Pet snakes

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anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Wednesday 16th March 2016
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Not seen any threads here for people with pet snakes, so thought Id start one in the event there are other snake keepers on here.

Im taking my first step into having a snake as a pet, and have reserved a lovely juvenile Carolina corn snake while I get the viv fully suitable.

Should be picking her up tomorrow, and really looking forward to it. Have done all the research but will no doubt still have a lot to learn.

When we saw her in the pet shop one of the assistants was good enough to let us see her properly, and since it had been a few days since her last feed we got to handle her for a short time, and she took it really well.

They also had a ball python which was an amazing looking snake, and one is definitely on the list for the future.

Seems like they are the two most popular types to keep (along with Milk snakes which apparently are very similar to corns), but are there any other types that make good pets?

DannyScene

6,596 posts

154 months

Wednesday 16th March 2016
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I'm not really a huge fan of snakes but my mate has a few, he currently has 2 ball pythons, both femals both grumpy little fkers who will not be handled despite being given all the time in the world, one of them will try strike you through the glass just for walking past her tank, pretty sure he rescued her from a house with a smallish child who would pull the snake around until she went for the kid, a breeding pair of rat snakes (big 7 foot+ male and a stunning albino female) and a tiny milk snake who adores being handled

I'll get some pics next time I go round

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Wednesday 16th March 2016
quotequote all
That's a really nice collection, and those ball pythons are definitely grumpy characters. We looked at one when we looked at the corn, and when the assistant took him out he was mega angry, and was in classic striking pose.

We were able to stroke him eventually but I wasnt going to stress him more by trying to hold him or anything.

Sounds like your mates pythons are worse given they were in a home where they weren't treated with sufficient respect. Very sad that some people think a snake can be treated any which way just because it isnt cute and furry, any animal will become a product of it's environment but hopefully your mate will be able to calm them down eventually.

I did like the way that ball pythons are so different to corns. Corns are always moving whereas the ball wants to literally sit in a ball. Ive read of people being able to just sit with them balled up next to them for ages, without them constantly trying to slither off like a corn will.

One thing I was really impressed with was that my three daughters were all happy to gently handle the corn, no fear of touching or holding at all, really enjoyed the experience. The assistant also showed them the baby mice the snake would eat and they weren't fazed at all, so pretty good in my opinion.

I grew up in Africa and came across snakes all the time, and though suitably respectful and wary (we're talking Mozambique spitting cobra's and mambas mainly) I wasn't ever too nervous of them, so I suppose that must've rubbed off on my kids luckily smile

DannyScene

6,596 posts

154 months

Wednesday 16th March 2016
quotequote all
Its awesome if you can get them happy with snakes from an early age, I was brought up fearing snakes because my mum and dad both hated them, took me ages to get over it and my mates 7footer still scares the life out of me.

He used to have male ball python who would wrap itself round his arm and happily sit there for hours on end, by far the most placid snake I've ever experienced

He also has an emporer scorpion, 2 bearded dragons and a giant day gecko, really makes my cat and 4 fish look boring as hell

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Wednesday 16th March 2016
quotequote all
That was a big thing really, if the kids hadnt been so receptive to the idea I wouldn't have gone ahead, but they loved the little corn snake.

Emporer scorpion is quite something, cool pet to have. There's something about animals and insects that nature gets so right that the design doesnt have to change much for hundreds of millions of years, pretty much perfect from the start.

I'll get some pics up of the corn once we get her home and she's had time to settle in.

juan king

1,093 posts

188 months

Wednesday 16th March 2016
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Meet Vimes, my corn. he's 8 years old now and 5'9" in length. A really placid old boy that loves to be out and about, he's on weaner rats now and has never struck at me once. A valued member of the family. enjoy snake ownership matey smile





Edited by juan king on Wednesday 16th March 15:04


Edited by juan king on Wednesday 16th March 15:04

KarlMac

4,457 posts

140 months

Wednesday 16th March 2016
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I used to breed corns, royals and boas for local wholesale supply, used to keep about 30 adults at any one point of various breeds/morphs, the highlight being hitting the odds and getting one blue eyed leucistic royal.

Had to give it up when the spare room needed to be a nursery. Will probably start a collection off at some point again in the future, probably not get into breeding again though.

At least two other snake keepers on here that i'm aware off.

Jasandjules

69,825 posts

228 months

Wednesday 16th March 2016
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I had a corn and a cal king. Both lovely... Great, placid, quite happy to mooch about.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Wednesday 16th March 2016
quotequote all
juan king said:
Meet Vimes, my corn. he's 8 years old now and 5'9" in length. A really placid old boy that loves to be out and about, he's on weaner rats now and has never struck at me once. A valued member of the family. enjoy snake ownership matey smile



Wow!! 5'9 is a serious size, beautiful looking corn and obviously has a good appetite!!

