# FloGirl wants a snake



## FloGirl (Jan 12, 2013)

So FloGirl is new to the site and looking for her first snake but in unsure what she actually wants, so has come to RFUK to ask its lovely members for suggestions.
FloGirl has no experience with snakes so she will want something that is small, easy to look after and something she can actually hold. FloGirl will also need advise on heating, house size and feeding requirements for any suggested snakes.
FloGirl is only 15 and so she only has £10 a week to look after the snake and is unsure if this is even enough? How much does a snake cost to look after?

FloGirl looks forward to any suggestions and advice you have to offer and thanks you in advance..


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

FloGirl said:


> So FloGirl is new to the site and looking for her first snake but in unsure what she actually wants, so has come to RFUK to ask its lovely members for suggestions.
> FloGirl has no experience with snakes so she will want something that is small, easy to look after and something she can actually hold. FloGirl will also need advise on heating, house size and feeding requirements for any suggested snakes.
> FloGirl is only 15 and so she only has £10 a week to look after the snake and is unsure if this is even enough? How much does a snake cost to look after?
> 
> FloGirl looks forward to any suggestions and advice you have to offer and thanks you in advance..


How much do you have to buy the snake and equipment?


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## FloGirl (Jan 12, 2013)

Hi mstypical, FloGirl has about £300 that she has saved up


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

FloGirl said:


> Hi mstypical, FloGirl has about £300 that she has saved up


Are you referring to yourself when you say FloGirl? :lol2:

What made you want a snake? The reasons might help people make suggestions.


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## Purple_D (Jan 18, 2009)

Flogirl needs to do some research then come back with a few questions about species she likes:2thumb:


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## LarkaDawg (Aug 2, 2011)

:welcome:

Snakes are pretty cheap to take care of, I mean it's only like £1 ish per week to feed a snake. And your parents would be paying the electricity bills.
Lots of people say get a 'beginner' snake, something easy to take care of like a corn snake for example (excellent pets by the way). But in reality its better to get something you like rather than buy an easy pet and get bored of it because its not what you really wanted.

Corn Snake: 3-6ft, 3x2x2 vivarium when adult, lots of pretty colours, readily available and cheap. Very active and like to spend time roaming around their vivarium, easy to handle except they can be a little skittish when babies, and most of them are like living dustbins when it comes to food. Usually pretty tame, and rarely bite, but if you get a biter, it doesn't hurt anyway : victory:

I'm 15 too, and my name is Florence. Are you my secret clone? :gasp: :lol2:


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## FloGirl (Jan 12, 2013)

Purple_D said:


> Flogirl needs to do some research then come back with a few questions about species she likes:2thumb:



Ohh, FloGirl will be doing some research but get confused as she has found most websites say different things. FloGirl had wanted a royal python until she read they are hard to feed so is now unsure.


LarkaDawg said:


> :welcome:
> 
> Snakes are pretty cheap to take care of, I mean it's only like £1 ish per week to feed a snake. And your parents would be paying the electricity bills.
> Lots of people say get a 'beginner' snake, something easy to take care of like a corn snake for example (excellent pets by the way). But in reality its better to get something you like rather than buy an easy pet and get bored of it because its not what you really wanted.
> ...


Hi flo, FloGirl agrees she should get a snake she really wants, corn snakes are another choice FloGirl was thinking of so she will look at their care.

FloGirl was adopted as a baby and has no idea where she came from so could very likely be a clone from a science experiment :blush:


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## ziggythecrestie2012 (Dec 29, 2012)

Corn snakes are very good snakes to keep.


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## Drayvan (Jul 7, 2010)

FloGirl said:


> FloGirl had wanted a royal python until she read they are hard to feed so is now unsure.


If it's a royal you want, then get one :2thumb: they're not hard to feed if you give them security and accept that they naturally fast for some periods of the year or at certain life stages.


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## mustang100893 (Nov 16, 2009)

£300 should be enough for all equipment, not sure on a 3x2x2ft but you can pick up 4ft vivariums for £100 these days if you look hard enough, looking at around another hundred for the rest of the equipment including a thermostat, again if you shop around may find a good deal, although if using a heatmat, mat stats are relatively cheap in comparison to fancy stats with magic eyes and all the non essential gubbins you don't need. 
I would personally recommend a corn snake but that's just my opinion as i think they are great, and as stated they are great feeders, placid in most instances, and have great character so would make a good choice. Also if you are looking for a colourful snake then corns are great due to the huge range and availability of morphs on offer with most costing under £100. As in any case and i'm sure you will, get plenty of research done before committing, but i'm sure you will be fine. Hope this helps, please anyone correct me if my info is of no good, don't want to be giving out false advice. :2thumb:


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## Exzhal (Jul 13, 2012)

Drayvan said:


> If it's a royal you want, then get one :2thumb: they're not hard to feed if you give them security and accept that they naturally fast for some periods of the year or at certain life stages.


