# So I want to keep a snake,



## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

That's right, I'd love to have a pet snake, so I'm posting here for tips and anything else you can offer 

I have never kept snakes ( or any other exotics ) before, so I'm looking for a snake suited to a beginner. I love the look of Sunglow Boas but have been informed that it would be better to start with something like a corn snake.

Are there any other suitable snakes for beginners? ( nothing too big )

Thanks

Jake


----------



## Deano (Oct 26, 2006)

Sunglow Boas are stunning, but very expensive.

Coral snakes are highly poisonous...

There is loads that could be covered here, and hundreds of species available, best advice is to browse the snake board for a while, you'll pick up names of commonly kept snakes, such as Royal Python, Corn Snakes, Hognoses etc. There is no real 'one size fits all' beginner snake.

Next, google some care sheets - 'Corn Snake Care sheet' etc, have a read, find something you like. Then ask any specific questions you have on here. Have fun, welcome to snake keeping : victory:


----------



## Dexter612 (Apr 2, 2009)

By poisonous he means venomous.  But yeah, most beginners are recommended to look into corn snakes, royals (can be problem feeders) milk snakes or king snakes. Hog nose could be good but they can also be difficult to get feeding as they usually feed on frogs in the wild, so some people end up having to frog scent their mice, although it's obviously possible to end up with a hognose who readily accepts thawed mice without having to do anything to it. They are also rear fanged venomous but not considered particularly dangerous unless you are allergic.


----------



## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

Thanks for the two replies 

I am now thinking about going for a Creamsicle corn snake ( striped if I can get hold of one )


----------



## SnakeBreeder (Mar 11, 2007)

Oh I see a hybid thread coming :blush: ( Creamsicles are corn hybrids )

If you ever intend to breed and sell the snakes you get, maybe best stick to pure corns, as some people would not be interested in buying hybrids.

And selling hybrids as pure corns is just a "NO NO"


----------



## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

Oh ok I didn't know it was a hybrid but I have just had a nosey at your site and really like the look of the GoldDust Motley corns you have. Are they pure corns or hybrids also?


----------



## reptile0mad (Apr 12, 2009)

get a royal python : victory:there really stunnning snakes and are really easy to care for. A normal from a reputable breeder is about £30...


----------



## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

I did look at royals but I found them a bit "boring" in terms of their colours and markings


----------



## oakelm (Jan 14, 2009)

snowgoose said:


> Oh ok I didn't know it was a hybrid but I have just had a nosey at your site and really like the look of the GoldDust Motley corns you have. Are they pure corns or hybrids also?


Goldusts are pure corns but can be expensive as a corn goes. Have a look at this site it has loads of colours Ians Vivarium International Reptile Community Forum • Cornsnake colour and pattern morphs. Corn snake prices can range from £20 for a carolina/normal up to well over a £1000 for a new morph that has to be imported from america. The most common colours people start out with are normals, amels, anerys and snows. Plus each colour can come in different patterns you get the standard pattern with the saddles and a checked belly, then you get the motley which has a plain white belly and then the stripe which has stripes instead of saddles. Click on some of the pics on the website and it will show you the different patterns as both hatchlings and adults as corn change colour as they grow.
If you can try and find a good shop one that will offer you advice without selling something first they will probably let you hold some snakes so you can get an idea of what they are like. Maybe even find a member on here that lives local to see some of their collection.
Now you are going to need to read up on corns till you know all the in and outs. There is a care sheet section on here that has some good info or have a look for a book on cornsnakes, amazon usually have a load of second hand ones for sale to save on cost.
Once you have had a handle of a few and read up on them get a list together of what you plan to buy as a setup and put it on here so we can give it the once over for you to make sure nothing has been missed. Then off to buy your snake, which I actually recommend you get from a reliable source which isnt always a shop, there are some good ones about but also some bad. Get a snake that has a well established eating pattern and maybe get one from a breeder that has time to do some handling with young corns so it is that little bit more calm.

One last note, the next time you are near a reptile shop go in and have a look at the frozen food as some people find this bit the unpleasant part of snakes. If you can handle a frozen dead mouse and not feel sick then you should be fine.

Anyway enough of my ramblings :blush:


----------



## pied pythons (Jan 18, 2008)

snowgoose said:


> I did look at royals but I found them a bit "boring" in terms of their colours and markings


Are you joking??

Check these out:

Crystal Palace Reptiles

And that's just the tip of the iceberg where royals are concerned!


