I'm thinking of taking the plunge into....SNAKES!

[packer43064]

I've never been a big snake fan, but after living with our ex-roommate for a couple of months it has sparked my interest. He has some kind of boa and king snake(not sure really) which is white and black alternating bands. They look weird but kool at the same time. The boa freaks me out, I've never been around big snakes. it's not even big....maybe 3 feet. But to someone like me it's huge when you've never seen one that big besides zoo's. The King snake, if it is even a king snake got out once and ended up being in my GF's most beloved hamster's cage(marvin). She almost cried, it was terrible. She said if I were to get a snake it wuld have to be locked up tight! Every precaution of this snake getting out would have to be checked and checked again.

So now that the intro is done now to business.
1) The smaller the snake the better. These snakes that get my size or 2-3X my size just scare me. I know were talking about snakes and there aren't really "small" snakes but the smaller the better.

2)Can't be venomous.

3)I could care less if I hold the snake or not, obviously during transit and other reasons I will have to but as long as they can be held during specific times I'm good.

Any snakes fit those criteria.
Also a question? Does a snake tank have to be so dull looking. I mean will they use the tank if I put in fake leaves and such or is that just for me really. I see alot of tanks that aren't exactly appealing, but then again were talking about snakes. Thanks all.

 

[snakefin]

CORRUPTION FTW!!!!
Okay, your room mate has a kenyan sand boa, the anerythistic (spell-check?) variety. From what I read, there are certain varieties that you can choose from. Keep in mind though, that almost all snakes will need some form of furry food. All snakes to me, also require some form of UV light, keep them there for diurnal species in a daylight cycle, and for nocturnal species like kingsnakes, I think you can use less.

You could go with a normal morph kenyan sand boas, which are banded orange and black, and get pretty small, as you said 3-4 feet. They are fairly tame after a while, and can probably live in a ten gallon for a male, or a twenty for a female for all its life. The sad part is that sand boas burrow, and spend their life being emo in the corner of the tanks until you find them. Use aspen and not other wood shavings. Personally my favourite snake.

Your other option could be a ball python, 30 gallon tank might fit for the smaller specimens, go 50 for larger ones. Cheap, common, fat yet short, which makes it a cute snake. Very tame as well as a highly general rule. However, only get captive specimens, as WC's are usually sick with parasites or on hunger strikes. The latter has a high chance of happening with captive breds, but the effects are not as bad. Do your research on this one.

Then you could go with cornsnakes, which will be slightly bigger, but should also need a 20-30 gallon tank. They get docile. Do your research again, because I don't really know too much about them.

So conclusion...this is just a brief overview. DO YOUR RESEARCH

 

[kearth]

Just out of curiosity... Is there not more than one snake that has black and white bands?

How did you come to the conclusion that it is a sand boa?

I like snake but the one snake I would love to own is a gabon viper. Which I am pretty damn sure is not a beginner snake so I will remain snakeless.

 

[packer43064]

Just out of curiosity... Is there not more than one snake that has black and white bands?

How did you come to the conclusion that it is a sand boa?

I like snake but the one snake I would love to own is a gabon viper. Which I am pretty damn sure is not a beginner snake so I will remain snakeless.

"googles gabon viper" Clicks gaboon viper.

That is the wierdest looking snake I've ever seen which is saying nothing at all since I've seen very very few snakes in my lifetime. The body is sooo fat.


Thanks alot snakefin. Appreciate it, will look those up.

 

[Bottomfeeder]

Your friend has a California Kingsnake

I have a Kenyan Sand Boa, and there's no way that they can be confused with a Cali King.

Anywho, go for it, packer. Herps are awesome

 

[kearth]

"googles gabon viper" Clicks gaboon viper.

That is the wierdest looking snake I've ever seen which is saying nothing at all since I've seen very very few snakes in my lifetime. The body is sooo fat.


Thanks alot snakefin. Appreciate it, will look those up.

