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

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Sylvias;4329421; said:
Most likely, the occasional wheeze or "sigh" isn't a big deal. some snakes will breath louder when they are eating and thats perfectly understandable...it's just when it is constant with every single breath they take that you know it's a bad sign. And burms... if they get it once they are even more prone to getting it again and it becomes a chronic problem...sometimes regardless of the care given. Then god forbid they take it to an ignorant vet that just prescribes baytril every single time they go in -_-
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touch wood iv never had a problem with any of my snakes but if the occasion arrises then im lucky enough to have a rep vet behind my house.
tbh if burms didnt get to such a huge size then they would b the perfect 1st snake in my eyes. i dont believe in beginner as such, i think that providing u have done your research and know what your taking on etc then go for whichever u feel is right.
but burms are friendly and dopey, mines never missed a feed, amazing round kids (not that they r allowed him much) ....i duno, hes just perfect and so handsome.
 
I do know that gaboons are deadly which is why as much as I love the way they look and would love to own one, for me it will never happen.

So in your opinion Sylvias - what is a good beginner snake for some one who has no experience? I am not a fan of the "skinnier " snakes so to speak( but then again I did not start this thread either. Can you do a short list?
 
Ball pythons are good beginners as long as people know they go off feed sometimes
Blood pythons are the opposite of skinny and can make great beginners as well.
Jungle carpet pythons can be good for beginners who are willing to put up with bites from a baby. Not all babies are nippy but it's not uncommon for them to be. They also get a pretty good size though not quite as big as coastal carpets.
As I said hog islands are good to I just didn't think they would be the right choice for the original poster of this thread because they don't want something to big
 
My hog island reached 7ft, was a handful! Super cage aggressive, would strike the glass. But once it was out it was typically fine once it realized it wasn't being fed and would come out and chill. I had it up until 3ish feet before it went to a new owner and was never bit. I've had a cali king for 13 years, great snake i have only been bit a handful of times. Usually goes off eating in the winter for a few months but takes a small rat once a week the rest of the year. Great snake! Also i prefer ambient temps, so i use a ceramic heat emitter for heat. Heat pads wore out and i was never a fan of having something so hot underneath the cage to being with. I've never had an escape, i have ocd with making sure everything is shut tight though.

I would check out craigslist for adoptions if you do decide, i always see ball pythons and corns. Be wary buying from any store. When i worked at petco we constantly battled mites. The balls rarely ate, and the corns were hit or miss...it was pretty sad. And maybe try to handle some snakes first, to see what you really want. And don't be scared to get bit, it will happen sooner or later.
 
krzr3000;4329600; said:
My hog island reached 7ft, was a handful! Super cage aggressive, would strike the glass. But once it was out it was typically fine once it realized it wasn't being fed and would come out and chill. I had it up until 3ish feet before it went to a new owner and was never bit. I've had a cali king for 13 years, great snake i have only been bit a handful of times. Usually goes off eating in the winter for a few months but takes a small rat once a week the rest of the year. Great snake! Also i prefer ambient temps, so i use a ceramic heat emitter for heat. Heat pads wore out and i was never a fan of having something so hot underneath the cage to being with. I've never had an escape, i have ocd with making sure everything is shut tight though.

I would check out craigslist for adoptions if you do decide, i always see ball pythons and corns. Be wary buying from any store. When i worked at petco we constantly battled mites. The balls rarely ate, and the corns were hit or miss...it was pretty sad. And maybe try to handle some snakes first, to see what you really want. And don't be scared to get bit, it will happen sooner or later.
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good point, def try and buy from a breeder.
over here they sell normal corns for 40quid yet breeders sell them for 8 lol
rip off
 
Yep. I work at petco and am the reptile specialist for my store and I would still recommend someone to a breeder before buying from us. all of our animals are in good shape but they are WAY over priced and if you ever get into breeding you have no idea what kind of bad genetics a pet store snake has....
 
I would go king. Tons of cool color morphs (natural and designer), pretty easy care-wise, VERY good eaters, not really huge, pretty active.

They are excellent at escaping though; I'm guessing your friend had a Cali king. You want locking doors or lids with clamps/locks.
 
If I'm not wrong, UV does not come in the form of heat, similar to X-rays and likewise, which also means that, the cage will not be dried up due to UV bulbs. I get from information from various care websites, and my point is, if snakes have UV exposure in the wild, why not in captivity? For diurnals of course, nocturnals should be exposed to minimal or none in the wild.
 
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