Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So here's the deal, the last two gophers I've bought have been really quiet unpleasent to work with...where as the first one I bought almost a year ago now has never once flared up and gotten nasty with me. So what I'd like to know..is there a perfect pit out there when it comes to size, colors, and most importantly disposition. I'd really like a snake I can handle on a regular basis...wihout gloves, and I've already got ball pythons, and corns and kings do nothing for me. I know this is a subjective question, but I'd like to hear what everyone has to say on this.

~Mrez
(pic of my nice one below)

Like all snakes of all types you're going to come across calm ones and downright demonic ones. I have seen pics of Southern Pines looking agitated as can be and have heard of some mean ones. Yet the ones I produce seem to be very calm. I also sold a male to my buddy Scott Robinson and one to John Cherry Jr who bred them into their stock and those babies were also extremely mellow. Another friend of mine sold me a Bull that is nuts, and he bred the same snake to a different male this year and those babies also came out pretty mean so some people tend to think a bad disposition can be inherited. I have heard most people say their San Diego Gophers are calm and really know more people who say their Pits are nice snakes as opposed to the occasional story of ones that simply never tame down. Sometimes I offer to hold onto a snake that has been purchased and I'll handle it a lot in a attempt to get it a little bit used to interaction with people. Then again I handle the baby Pits more than any other snakes as to me they're just a lot more fun to hold then a squirmy wormy little king milk or corn. Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

So Tom, If you had to and could make a reccomendation on pit species that tends to be the more on the mellow side what would you suggest? I know my applegate phase San Deigo was a real nasty piece of work, so we traded him for a nice lookin sonoran who was very calm at the show, and then in two days turned into a nasty hissing biting raging A** hole. Now I'm eyeing up mexian pines, black pines, and maybe a northern pine if i can find the right color morph..

~M

Let me ask you a question. How warm are you keeping these guys? I ask because the Sonoran you bought may have been cool when you first held him and now that he is set up at home he may be wound up from being too warm. I see this in Pits often. I have Sonorans and my female was nuts but calmed down a lot and my male has always been docile.
I am partial to the Southern Pines, but also know many guys who have nice Northerns. Just make it clear to whoever you intend to purchase your next snake from that temperment is very important to you. Some clutches seem to have nice ones and mean ones....and some snakes will calm down in time and others may need a special approach before you find them trustworthy. My huge female Southern is really sweet, and her babies are often like her. But keep in mind temps over 80 may inspire a little attitude. You may find your snake is thriving at the temps you have them at, if so, try lowering the heat an hour or two before you want to handle them.......it is worth a shot. Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

Regarding temps,

Its strange, but my albino striped what ever she is (pacific, not sure though) seems to like it really warm..she's got a hot spot and basking spot in her tank well into the upper 80's and she will (and currently is) sit on top basking for hours. But she's still a sweetheart. The other two..only had heat pads in an apartment that is ususally in the mid to upper 70's year round. So from memory i think the hot spots with the pads werein the lower 80's. I did think of this though and last night i pulled the plug on my sonoran's heat pad. He is in shed right now so I'm gonna give it a couple days to see what happens. But thanks for your suggestion when I eventually talk to a breeder. Temperment is the most important thing to me followed by appearence and size.

~M

i would take the time to search out a breeder of black pines that has mellow breeders and produces mellow hatchlings. it is hard to beat a pleasant black pine but it will require a little homework.
daveb

Yes its a good idea to research the parents. Docile offspring generally come from docile parents. Getting them when they are young is sometimes important too. If you can shop around at a reptile show where you can talk directly to the breeder and handle the available snakes and ask about the parents. Also try a local or amatuer breeder. Bigger breeders have the best quality snakes, the best selection, and the best prices but they don't have time to handle all their snakes other than when cleaning once a week or so.

Pits have a lot of individual personalities. Some captive bred pits come out nasty while some freshly wild caught pits just plain refuse to bite. Some morphs tend to be naturally tamer than others I think. Monster bulls (277) are among the biggest but aren't the best for handling, while most white sided bulls are supposed to be pretty docile by nature. My female white side is really calm and never bites or hisses. White sides might not be the prettiest or neatest looking pits as juveniles but they are really eye catching as adults. They get pretty big too. If you do get another pit get a male if you can. The females tend to be a little more high strung in my experience. I've often read bulls tame easier than gophers and pines. Two out of my four gophers are complete pyschos (only the females!) However my calmest pit is a male cape gopher. My three adult bulls are very tame. The six hatchling bulls (which I'm selling btw, heheh) I have are pretty tame as well once picked up. One them will hiss and strike only if you reach for it too slow or it feels cornered. Never give up on pits! I had refused to buy a bullsnake for years because of a handful of bad experiences with them. I finally did after giving up herps for other hobbies and I got sucked right back in. I will probably never own another kind of snake other than nerodia (go figure). Pits are going to be the new corn snake. I'm baffled why anyone would buy anything else!!! I think my favorite thing about handling pits is they don't crap on you or do any musking!

