Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have been reading this and other forums for quite a while now trying to decide on which species of snake to get. I have never had a pet snake and dream about gettting a monster, but know i shouldn't until I get a little more experience. I would like to get a snake that is between 5-8 feet long. I would prefer a species that is generally friendly and less common. I love colorful snakes like the Green Tree Python (yellow especially) and some of the carpet pythons. I have looked into the dwarf retics and male yellow anacondas, but I fear they may be to aggressive. Also, if you could reccomend not only the species, but some good books that i should buy to learn more! Any suggestions? Pictures will help! Thanks So Much
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Aaron
www.ameade.com
www.bighousepro.com

There are many snakes that will suite your desires. The carpets will do, as will boa constrictors. I suggest that you purchase a captive bred baby (less than 1 year), so that you can learn from it as it grows and be accustomed to it when it reaches the 9 foot mark.

Most petstores keep a few good books on boa constrictor care. Perhaps get one of these, and a few other boid books to get you familiar with boids in general (I doubt they will have a carpet python book). With this general knowledge you will be able to use the opinions posted in these forums better for your personal situation.

My first pet snake was a baby ball python. I had the same mentality as you, i wanted a big snake. After about a week of having my baby ball python (about 2 months old/2 ft long), I went and bought a 2-3yr old columbian red tail boa (5-6ft) and i love him.. Hes as tame as a dog and pretty as all hell..

Well a BCI Boa would fit that description well except for the fact that they are pretty common. You could go into the Morph end and get a nice albino or super Hypo to make it less common then the others, but if you have your heart set on something more exotic then the Carpet Pythons are a good choice too.
Although they are nippy for the first 6 months or so they tend to tame down well. They have a nice, almost venomous look about them and can reach legnths of 7 feet. They are not really a heavy bodied snake so they will not eat you out of house or home like the Burms or retics will.
Problems with the Green Tree Pythons, all the tree Boas and many of the more exotic boas and pythons is the fact that they tend to be nippy. Retics and even Burms can have big tudes, tree snakes always have aggresive attiudes (that couples with their elongated teeth and special care requirements can make them dangerous for a newcomer)
A BCI Boa is always the best giant snake to start with and learn. They tend to be forgiving with mistakes and become very docile as they grow (and they do get big! I have one that is 10' long and 60 lbs!!!)
But if you don't want a boa, Jungle Carpet Pythons are a Nice Second!
I hope this helps
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

Great advice from the others. I have 42 constrictors including burms,retics, and a green anaconda. I have a bunch of Colombian BCI boas that are still my favorites and I highly recommend them as a first snake. They are beautiful in their own right and usually very docile. Love the carpet pythons too but recommend them as a second snake. Get years of experience prior to getting one of the giants. Find someone in your area that has them and spend some time handling them and seeing their personalities and that will really help make your decision if you are committed to caring for one of them for its life. Especially with retics you need sound experience in their behavior. There is a very big difference in seeing and briefly handling a big retic and dealing with one on a daily basis. Even a dwarf retic at nine foot is a handful for a beginner. Go with the boa and I wish you the best-Bill.
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...three years ago it was just another snake cult...
The Retic is King.
Anacondas-the other Dark Side.
Afrocks-the dark side of the Dark Side.