Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ive kept herps for about 4 years, so still a beginner really, but ive never kept a snake before. In about 5 years time i do plan on owning one, and id like to know which breed out there is best for me with the following "requirements":

Size: I know that this will limit my choices, but id like a snake that can comfortably live in a 10 gallon. I should be upgrading to at least a 20-30 sometime later but i want to keep ALL choices in mind.

Handleability: Again i know this is contradictory as most snakes taht fit in 10 gals dont tolerate handling well. But are there any that do?

Vacation: I usually take a 1 month vacation out of the country, do snakes do relatively fine without attention for 30 days?

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I think my options are limited to rubber boas, rosy boas, and kenyan sand boas, right?

Ive always been attracted to rubbers and rosies cause i thought they were cute but on the dark side i can never find any rubber boas for sale.

Hmm, small but handleable. Hognose?
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1.0 speckled kingsnake
1.0 leucistic texas ratsnake
0.1 tricolor hognose
0.1 water python
0.1 spider ball python
1.0 green tree python

Yeah, a male hog would do great all its life in a 10 gallon, docile, and good feeder if a nice CB animal.

I think a male rosy boa would fit the bill great. The males stay smaller than females and probably able to stay in a 10 gallon tank all its life. Captive bred are easily found and they are good feeders. Pending on when you take vacation, you could possibly brumate during vacation time if in the winter months. I think you could leave a snake unfed for a month while on vacation if well fed prior to you leaving. My biggest concern would be with water. Since rosies do not have big water requirements, probably not that big of a deal either if without water a week or two. Still, if you could get a friend to feed and rewater halfway through vacation, probably better. Rosies also come in a variety of colors pending on locality, and the albinos are simply gorgeous and affordable now!! Sand boas would probably do well also, but are more secretive than rosies from what I have seen. I would also stay clear of rubber boas as a beginners snake. IMO, even the captive bred ones can go off feed and have funky low temp requirements and high light requirements to stay feeding.

"Vacation: I usually take a 1 month vacation out of the country, do snakes do relatively fine without attention for 30 days?"

Probably no snake at all!

No, they CANNOT be left unattended for 30 days!. Being left without food for a month isn't all that great in itself, but a healthy snake could survive that rather easily if it had to. But if the snake spilled the water bowl, or defecated in the bowl(which they VERY often do), you would be signing it's death warrant.

That is simply FAR too long to leave any animal unattended, simple as that. If you are going to be gone for that length of time, you need to have someone you could trust stop by every several days to keep an eye on things. Either that, or simply do not get a snake.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

The types of snakes you can leave for a month must have the following characteristics:

1. Snakes that do not need lots of humidity or contact moisture;
2. Snakes that by nature can do well on infrequent feedings, or binge feedings - alot in one week then no food for weeks after.

The snakes that come to mind are rosyboas and sandboas, with sandboas being perhaps the best choice. Those things are bulletproof, and missing food for a month is nothing for a sandboa. You don't even need to keep water in the cage. Just give the snake a soak in shallow (like 1/3 inch) of water from time to time, and the snake will hydrate and drink.

Kings and corns typically have faster metabolisms and need food more frequently. Plus they dehydrate fast (the young anyway). And forget boa constrictors and larger pythons.
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Mark

Are male rosies/ksb's handleable though?

Ive heard they can be a bit nippy. Im not scared of being bitten, its just the shock of an animal lunging at me always makes me jerk my hand back. I dont want to accidentally have it latch on and me slam its body into the cage wall.

It all depends on the temperament of the snake. I have 3 male KSB'S and they are extremely docile. Of course, i have had them since they were born in 2008, so i have handled them on a regular basis. None of them have made an attempt to bite me, but obviously there are snakes that just don't like to be handled and won't calm down even after regular handling. Also, it depends if you are going to get a neonate or a sub-adult or adult animal. Babies are nippy, no matter what species

I recommend Kenyan's, in case you're wondering

Chrissy

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1.0 Ball Python-Siegfried
1.0 BRB-Pedro
1.0 Blair's Phase GrayBanded Kingsnake-Elvis
0.1 Paradox Albino Sand Boa-Cleo
3.1 Dodoma's
0.1 pug mix

By nippy what do ppl really mean?

When they bite do they latch on? And does it hurt? When my leo gecko bit me it drew blood and hurt a little bit.

Im guessing snakebites are worse?

Also, if i purchase baby KSB's online and handle them frequently, how come they dont get used to it?

And going for long periods of time without regular handling deconditions them to human contact right?

I have never been bitten by my adult female sand boa, so i don't know what a bite from an adult feels like, but my younger ones have latched onto my fingers from time to time, after they were born, probably mistaken them for nice juicy pinkie mice I didn't even feel or notice them until i would pull my hand from their cage,and one would be wrapped around my index finger. I agree that not handling your snake long term would increase their defensiveness and biting. And going back to being nipped by my younger sand boas, they didn't draw any blood. Snakes are funny in regards to how they tolerate handling, some calm right down, and some just don't like to be handled.