As others have said, snakes can be individuals in terms of disposition.
All my pits are great and calm in disposition except my outcrossed Albino MN. bull. It takes her forever to shut up after I clean her cage or feed her.
Since northerns are my faves, I would suggest getting a northern pine. In my experience, I have yet to own one that is not calm. Here is a pic of one of my most recent ones I purchased, and she is as calm as can be, and will remain curled up in my hand for quite some time, just chilling and relaxing.
Someone else suggested a black pine, and I would second that as well. My black pine is so mellow and sweet tempered.
Let me ask you this. What temps are you keeping your gophers and/or other pits? Pits do well in temps lower than some may keep kings and milks in. I keep mine at 78-80 or 81. I have known about some pits that were kept at temps higher than those mentioned, being more hissy and mean.

Take care!
Billy

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Genesis 1:1

Billy,

I love northern pines, there's a soft spot in my heart because they were the first snake native to the area that I ever got to work with. One of the prof's i did research for in college had a side N.P project in which we would go out to the nesting grounds and take numbers, weights and tags. I took care of the 7 or so wild caught specimens that she had and did some incbating and hatching the year that i worked for her. She had two wild caught animals that I thought were albino, but now I am not so sure, they were bone white, with slightly off white patterning on them, of the two, one was 6'3 and a voracious eater and gentle as a lamb. If I could find that snake again I'd snatch it in a heart beat,even though technically Northerns are illegal to own in NJ (shh).
Beyond that, I'm really intrested in the black pines (mexican?) and another snake, I think its called a Northern Mexican pine, but I'm not sure about that. They get really orange and tan as adults..i think there is one or two for sale on the classifieds. I don;t know anything about their temperments though. Any suggestions on that point?

~M

I have a pair of mexican pines (P. deppei jani) and they're both pretty tame. As hatchlings they did lots of tail rattling and hissing but it was mostly bluff. Keep these guys COOL though, nothing over 80 degrees or they will be moody as hell and pretty stressed out. The mexi pine hatchlings arent that fantastic to look at but adults are stunning.

Yeah, I have heard of that n. pine law!

I like what Tom had to say about the temps being a potential issue. See how your sonoran does with it a little cooler.

Well, maybe you should check into getting a black pine. Mine is totally sweet and shy and loves to be handled. Mexican pines, like jani and deppei, are very cool and I have one of each. Both of mine are tame but the jani seems a little nervous and moves quickly, while my deppei is very calm.

Also, I forgot to mention, bullsnakes are also very calm, or at least mine are. Those are another option for you. I have many bulls, and all of them are tame as well. Here is a hypo bull I own.

Take care!
Billy

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Genesis 1:1

Billy, you're doin' it again!!!!!

Pat

Pat, I will stop posting pics of northerns cause it is causing my brother to stumble.

Billy
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Genesis 1:1

No, No, I have got to get through this!!!! I enter therapy next week!!! Maybe it will help!!!!LOL

Pat

I don't know if any therapy can help you with this!!!

Billy
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Genesis 1:1

Oh yeah, Billy! My Therapist says it will work on anybody who is (are you ready for this?) down in the PITS!!!!!!LOL

Pat

Pat,

HA HA HA!!!!!!!!! That ruled!

Billy
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Genesis 1:1

The last one you bought.....!!
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Lloyd Heilbrunn

Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.

May not be feasible for you, but the only 3 Pits I've kept have been WC Gopher ssps (SD, GB & Pac), and I've had good luck w/ them all in that they've never tried to bite (still too early to tell on the Pac as I got him 13 days ago, is a hatchling and is still in quarantine) and have been parasite free.

Chatsworth, CA
reako45

I have a Black Pine that's as tame as any snake I've ever seen. I don't think she has ever vibrated her tail or acted aggressive in any way, and she certainly has never attempted to bite anyone. I think she actually enjoys being handled. So, if she's any example, you couldn't find a gentler snake than her.