Snakes

[Grandpa Greenman]

I am thinking about getting a snake. Something small and mellow. Are they hard to keep?

[Mattshark]

I am thinking about getting a snake. Something small and mellow. Are they hard to keep?

Depends on the species. Your best with something small to start with however, boas and pythons arn't the way to start. Something more like a garter or a corn snake would be your best bet to look into first.

[robbieb]

ball python are good starters but cna some times be picky eaters i would recomen one of them ther slow moving (until they strike there prey) and only get about 5ft max (record is 6ft however) best bet is to wait till spring and get a baby then make sure its plumo and aobut a ft long when u get it and leave it alone in its tank for about 2 weeks until it adjusts thne try and feed it it should eat and if not increase the temp a little and try again the next day until it has sucessfuly eaten dont handle it

[Legatus Legionis]

ball python are good starters but cna some times be picky eaters i would recomen one of them ther slow moving (until they strike there prey) and only get about 5ft max (record is 6ft however) best bet is to wait till spring and get a baby then make sure its plumo and aobut a ft long when u get it and leave it alone in its tank for about 2 weeks until it adjusts thne try and feed it it should eat and if not increase the temp a little and try again the next day until it has sucessfuly eaten dont handle it

wow you have some experience in handling a snake? have one? darn i admire you. i am not allowed to have an exotic animal as pet.

[Grandpa Greenman]

5ft is a big snake. I don't think I could handle one as big as that. I guess I should find the local reptile shop, look around and ask questions.

Thanks though.

[rob lester]

I have had 3 boa's.( red tailed)...Got them all when around 1 foot , they all got to around 6 feet plus before i had to find them a new home.I moved and really could not find a place for the huge tanks.My answer to you after having snakes is this.....

Do not get any.Yes , they are cool to look at.But , it really sucks for them.What purpose do they have other than some sort of "status" symbol.I have seen people take them out and walk around with them.Only reason " I am a bad -ass" symbol.All seriousness , I took great care of mine , but now looking back , I see absolutley no reason for these creatures to be jailed in a glass cage.They should be kept out where they belong.No , I have not joined peta , just a change of heart after experience....Leave the looking at zoo's or discovery channel.Most peoples snakes rarely leave there tanks.lay there , eat , shed , do process over again , than die some day...

If you do get one , the corn snake is a excellent choice as mentioned....But , I can almost 100% guarantee after a couple of months you will get bored with this , and it will end up a hassle for you.

Also , befoe you get one , read up big time on proper feeding , etc.....One of the worst things you can do is feed them "live" rats/mice....You need to stun the feed first.They can scratch the snake and cause a serious infection that can be very costly to you and the snake ( depending if you take it to vet or not on who it is costly for)..Some people may tell you diferent , but rats/mice need to be "stunned" so they can not scratch or bite the snake.Some people do not do this because it is "cool" to watch the snakes do their thing...Trust me on this one..

Edited March 24, 2007 by rob lester

[Ryo Ohki]

You have to keep a heat lamp on all the time.

[MissMelsWell]

I'd say Corn Snake too.

I had a ball python (smaller breed of python), and I can't disagree with anything Rob_Lester said.

Snakes are really cool, I did really dig mine, but she did end up back with a herpatologist who ended up breeding her. Snakes in general aren't easy to care for, and you do find they aren't easy to feed or keep healthy. I also started to feel badly about keeping her in a tank, even though it was very generously sized.

If you like reptiles and herps in general. I think one I'd recommend would be an Australian Bearded Dragon. They're relatively easy to care for (read ALL about them before making a decision though) and they're a herp that can come out of it's tank and hang with you for a while. They don't get overly large either. They're really cool looking as well. Like little... well...dragons. They aren't prone to biting (no teeth) they're just kinda chillin', but chillin' with personality.

Dragons eat crickets, meal worms, and as adults can occasionally eat stunned baby mice. They also require some dietary suppliments, special lighting and of course heat. Like all herps (including snakes), they come with a funky musky snakey/lizardy smell. I don't mind it, but some people find it intolerable.

Australian Bearded Dragon

I love snakes, but I generally caution people before they choose to own them. They simply aren't easy to deal with.

Edited March 25, 2007 by MissMelsWell

[robbieb]

yes snakes are a very big responsibility like any pet is. mine lived in a huge setup that i custom desigined to look and feel like its natural settings. one because i love to see animals in there true enviorment doign what they do best and two because its the best thing for it if you are gonan do it. many times i couldnt even seee him because he was able to camoflage so well with the setting. i had my ball python for many years before it died. i now have other reptiles all in setups desigined for there personal neeeds weither its a simulated rain piece for tropical ones or fine sand with some grass for my sand boa(if u want a smaller snake they are great dont get large at all and arent fast moving like some snakes are and very pretty but they cost a couple more $ then your average corn snake) its all aobut making sure you know the specific needs of your animal and weither or not you can and want to do it for the long hall my advice for you is to wait a month or two and see if at the end of that time if u still want one or if it was just a on the whim kinda thing.

[Grandpa Greenman]

Thanks guys, looks like I need to think about this. Stun a mouse, hmmm, I am not sure I could do it. It would look at me with its beady little eyes and it would end up another pet and the snake would be hungry. I thought they ate frozen mice warmed up in the microwave.

[MissMelsWell]

Thanks guys, looks like I need to think about this. Stun a mouse, hmmm, I am not sure I could do it. It would look at me with its beady little eyes and it would end up another pet and the snake would be hungry. I thought they ate frozen mice warmed up in the microwave.

Sometimes you can get away with frozen rats or mice for feeding. Some snakes will accept them, others may not, there's just no real way to tell. My Ball Python would not eat a previously frozen rat, but I have known others that would.

