to help you find a well tempered one. It's about 50/50 in my experience.

They are absolute ambush predators and you can see them watching you by moving their eyes and nothing else. They have incredible power and will literally launch themselves at you if they want. Due to the ambush nature you won't see a bite coming, they just launch.

With that said, there's plenty of super docile ones that are big babies. It IS definitely an awesome snake to keep.

craigafrechette · 01-04-20, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

I once heard an interesting tidbit about blood pythons and the subspecies. It goes "Blood pythons are for snake lovers, not reptile lovers."

Simply put, if you're looking to just keep cool and friendly reptiles then they may not be for you. Which isn't an issue or a judgement. I rather we help you find the right fit for you in your best interest and the snakes.

With that said, blacks are a subspecies all on their own. They are the smallest of the three with bloods being the biggest and borneo's sitting in the middle.

They can be aggressive, even when captive bred so you need to find a good breeder to help you find a well tempered one. It's about 50/50 in my experience.

They are absolute ambush predators and you can see them watching you by moving their eyes and nothing else. They have incredible power and will literally launch themselves at you if they want. Due to the ambush nature you won't see a bite coming, they just launch.

With that said, there's plenty of super docile ones that are big babies. It IS definitely an awesome snake to keep.

Thanks for correcting my info on the blacks. I was hoping someone would correct me if I was mistaken.

I can only speak directly about my boy. I do have friends in the hobby who keep bloods and STPs though and I can only think of one buddy who has a feisty Blood. Some have reported a bit of cage defensiveness and others have said theirs can be jerks while in shed.

But that's me going on their words and not my own experience....

I got my Borneo from N.E.R.D. so I was confident I was getting a quality animal and he hasn't disappointed. Kevin's reputation speaks for itself and I'm lucky enough to only have a 75 minute drive to his facility.

You aren't kidding about their eyes. It took me a little getting used to, hahaha.
And you're definitely not kidding about the strike. They hit hard and they hit fast. Their strike range is pretty impressive too.

They definitely aren't for everyone, but in my personal experience they're awesome animals.

**Tsubaki** · 01-06-20, 07:18 AM

Out of every bloodpython I have owned (1.2 Breitensteini, 1.1 Brongersmai, later on 1.0 Brongermai again /and a bunch of offspring) The only one I considered not to be more than a "Bitey Tank of dirt/uprooted plants that requires feeding' Was One of the breiten females, she was calm and showed herself regularly. The rest were buried 90% of the time, and did NOT appreciate any kind of touching. The saying bloods are for snake lovers not reptile lovers speaks true. I actually sold my lastest male because I wanted to keep the numbers down, he literally never showed himself. Wouldn't even eat in my presence, was angry for days if I had dug him up for cleaning. Since I limited myself to a max number of snakes, I sold him because I'd rather get something I'd actually see. If you'd want one that shows itsself, I'd go for a full grown adult that's not known to be buried all the time.