KarlMac, once Ive settled into keeping my first snake I was thinking about a second and maybe a third. A ball python is potentially on the list but would really like some more unusual snakes, are there any you would recommend out of those you've kept in terms of temperament and not being too dangerous to have in the house?

My parents have retired in Southern Africa, and there's a pet shop near them that actually sells some seriously "interesting" stuff, like Cape Corals, Gaboon Vipers, Horned Adders, and some more out of the way places that will sell you a Black mamba. Not sure what the fatality rate of these owners is but I cant imagine viv cleaning time is very relaxing.

karona

1,918 posts

185 months

Wednesday 16th March 2016
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'er indoors had two corn snakes, about 3 feet long, that grew up together in the same viv. They loved being handled. One of them disappeared, we assumed it had escaped into the garden. Several months later we found it under a shed, considerably smaller than when it went missing. She popped it back in the viv. with the other snake, which killed it before she'd finished telling me it was back.

KarlMac

4,457 posts

140 months

Wednesday 16th March 2016
quotequote all
Thunderhead said:
KarlMac, once Ive settled into keeping my first snake I was thinking about a second and maybe a third. A ball python is potentially on the list but would really like some more unusual snakes, are there any you would recommend out of those you've kept in terms of temperament and not being too dangerous to have in the house?
Tbh I've always liked boas, the gamble with corns/royals is you spend loads on a nice morph for it to spend its entire time in its hide as they're mainly dinural.

Amazon Tree Boas, Crawl Cay locality BCI or Argentinean Rainbow Boas are really unusual snakes that have a good temper and are fairly hardy when it comes to husbandry.

King snakes are really interesting and a good step up from Corns (similar conditions), milk snakes too. However avoid Mexican black king snakes, in my experience every single of them wont think twice about trying to eat a full size human. I was very rarely tagged but my mbk went for me every time the little bd. Amazing looking thing though.

carinatauk

1,408 posts

251 months

Thursday 17th March 2016
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In this response I have assumed nothing so apologies if you already know this

Corn snakes are a good starter reptile.

Snakes that are not handled sufficiently tend to be more defensive [ie strike out]. I have only had a few snakes that were a tad tempermental, these were Green Tree Pythons and a 9ft albino Burmese python [with one eye!].

I suggest you do not have a vivarium that is too big, snakes enjoy small secure areas. What is your heat source? what are you using as a substrate?

Key thing to remember is that a snake has one brain cell, that has to cope with the three basic things in life; sex, eating, stting. It is also a wild animal that will not adapt to a domestic lifestyle, so expect bites, its like hypodermic needles and doesn't hurt. Corn snakes are the most timid snake, anything with the word python in it means a potential bitey thing.

Your greatest risks are those that you create. Feed with tongs, do not handle after feeding, get a good book, make sure that the snake cannot get to the source of heating [I have seen too many burnt reptiles], clean out any defecation daily [the smell will encourage you!], don't be scared of it, no fast movements and enjoy your new critter.

Possible issues include:

Regurgitation: wrong viv temperatures, handled too early after feeding, food not defrosted properly or from a dodgy supplier.

Bubbles from mouth / nose: pneumonia; with one lung snakes do not recover well, immediate vet visit for antibiotics. Cause is cage temperature control and immediate external temperature.

Mites: PITA this is but when your buying from a dealer / shop all sorts gets transmitted. Read up on this but generally a small dose of Frontline spray sorts [see your vet]

If you haven't done so look on the internet for help and guidance, ie reptile forums . co .uk. They have advice and classifieds for vivs and reptiles.

Remember having a snake addictive, I started with one corn snake and in 2 years I had > 200. It became a hobby and science [addiction]. I don't have them now as I separated sometime ago and so left the family home.

There are beautiful reptiles out there, experience is the key.

One last bit of advice, don't get ripped off. Pet shops are notoriously bad for this.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Thursday 17th March 2016
quotequote all
Thanks for the the advise KarlMac, I will take a good look at King snakes.

carinatauk, some good info there, I have done quite a bit of research and set up what is hopefully a good viv. I am using a heat mat from Habistat, along with one of their thermostats. The mat covers 1/3 of the viv floor, and Ive set the temp to go no higher than 30 degrees C (Habistat Heat Mat, 7 Watt, 6 x 11-inch and Habistat Mat Stat Thermostat 100W).

I have a thermometer on the viv side that is reading a little low at around 24 degrees, but am hoping that over the next day or so the temp reaches a bit higher. If it doesnt should I turn up the mat heat to around 32 or would that be too high?

