Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, I've been looking around, trying to decide which snake[s] to get. I kinda wanted a Green Tree Python, but they seem like alot for someone new to snakes.

Rosy Boas seem cool, and ok for a beginner. I was thinking of buying 2 though, and was wondering if they are ok to keep together? I've read alot of the other forums, and it seems like people are against keeping 2 snakes together.

Also, when it's time to feed your snake or snakes, is it good or ok to take it from it's habitat and feed it in an alternate thing. Or is that a big no no? Thanks in advance.

Rosy boas are a much better beginner snake than green tree python and you'll probably be much happier with them

Most people are against keeping multiple snakes together because it puts the animals at risk. For example after feeding, the snakes will smell like the rodents they just consumed and if one of them is still hungry... Sometimes they'll also decide their cagemate just looks like a meal, or if you feed them together they could both go after the same rodent and you could end up with just one snake. It's safer to keep the snakes alone. The only real reason to put them together would be for breeding. If you do keep two together, they should be fed in separate containers and kept separate for 24 hours after feeding, or I've heard of some people washing the snakes before they put them back together.

A lot of people will remove the snakes from their cage and feed them in a separate container. By doing this, you can make sure that the snake doesn't accidentally ingest any substrate and also prevents the snake from becoming nippy and going into feeding mode when you reach into the cage.

A lot of breeders try to keep localities pure. If you're thinking of breeding down the road, I'd recommend purchasing an unrelated pair from the same locality. I'd recommend one of the coastal localities, they seem to be a lot tougher and are great eaters. They do, however, tend to attain larger sizes. I have 1.2 borregos and they're great. For a good care sheet and pictures of the various localities check out www.localityrosys.com .

-Alice

Thank you for the lengthy reply, gave me alot of new info. I'll probably just go with 1 Rosy for now, I don't plan to do any breeding. Just thought it'd be cool to have a pair, but I definitely don't want to put them at risk from each other.

What would you suggest for alternate feeding area? I'm probably going to get a 20 Gallon tank to start with as the habitat, what should I purchase to feed him[or her] in?

You can utilize something as simple as a brown grocery bag for feeding your rosy outside of its habitat. I usually use plastic terrariums which I use for transport or a small tupperware container if my wife isn't around.

It can be easy to forget that you took out the snake for feeding- so a container with a lid is good... or some other reminder--- string around finger etc! I usually wait for them to finish and then gently get them back into their racks... don't want to make them regurgitate

Rich

I'd recommend one of the coastal localities, they seem to be a lot tougher and are great eaters. They do, however, tend to attain larger sizes. >>>>

Don't overlook the mexican rosys- some of those bajas like the el rosario and catavina are stunning snakes, incredibly docile, good eaters and hardy as well. All rosys are magnificent- you can't go wrong!

Rich

I was wondering if the cages over at herpcages.com are ok for a Rosy? I was thinking about the 24x12x12 one w/ screen top. My main concern at the moment is getting the habitat set up.

Any recommendations for sites to purchase Rosy Boas?

That cage should work fine. The glass tanks with the sliding screen tops also work fine. I started my babies out in 10 gallon size tanks, but since mine are the larger coastals, I moved them into 15 gallons as they got close to adult size.

I purchased my rosys from ads that posted in the Kingsnake classifieds. Most rosys give birth in the late summer to early fall. So, starting around late August you'll see a lot more available as litters are born. You can check out the locality pictures at www.localityrosys.com and see if there are any in particular that catch your eye and watch for someone to advertise those localities or even contact Jerry about what he's expecting this year in terms of babies. The pickings seem to be pretty slim now in terms of what's available, but that should change if you can wait a couple of months.

Even though, you're not thinking of breeding right now. I'd still strongly recommend getting a locaity pure animal. Babies of known localities are much easier to sell compared to those of unknown localities or mixed. I got my first rosy with no intention of breeding too. A year later, I changed my mind and was glad that I'd opted for an animal of known locality. If you think you might decide to breed and are only going to get one snake, I'd recommend getting a female. It is best to wait until females are 4 years old before breeding them while males can breed at two years of age. Older females also command a higher price than males and if you decide you want to breed two years down the road, you can pick up a neonate male to raise up and you won't have lost any time

Good luck,
Alice

Excellent advice Alice, thank you. Looking at the pics on LocalityRosys.com, so far my favorites are [Mulege, San Matias Canyon, and San Felipe] all from the Baja California, Mexican section.

I have no problems waiting, i'm in no rush to buy a snake. So I look foward to seeing what everyone has for sale in a few months.