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Anonymous
So for for the fall semester I have a dorm all to myself. I'll be living right next to my best friends, but inside the single it will be a bit lonely, so i want a pet. A pet snake.


Tell me what i need to know /an/. I have a tank (it's 15 or 16 gallons, used to be a fish tank). What kind of snake would be best, how much it would cost, what i would need to have, everything a reptile n00b needs to know.

Pic is a snake i'd love to have, but know i probably cant get.
>> Anonymous
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well... i have 2 SMALL ball pythons.... and they require AT LEAST 40 gal breeder tank... get a new tank... thats to fucking small

pic is of my first Snake Nathan Scott Phillips
>> Demyx's Landmaster !!LRYbbMT7F9I
Ball pythons are the best overall for a small place. They grow to 6-9 feet at maximum, and are the easiest to look after.

A tank or cage that's long and wide is best, they're not into climbing much. A good hiding place, a bowl of water, a log or two to climb around on, and it'll be happy.
>> Anonymous
>>253104
please tell me you are not so goddamn stupid to keep two small snakes in a huge ass 40 gallon tank. please.

op! depending on what you want, just know the animal could be kept in something as easy as a well ventilated (dont make it too breezy) sweater box. ball-pythons.net has a lot of good caresheets for all types and has links to several very reputable breeders. has info on all kinds of snakes not just balls. do please investigate. snakes are Bitchin pets!
>> Demyx's Landmaster !!LRYbbMT7F9I
>>253130
what's so bad about giving them room to move and grow?
>> Anonymous
>>253126
actually something like a corn snake is going to be best. not only are they cheaper, but the dont have such humidity/heating restraints as a ball. if you want to go the easiest route, get you a nice cornsnake. comes in tons and tons of colors all from 15-100$. kathy love is a big breeder, but you can find those links and thing through that ball-pythons.net website.
also faunaclassifieds.com
>> Anonymous
>>253131
well small snakes need smaller places, about 2/3 the lenght of the snake. balls stress out pretty easy and its not fun when they go off feed (yeah another reason to choose a corn over a ball is the good feeding response).
they dont need 'room to grow' because snakes grow as big as they are going to grow. keeping them in a small tank wont keep them little like a big tank wont make them big.

secondly, the 40 gal issue is not as bad as the fact genius has two snakes together. when they do the 'cute' thing and 'cuddle' with each other all they are doing is competing for that prime warming/cooling location. they are not social animals and it does stress them out.

good luck on one snake possibly eating the other. yes, they will cannibalize each other if given the right motivation.

how does i do basic info research on pet before i get one? ;3
>> Demyx's Landmaster !!LRYbbMT7F9I
>>253133
I had three ball pythons in a 100-gallon aquarium together for five years and they were perfectly fine. They never bickered with each other, always ate, and never seemed stressed. I had three logs and igloos for them and they would usually all crowd together in one anyway.
>> Anonymous
>>253138
that's the chance you take. they may not ever stop eating nor eat each other. but then again they might. but when they crowd together they are competing for that space. i'm not saying that you cant keep them like that. i'm just saying it is a negative impact on them, you're risking them eating each other, and there really is no point to all that when you can keep them in an appropriatly sized sweaterbox. it makes cleaning 10x more effecient and is SUPER EFFECTIVE in keeping humidity better than a glass aquarium.

to me it makes no sense as to why someone would keep balls in a glass aquarium.
>> Anonymous
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>>253130
whats wrong w/ keeping 2 snakes (that are going to grow) in a good sized cage? when i get a bigger place im getting them a bigger cage.... there happy
>> Anonymous
>>253100
what kind of snake is that?
>> Anonymous
Get a hatchling Antaresia python, either a Spotted or Children's. They're the probably the best beginner snakes apart from corn snakes. They typically only grow betwwen 3 or 4 feet long, 5 feet maximum, and about an inch thick, they're generally docile, and don't have the high humidity requirements of ball pythons. If you get a hatchling or juvenile a 15 gallon should be plenty of space for a long while, though you may want to get a larger enclosure later. All you really need for them is a water bowl, a thermometer, a basking light, and a mouse every few weeks, and possibly an undertank pad or infrared lamp if you live somewhere where the temperature drops at night.
>> Anonymous
>>253142
quit trolling and re-read everything i just said. they are not happy. sorry.