I also have a hide and water bowl for her, and a 23x15 inch viv which Im hoping she wont find too big, I bought it as a starter kit: Swell Corn Snake Kit - Bronze

I have upgraded the heat mat to the Habistat one as the one supplied in the kit was completely unsuitable, and also added the thermostat which I read is a must. The thermostat probe sits directly on the mat itself which I hope I have understood correctly. This then has 1cm of substrate over it as per the heat mat instructions (substrate as supplied as part of the kit above), with 2 - 3 cm's of substrate over the rest of the viv floor.

I have a lock for the sliding doors and have also put strips of plastic door seals along the sides of the doors to prevent her getting her nose into any gaps.

Im hoping the above will provide a good starter habitat, and will then add perhaps a log and climbing branch (fake not real) at a later date. The snake herself is from Pets at Home, and the chap who showed us her was very knowledgeable and obviously an enthusiast, so Im really hoping she has been properly looked after.

Not sure what prices for juvenile corns are generally but we're paying £40 for her, which is hopefully about right.

carinatauk

1,408 posts

251 months

Thursday 17th March 2016
quotequote all
Sounds like you have done your home work ;-) Sounds a good setup

King snakes are nice but you can only keep one in each viv, or they tend to eat their companion.

Depending on the substrate, loose chippings etc cause a potential issue when feeding. I used to use kitchen towel / paper as substrate as it didn't affect the heat mat control [as it irradiates heat and so too thick a depth of substrate will stop the heat getting through] and was easy to clear up (bit lazy but when you have a lot it is better).

Where have you got the Mat Stat sensor?

Also make sure the water bowl is stable, the snake will flip it over. Also keep it away from the heat mat.

Hope that helps

Thunderhead said:
Thanks for the the advise KarlMac, I will take a good look at King snakes.

carinatauk, some good info there, I have done quite a bit of research and set up what is hopefully a good viv. I am using a heat mat from Habistat, along with one of their thermostats. The mat covers 1/3 of the viv floor, and Ive set the temp to go no higher than 30 degrees C (Habistat Heat Mat, 7 Watt, 6 x 11-inch and Habistat Mat Stat Thermostat 100W).

I have a thermometer on the viv side that is reading a little low at around 24 degrees, but am hoping that over the next day or so the temp reaches a bit higher. If it doesnt should I turn up the mat heat to around 32 or would that be too high?

I also have a hide and water bowl for her, and a 23x15 inch viv which Im hoping she wont find too big, I bought it as a starter kit: Swell Corn Snake Kit - Bronze

I have upgraded the heat mat to the Habistat one as the one supplied in the kit was completely unsuitable, and also added the thermostat which I read is a must. The thermostat probe sits directly on the mat itself which I hope I have understood correctly. This then has 1cm of substrate over it as per the heat mat instructions (substrate as supplied as part of the kit above), with 2 - 3 cm's of substrate over the rest of the viv floor.

I have a lock for the sliding doors and have also put strips of plastic door seals along the sides of the doors to prevent her getting her nose into any gaps.

Im hoping the above will provide a good starter habitat, and will then add perhaps a log and climbing branch (fake not real) at a later date. The snake herself is from Pets at Home, and the chap who showed us her was very knowledgeable and obviously an enthusiast, so Im really hoping she has been properly looked after.

Not sure what prices for juvenile corns are generally but we're paying £40 for her, which is hopefully about right.

BarryP

584 posts

143 months

Thursday 17th March 2016
quotequote all
I currently have somewhere in the region of 40 snakes, been keeping snakes for about 45 years and have had most species that are commonly kept in captivity. Currently working with various subspecies of Green Tree Pythons but also have several large Boas and Pythons including African Rocks, Burmese, Common Boas, Guyana Red tails, Dumerils and also several Colubrid species. I co-authored a book on snake captive care many years ago and was a committee member of the British Herpetological Society for many years.



anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Thursday 17th March 2016
quotequote all
Cheers for the further info, the mat stat is lying on the mat itself, with the mat lying on the bottom of the viv and the mat stat lying directly on top of it. The cables are secured with ties, which I made sure have no sharp edges anywhere on them.

Bit worried she may want to climb the cables, they go from the mat/thermostat up to the top of the viv and out there. I have sealed it all so should be fine but not sure if it's safe for her to climb on them, or how I could remove that option given where they need to run.

Ive just ordered an electronic thermometer with a probe, which I will wire next to the thermostat probe to give an accurate reading. I will turn the mat down to about 29C and keep an eye on ambient temps using the thermometer higher up in the cage.

The water bowl is a good one, made for reptiles and would be very difficult to flip, but one thing I realise I havent done is seal the heat mat down, so ordered some aquarium sealant and will do this tomorrow.

