General Discussion

I have two Cali Kings.

This is Elvis who I just found a few days ago after a TWO month long escape. I don't know how he did it, but he's much larger now. This is an old picture. He went wild during his adventure and is not cool with the camera. Or being held. Or looked at. He's very mad at being confined again. XD


This is Rolo, who I bought to replace Elvis after I was pretty sure he wasn't going to be found, about two weeks ago.


It's funny how when you loose something, as soon as you replace it you find the original. XD

Anyway, Elvis is mean as **** and Rolo is very docile. There's a pretty wide range in temperament with kings, but they aren't too difficult to keep and they get to be a decent size without being too huge. They like to musk when they're being handled and I know that bothers some people, but it's not that bad.

@BravestHobbit

I have two :)

A ball python who is the sweetest thing ever and a little kinda moody corn snake

@BravestHobbit - I'll take a few pictures of my enclosures when I get a chance. My snakes currently take small fuzzy f/t mice. My hondo will probably move up to large mice/small rats when she's full grown, but my ksb will take hopper mice as an adult. A cool thing about ksbs is the size difference between the males and females. Females will easily get three feet and it's rare to see a male any bigger than 20" :) short little sausage babies

Also I see a lot of people mentioning hognoses and I always like to remind people that they are warm (mildly venemous / rear fanged) snakes and you should be aware of that before you get one! The bites usually have a reaction similar to a bee sting, but it can definitely be more severe depending on how your body reacts. It will ruin your day for sure though, haha. Bites with venom aren't particularly common but you do need to be aware of what you're getting into and how you could potentially react! Google hognose bites before you make your decision :b

@agno3 - Your cal kings are so pretty! I was really tempted at the last show I attended to buy this gorgeous chocolate mosaic cal, which are definitely my favorite morph along with some of the darker stripe/mosaics. And congrats on finding Elvis! I'm sure he'll calm down in time. :3c

@DisasterRising - What kind of tarantulas do you have? I've never kept one before and am currently in the "research" phase but I'd love to try a b. smithi or b. boehmei if I can find one of a decent size. Most of the ts I see for sale are slings or less than an inch and they just look so fragile and make me so nervous!

@bravesthobbit
Hello! I saw the title of the thread and had to comment!

Snakes are absolutely wonderful pets to have, there's so much negative stigma around them but I wish there wasn't.
I currently own 4 snakes; two corn snakes, a ball python, and an amazon tree boa. You can see them here!

I noticed no one mentioned these(I may have missed it), but another great couple of beginner snakes would be Children's Pythons or Spotted pythons! They don't get large they're known for their docile nature, and have fairly easy care requirements. They're great if you're looking for something slightly more exotic then those two!

I also wholeheartedly agree with corns, kings, and milk snakes as beginners. Rats snakes, you have to be careful, because there are two groups: New World rat snakes and Old World rat snakes. Old World rat snakes are known for having dicey temperaments(these include japanese rat snakes, radiated rat snakes, taiwanese beauty rat snakes, etc)
I don't really recommend hognoses because of their mild venom and because they have a faster metabolism from other snakes, which means they need to eat more frequently. But I know people who have gotten them as beginner snakes, it just depends on the effort you're willing to put in and th amount of research you do.
If you're interested in a particular species, google ____(species) care sheet!

Ball pythons, I'm on the fence about. On one hand, their docile temperaments are absolutely FANTASTIC for beginners. They're easy to care for, and come in all sorts of morphs! I also agree that ball pythons are known for feeding issues. Mine fasted all the way from January to July last year, and that's normal for him. They can also go off feed because of stress, as any snake can. If you're willing to go through something like that, then by all means!

Another thing I'm not sure that I saw here was WHERE you'd get a snake from. DO NOT GO TO PETCO OR PETSMART!!!
Find a reliable breeder online or find one in your area. If you're unsure whether or not they're reliable, FaunaClassifieds(a forum) has a Board of Inquiry section where people post reviews on breeders and companies that specialize in reptiles or reptile related products. You're also more than welcome to contact me if you're having trouble!
I got my ball python from Craigslist, but I don't recommend doing because you can never be sure if the seller is correct or if the animal is in good health.
Look for CB animals, which means that they captive bred. Wild Caught animals are normally loaded with parasites and are generally more feisty(there are exceptions).

Try and find a snake that is ALREADY TAKING frozen/thawed rodents. Trust me, this is a great advantage in the long run. Frozen rats are cheaper then buying live ones every week. Plus, rodents can injure your snake, and if you haven't had an exotic vet bill yet, they're not pretty.
Speaking of, FIND AN EXOTIC VET!!! Just because a normal vet agrees to see your snake doesn't mean they know what they're doing.

Some necessities for most snakes:
-appropriate cage size
-bedding(NO PINE OR CEDAR SHAVINGS, NO SAND UNLESS STATED IN CARE SHEET)
-hides(normally 2)
-water bowl(must be cleaned daily and disinfected)
-feeding tongs(please dont hand feed, snakes can miss and bite you)
-heating source(google which is best for the particular snake, and make sure this wont lead to humidity issues)
-thermostat. A note on this, some people disagree with getting a thermostat. I personally am all for them because I want to minimize the risk of a fire breaking out or the heat source getting too hot and burning the snake. Rheostats are an option too, but google thermostat vs rheostat if you want to know more
-some snakes like branches and plants to utilize
-misting bottle(up to you, if you need help maintaining a higher than normal humidity)
-a food source. My local reptile shop provides me with f/t feeders, but there are also sources online that you can order rodents from in the appropriate size. Please don't use RodentPro.

Don't judge a species by its temperament, all snakes have different personalities! There are feisty ball pythons and docile emerald tree boas, their environment plays a big factor in that. That being said, don't ignore it if there is a general opinion on certain species' temperaments.
Amazon tree boas are highly variable, for example, but the overall consensus is that they are bitey demons(mine is) and there are plenty of individuals who fit the bill.
Corn snakes are known for their easy temperaments, and out of both of mine, I have one who is just a bit more high strung than the other. They were raised in the exact same conditions, handled the same amount of times, fed the same way, but she's just...different!

I think I was rambling, and I probably forgot some stuff. If you ever need any help, let me know and I'd be more than happy to help!

Here are a few pics from today. [img]http://i.imgur.com/eEtyvF2.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/VCggwqr.png[/img] Maja was very, very determined to eat my fingers. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/lVnvboI.png[/IMG] Aaand this is her tub. It's pretty simple. A hide/water bowl, a piece of driftwood, aspen about 2" deep, and the temp is regulated by a hydrofarm tstat. I used to use dimmers on my cages, but the hydrofarms are working much more reliably. They're the best "cheap" thermostat at about 30$ each. By the end of the year I'm planning on upgrading to an animal plastics setup.

Snakes are my animal for life. I would like a kingsnake as my first choice, but ball pythons are so ******* cute *A*