----------



## snakemansam (Mar 28, 2009)

get a royal mate realy easy to look after and realy easy to handle some corns do like to keep moving


----------



## mrcarlxx (May 1, 2009)

tbh i think the best snake to begin with are garter snakes...

they eat anything you put in the tank pretty much and they are not to fussy with heat and humidity...they really are very nice snakes...mine used to eat fish, frogs, fishsingers, mice, rats, corned beef, shrimp, and all other sorts of crap.

http://www.blairsociety.com/mc/Lifelist/Snakes/Larger/Thamnophis_marcianus_marcianusL.jpg


----------



## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

I've decided I still want to get a corn ( along with many other pets after looking around this forum  )


----------



## whiskeyjack (May 7, 2009)

pied pythons said:


> Are you joking??
> 
> Check these out:
> 
> ...


good site to check.start with a corn,i did and now look were i am lmao:whistling2:


----------



## Mrs_Kev132 (Apr 24, 2009)

Where are you to be looking at getting the corn from? Shop or breeder?
Do you already have a set up or will you be buying it all in one?


----------



## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

I have nothing yet, No idea about where I will be buying but there's no reptile shops near me so will prob need to be sent ( can snakes be sent through post? ) I have not really thought that deeply into it but probs just buy a simple viv with everything with it if I can. Haha, bet I sound like a right newbie


----------



## Mrs_Kev132 (Apr 24, 2009)

lol

where are you ?


----------



## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

very very north Scotland  near somewhere called Wick  if i go any further its John O Groats and then I get wet


----------



## farnell182 (Jan 26, 2009)

where do you live mate? as soon as you state your location people will be able to tell you about a few shops that you probably didn't know about, i know where i live there was a few i didn't even know existed. 

as for best starter snake, there is no specific best just peoples opinions, and IMO a corn snake or royal python. personally id go for a royal. find them much better looking, don't know how you find them boring but each to their own i suppose :lol2:

don't just buy a corn or royal though if it is just a snake you want to 'practice' with for a bit when you really want to get a boa or something, because you'll just end up selling it on and getting what you wanted in the first place (if that makes sence). my first snake was a royal, then had another royal, now have boas but wish would of just started with a boa. pretty much as easy to care for but get bigger and need larger enclosures (males tend to stay smaller and therefore would need a smaller enclosure than a female) i think boas have more personality and personally find them easy to handle :2thumb:

if you go for a royal get a guaranteed feeder from a reputable breeder, i did and never had any trouble feeding, was like dustbins lol


----------



## farnell182 (Jan 26, 2009)

another thing to consider IF there is no rep shops near to you, will you be able to keep frozen mice or rats in your freezer? because if the nearest rep shop is say 30 miles away, are you going to go that far every week for one frozen prey item?


----------



## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

frozen mice are no problem if I was going to keep more I would breed them so no probs about that


----------



## nickjlucey (May 5, 2009)

pied pythons said:


> Are you joking??
> 
> Check these out:
> 
> ...


To be honest if your looking for a first snake, you're perhaps not wanting to spend £500 upwards on a royal python morph, but I also strongly disagree with royals(including normals) being boring, they're damn sexy snakes.


----------



## pied pythons (Jan 18, 2008)

nickjlucey said:


> To be honest if your looking for a first snake, you're perhaps not wanting to spend £500 upwards on a royal python morph, but I also strongly disagree with royals(including normals) being boring, they're damn sexy snakes.



You can pick pastels, mojaves and spiders (and black pastels, cinnamons, YB's etc) up for under £500 now...

Infact pastels seem to go for only £150 now for a male...

It all depends...if you're planning on just the one (or two) then some people will want to spend the extra...(until you realise you can't stop at one anyhow :whistling2


----------



## Tarn~Totty (May 4, 2009)

If it were me looking for my first snake (all credit to you for doing your homework BEFORE youve gone out and bought anything first, wish I'd done more of that with lots of things lol) I would see what the folks on here recommend, make a list up of the ones they say, then If you could, get to see them/handle them etc etc with each one...then decide, taking into account there different needs and requirements.

Good luck making a decision...hope you let us know what, and post pics!! :2thumb:


----------



## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

No more snake suggestions please, I have decided on one ( or 2 ) corns, just need to decide on the morph , thanks for all the great help and suggestions


----------



## Sazbird (Apr 28, 2009)

Once you have had a handle of a few and read up on them get a list together of what you plan to buy as a setup and put it on here so we can give it the once over for you to make sure nothing has been missed. 


We set a savings plan up with our store for a corn snake, nearly paid for now. We have got at 30"x12"x12" viv, aspen substrate, small hide, 11"x7" heatmat, matstat. We collect the viv an stuff on sat but not collecting snake (Pliskin) till sat after so we can get things set up and make sure the temps are ok all day. 

Are there any other things we might need? or need to know?:notworthy:


----------



## holo255 (Oct 21, 2006)

Sazbird said:


> Once you have had a handle of a few and read up on them get a list together of what you plan to buy as a setup and put it on here so we can give it the once over for you to make sure nothing has been missed.
> 
> 
> We set a savings plan up with our store for a corn snake, nearly paid for now. We have got at 30"x12"x12" viv, aspen substrate, small hide, 11"x7" heatmat, matstat. We collect the viv an stuff on sat but not collecting snake (Pliskin) till sat after so we can get things set up and make sure the temps are ok all day.
> ...