Chrissy
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1.0 Ball Python-Siegfried
1.0 BRB-Pedro
1.0 Blair's Phase GrayBanded Kingsnake-Elvis
0.1 Paradox Albino Sand Boa-Cleo
3.1 Dodoma's
0.1 pug mix

Thanks for the info.

Im guessing theres not much pain in regards to KSB bites then?

What about your experience with rosies and corns?

Just to sorta cut you off at the pass there, in my experience you shouldn't be putting a corn in a 10gal and expect it to be happy with that it's entire life.
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1.0 speckled kingsnake
1.0 leucistic texas ratsnake
0.1 tricolor hognose
0.1 water python
0.1 spider ball python
1.0 green tree python

I don't have any experience with Rosies, though i was just offered one and i would have taken it, if i had the room. Same with Corns, i haven't owned one, but i do know that an adult corn will need at least a 30 gallon enclosure, tank wise, to ensure they have enough room on the cool side of the enclosure and on the warm side to properly thermoregulate. Any snake has the opportunity to give quite a bite, if the opportunity arises, but none of my animals has bitten me to the point where they have drawn blood, so my experience with serious bites is practically zero.

Chrissy
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1.0 Ball Python-Siegfried
1.0 BRB-Pedro
1.0 Blair's Phase GrayBanded Kingsnake-Elvis
0.1 Paradox Albino Sand Boa-Cleo
3.1 Dodoma's
0.1 pug mix

You should purchase a book or two readily available about pet snakes!! They will cover all aspects from general temperatment, size, caging requirements, water reguirements, and food preferences. There are even books tailored to smaller boids like sand boas, roseys, etc.

Don't take this badly, but your posts keep spiraling towards you NOT being ready to take on a snake. You are obviously having MAJOR reservations about this and really need to think this through!!! It sounds like you are trying to do your homework and not wind up with an unwanted animal that could turn out not quite as planned. However, sometimes you only find out when you make the plunge. Just make sure you are committed to the care and well being of the animal. Most of the small species suggested are on the docile end of the snake spectrum, and will remain calm and trusting adults if interacted with properly. However, snakes will not be like your dog you left with mom and dad when you went off to college. Dont expect them to jump up on you and wag their tails when you go home to visit every month or so.

"Just to sorta cut you off at the pass there, in my experience you shouldn't be putting a corn in a 10gal and expect it to be happy with that it's entire life."

I already know that corns need much larger cages than 10gals. I was just wondering what people's experiences with them were as far as temperament.

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I know to read books, the reason i come to this forum is because books are general. They only encompass the surface of what animal care has to offer. I go to forums like this to gain personal insight into individual behaviors of animals. That way i can see whether or not X animal is right for me.

And im not even planning on getting a snake anytime soon. I just wanted some information before i start. I still have my leopard gecko (which probably has a good 15 years ahead of him), and i want to devote my attention to solely him first. The reason i came to ask this forum about snakes is because i wanted to know what kind of serpentine pet would i find appealing later on.

going to local herp shows if possible. They have a wide variety of snakes and you can probably get hands on experience with the various species available in the hobby today. ALL snakes have their own species related and individual quirks their keepers have learnt to deal with through trial and error.

Awesome, thanks.

Ive always wondered, how exactly do herp shows work?

Are they like car shows where people exhibit different cars (in this case animals) but dont allow purchasing, or is buying of the animals part of the show?

Im guessing most herp shows require entrance fees too right?

Never been to one.

No,.....the reptile shows main purpose is to attract people to buy the vendor's animals. But of course you can also simply walk around and enjoy looking at stuff and talking to people as well.

Here is a pic of the annual 2007 Daytona Expo. There are many countless THOUSANDS of cool reptiles for sale down there in the sea of people. This is held there every year in late August.

Of course most are nowhere near this large, but even many smaller shows sport quite a few animals.

There is also a fairly large Repticon show in Orlando the 22 and 23rd of May that I will be a vendor at. If you have never been to a show, this is a MUST!

Your head will be absolutely spinning looking at all the cool snakes, as well as assorted lizards, and amphibians too!.....guaranteed!

Tiny local shows are just $4 or $5 bucks, and huge ones like Daytona are only I think $10 bucks for BOTH days!

~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Herp shows sound pretty exciting, especially by looking at those photos.

I live around the Houston, Texas area. Do you know where i can get schedules of all the potential shows that will occur there?

I think There are several big ones in that area, as well as many others all around the country.

Here is a link to tons of herp shows.

You will have a BLAST!

Herp shows

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Here is a good one in your area coming up!

Houston Repticon

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Thanks for the links

GO TO THE SHOW!! Be a window shopper and look at all the various snakes as well as lizards and chelonians available in the market. You will also get a chance to see BABIES AND ADULTS!! Knowing the adult size of a snake is key in making a proper decision due to feeding and housing needs. Most vendors are happy to talk about their animals.