Reptile & Amphibian Forums

as of now i have kingsnakes and brazilian rainbow boas. i am looking to add a few pythons to my collection. i am looking for reticulated or african rock pythons but i'm sure they arent good beginner pythons.

what is a good python to start with? i am getting a childrens python but i want something else. i want an albino burmese but are they good beginner snakes?

any help would be appreciated.

thanks in advance
steve

Childrens, Spotteds, Stimsons, and Womas are all good. Womas are still a bit expensive for some though. Balls are ok, but I have never had good luck feeding them as babies and I don't think they have a lot of personality. I would recommend an Australian Olive python before any of the other big snakes you mentioned. I have heard that Papuans are nice too, but I have never kept one so I couldn't tell you for sure. I have a burmese but I waited 15 years to add one to my collection not a good beginner's python at all IMO. He is actually the hardest feeder I have and he has shed problems no matter how much I tinker with the humidity.
-----

1.1 Womas, 1.0 Australian Olive Python, 1.1 Cape York Spotted Pythons, 1.0 Australian Water Python, 1.0 Albino Green Burmese, 1.1 Loxocemus bicolor (New World "Pythons" ), 2.2 Peruvian Red-Tail Boas, 2.1 Hog Island Boas, 0.1 Belem Brazilian Red- Tail Boa, 0.0.1 North American Wood Turtle, 0.0.2 European Pond Turtles, 1.0 Leucistic Alligator Snapper, 0.0.1 FL Red Belly, 0.0.1 Concentric Diamondback Terrapin, 0.0.1 Marine Toad, 1.2 Crested Geckos, 1.0 Yellow Ackie, 1.0 Yellow Bearded Dragon

I agree that balls are hard to get feeding as babies IF they are wild caught. Go with US Captive bred animals and you should have less problems regardless of the python you choose. Also, in regards to giant snakes, just know that it will take a lot of space to house them (big cages aren't cheap), they don't sell for much as babies, so you can't recoup much of your expenses, they eat really big rodents, which can be expensive, and they can also be pretty dangerous (retics especially, but the others also), so just make sure you think of the snake in those terms before making your decision.
Jungles or any other carpet pythons are good beginner snakes (I especially like centralian pythons). Just make sure you really like the snake you are getting, because they will be in your care for a long time and there is nothing worse than someone buying a snake and then losing interest and letting the snake die slowly over time.
Justin J
Australian Addiction Reptiles

My suggestion is to check out the Carpet Pythons. Coastals tend to get the largest, and Irian Jaya's tend to be smaller with Jungle Carpets being somewhat in the middle. There are plenty of care sheets out there if you do a quick search on Google under Carpet Pythons... I've had a Coastal for about 10 years, very easy care, once you get past the bitey stage (some of the little ones are kind of snappy). It sounds like you want a bigger snake than your King snake and Brazilian Rainbow Boa (though they can get pretty big as adults). Jungle Carpets are a moderately sized snake that wont eat you out of house and home and are reasonable to handle alone.

I would not suggest a Retic, Burmese or African Rock unless you are prepared to feed the adult snake prey like rabbits, and have someone who is able to spot you while feeding and handling the snake. They really aren't beginner snakes.

-----
Lora

Burmese pythons are definitely not good starter pythons. The kind of python that would be perfect for a starter would be a ball python. Reticulated and African Rock pythons are even harder to deal with than burmese pythons. These large snakes should not be kept as pets. My advise to you is to get a ball python.

There are several of species to consider. cb balls -- they generally do well, good temperments,but they have personallity of a slug. clidrens/spotteds pythons do well attain a small size and good temperment. macklotts/savu pythons everyone of these eat very well (at least what i have encountered), attain good manageable size, and good temperments. Blood and carpets eat very well reach a maintanable size, but are nippy for the first year or so. Burms, retics, and rocks they get too big for a normal persons home and they can drain your pocket for feeding them when they reach 8 feet or more eg.. rabbits, fetal pigs or small children..

i kinda dissagree on the burm not being good...burms if gotten as hatchlings are some of the nicest snakes you can get...i do agree on the size and feeding issues, but if he can accept those i would go with that if he thinks he can handle it..
if all he ever gets is kingsnakes and ball pythons he's never going to be ready for anything bigger in most peoples opinions.
he does have snake experience so its not like he is totally new to snakes...just my opinion
carpets are excellent snakes also..i have two IJ and they are some of my favorite....

HI, Here's my 2cents.
Womas are great I have several. But, Very mellow Very. If you want a bigger snake but, not to big What about a Dwarf Retic. Mine are great. I have Jungle carpets and they are good to. But, the Woma's and the Dwarf Retics are very forgiving.
Just make sure they are CB.
Jess

I have many large boids and in my opinion ball pythons are the best to begin with but everyone has them and they are to popular and dull. I also have two blood pythons and you can get the excitement from watching a snake eat a rabbit and the power from a python with a blood. So to start off with I would get a blood python if you would like. They have a beautiful banka blood on prehistoricpets.com you should check it out.

I partially disagree with the blood python post... Bloods are known for their somewhat bad dispositions, I"m sure there are exceptions though. If you get a blood, get a hatchling that is handleable and then your experience with handling semi- aggressive snakes can grow as the snake grows. They are I will admit an impressive python with all the big snake characteristics in a smaller package.

Just my .02

Kerry

>>as of now i have kingsnakes and brazilian rainbow boas. i am looking to add a few pythons to my collection. i am looking for reticulated or african rock pythons but i'm sure they arent good beginner pythons.
>>
>>what is a good python to start with? i am getting a childrens python but i want something else. i want an albino burmese but are they good beginner snakes?
>>
>>any help would be appreciated.
>>
>>thanks in advance
>>steve

My little borneo hatchling - Kerry

-----
verrykerry@yahoo.com
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."Calvin and Hobbes

We are talking beginner. Large snakes are for the experienced only. Rock pythons and retics should be reserved for experts because they could be extremely dangerous. Start with spotteds, childrens, or balls.

Before you jump into a big python like a burm or a retic, cnosider starting out with something smaller, maybe even a ball python. They are still an awesome looking snake, they can reach a respectable five feet and a healthy girth, and when they're well handled they stay very friendly (unlike many retics that get meaner with age).

Burms grow so fast within a couple years they can reach ten feet, and may keep growing until they reach twenty. It's a completely different experience than owning kingsnakes...also your local laws may prohibit such large pets. My rescue gets a bunch of calls about larger pythons because folks just don't realize what they're getting into.

Which brings up one more idea. If you're really set on getting a giant snake like a burm or a retic, there are tons of them around the country in rescues just waiting for a good home! Think about one of those. Whatever you end up with though, have fun, I love pythons. But then again I love just about every reptile so I'm a little biased.

-----
Jesse Rothacker
Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary
Find out how YOU can get involved in reptile rescue...
www.forgottenfriend.org