If your getting a baby snake you might want to put in a small RUB or tub. They dont like large open spaces when they are babies. Also if you put a baby snake in a big viv, it will probably find a small hole and escape. 

For an adult/juvi that should be fine


----------



## Sazbird (Apr 28, 2009)

Thanks for that. The shop will be supplying a small carrier (6" x 8" ish) for transport. Would that be suitable for a hatchling?

Also at what age or size would it be okay to move him into the Viv? Will that size viv be big enough for an adult?

Sazbird
:notworthy:


----------



## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

Thanks for all the suggests everyone. I have now made up my mind and am going to be going for a Reverse Okeetee Corn when the time comes


----------



## holo255 (Oct 21, 2006)

Sazbird said:


> Thanks for that. The shop will be supplying a small carrier (6" x 8" ish) for transport. Would that be suitable for a hatchling?
> 
> Also at what age or size would it be okay to move him into the Viv? Will that size viv be big enough for an adult?
> 
> ...


I'm not sure how big 6"x8" is, but anything around shoebox size would be fine for a hatchling. As for when to move up to a bigger size, its up to you really. I moved my snake up a viv size when she was longer that the length+width of the viv.
:2thumb:


----------



## Grond (Jun 17, 2008)

Sazbird said:


> Thanks for that. The shop will be supplying a small carrier (6" x 8" ish) for transport. Would that be suitable for a hatchling?
> 
> Also at what age or size would it be okay to move him into the Viv? Will that size viv be big enough for an adult?
> 
> ...


6"x8" would only really be big enough for a few months at most. 

Why not buy a faunarium?

They're only a few pounds, and will last for up to a year.

I personally wouldn't put a hatchling in a big viv either. It can make them a bit insecure and also make it difficult for them to find their food if they don't strike feed for you and you feed in the viv.


----------



## Grond (Jun 17, 2008)

Exo Terra Faunariums

Have a look at these faunariums(you can buy them virtually anywhere).

I used to start them off in the medium flat faunariums and then move to the large flat, before moving them to their final home.


----------



## Sazbird (Apr 28, 2009)

Grond said:


> Exo Terra Faunariums
> 
> Have a look at these faunariums(you can buy them virtually anywhere).
> 
> I used to start them off in the medium flat faunariums and then move to the large flat, before moving them to their final home.


Thanks Grond,

Its one of the small faunariums that the shop will be providing, so I guess we will buy the next size or 2 up from that to allow for growth.

We've been rethinking the timing now and are gonna wait a week or 2 longer, we thought we knew what to do but still LOADS to learn. We've seen too many threads from people who didn't have a clue when the brought the snake home.

I know we already have dogs and kids but this is way more complicated.

Just another thought...would it be okay to have a yearling in the viv but with 5-6 small hides and plant cover? Please don't shout if this is a big no-no just want to get it all right.

Sazbird:notworthy:


----------



## Sazbird (Apr 28, 2009)

OOOO,

Forgot to say, we plan to keep a RUB for feeding and will be using giant tweezers to feed.

Out of curiosity what whould you recommend, yearling (shop has a beauty amel) or hatchling?

Cheers:notworthy:


----------



## Deano (Oct 26, 2006)

A yearling would be fine in a viv, whether it's better than a hatchling is down to personal choice - yearling is already established feeding, no major health issues have shown up, probably calmer and easier to handle. Hatchlings will be cheaper, and personally I like to watch them grow.

No need to feed outside the viv though, just make sure mouse is dry so loads of substrate doesn't stick to it, but a little bit will not harm so don't panic.


----------



## holo255 (Oct 21, 2006)

Sazbird said:


> OOOO,
> 
> Forgot to say, we plan to keep a RUB for feeding and will be using giant tweezers to feed.
> 
> ...


Thats really up to you...
Many people would say, for your first snake its better to get a yearling because it should be an established feeder and it shouldn't have any major problems that you don't know about, whereas a hatchling could be a potential problem feeder and have unknown problems.
Another good thing about getting a yearling is that you still have plenty of time to see it grow (obviously you'd have 1year more time to watch a hatchling grow).

But in the end its all down to personnal preferance. I started with a hatchling and had no problems, untill my dad lost it... :censor:


----------



## Sazbird (Apr 28, 2009)

Thanks Guys, really helpful.

I think we will be going with the yearling. We've got 3 boys (little'un is 4) and as they will be fighting for a turn to handle (and probably feed, hence the tweezers) the snake, it will be the safer option. Really glad a yearling will be okay in the viv too. 

Thanks again, hopefully there will be some pics to add in about 3 weeks.

Sazbird:notworthy:


----------

