Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all!

Kind of new to the forum but not all that new to snake keeping and breeding. I have been out of it for about 10 years now and I'm now wanting to have a few animals back in the house. My son just turned 6 and I think it would be a good "family" hobby to keep a few snakes.

I've done a fair share of breeding projects a long time ago burms, chondros, carpets, a few boas species, and a lot of colubrids.....However this time around I'm not too sure if I want to do any breeding. I'd love to get a few different species again and want to start with Bolivians......I just wondered how many of you just keep snakes to keep them around and aren't into breeding at all?

Aint a thing wrong with trophy animals(pets)
Shop around and you can find sweet pastels and normals pretty cheap,the same if not better then the big game keepers think theirs are worth.Have a good understanding of growth potential in any form you choose and be prepared to feed and house it for the longhaul.This is the best time of the year to shop around,many breeders are moving out stock to make room for new arrivals/litters.Dont be affraid to make a reasonable offer on an animal you like,worst they can say is No! then theyll continue to feed it LOL!!
Come the end of Feb. thru March and early April theres plenty of excess stock to shop thru.

Best Of Luck !

M/

I think a lot more people buy them as pets than as breeders....however, it is nice 5 years or so down the road when you have a het, a morph or just a beautiful boa and decide you want to breed. You have not had to get this animal neutered to make a good pet, and now, you can have the choice of breeding or letting them remain just a best buddy.
Link

Sounds like you and I have similar histories, although before I got out of the hobby I hadn't done that much breeding (garters and waters). Anyway, I got out of the hobby altogether when we bought our first house and had our child. Cleaning cages just wasn't fun anymore. Fast forward about 4 years and my daughter started showing a real interest in herps, soooo, we got her a little baby ball python. That kicked off the fever for me again, but this time I vowed to just keep a small collection of animals and really focus on the long-haul aspect (I would typically only keep animals for a few years before selling or trading them off for another species) and any breedings would be a bonus. My daughter is still very involved and has a few snakes that are "hers" and she helps me feed, water and clean the animals. It has now been five years and some of the animals I bought as babies four years ago bred for me, but are still considered pets (CA boas, Ammies and Yellow Rats). Again, the breeding is just for personal satisfaction and fun and I sell or trade the babies to my local herp shops for food or supplies. So I believe you can have long-term family pets AND still get the satisfaction of breeding them and producing a new generation from adults that YOU raised up from little neonates! Good luck with your re-entry into the hobby!

Billy