Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all,
I wanted to start off by saying I have been visiting this forum and several other snake forums here at Kingsnake for a couple of months now. This forum is the friendliest and most welcoming of all of them. A couple of the forums are down right hateful and nasty. I have tried to post there and never felt I fit into the "clique". Here I was welcomed and even called a member of the "Pit family" right away. Thank you.

I own 1.2 Northern pines and 1.0 Albino Northern pines. (I found another 0.1 that is beautiful. I am trying to buy her as well.) I have been talking with a couple of breeders and hope to purchase a pair of Black pines this year. I would like my next purchase (fall or next spring) to be a RED something. I have been looking at Red Bulls, Red Phase Northern pines, and saw a gorgeous Red Cape Gopher the other day.
My question to those of you with experience with these snakes; which do you prefer and why? Which is the hardest to find? the easiest? How do they compare in ease of care to my Northerns. (The easiest snake on the face of the planet, I think)
Thanks,
Shari

Shari,

All three are awesome snakes! There are some great strains of Red Bulls available. They are the easiest of the three to keep. Red Northern Pines are harder to find. John Cherry used to have a good strain and I believe John Ginter has some. They are a little more demanding. A good strain of Capes is fantastic in appearance. But Capes can be touchy to keep. I've been relustant to keep any because of this so I can't say much about how they do. The best folk to talk to are John Cherry, Ron whose web site is The Crawl Space and Gregg Feaster at Gregg's Reptile Basement. All three have excellent stock and are quick to be helpful! You can't go wrong with them. Good Luck.
Preacher Pat

Pat,

pretty well hit it on the nail head as far as I am concerned. Northerns and bulls are much hardier than capes which can be a little touchy as neonates, we stopped selling them to the general public and have not bred ours in two years because of the problems some folks had with them.

Personally and that is all it is my favorite are the bull snakes in whatever form shape or locales they come in. Neat animals that get huge and take well to captivity.

By the way Pat thanks for the kudo's on the animals.

John Cherry
Cherryville Farms

Cherryville Farms - Reptiles

By the way we are always glad to have new blood in the pit hobby, I must warn you though it canbecome an addiction from which there is no cure. LOL. But don't take my wrd for it ask, pat or anyone else her eon the forum. We may all keep other types of animals, but the pits are always the last to leave.

John Cherry
Cherryville Farms

I am well aware of the "Pit Addiction"
I got my first Pit, a big female, quite by . I answered an ad for a cornsnake for sale. The guy also had a Redtail and this big pine. I wanted to buy the corns and he offered to sell me all of his snakes. He sold me two large breeding size female cornsnakes - one normal/Okeetee, one Anery, probably Charcoal, a 5ft Redtail boa, a 6ft Northern pine, 2 55 gallon tanks and tank stand, a 4ftx2ft wood cage for the Boa and all the lights, bowls and hides he had. All of this for $75.00!!! I stole them from him really. That was his asking price though, I didn't talk him down.
I fell in love with her. She is so big, almost 2kg and over 6feet long, and so docile. I knew I had to have more. Since them I have bought three more and am preparing to buy a pair of Black Pine hatchlings. And then I want a red something.... I have just about decided on a Red Bull because they do get so big. But Red phase Northerns are very pretty. Billy's Red Cape Gopher is jaw dropping gorgeous though. So I go round and round - Pine, Bull or Gopher? Pine, Bull, or Gopher?
Here is a picture of the that started it all.

Shari.....

As you know now.....you have become one of us! This pituophis disease has overpowered and left you only wanting more! LOL!

Glad to see that you are getting into these snakes! Both pics of your two pines you posted are awesome!

It's like discovering a lost treasure, isn't it? I was around bulls and pines for years before I seriously took a look at them. I was so into kings and milks, and still am, but the pits have taken over. Never have I ever been so excited to own snakes as I do now with pits being the majority of my collection.

Take care!
Billy
-----
Genesis 1:1

Here is the photo

I think John and Preacher Pat said all that needs saying. I absolutely love my bullsnakes and pines. I'm in the process of selling all my gophers to make room for more bulls. I love the gophers but I can't fit another rack in the room and the bulls and pines won my heart. Thanks Pat for the comments. When happy customers mention my name I remember why I love this hobby so much.... besides being addicted to the gorgeous snakes. Ron
-----
The Crawl Space

great comments on the choices for pits too, i completely agree with you on them.

Have a good one,

Gregg F.

>>All three are awesome snakes! There are some great strains of Red Bulls available. They are the easiest of the three to keep. Red Northern Pines are harder to find. John Cherry used to have a good strain and I believe John Ginter has some. They are a little more demanding. A good strain of Capes is fantastic in appearance. But Capes can be touchy to keep. I've been relustant to keep any because of this so I can't say much about how they do. The best folk to talk to are John Cherry, Ron whose web site is The Crawl Space and Gregg Feaster at Gregg's Reptile Basement. All three have excellent stock and are quick to be helpful! You can't go wrong with them. Good Luck.
>>Preacher Pat
-----
Gregg F.

www.greggsrb.com