Agree with this, don't let anything put you off. Sure they can be bad feeders but at the same time they can be excellent feeders.

As above said give them the security they need - make sure they have a few places to hide and cover to move between each side of the tank, mine has a hide on each side and a log in the middle which he can climb under/around the back and basically go between his water bowl and both hides and barely be seen if he wanted too and he hasn't refused a single meal since I've owned him.

Fascinating snakes too come in an amazing selection of morphs.


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## FloGirl (Jan 12, 2013)

Thanks everyone, FloGirl does appreciate your comments. FloGirl was also considering a Boa but she knows these get bigger. Are these also ok for a new snake owner??


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## Exzhal (Jul 13, 2012)

FloGirl said:


> Thanks everyone, FloGirl does appreciate your comments. FloGirl was also considering a Boa but she knows these get bigger. Are these also ok for a new snake owner??


The care for a common boa (BCI) is very similar to royals, you just need to be confident with handling larger snakes if you're considering that. I have known a few people to go with retics or burmeses as their first snake so it's perfectly fine as long as you're sure about it and ready to handle a bigger snake :2thumb:


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## sharpstrain (May 24, 2008)

Sharpstrain is going to suggest a male common boa - Sharstrain says they are wonderful snakes and dont grow to huge proportions. Sharpstrain recommends these above royals or corns every time.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

FloGirl said:


> Thanks everyone, FloGirl does appreciate your comments. FloGirl was also considering a Boa but she knows these get bigger. Are these also ok for a new snake owner??


I have all 3 of the snakes you are considering. Feel free to message me with any questions.


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## Drayvan (Jul 7, 2010)

FloGirl said:


> Thanks everyone, FloGirl does appreciate your comments. FloGirl was also considering a Boa but she knows these get bigger. Are these also ok for a new snake owner??


They can be, it depends on the owner. I'd love one and while I have a fair few years experience and have cared for one at college, I'm really small and light, so I don't feel comfortable putting the other people in my house in a position where they may or may not need to help me if I ever get bitten or take my eye off the ball. I am considering dwarfs though, so that may also be something you'd be interested in? On top of the other things I tend to have my snakes in as large an enclosure as possible, I'm already beginning to get a bit uncomfortable having my CB12 royals in 3ft vivs, and I know theres a large possibility they will spend their adult lives in 5-6ft ones.....to feel comfortable owning a bcc i'd have to buy a new house :lol2: so new owners need to look at the type of housing that is available and what they are comfortable using :2thumb:


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## FloGirl (Jan 12, 2013)

So FloGirl has today borrowed her dads tape measure and has realised she only has 51 inches of space to put her vivarium, unless she removes her wardrobe which she does not want to do. So FloGirl can have a 4ft viv max which she thinks is no really big enough for a boa.
FloGirl has also been doing research on other snakes and now decided it will be between the following snakes
Royal Python
Milk Snake
Corn snake 
Or a small boa
FloGirl would like them all but realises she can't, she want a bedroom with a snake in the corner, not a snake room with a bed in the corner. So now she will need to think long and hard which one she likes the most.


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## COLD BLOODED THINGS RULE (Dec 27, 2012)

here are some good ones:

corn snake: 80-150cm

kingsnake: 120cm

milksnake: 50-120cm

house snak:110cm

garter snake: 60-120cm

childerens snake (verry nice) :75-100cm

royal python male: about 100cm..female about : 200cm


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

COLD BLOODED THINGS RULE said:


> here are some good ones:
> 
> corn snake: 80-150cm
> 
> ...


What are they supposed to be? Snake sizes or enclosure sizes? 200cm for a female royal seems like neither to me?


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## Exzhal (Jul 13, 2012)

FloGirl said:


> So FloGirl has today borrowed her dads tape measure and has realised she only has 51 inches of space to put her vivarium, unless she removes her wardrobe which she does not want to do. So FloGirl can have a 4ft viv max which she thinks is no really big enough for a boa.
> FloGirl has also been doing research on other snakes and now decided it will be between the following snakes
> Royal Python
> Milk Snake
> ...


A hogg island boa would be perfectly happy in a 4x2x2, to be honest even a male common boa would be happy in a 4x2x2 (though a female would need 5x2x2/6x2x2)


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## medusa0373 (Mar 18, 2008)

Gotta say though, it is slightly weird and a bit unsettling to read posts from someone referring to themselves in the third person all the time....especially in response to a direct question from someone! Pretty sure Shakespeare probably didn't......:lol2:

I would second what other people here have said though..

