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Childrens/spotted questions....

phiber_optikx Dec 06, 2005 04:31 AM

I also think there was another species that looks like the spotted... But my question is which is the better species? More docile/ ease of care/ attitude. Also can I see some adult pics? Thanks!
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"

Replies (8)

ritt Dec 06, 2005 06:48 PM

I think the other species your thinking of is most likely Stimson's Python. In terms of size, care and temperament, all three species are essentially the same, its pretty much just some coloration and wild range differences that make them different species. Actually all three were the same species until fairly recently, within the last 20 years were they reclassified as 3 species.
However, I personally like Spotteds, they tend to retain their markings more than children's pythons do as they mature, and Stimson's tend to be at least twice the price of either Children's or Spotted Pythons.
These are three pictures of my female Spotted Python (Antaresia maculosa)

phiber_optikx Dec 06, 2005 11:48 PM

What is their average adult size? What size mice do they eat as adults?
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"

ritt Dec 07, 2005 12:42 AM

They reach about 3 feet full grown, my female is about a year and a half and feeding on small adult mice. a full grown adult would probably eat large mice

dewittg Dec 07, 2005 08:53 AM

>>They reach about 3 feet full grown, my female is about a year and a half and feeding on small adult mice. a full grown adult would probably eat large mice

A female Childrens will get about 3 ft, a female spotted about 4 ft. Males are a bit smaller.

deg

philllll Dec 16, 2005 03:38 PM

My 3 y/o male spotted is over 4 foot now... everyone tells me he's a monster. I feed him a small rat every two weeks or so. Despite being plain old brown, he has to be my favorite of all my snakes. He's extremely tame, likes to be held, but yet has a STRONG feeding response... getting him out of the feeding box after he's finished is always fun I don't think he's ever refused a meal or even taken more than 10 seconds to grab his rat... A great pet indeed. I will take some pics in a couple days, I just fed him like an hour ago.
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1.0 Spotted Python
1.0 IJ Carpet Python
0.1 Ball Python
1.0 Variable Kingsnake
1.0 Savannah Monitor
0.0.1 Emperor Scorpion

buenomota Dec 07, 2005 01:47 AM

Childrens/Spotteds all usually tend to be quite nippy when hatchlings. My Spotted started out VERY nippy, but is calming down with lots of handling. Every once in awhile, he will start biting, especially when first picked up.

Also, I have been handling with thin leather gloves (motorcycle). Once I take one of the gloves off, he will rub his nose on my hand for a second then his feeding response seems to get triggered from the difference in heat. I am giving him more and more exposure to my bare hand and it seems to be working.

The spotted is a great snake. It is more of a challenge than a corn snake, but overall, it is more fun to own. Also, watching it feed is so much fun. I put him in a mason jar so I can see him from all sides.

Good luck.

ritt Dec 07, 2005 09:25 AM

Personally with this species I would have to recommend against gloves unless your really paranoid about a little nip. One of my spotteds was nippy when young but when she did bite me i hardly felt it and she only drew blood once, and my male was ridiculously calm from day 1. Now my female, who was pretty nippy when she was younger won't even think about biting. I didn't even handle her all that often, maybe once every few days, and now i could do anything to her and she wouldn't bite, thats how calm she is. Basically, in my experience by the time spotteds get big enough to actually cause a slightly 'painful' bite, most are so calm that a bite would be a rare occcurance anyway, so wearing gloves would just lengthen the process of acclimating the snake to your scent and being held by a warm giant.

buenomota Dec 07, 2005 11:30 AM

Thanks for the advise. Perhaps I will begin to pick him up with the gloves and take them off after his initial flury of strikes.

They don't hurt all that bad...only once I got a little blood, but that is when he got one in at full force.

Thanks again.

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