Whoops... I thought it was spelled with 2 OO's and then I changed it to one O. That will teach me to think.

They are still a bad ass looking snake.


What about a ball python? They dont get too big. Seem to be fairly "friendly" for lack of a better word. let me rephrase most of the ones I have met / interacted at shows were on the more mellow side.

Now a piebald ball python I would not mind having.

 

[Conner]

Ball python is a good beginner snake. They're docile, generally good eaters, very handle-able, and don't get too large.

A very small option would be Western Hognose. These are AWESOME snakes, although they can be more difficult to take care of due to occasional feeding issues. If you buy from a reputable breeder, they should have it feeding before they ship it.

Corn snakes and kingsnakes are also good options. They get a little larger, but should still be pretty docile snakes that are easy to take care of and feed.

As far as the cage, you can decorate it however you want, as long as it still provides all the necessities for the snake (a hide, a water dish, heat source - under tank heat pad and/or heat lamp, and source of UV light, if needed).

I know that after lights out, my ball python will explore her cage, and since its pretty bare, I feel like she might be getting bored. I'd like to increase the size of her cage, and add more wood, plants, and maybe a small water feature. This is unnecessary, but I think it could make the enclosure more interesting (for me and the snake).

 

[snakefin]

Yea gaboons are awesome! But not for amateur me. Either way, if you are thinking of a hognose, do note that they have minor venom with similar effects as with human saliva entering you. The bite wound will swell and it may hurt a little, but that's about it. Allergies to the venom on the other hand... I'm not sure.

 

[Sylvias]

..... Where do some of you get your information?
First things first... I cannot think of a single snake that needs any sort of UV, of course it doesn't hurt to provide it but it is not necessary. most keepers would even agree that lights of any kind do more harm than good unless you are keeping a desert species because they dry out the enclosure way to easily. I would strongly suggest an under tank heater as opposed to a heat light. They should still have a light cycle but generally the light coming in from a window somewhere is enough.
Ball pythons are great beginner snakes but can be difficult feeders. If you go for that just be aware that they will randomly go off feed for months at time for no apparent reason, as long as they aren't losing a tone of weight they are fine though so as long as you know that you should be good with a ball. However if you want a snake you can see this isn't it, they are nocturnal and will spend the vast majority of their time hiding. Also this might be a snake that is a bit large for you personally. They only get to around 4 ft but they are pretty think heavy bodied snakes so they may seem bigger.
King snakes are also awesome first snakes and have a monstrous appetite. They are diurnal and once they feel comfortable in their cage they will most likely sit out in the day time resting in the open or exploring their surroundings. They are very inquisitive serpents so providing them with decorations to check out is good. I personally believe it stimulates psychological health to provide structures and decorations for the snakes to investigate. Cali kings reach an average size of 4ft but can grow to 6 on occasion, they are slimmer than ball pythons but still a bit stocky as far as colubrids go.
Corn snakes are hands down the absolute best beginner snake for anyone anywhere....
They are very hardy, tolerant creatures and can be kept in anything from an elaborate cage set up with heat pads and misting systems to a simple rack system with news paper and kept at room temp (mid 70's-80) They can grow to 6ft long but rarely seem that big because they are slender snakes. Almost always great eaters and tolerate handling very well. Not to mention the millions of color morphs they come in!
For someone in your situation I would definitely recommend a corn snake.

A few things to be aware of as far as husbandry goes.
NEVER use cedar or pine (aspen is ok) as substrate or cage building materials.
Be wary of heat rocks or other heaters than go inside the cage... they are supposedly built better these days but I still wouldn't trust em....
All of these snakes will be eating rodents (there is no such thing as a vegetarian snake) But all of these are easily switched to frozen thawed prey if they aren't already eating that when you get them.
If they aren't eating frozen thawed rodents I strongly suggest you switch em to it as soon as possible, it is safer, healthier, and generally cheaper than feeding live.

Hopefully this helps in your decision! Snakes are wonderful animals

 

[TheFishJunky]

gaboon viper