Other than that Ive bought some decent kit, will say the set I bought was gravely under spec'd with only the actual Viv being what I would consider very good quality. Means I have doubled up on expense in some ways (thermometer, heat mat, thermostat, lock for the doors, and sealant), but that's my mistake for not going and looking at the actual products, so will spend the extra to make sure she has a great home to live in and the kit I have is decent.

I also have a large bucket for feeding, and also for when cleaning the viv, so will avoid any substrate risk when feeding. Tongs have been purchases as well.

Are there any things with the above that sounds incorrect or not suitable?

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Thursday 17th March 2016
quotequote all
BarryP said:
I currently have somewhere in the region of 40 snakes, been keeping snakes for about 45 years and have had most species that are commonly kept in captivity. Currently working with various subspecies of Green Tree Pythons but also have several large Boas and Pythons including African Rocks, Burmese, Common Boas, Guyana Red tails, Dumerils and also several Colubrid species. I co-authored a book on snake captive care many years ago and was a committee member of the British Herpetological Society for many years.


That's quite something, how do you find the African Rock Python in terms of temperament and ease of keeping? Im not ready for anything like that yet but would be an amazing snake to keep one day.

KarlMac

4,457 posts

140 months

Thursday 17th March 2016
quotequote all
Good to see there's other herp keepers here smile making me want to get back into it.

For anyone interested I still have a copy of Encyclopedia of terrarium that I no longer need, I know this was quite hard to get hold of at one point.

http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopaedia-Terrarium-Euge...

BarryP

584 posts

143 months

Thursday 17th March 2016
quotequote all
Thunderhead said:
That's quite something, how do you find the African Rock Python in terms of temperament and ease of keeping? Im not ready for anything like that yet but would be an amazing snake to keep one day.
I've kept quite a few African Rocks over the years and most of them have lived up to their reputation of being untrustworthy although that is not always the case. The current big female I own has been with me for about 15 years, an interesting story of how she was passed onto me, the police raided a drug dealer in Birmingham and found the snake there, she went to the RSPCA who in turn took her to a reptile rescue centre in the midlands, they were struggling to deal with her and contacted me as they knew I had kept large African Rocks previously. She's now about 5m long and very solid, a very aggressive feeder and definitely not tame.
If you are looking to eventually progress onto a large snake I would recommend Boas, they get to a decent size but not as big as the large pythons, are generally tame and handle able and plenty of captive bred babies available from lots of knowledgeable breeders in the UK.

carinatauk

1,408 posts

251 months

Friday 18th March 2016
quotequote all
She will be good to climb, as long as she can't pull the wires out.

I wouldn't seal the heat mat down, it will be a nightmare if you need to remove it at any time. Others have taped theirs or covered with a section of aluminium and seal that down.

The only concern I would have is the positioning of the mat sat sensor. The critical bit is to ensure that the snake has its ideally heat gradient in the viv, without creating an extremely hot area where it can burn itself. To achieve a suitable temperature at the mat end, and with it being covered in substrate may mean the mat could need to be a high temperature [I could be mistaken], and a risk to the snake. The only way to check this is to have a play with the controls before the snake arrives. Generally I would have the mat sat probe in a position such that you can control the air temperature, not directly in contact with the mat itself, again this only a suggestion.

Hi BarryP, nice to see another keen herp. Sounds a nice varied collection. Dumerils and GTPs are gorgeous, although my my real love was the Green Madagascar Tree Boa and Rough Scaled Python [hence name]

Thunderhead said:
Cheers for the further info, the mat stat is lying on the mat itself, with the mat lying on the bottom of the viv and the mat stat lying directly on top of it. The cables are secured with ties, which I made sure have no sharp edges anywhere on them.

Bit worried she may want to climb the cables, they go from the mat/thermostat up to the top of the viv and out there. I have sealed it all so should be fine but not sure if it's safe for her to climb on them, or how I could remove that option given where they need to run.

Ive just ordered an electronic thermometer with a probe, which I will wire next to the thermostat probe to give an accurate reading. I will turn the mat down to about 29C and keep an eye on ambient temps using the thermometer higher up in the cage.

The water bowl is a good one, made for reptiles and would be very difficult to flip, but one thing I realise I havent done is seal the heat mat down, so ordered some aquarium sealant and will do this tomorrow.

Other than that Ive bought some decent kit, will say the set I bought was gravely under spec'd with only the actual Viv being what I would consider very good quality. Means I have doubled up on expense in some ways (thermometer, heat mat, thermostat, lock for the doors, and sealant), but that's my mistake for not going and looking at the actual products, so will spend the extra to make sure she has a great home to live in and the kit I have is decent.

I also have a large bucket for feeding, and also for when cleaning the viv, so will avoid any substrate risk when feeding. Tongs have been purchases as well.

Are there any things with the above that sounds incorrect or not suitable?