8'x3'x2.5' acrylic tank

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I have fallen in love with Eastern Indigo Snakes as of late and am planning to get one at this breeder's next season.

[video=youtube;jvoV2qZQtdo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvoV2qZQtdo[/video]

I do question some arbitrary facts in the videos, are they really the most intelligent of all snakes? regardless these snakes seem to have rather uniquely tame personalities with the capacity to bond better with its owners. They are not constrictors nor venomous, they can't unhinge their jaws so they are fed more in small bits, which is great if you enjoy feeding your snake and they are reportedly very hungry snakes!

They do get large but from what I understand there's not an evil bone in this snake's body, just a big hungry one.
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I found this picture on kingsnake. They are presumably used to each other's presence and from knowing this snake's general nature I wouldn't call the parent/guardian any names. A John Doe from next door might not think so however.

They are pretty pricey which is a deal buster for a lot of people but I would personally think it's worth it.

There are lots of other interesting snakes out there, I do hear that Burmese Pythons are very passive (a stunning Albino is hard to beat) and I would also look into Diamond Pythons.

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I have a pair of Eastern Indigos and yes they are very intelligent, the MOST intelligent? I think it's a definitely possibility. They can unhinge their jaws but not to the extent that something like a python can, they are primarily snake eaters which are conveniently shaped for swallowing so their jaws are built for that, still flexible just not as much as some other snakes.
I have never seen a mean adult but babies can be flighty and snippy. It's not so much that they are "mean" or even defensive though as it is they are always hungry. Mine will come at you immediately when you go into the cage sometimes mock strike but as soon as they realize your not food they go back to their hide. Still a little flighty when I first get them out but they learn fast.
And as I said... always ALWAYS hungry... and with that great appetite comes great poop.... they do that a lot too. without fail... EVERY single time I clean the cage, I put them back in and both of them go and **** in each corner of their cage... immediately...
As you know they are expensive, usually around 800-1000 each... and if you can't find a breeder within your state then you need to get a permit which costs another $100 on top of that and takes a few months to get it all done and finalized.
BUT if you can handle all that they are absolutely the most rewarding snakes i have ever worked with! I wouldn't trade em for the world.
 
wcgunns said:
My the back panel of my aquarium cracked. What would be an easy reptile for me and my son to put in the tank? It would have to be able to live in this tank for life. Thanks
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I would be inclined to keep some sort of semi-arboreal in a cage that size. I'm partial to scrub pythons, especially Moluccan Scrubs, but if you're a beginner probably not the best place to start.

I think Centralian Carpet Pythons or some of the other Carpet Pythons would do well in that cage. If you research them a bit more and find one you like you can get some more specific advice then. A few of my friends keep various Carpet Pythons and it seems to me their Centralians are the most docile and most arboreal.

Whatever you decide, I would encourage you to put the tank on its front (so the cracked back is now the top) so the top opening faces forward. Then add slider or hinged doors, both of which are easy to do with acrylic. If you have bulky Euro bracing that can be trimmed down fairly easily. I think you'd really prefer front access.

If you want to keep the height of the cage I would consider doing a cutout on the front so you can add doors. This will be a bit more tricky but can be done.
 
burms get much bigger and heavier and are more sensitive to environmental factors like heat and humidity. They are fairly prone to RI's which is almost always caused by improper husbandry in my experience.

If you have never worked with larger snakes before I would strongly suggest the boa over the burm. Both are about the same in temperament -calm and relaxed, very handle-able and as close to "tame" as pretty much any snake could get (in most cases.. there are always exceptions) but Boas are a little more forgiving in husbandry and much easier to handle and work with.
 
Sylvias said:
burms get much bigger and heavier and are more sensitive to environmental factors like heat and humidity. They are fairly prone to RI's which is almost always caused by improper husbandry in my experience.

If you have never worked with larger snakes before I would strongly suggest the boa over the burm. Both are about the same in temperament -calm and relaxed, very handle-able and as close to "tame" as pretty much any snake could get (in most cases.. there are always exceptions) but Boas are a little more forgiving in husbandry and much easier to handle and work with.
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But Burmese pythons are still better than boas. :D

And how exactly does one go about screwing up the husbandry for a Burmese python anyway? It doesn't get much simpler than providing a hot spot that stays at or slightly above 90°F & a cool end that stays at or slightly above 80° F; the humidity just needs to be around 70% although any where between 50-80% should work as well.
 
lol to some... I prefer retics and scrubs as far as large snakes go :P
but we are suppose to be lookin at whats best for the OP not what we like the most! (and I have no idea of the OP's experience level so I just keep it simple with the easier stuff)
 
Sylvias said:
lol to some... I prefer retics and scrubs as far as large snakes go :P
but we are suppose to be lookin at whats best for the OP not what we like the most! (and I have no idea of the OP's experience level so I just keep it simple with the easier stuff)
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Valid point! On that note, I have had better luck getting Burmese pythons to feed on F/T prey than boas; it seems to be much easier to convert them to F/T prey.

Reticulated pythons & scrub pythons definitely are awesome snakes, too, but they're certainly not for new snake keepers, let alone new big snake keepers.
 
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