Display reptile...that can be handled?

[Aw3s0m3]

I'd just go with an albino boa....I would not recommend a retic for some ones first large python...They have a deserved reputation for being mean and although it depends on the individual, why take that chance when there are plenty of calmer on average species? The same goes for GTP's and Amazon Tree boas. Beautiful for sure but most will take regular work to tolerate handling. It may be a little small but I've always been a fan of king snakes, Mexican black kings are stunning and are very docile. A nice high orange pueblan milksnake would be good if you want color.

I don't entirely disagree with you. A mainland retic is definitely not a good snake for someone's first snake because of the size that they grow to. That's why I recommended a super dwarf. Females rarely get longer than 8ft and they are extremely slim snakes for their size. I've seen female ball pythons thicker than an 8ft female superdwarf. I am a huge retic fan though and believe that their reputation in the past is definitely holding them back today. You find more docile retics these days than you did 10 years ago just b/c of captive breeding. Mexican blacks are extremely stunning. Nothing is cooler and more mysterious than an all black animal. Personally, I would rather go with the black milksnake though b/c they do not even require a heat source because they like their temp in the 60's and low 70's b/c they live in a very cool environment and they get thicker than the black kings. Watching them transform from red to black is pretty sweet as well.

 

[Hoyo12]

Water Dragons are fairly simple to keep, and pretty laid back. I've got a male that's a few years old pushing three feet long, and he is the most laid back lizard when it comes to just sitting while I'm working on tanks, or just chilling on my shoulder to watch tv, etc. The cage is custom built, but it was extremely cheap for the size, and he seems to enjoy the space. Great colors, not too difficult to take care (babies are a different story, as with many reptiles), and easy to handle.
Just my thoughts.

 

[jpcampbell123]

crested geckos can make good display lizards also cali kings too

 

[bassfisher91]

I don't entirely disagree with you. A mainland retic is definitely not a good snake for someone's first snake because of the size that they grow to. That's why I recommended a super dwarf. Females rarely get longer than 8ft and they are extremely slim snakes for their size. I've seen female ball pythons thicker than an 8ft female superdwarf. I am a huge retic fan though and believe that their reputation in the past is definitely holding them back today. You find more docile retics these days than you did 10 years ago just b/c of captive breeding. Mexican blacks are extremely stunning. Nothing is cooler and more mysterious than an all black animal. Personally, I would rather go with the black milksnake though b/c they do not even require a heat source because they like their temp in the 60's and low 70's b/c they live in a very cool environment and they get thicker than the black kings. Watching them transform from red to black is pretty sweet as well.

Well said. I've personally been tagged by several mainland retics(small ones) and I didn't enjoy it to say the least. The only thing I'm more afraid of is a blood python. You make a good point with the dwarfs though. I'm no longer in the reptile game so I've forgotten a lot but you seem to know your stuff quite well. I jumped into the high end ball python game from 2002-2008 before the market was saturated but I never really got into other species. An interesting business to be in for sure. Although I made money selling the snakes, most of my profit came from breeding and selling feeders haha.

 

[Aw3s0m3]

Well said. I've personally been tagged by several mainland retics(small ones) and I didn't enjoy it to say the least. The only thing I'm more afraid of is a blood python. You make a good point with the dwarfs though. I'm no longer in the reptile game so I've forgotten a lot but you seem to know your stuff quite well. I jumped into the high end ball python game from 2002-2008 before the market was saturated but I never really got into other species. An interesting business to be in for sure. Although I made money selling the snakes, most of my profit came from breeding and selling feeders haha.

Ball pythons are definitely the go to nowadays. There's balls pretty much at every booth at every show. I've never personally dealt with bloods but I've heard all sorts of horror stories with them. How did you handle breeding feeders? I had a breeding trio of rats when I was younger to feed my very first retic and I just could NOT handle the smell! I can't imagine having to put up with thousands of those.


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[Pazzoman]

Hey everyone thanks for the help i will defintly look into what you have mentioned. Trying to see if i can gobto the reptile show sunday here in white plains ny...but dont want to rush...as maybe feburary maybe a better time.


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[crayfishguy]

Well each individual is different. I've had croc monitors that were as tame as my dog and ball pythons that were meaner than satan. A reptile will never actually like to be handled but you can get them to tolerate it. With tree monitors, it just takes time and it really depends on how young you get them at.
As with super dwarf retics, since majority are cb now, they aren't as aggressive. These are the only snakes I keep now and the only ones that behave aggressively are the males around breeding time. You're sorta right about them being flighty though. They do not just chill like a ball python would. They're always trying to get away from you to explore.


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If your croc monitor is tame as a dog, something is wrong. Tree monitors are flighty arboreal lizards. Any handling that is not done on their terms is going to be stressful for them. He didn't say they were aggressive, just flighty, as in they wont stay put.

 

[Aw3s0m3]

If your croc monitor is tame as a dog, something is wrong. Tree monitors are flighty arboreal lizards. Any handling that is not done on their terms is going to be stressful for them. He didn't say they were aggressive, just flighty, as in they wont stay put.

Nothing was wrong with it. I got it as a wc baby, if I had to guess it was only a few months old when caught, and it didn't become tame overnight. It took a lot of work. I use the phrase "tame as a dog" loosely because I know that no reptile is tame as a dog. If you read the other posts I put, I clearly mentioned that no reptile will enjoy being handled, but you can get them to tolerate it.


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[zoohouse]

Nothing was wrong with it. I got it as a wc baby, if I had to guess it was only a few months old when caught, and it didn't become tame overnight. It took a lot of work. I use the phrase "tame as a dog" loosely because I know that no reptile is tame as a dog. If you read the other posts I put, I clearly mentioned that no reptile will enjoy being handled, but you can get them to tolerate it.


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Disagree. I have had allot of reptiles that craved attention and were as tame as a dog. I had litter box trained iguanas that would answer to their names. I have had snakes that didnt need enclosures and would come and go from their tanks as they pleased, years ago I had 10' burm female that would sleep in bed with me. I know a breeder that keeps croc monitors and one out of 10 are tamable the others are nuts.

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[Aw3s0m3]

Disagree. I have had allot of reptiles that craved attention and were as tame as a dog. I had litter box trained iguanas that would answer to their names. I have had snakes that didnt need enclosures and would come and go from their tanks as they pleased, years ago I had 10' burm female that would sleep in bed with me. I know a breeder that keeps croc monitors and one out of 10 are tamable the others are nuts.

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I was just responding to crayfishguy's post assuming something was wrong with my monitor just because it was tame. Let me rephrase what I said earlier, now that I recall, I do remember very few iguanas that would actually respond to their names and would come to get pet, but that's a select few. All reptiles though lack the part of the brain that has emotions so they will not necessarily be as tame as a dog. They won't come and kiss you unless its tasting you and they definitely will not play with you. They will scratch at their doors signaling that they want out or approach you because they have associated you with food, but majority of the time they will just walk away once they realize you do not. I feel that I can do with my retics what you have done with your snakes but I have a large dog and one or the other will become hurt or killed by the other. What kind of snakes were yours? I'm assuming they are large pythons and boas because its very hard to believe that you would let small snakes wander the house because they can hide anywhere they want.


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