If FloGirl is looking for a snake then she should find something she really likes the look of. There are plenty of eye-catching pictures in the "snake pictures" part of the forum. She should do as much research as she can on that particular beastie and then she should make her decision. 

It's no good FloGirl going and buying a corn snake if what she really likes the look of is an Irian Jaya Jaguar Carpet Python or a Western Hognose! From what I can gather _most_ of the readily available snakes should be comfortable in a 4ft viv provided their temps etc can be met.

Best of luck and I hope one day you can say "I" instead of "FloGirl"!!! :lol2:


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## FloGirl (Jan 12, 2013)

medusa0373 said:


> Gotta say though, it is slightly weird and a bit unsettling to read posts from someone referring to themselves in the third person all the time....especially in response to a direct question from someone! Pretty sure Shakespeare probably didn't......:lol2:
> 
> I would second what other people here have said though..
> 
> ...



Thanks, FloGirl will check out some of the pics and see if she likes any enough to add to her list.


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## Thrasops (Apr 15, 2008)

Hey.

If you are after something easy and hardy but can't decide if the standard Corn snakes and Royal pythons are for you, have a look at these.

Dione's Rat Snake (_Elaphe dione_) - these are Chinese animals, which are amongst the brightest and best looking in my opinion.























































Shown below with a Twin-Spotted Rat Snake (_Elaphe bimaculata_), a closely related and just as hardy species.











Both Dione's and Twin-Spotted Rat Snakes are every bit as easy to care for as a Corn snake (in fact they are actually even hardier and will tolerate lower temperatures).

Captive bred animals are generally non-defensive so are not likely to bite, they remain nice and small (usually between two or three feet, if that), are active by day so can easily be watched in a terrarium and they are quite curious snakes. In my opinion these are amongst the most beautiful snakes out there.

They are also hearty feeders from the get-go so won't give you any problems in that respect!

Regards,
Francis


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## Gratenkutzombie (Dec 28, 2012)

Gratenkutzombie is happy you are interested in reptiles.



FloGirl said:


> So FloGirl is new to the site and looking for her first snake but in unsure what she actually wants, so has come to RFUK to ask its lovely members for suggestions.
> FloGirl has no experience with snakes so she will want something that is small, easy to look after and something she can actually hold. FloGirl will also need advise on heating, house size and feeding requirements for any suggested snakes.
> FloGirl is only 15 and so she only has £10 a week to look after the snake and is unsure if this is even enough? How much does a snake cost to look after?
> 
> FloGirl looks forward to any suggestions and advice you have to offer and thanks you in advance..


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## CallumK91 (Jun 23, 2011)

Step 1 of being a general human being:

Preach about people being unique and their own person, and not being like another person, someone they are not.

Step 2 of being a general human being:

Contradict yourself and poke fun at people for following the advice given by step 1, and not allow them to be their own person.

Step 3 of being a general human being:

Act like you're the good person and deny ever being a hypocrite.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

CallumK91 said:


> Step 1 of being a general human being:
> 
> Preach about people being unique and their own person, and not being like another person, someone they are not.
> 
> ...


:notworthy:


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## sharpstrain (May 24, 2008)

sharpstrain likes FloGirl and wants her to know that many snakes will fit in a 4ft viv (although not all at the same time) Sharptrains ask FloGirl not to dismiss a male common boa or one of the smaller Central American sub species of boa.


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## tonyb12 (Jun 19, 2012)

FloGirl said:


> So FloGirl is new to the site and looking for her first snake but in unsure what she actually wants, so has come to RFUK to ask its lovely members for suggestions.
> FloGirl has no experience with snakes so she will want something that is small, easy to look after and something she can actually hold. FloGirl will also need advise on heating, house size and feeding requirements for any suggested snakes.
> FloGirl is only 15 and so she only has £10 a week to look after the snake and is unsure if this is even enough? How much does a snake cost to look after?
> 
> FloGirl looks forward to any suggestions and advice you have to offer and thanks you in advance..


As others have recommemded i think a corn or royal would be suitable as a first snake for you, if you read a few caresheets and get there setups you should be fine. Dont rush into buying a snake without research as that is were problems could occur. 

Forget what some people have said on here. Most are actually helpful.

Keep us informed and if you need help just ask questions.

Welcome aswel: victory:


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## medusa0373 (Mar 18, 2008)

FloGirl said:


> Thanks, FloGirl will check out some of the pics and see if she likes any enough to add to her list.


