Future snake owner here!

Bamagecko · 07-07-10, 05:07 PM

Hey guys, I'm new here. Been lurking as a guest for some time now, have a few questions so I thought I'd go ahead and join. I'm a member on a ball python board, a rhac board and a corn snake board. I can't decide what snake I want, I have it narrowed down to afew snakes: rosy/rubber boa, Ball python, corn snake, and king snake.

Just thought I'd say hi!

infernalis · 07-07-10, 05:10 PM

percey39 · 07-07-10, 05:13 PM

Hello and welcome to the site.

Nafun · 07-07-10, 05:58 PM

I have all of those except the boa.

Let me throw down the pros/cons I've seen in my time owning them.

Ball Pythons:
Pros: Non aggressive. Stays relatively small (4-6 feet). Very reluctant to bite. Easy to clean up after.
Cons: Lazy. Most have eating issues. Require tropical heat and humidity. Because they get bigger than anything else on your list, their bites, while rare, hurt a heck of a lot more.

Cornsnakes:
Pros: Most tame down a lot. Relatively small (4-6 feet). Require only moderate heat and humidity. Dozens of color morphs available, many very cheap. More active than Balls.
Cons: If they haven't been handled, they can be downright vicious. Their high activity makes them more likely to escape and harder to find if they do. Corns, in my experience, are a lot messier than balls.

Kingsnake
Pros: - Very active. Tame down easily. Require only moderate heat and humidity. Prefer to musk rather than strike.
Cons: - Very active means very escape driven. They can be quick to musk. Not a ton of morphs available.

Also, it's kind of a cliche for this board, but I'd also like to throw out another snake option for you.

Garter Snake
Pros - Ridiculously active. Voracious eaters. Dozens of colors available, many of them natural. Reluctant to bite. Very curious. Small (only 3-5 feet). Can live comfortably at room temperature with only minimal heating.
Cons - It can be difficult to wean them onto a rodent diet. Short lived compared to other snake species (7-10 years compared to 20-35 for the others listed). Some species require permits, depending on state.

Freebody · 07-07-10, 06:21 PM

welcome to the forum

cant wait to see what you pick out so you can show us pictures....we love pics here lol

Bamagecko · 07-07-10, 06:35 PM

Thanks so much for that post, Nafun. Thats exactly what I was looking for!

what do you mean by " it's kind of a cliche for this board"?

Thanks for the warm welcomes!

Nafun · 07-07-10, 06:38 PM

Lots of garter keepers here. We try to push garters on everyone.

Garters got pushed on me too, I just got mine last week and I'm in love. They're absolutely amazing.

Oh, and as for the ease of cleaning up. Kings/corns/garters crap a lot. They require a lot of spot cleaning. My bp craps once a month, like clockwork. It's a massive dook the size of a small dog's, but it's very easy to spot clean.

Bamagecko · 07-07-10, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nafun

Lots of garter keepers here. We try to push garters on everyone.

Garters got pushed on me too, I just got mine last week and I'm in love. They're absolutely amazing.

I see. may have to add them to the list lol.

marvelfreak · 07-07-10, 06:45 PM

Hello and welcome! Let me just throw this two out there Carpet python or Rainbow boas. IMO capet python make the best first time snake if you're going with a python. They are more actived than a balls. You don't have all the feeding problems. They can be a little nippy as babies, but tame down fast with regular handling. Not as many morphs as with ball but Jungle, Jaguar, Bredli, and Diamond carpets are some of the most beautiful snakes in the world. IMO They're worth checking out. Rainbow to me are just as beautiful as carpets. Mine is as active if not more than my carpets. They just require more humidity.

Bamagecko · 07-07-10, 06:52 PM

I don't think my mom would like the size of a carpet, but I may have to look into a rainbow...

infernalis · 07-07-10, 09:34 PM

My garters never gave me any problems getting them on mice...

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/thamn...res-added.html

bladeblaster · 07-08-10, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infernalis

My garters never gave me any problems getting them on mice...

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/thamn...res-added.html

My female San Fran will eat anything, the male is a bit more fussy, he will take rodents but not always. Not that is a problem, he loves his Salmon

infernalis · 07-08-10, 04:44 AM

Every once in a while, my big female blackneck will turn down the rodents, but if I put 2 fuzzies in the water bowl with a live minnow or two, she will eat it all.

most of the time I can just lock her in a tote with some thawed out fuzzy mice and she will eat them without any fish.

Nafun · 07-08-10, 07:32 AM

Carpets are longer than balls, but they're a very thin bodied snake. However, as much as I love my carpet, I don't think they make a very good beginner snake because as babies they are vicious little bastards.

As for rainbow boas. I have a Columbian Rainbow boa, she's the most gentle snake I own. I can handle her all day and never get struck at. However, I wouldn't recommend them either as a beginner snake, because they have very specific heat and humidity requirements. They are tropical riparian snakes. They live in the rain forest, on the banks of rivers and streams. As such they need very specific heat and humidity. 80% humidity and a temperature range of 80-88 degrees (this varies slightly with subspecies). While it is not hard to maintain those temperatures and humidity in a properly designed viv, it is still much harder than maintaining "room temperature" or "normal household humidity". I believe the easier a snake is to care for, the more likely it will be properly cared for, and the less likely it will end up on craigslist.

shaunyboy · 07-08-10, 12:33 PM

hello and welcome

nafuns pretty much covered it.re carpets they can also be a tad unstable as adults too.most are ok but you do get the odd exception.like my jungle who's the devil in person
cheers shaun