Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i was thinking about getting a second species of snake(theres a show in sept 3 and 4 in raliegh nc) i would like to hear everyones opinion.
i was thinking a ball python, but i hear they are or can be difficult feeders.
but then i was also thinking i can stick with corn snakes and just get a caramel and a butter....LOL

it all depends on what you like. i wasn't looking for anything at our last show then i saw this solomon island ground boa. they don't get very big. i was told its a 2 year old female. neat little thing. totally nocturnal. is eating f/t large pinkies to fuzzies for me.
i've heard ball pythons can be a pain when they go on hunger strikes. if you want a larger snake but not one that is hugh around like boas then look at the jungle carpets. mine is great with handling/eating. he is 6 plus foot long but not big around. this is my little boa

Does depend on your taste.... If you are wanting a larger snake go with a columbian redtail females can get 14' males usually stay about 6-8'. If you want a boa that stays smaller Hogg Islands usually get about 5'. My ball python was a trouble eater but is doing pretty good now, is still a shy eater. If you wanna stick to colubrids go with ratsnakes! I would go with a black rat or a bairds instead of the more common texas rat, they can be very nippy! And rats are typically cheaper than corns and the husbandry is basically identical. If you are looking for color, go milksnake! Make sure it is eating well and you should be good. All types I listed make great pets IMO so good luck with what ever you decide!

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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Road Hog"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches" (Didn't name her!)

Bairds and black rats are a joy to work with most of the time.There calm and get a little bigger than corns...Paul

hi, im glad to see that some one is on here who knows about/ keeps bairds rats.

i myself have a 3 year old bairds rat snake female, my problem....she is about the size of a yearling corn!! !!!

i got her as a hatchling and she was eating fine, she moved up one pink, two pink, 3 pink, fuzzie, 2 fuzzie, hopper, and 2 hopper, then she reached yearling size and refused to grow any more! after being on 2 hoppers for 3 month i tried to upgrade her to 1 small adult mouse and she regurgitated it about 3 days later, so 3 days later i put her back onto the hoppers and she ate with no problems, not regurging etc. tried her on a small adult mouse again 1 month later and the same happened.

she is now on 2 hopper mice twice a week, but is not growing at all! she is 29 inches long and about as thick as an average womans ring finger any idea what i can do?

i have had her the vets on numerous occasions, they have scanned her, checked for blockages, internal parasites etc, and everything has come back perfectly clear, the 3 vets clinics i have been round are stumped, all 3 are reptile specialists. any idea's? why she is like this? or what i can do to help her grow, i also suppliment her diet with "nutrobal" a reptile calcium and mineral suppliment, so its not like she is malnurished.

any advice would be greatfully apreciated...from anyone. thanks

Hi,
Some snakes just don't grow as large as others.
I have an '02 snow corn that is only about 32 inches.
She has just always prefered smaller meals then my other snakes her size. She is healthy and eats every week she just won't eat anything larger then a hopper. She will just be a smaller snake.
I would say that is basically the same with your bairdi.
It just happens to be a smaller specimen.
As long as everything checked out at the vet and it eats regularily then I wouldn't worry.
The "small" snow: Frosty

now as far as an answer to the original question on second species...If you know me then you know my answer will be bairds rat snakes.
I love 'em. They are easy to care for, beautiful, hardy, good eaters and as docile as corns. They can be a little bit more nervous as hatchlings and maybe even a little more nervous as adults but mine have never bit me. They just squirm and rattle their tails a little more often.
They are pretty active too. It is always nice to walk by one of their tanks to see them out and about. I have four adults and three hatchlings and all of the adults are in aquariums and not racks.
One of my bairdis, Rosie:

one of my bairdis, Sam:

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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes
Available

Maybe it's the start of a dwarf line of bairds?As long as she is feeding and healthy then dont worry about it.I would like to see her breed and compare eggs sizes with a larger adult...Paul