>>253171
oh i heard spotted/children's make -amazing- first snakes.
>> Anonymous
>>253100
op that snake is fucking awesome what kind is it?
>> Anonymous
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>>253245


No clue, found a pic of it here actually, awhile back. Pic is another awesome snake i'd love to own but would never be able to.
>> Anonymous
OP again.

I'm going to be in Pennsylvania and it can get pretty cold especially durign the winter. Besides a heating rock and keeping the window's closed, what should i do to make sure the snake is okay? Keep the heat on?
>> Anonymous
sorry for posting AGAIN but

Would it be better to find a breeder or to go to a petstore? Cause i was just going to go to a pet store but if that is a bad place to get a reptile then...
>> Anonymous
go through a breeder! snakes will be so so much cheaper + if anything happens you've got the breeder to help you along. 90% of the time, they will have no problems with you calling for help. but do your research before hand

and for the love of christ do not get a heat rock. get heat tape to go under the tank/tub. heat rocks are notorious for mal-functioning and burning/killing snakes & other reptiles. if you would kindly do research on the places i have provided and would look at those care sheets, you would see that. you must post pics when you do get your snake however, im excited when people decide to get them for pets.
>> Anonymous
also, if you would like to really have a shitton of fun, this is probably relevant to your interests

http://www.pythons.com/hamburg/

holy shit. i am jealous.
>> Anonymous
>>253315

which site has the care sheets? I know i seem like a total noob (cause i am) but i was lost navigating those links, cause i dont know what im looking at or for at all.
>> Anonymous
Children's Python, gets up to 18".
>> Anonymous
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>>253188
... dude... ive had these snakes for a little over 3 years..... they are Both EXTREMELY healthy and they seem pretty fucking happy. i realy dont care what ur opinion is... u seem wrong
>> Anonymous
>>253444

Doesn't fucking matter. Snakes are solitary. You keeping two together puts unnecessary stress and competition on them.

40 gallons is fucking small and definitely nowhere near enough room for two pythons.

But whatever, do what you want, ball pythons blow anyway.

OP, if it's only 15 gallons, get a smallish colubrid. A Western Hognose would fit nicely in one of those for its entire life.

If you're willing to get a larger container like a Sterilite tub, then you can get something like a Jungle Carpet Python, which I find superior as beginner pythons to BPs since they have less shedding problems. Rosy Boas, Rubber Boas, Bull snakes, Gopher snakes, and kingsnakes are all good options too.
>> Anonymous
>>253445
they have no competition... i feed them in a separate place away from each other
>> Anonymous
>>253452
The other guy obviously knows what he is talking about and you obviously don't.
>> Anonymous
>>253452

Good. But they compete for space anyway and continuously smell one another. Adult pythons don't normally inhabit small areas like a 40 gallon tank together unless they're mating.

Like I said though, I don't give a fuck. Ball Pythons are overrated and horrendously exploited snakes. If you knew what was good for your animals, you'd go to Wal-Mart and buy a plastic tub of any size greater than the snake and put one of the fuckers in there. Please though, do what you want. I'm just looking out for the integrity of hobbyist who keep animals that depend on us to live well, not your feelings after you wonder why they died early.

As for OP's snake picture, it looks like a baby Green Tree Python morph. The colors will change drastically as it grows.
>> Demyx's Landmaster !!LRYbbMT7F9I
>>253466
keeping a snake in a shoebox doesn't exactly seem very nice for it either.
>> Anonymous
nigger dick
>> Anonymous
>>253490

Depends on the python. Ball Pythons are sedentary and don't tend to move much if they are fed. You can keep a snake healthy in a smallish box. Breeders do it. It works fine, since the snakes mate.

But I'm not talking about shoebox sized tubs. I'm talking about at least 2' x 3' plastic containers. That's all you would need for a 4-5 foot, relatively immobile snake like a Ball Python. But you can use any size you want depending on what you're planning on doing with the snake. If you breed, space is an issue. If it's a pet, go crazy with the space and decorations or whatever it is you want.

Just don't keep two pythons together unless you get a huge cage.
>> OP
So the snakes I may be getting are...

