Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 2 black rats and 2 texas rats. I have quite a bit of experience in handling snakes, not so much in husbandry though...just about the past 4 months since i've had these. They're all quite content in their big cages I built for them. I was planning on getting a blue beauty and me and my grandfather built that one a vertical cage which has a base of 3'x3' and is 6 feet tall. The blue beauty deal fell through and I was wondering what other snakes along those lines would people reccomend? By saying "along those lines", I want one that is going to be a climber - alreaady have the dowels to build a large climbing structure for it...I don't want another basic N. american rat, I don't really like pythons or boas that much...and I want to keep this as a vertical cage to conserve floor space. I'm not too fond of vietnamese beauties...I like the blue better than the green...but any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Chris
-----
The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

Battling ignorance one stupid person at a time.

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Neonate Black Rat (het for Lic Stk's) (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)

Well... there aren't a large amount of coloubrids that are completely arboreal. If you were to stick a moderate sized coloubrid in there I'm pretty certain it would hide on the floor rather than sit in the branches. The ones you listed are somewhat arboreal and nocturnal, so the only time I would bet on seeing them climb is during the night.

I know you said you don't like pythons or boas, but here are some of the suggestions I have.

Jungle Carpet Pythons are beautiful, docile, 7 ft long, and arboreal snakes that make one of the best display animals anyone could have. A cage about 80 degrees with moderate humidity is perfect for them.

Green Tree Pythons are another possibility, though hard to get (and expensive), and are somewhat tempermental when it comes to husbandry. I would suggest the JCP before this one though. Same rule for Emerald Tree Boas.

I don't know a whole lot of boas that are arboreal like that...
-----
Current Collection:
0.1 Antherystic elaphe guttata guttata - Corn Snake
1.0 Elaphe vulpina gloydi - Eastern Fox Snake
0.1 Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta - Black Rat Snake
0.1 Leucistic elaphe obsoleta linheimeri - Texas Ratsnake
1.1 Morelia spilota cheyni - Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Tiliqua scincoides intermedia - Northern Blue Tongue Skink

I have always loved those green tree pythons....they're WAY too much money lol. i'll look into that jungle python though...I am not totally closed off to only colubrids...it's just that's what i've had experience handling before. I have heard that this one guy who keeps a vietnamese beauty has a 3x3x6 cage and it spends most all its time in the limbs....I was planning on putting a heat light up top and an uth on the bottom...then a couple water dishes at different heights. I think i'll just hold out for a blue beauty though...always loved 'em.

Thanks!
-Chris
-----
The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

Battling ignorance one stupid person at a time.

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Neonate Black Rat (het for Lic Stk's) (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)