Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, Im getting a python, I just dont know which species. Heres the deal, It cant be getting bigger than 4 feet 5 feet maximum and I cant feed it rats.... only mice...(large mice if needed). Now i bet alot of people are going to say ball python but all the care guides/sheets ive read on them say your going to have to step them up to rats..?

I was also looking at amazon tree boas but I hear they are wicked snappy and have alot of tempermate problems. I also heard they have a bad musking problem.

I have a ball python and a childrens and I definitly like the childrens much much more. he is no longer snappy unless in shed. About the atbs(amazon tree boas) yes they are very snappy to the extreme and from what i've read they have large teeth. I don't believe you need to jump cildrens pythons to rats, although it might need to take two large mice if it is a large female. IT is pretty much as small as you can go without paying thousands because it is the second smallest python.
I miht post some pix of my childrens.
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thanks Josh

0.0.1 vine snake
1.1.0 turtles
0.1.0 greek tortoise
1.0.0 ball python
1.0.0 corn snake
1.0.0 childrens python
1.0.0 het for albino san diego gopher snake
0.0.1 sunbeam snake(any help with these guys even when not on a post about them will help thanks)
0.0.1 rosehair tarantula
0.0.1 redback salamder I will be releasing
some mice
and what ever lizards my vine snake hasn't eaten yet

Please do post some pictures and thank you for the facts.... you presented some good help.

You have several choices:

1) Children's python
2) Savu python
3) anthill python
4) house snake (not actually a python but similar in appearance)

I'm still not sure which is smaller - Savus or Childrens'. Savus may be a bit longer, but they are more thin than Childrens', so either way it is very close. Savus may be slightly more expensive, but not much.

Anthill pythons are THE smallest python you can get, but they will cost between $400-1000. Otherwise they are a fantastic snake in terms of size and temperment. If they weren't so expensive, they would be the perfect small snake.

House snakes look a lot like pythons, but they are colubrids. There is a good variety of them out there, and they supposedly are very easy to keep, also. I don't have any (yet), so I can't tell you much more.

I have 1.1 Savus, 2.1 anthills, and 1.1.7 Children's. You can see Savu and anthill pics in the linked gallery.
Gallery with Savu and anthill pics

I would add Bismarck Ringed pythons to that list of possibilities.

I have had Rings for several years now and absolutely LOVE them. There is not a more iridescent snake in the world. A female has the possibility of getting to about 5 1/2 feet, but males are always under 5 ft, ususally . They also grow EXTREMELY slowly. They do not reach sexual maturity for about five years. My youngest pair have been fed aggressively for three years and are both still under 4 ft.

I feed only F/T, and switcheed mine to baby rats as soon as I could, but they would be fine with large, adult mice, as adults. - Brian

Forgot to mention that the rings in these pics are between 6 and 8 months old.

Also, you will NEVER eperience the feeding issues, with rings, that you will with other smaller pythons. All of mine are handled several times a week and have great personalities, but they retain a powerfull feeding response. - Brian

Oh i was just kidding about the anthill pythons... gosh those guys are pretty damn pricey. So i think im going with the childrens python.

I just recently got a Spotted Python (very similar to a Children Python). It also stays small (3 to 4ft). I love the yellow eyes on mine. It was cheap as well ($50 at a local store).

They are very good eaters, nippy when young. But from all I have read, they settle down if handled regularly. My only strikes at the glass. Once I pick it up, it is very calm and explores its environment.

I already posted a picture of the snake a week ago, so here is another picture (if less interesting).

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Yvon
2.1.0 humans (including self)
0.0.1 spotted python (born June 2005)
0.0.1 garter snake (born August 2002)
0.0.3 fish
1.0.0 hamster
1.0.0 red eared slider (sitting for the summer)

If you're curious about the differences here they are from this year's batch.

Hatchling example image:

Mom and dad:

They're great snakes. Very mellow. Only one angry hatchling - #6 - We call him Mr. Furious

>>I just recently got a Spotted Python (very similar to a Children Python). It also stays small (3 to 4ft). I love the yellow eyes on mine. It was cheap as well ($50 at a local store).
>>

This is a timely discussion as I've been considering getting a small python. I was considering a Ball, but think I may go with either a Children's or Spotted. They seem to be fairly similiar size wise. Any significant temperament or culture differences between the two?

deg

I am NOT an expert, but from I have gleaned from reading this forum and other information on the web:

Ball: Almost never bites, heavier body, might be a difficult eater.
Spotted/Children: Tendency to bite when small but easily tamed with regular handling, lankier body, very easy eaters.

Otherwise, I think they're about the same total length.

That's my summary. And I'll stick to it.
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Yvon
2.1.0 humans (including self)
0.0.1 spotted python (born June 2005)
0.0.1 garter snake (born August 2002)
0.0.3 fish
1.0.0 hamster
1.0.0 red eared slider (sitting for the summer)

http://www.acreptiles.com/carpet_python_care.htm#Part VI - General Information

here some info on the 'iran jaya carpet python'. they are one of the smaller carpet pythons. i have a jungle carpet that is great but its over the size you are looking for. don't know if the IJ can stick to mice or not. most people switch their carpets to rats.

If you want something that won't get bigger than 4-5 feet, and won't feed on rats, you probably shouldn't be getting a python. Maybe a kingsnake or a milksnake. I have pythons, and feed prekilled rats without a problem. Why not rats?

My mom and sister love them, my sister had one as a pet... they dont want to know im feeding rats to a snake living in their house, plus if im going to be feeding rats to a snake id skip the ball and get a BCC or carpet python. I mean I guess i can feed my snakes rats if i want.. I got to be sneaky about it, just dont let them know im walking in the house with a rat instead of a mouse, and i do have a mini freezer in my room to store all my reptile foods: cricket meal, meal worms, soon to be pinkies and hoppers ect. cause im starting up a decent size snake collection between now and the next two weeks.

Well I am getting a ball python now, ive already have had that decided for the past week but I still have 3 more rack cages available to snakes right now

what other snakes should i get to add to my collection?

I have pet rats, too...and you have to differinciate between pets and food. I have a ball python, a milksnake, a kingsnake, and a hognose snake. I'm getting a carpet python today. An Irian Jaya carpet python is the smallest sub species of carpet python, and they'll still take rats when they're adults. It's hard to get a "big" snake to take mice. Maybe you should talk about it with your mom and sister?

I've got two ball pythons (1 male adult, 1 female juvenile) and I've also got an Irian Jaya Carpet Python (male juvenile). If you don't care about the sex of your python, I think that if you go with a male Ball Python you will be ok. Mine's almost 4 now and he's almost 4' long. He eats a "jumbo mouse" which is about the equivalent of a small rat. Another thing to think about is that rather than feeding it a rat, you could feed it two adult mice. I'd stay away from the carpet pythons as they tend to be larger and can be alot more aggressive.