I would also suggest one of the other North American Ratsnakes. But, as said, it really depends what you are looking for. My suggestion: Come up with several attractive options and see what's at the show. Make your final choice based on the individual animal and the value of the purchase. Have fun choosing. Duffy

If you want a snake that will put on some size and is awesome looking, get yourself a pine, gopher or a bull!!! They are a very nice looking snake and attain a nice large size! They also put on a good show while eating or if they get spooked. Opening their mouths and hissing very loudly!!!
Here is my Sonoran gopher, and she hisses everytime I get her out of her cage. She only does it for a minute or two, but man is it cool!!! LOL

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RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath" (KY locale)
0.0.1 Corn snake (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
0.0.1 Great plains rat snake (TX locale)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

I've had multiple corns and a Texas Rat and have two kings currently, but my newest and favorite snake is my bullsnake! It's more active than my others - has a lot of personality compared to my corns (sorry guys, but it's true) - and is super docile. Mine has only hissed once in the year i've had her and that was when i messed with her while she was eating. I tried to get her to constrict my finger but she got spooked.

She's almost a year old now and is 3.5 feet. Can't wait to see what she'll turn out to be in a few more years. Real fun snakes!

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Matt from Minnesota

The Bull snake is at the top of my have to get list. A breeder had a beautiful white sided. It was an awesome snake.
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1,0 snow
1,0 amel
1,0 texas corn
1,0 aney stripe motley
0,1 normal
0,1 charcoal
0,1 motley
1,1 oketee
0,1 tx rat
1,0 diadem
4,5 ball python
1,1 dumerils boa
1,1 columbian red tail boa
1,1 green iguana
1,0 leopard gecko
1,2 dogs
freezer full of mice & rats

Well, if size doesn't matter, and it shouldn't , then I would suggest a garter. The red sided garters are very active social snakes. They are always out and about and husbandry is as easy as a corn. I would venture to guess that Scott Felzer will be at the Raleigh show and he has some very interesting garters and morphs. You can check out his website www.scottfelzersgartersnakes.com .

Joanna

I agree that Garters are excellent snakes. Very active snakes, aggressive feeders. And speaking of Red-sided Garters, I just received mine today from Scott Felzer. A very beautiful snake. I have Kings, corns, and Rats, but I have to say I can see myself getting a few more Garters.

Steve

I started with my corn and added 2 ratsnakes. You can't go wrong with any ratsnake. After that I went a different direction and got my IJ carpet. She is hell on earth and draws blood everytime I handle her. Hopefully she will get over that with time. Today I just recieved a new Western Hog. You talk about putting on a show. This thing was huffing and hissing and then played dead. A very cool little snake. I think I will really like him. Anyway, you can't go wrong with any of these.

Bairds

Grey

and the devil

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0.1 Amel Motley Corn (Cosmo '03)
0.1 Baird's Ratsnake (Sugaree '04)
1.0 White Oaks Grey Rat (Tennesse Jed '04)
0.1 IJ Carpet Python (Cassidy '04)
1.1 Shepherd mix (Dylan 6yrs, Porter 1yr)

Sorry to hi-jack but just wait til your Carpet Python is 4' long and still pulling this cr@p... ...tons of fun.

I haven't got nabbed lately, but I certainly do not have a tame snake yet! Then again, I have only had mine for a couple months.
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Later,
Paul E. Turley

Ya, I'm not real happy about her additude. She gets in strike position if I just walk up on her tank. I figured I would grab some gloves today, just for me, so I can start just reaching in and grabbing her without being too jumpy. It doesn't hurt a lot yet, but it isn't fun either. Once she is out she isn't too bad, but it takes a lot to get her calmed down. Atleast she's a good eater-lol.

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0.1 Amel Motley Corn (Cosmo '03)
0.1 Baird's Ratsnake (Sugaree '04)
1.0 White Oaks Grey Rat (Tennesse Jed '04)
0.1 IJ Carpet Python (Cassidy '04)
1.0 Western Hognose (Samson '05)
1.1 Shepherd mix (Dylan 6yrs, Porter 1.5yr)