Ball python
Corn snake
Small Colubrid
Western Hognose

What other types of snake would you reccomend? I dont want to get a bigger tank then the one I have (Ill be living in a dorm after all.)
>> OP
Also i looked into the Western Hognose, and I'm liking it, but it says they are

>"rear-fanged venomous, but are not considered to pose any danger to humans"

What does that mean? I don't want anything that can you know...KILL me. I see that it says it doesn't pose a danger to humans, but how so? Is hte venom just not strong enough? Are we immune? Or do they just refuse to bite humans, cause if it's that I don't want to take the risk that the snake i get will be a bit more out going.
>> Anonymous
OP's snake looks like Corallus hortulanus

http://www.corallus.de/bilder/html/732.html
>> Anonymous
>>253550
The Western Hognose is venomous but the venom is so weak that for quite a long time it was believed that they weren't. It's only delivered if you allow the snake to break the skin and chew on you with it's rear teeth and even then it's harmless to humans. Nobody has ever died from Hognose envenomation.

http://www.hognose.com/pages/venomous.htm
>> Anonymous
>>253550

Think bee sting. If you are allergic to beestings DO NOT get a rear fanged snake.

Keeping two snakes together isn't a smart thing to do. Face it. There is still a chance of something bad happening.

Op pic looks somewhat like a Boeleans (sp?). Not too sure.

Beginner snakes? Any snake can be raised by a beginner (with the exception of Venemous species and giant boids) so long as the keeper researches and is dedicated to the animal. Heck, you could raise a GTP or a ETB as your first snake if you think you were able to.
>> Anonymous
>>253587

Me again.

If you want a snake to keep you from being lonely, then you'd better get a cat. Snakes are mostly boring pieces of shit that sit under a log until you feed them once a week.

Don't expect too much owner to animal bonding.
>> OP
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Update!

So i went to a local pet store today and was helped by a young guy. I found out he was a herp breeder and was expecting hatchling albino western hognose in a month! Perfect timing. I talked to him about costs (100 dollars for males, 150 for females. I'm going for males) and details and all and everything got squared away.

When i came home i talked it over with my dad. Turns out my dad knows the breeder and the two are good friends (My dad buys fish for his office at the same store). So we are gonna go back in a day or two to see if he can give me a better deal for the snakes.
>> Anonymous
Can someone explains me what is so good about snakes? I am a fish person, and I like to organize fish tank, do a little disign, then sit and watch fish interact with each other. From what I have heard in internets, snakes only eat and sleap. So, why do you keep snakes? You cant play with them, they dont do anything interesting, they just eat mice once a week. I am not trolling, I just want to know what is so great about them.
>> Anonymous
>>253916

You can play with them. You cant play catch, but you can play with them the same way anyone would play with a hamster or a rat or ferret. They just move and behave different when played with.

Plus they are cool animals. Beautiful too.
>> Anonymous
>>253845

Yes, you win. Hognoses are fucking sweet.
>> Anonymous
>>253916

You get something different out of a snake. I personally enjoy watching their behaviour, the predatory instinct is amazing. I also enjoy having a pet that isn't as common as a cat or a hamster.

Also, like with fish, the surroundings is half the fun of the animal. I really enjoy making my vivariums look as naturalistic as possible and as close to the species own habitat.

Depending on the species, not all snakes are lazy buggers who just hide away all the time. I have a Coastal Carpet Python who is always out. Same goes for my Mexi King Snake.

And you can play with snakes, of course, not the same way as you can play with a dog, but handling is a very cool experience.
>> Anonymous
>>253845

Congratulations, you just bought a hole.

Expect to rarely see your shy, burrowing snake.
>> Anonymous
>>253927

Don't know what you're on about. My male is constantly out. He has the ability to burrow, but he chooses to sit along the sides or crawl around.

Females might be more inactive, but that isn't the OP's case.

These fuckers are nowhere near shy in captivity. WC hognoses are more reclusive, but that usually goes for all snakes.
>> Anonymous
>>253929

trolled
>> Anonymous
>>253585
It hurts like a bitch though.
>> OP
UPDATE

I'm going to the pet store to talk to the breeder again today, see if he can give me anymore information or a better deal.
>> Anonymous
>>253916
well now, pythons may not be fun to watch, but cornsnakes have always turned out to be 'crusiers' for me and move around and investigate things in their space. amusing. plus taking them out and playing with them or watching them find somewhere on say, your bed, to hide, etc. i much rather have a snake in terms of an interesting pet than say something like a hamster.
>> Anonymous
General Question

I wanna go about catching garter snakes. I dunno where to look.

I'm in new jersey. When i research where they live they say near ponds and streams. But nothing more specific. Should i look under rocks? Logs? Holes? If i were to go about hunting a snake (not to kill lol) where would i look and what would i do?
>> Anonymous
>>254685
A breeder.