I'd still recommend a lizard like Dragon. They are cool, don't require as much care, and you don't have to feed them rodents, only bugs (although when I could stand it, I did feed mine baby, or "pinky" mice on rare occasions, gross, but he liked them).

I'm glad to see you're asking about snakes before jumping in with both feet. That's cool.

[Ryo Ohki]

You should get a bearded dragon but give them paper towels not sand.

[draconic chronicler]

I have had 3 boa's.( red tailed)...Got them all when around 1 foot , they all got to around 6 feet plus before i had to find them a new home.I moved and really could not find a place for the huge tanks.My answer to you after having snakes is this.....

Do not get any.Yes , they are cool to look at.But , it really sucks for them.What purpose do they have other than some sort of "status" symbol.I have seen people take them out and walk around with them.Only reason " I am a bad -ass" symbol.All seriousness , I took great care of mine , but now looking back , I see absolutley no reason for these creatures to be jailed in a glass cage.They should be kept out where they belong.No , I have not joined peta , just a change of heart after experience....Leave the looking at zoo's or discovery channel.Most peoples snakes rarely leave there tanks.lay there , eat , shed , do process over again , than die some day...

If you do get one , the corn snake is a excellent choice as mentioned....But , I can almost 100% guarantee after a couple of months you will get bored with this , and it will end up a hassle for you.

Also , befoe you get one , read up big time on proper feeding , etc.....One of the worst things you can do is feed them "live" rats/mice....You need to stun the feed first.They can scratch the snake and cause a serious infection that can be very costly to you and the snake ( depending if you take it to vet or not on who it is costly for)..Some people may tell you diferent , but rats/mice need to be "stunned" so they can not scratch or bite the snake.Some people do not do this because it is "cool" to watch the snakes do their thing...Trust me on this one..

I don't think we as humans can say if a snake would enjoy captivity or not. And if they do, they may very well prefer not being handled.

Millions of people collect tropical fish, and I do not think they are any more exiting than snakes. In fact, you can handle a snake, but not a fish.

90 percent of the snakes in pet shops today are captive born animals speicifically bred for the pet trade. Not buying one isn't going to mean the onese in the pet shop will be released.

For many people a snake is a great "low maintenance" pet. Unlike a bird or mammal a person can go on a week trip and their snake will be perfectly fine when they get back.

Though I have had many snakes, I prefer large lizards and crocodilians, which seem to have more personality. And crocodilians are the most intelligent reptiles (though more closely related to birds, than any of the other reptiles).

[robbieb]

bearded dragons are alot of fun i have one the biggest problem people make with them is diet they need veggies and bugs crickets for start wax worms and until they get much bigger stay away from meal worms unless u cut the heads off and only do that every now and then or else they get impacted cuasr there skin is hard to digest ummm and rodents are good food for them too when they are about half way grown pinkies are good for them and work uur way up with them unti lthere adults and they can handle a full grown mouse

mice are tricky everyone odoes it diffrent some do frozen other they buy and kill beofre feeding other they give live (never give any reptile a live mammal food item or in certain cases live birds because they can greatly injury ur animal) i always boght live and killed them before feeding my advice is if u are gonna feed it always wear a thick glove to hid body heat and sent other wise ull teach ur snake that ur hand meanas food and this can be a problem and even better then a glove is tongs so ur hand is even farther away

[BurnSide]

I have a Corn Snake. She's a real beauty. Apparently she's Albino, but the only thing a little odd about her are her eyes are Pink. Her body is Orange.

She's very active during the day, and I take her out about ocne a day unless she's just eaten or shedding. They're relatively easy to keep care of and low maintenance, you just need to make sure you have the proper equipment. I feel her 'pinkies' once every 8-9 days, little frozen fetal mice. They've very easy to feed.

For a first Snake, getting anything larger than a Corn Snake would be cruel to the Snake. You should be experienced before keeping larger Snakes. My Snake is 2 feet already and still growing anyway, she's gonna get to around 4-5 feet within another couple years, plenty large enough.

[MissMelsWell]

bearded dragons are alot of fun i have one the biggest problem people make with them is diet they need veggies and bugs crickets for start wax worms and until they get much bigger stay away from meal worms unless u cut the heads off and only do that every now and then or else they get impacted cuasr there skin is hard to digest ummm and rodents are good food for them too when they are about half way grown pinkies are good for them and work uur way up with them unti lthere adults and they can handle a full grown mouse

mice are tricky everyone odoes it diffrent some do frozen other they buy and kill beofre feeding other they give live (never give any reptile a live mammal food item or in certain cases live birds because they can greatly injury ur animal) i always boght live and killed them before feeding my advice is if u are gonna feed it always wear a thick glove to hid body heat and sent other wise ull teach ur snake that ur hand meanas food and this can be a problem and even better then a glove is tongs so ur hand is even farther away

You're right about the Dragons... they do require veggies and that meal worms can cause health problems for them. I never had a problem, but they should be fed cautiously.

DC, I'd beg to differ, I don't think snakes are low maintenance pets... because they can be prone to becoming ill in captivity, I never went on vacation without boarding my python with a vet or a local pet store I trusted. Too much can go wrong.

I do agree that birds can be enchanting pets (my favorite really) They are somewhat low maintenance if you choose something like a cockatiel or other small and sturdy hookbill (lovebirds, paroletts, rosellas, small african shorttails like senegals and meyers--which tend to be quieter too). Do a lot of research first though, there are also difficulties in bird keeping... they're messy, frequently noisy, and hide any illnesses well and many people are allergic to parrot feather dust, or experience respitory problems from it--never purchase a bird from a pet store, find a breeder in your area. They are however incredibly smart and when properly trained, they interact very well with their human caretakers--better than most dogs really.