You're welcome; if you find something you like the look of, you should feel free to ask questions on it, or you could look here for a care sheet and then ask if you have any further questions:

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/snake-care-sheets/

I'm sure you'll get the usual people saying "Google" etc but there is 99.99% certain to be someone on here who keeps that particular animal and can help you.

Hope you find something that catches your eye and that you think you can care for with the space/time you have


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## Lord Vetinari (Mar 4, 2011)

£10 a week is enough to keep a snake - especially if you don't have to pay for the electricity.  

Frozen chicks are a lot cheaper than mice so when the snake is big enough you can vary their diet (a good thing) as well as save yourself some cash.

A male common boa should be ok in a 4x2x2. I have a male that’s 4ft, he's a good feeder but just doesn't seem to grow. But that’s a rarity - you really have to expect them to hit 6ft so he may end up looking a bit squidged in a 4ft viv. Dwarf Boas are smaller, but you may struggle to get one on your budget. I'm not sure though, I'm not too up on the pricing of dwarf boas. Sonoran boas are very pretty though.


Have you considered garter snakes? San Fran garters are nice. You have to feed these a fish based diet with the occasional rodent. This can be a benefit as a) you also get to eat the fish you buy and b) parents are less likely to object to frozen fish in the freezer. 

As an aside: I don't give a crap whether you refer to yourself in the third person or first. Your post are intelligible which immediately puts you in a rare enough category.


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## medusa0373 (Mar 18, 2008)

Lord Vetinari said:


> A male common boa should be ok in a 4x2x2. I have a male that’s 4ft, he's a good feeder but just doesn't seem to grow. But that’s a rarity - you really have to expect them to hit 6ft so he may end up looking a bit squidged in a 4ft viv. Dwarf Boas are smaller, but you may struggle to get one on your budget. I'm not sure though, I'm not too up on the pricing of dwarf boas. Sonoran boas are very pretty though.
> 
> . [/FONT][/COLOR]


If it's useful, when I was at the Creaks show in December there was a breeder selling dwarf Sonoran boas at £65 for males and £75 for females - this may be an unusual price (ie because it was the last show of the season) but perhaps worth FloGirl keeping in mind if she's shopping around to get what she wants without paying the earth.


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## FloGirl (Jan 12, 2013)

FloGirl thanks everyone for the comments they have written, both the nice ones and the not so nice ones and she will take them all on board.

FloGirl has been looking at thermostats today and realises there is more than one type so is confused again. FloGirl plans on getting a baby snake which she will first keep in a plastic tub and is wondering if she can use the same thermostat for the heat mat and then transfer it into the vivarium with a ceramic bulb


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

FloGirl said:


> FloGirl thanks everyone for the comments they have written, both the nice ones and the not so nice ones and she will take them all on board.
> 
> FloGirl has been looking at thermostats today and realises there is more than one type so is confused again. FloGirl plans on getting a baby snake which she will first keep in a plastic tub and is wondering if she can use the same thermostat for the heat mat and then transfer it into the vivarium with a ceramic bulb


You should be able to use a pulse stat as long as it doesn't have a minimum load requirement : victory:


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## Exzhal (Jul 13, 2012)

As above, you'd want a pulse stat as they work well with both heat mats and ceramic heat bulbs. I'd recommend Habistat Pulse Habistat Pulse Proportional Thermostat 600w - Surrey Pet Supplies


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## FloGirl (Jan 12, 2013)

Thanks!! Going to go shopping at the weekend so should be able to get a pulse stat then


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## Lord Vetinari (Mar 4, 2011)

FloGirl said:


> Thanks!! Going to go shopping at the weekend so should be able to get a pulse stat then


As said before - just check it doesn't have a minimum load requirement. That will make it hard to find a heat mat to work with it.

Enjoy your shopping!: victory:


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

FloGirl said:


> *FloGirl thanks everyone for the comments they have written, both the nice ones and the not so nice ones and she will take them all on board.*
> 
> FloGirl has been looking at thermostats today and realises there is more than one type so is confused again. FloGirl plans on getting a baby snake which she will first keep in a plastic tub and is wondering if she can use the same thermostat for the heat mat and then transfer it into the vivarium with a ceramic bulb


For someone that has been made fun of by certain people for almost half her thread (and at only 15), you've reacted in such a mature way :gasp: that's rare to see (especially on here!).

Just to stay on topic - I would recommend a Rosy Boa!

Good luck


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## Revobuzz (Nov 8, 2011)

I truly hope that Flogirl sticks with doing her research in places like RFUK as she sounds very smart and I would hate her to be put off 'cos she is doing everything right so far.


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