# A question for new snake owners.



## kirsten (Jan 13, 2008)

I'm interested to find out what first time snake owners find more stressful.

A non feeding baby snake
Or
A hissy stroppy baby snake

If buying a first time snake which of these issues would worry you more to have to deal with?


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## Beardy Boy97 (Dec 13, 2011)

I have voted a non feeding baby snake, I would be quite happy to deal with a hissy stroppy snake. I will be getting a snake soon and I would be quite happy to get a hissy stroppy snake than a snake that won't feed


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## IceBloodExotics (Sep 17, 2012)

Im not new to snakes, by far:lol2: but I would say a non feeding...

Although both would detair you from getting another snake :sad:


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## Beardy Boy97 (Dec 13, 2011)

I would say that even if I started with a hissy stroppy snake that wouldn't deter me from getting another snake, all snakes are different


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## Far2lively (Sep 8, 2012)

Fairly new to keeping snakes always been Interested In them as they are one of my favourite animals, a gussy snake I wouldn't mind as its doing what it's born to do, whereas non feeding would frustrate me a lot as I would think I was doing something wrong


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## Artisan (Mar 27, 2011)

I voted none feeder ....with time, patience and confidence - you can easily tame down a hissy snake with the aid of gloves if needed.

A none eater can have some people pulling their hair out with stress if its constantly refusing and then starts to lose weight. Especially if you think you've tried everything and feel you're getting nowhere and you cant work out why or where you're going wrong : victory:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

I don't own a snake but should I ever get one, I would probably go non-feeder. I am a natural worrier and babies not eating would make me panic. 
A little stress-head just tells me they're full of attitude!


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## Exzhal (Jul 13, 2012)

For a new owner I personally would say a stroppy snake, but it depends on how you are. One bad snake can put a new owner off them completely if you get bitten or just generally can't get close enough to handle it.

As an experienced owner though a stroppy snake is no problem but none feeders make me worry :blush:


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## yummymummytothree (Mar 12, 2012)

I would say a non feeding would be worse but either would be a put off if its your first snake.


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## kirsten (Jan 13, 2008)

Thank you for the results so far.


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## kitschyduck (May 30, 2010)

A non-feeding snake. I used to get SO stressed out with my first snake, but after having Seth miss feeds for up to four months and then be completely fine, I rarely get worried anymore. Reptiles are wired a lot differently to the other animals I'm used to, and snakes can handle missing a few meals.


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## sammich (Jan 23, 2013)

My corn ate right away. Coughcough.

Air defrosted for about 3 hours, he loved it.


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## Miiko (Feb 29, 2012)

A non feeding snake is deffo more stressful to me. I don't mind a bit of an attitude problem. Infact I quite like a bit of attitude.


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## mrkeda (Nov 6, 2012)

I voted for non feeder, I have a hatchling that wouldn't feed for about 6 weeks, It was too stressful. Alls going well now, after 3 feeds I can now tong feed


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## Kelfezond (Nov 20, 2010)

Aggression stressed me out more at the start but I was on a royal python forum which really drilled it into my head that fasting was normal behavior, aggression was unknown and unexpected

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2


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## TEENY (Jan 4, 2008)

Have dealt with both and i will say non feeder all the way. I actually like the hissy stroppy ones lol


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## kirsten (Jan 13, 2008)

Thanks guys, really great responses, this question was sparked by a debate with a friend about snakes I plan to stock in my shop.


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## Andy b 1 (May 14, 2007)

a non feeding snake for me. 

whenever a snake hasn't fed for me, its always been a stressful time compared to when they are hissy and grumpy. if its grumpy, it can be tamed with handling / temp change etc. when they dont eat, theres so many things that can go wrong, eventually starving to death


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## Tyzer (Nov 11, 2012)

Ive got both my python wouldent eat now i can only get it to eat small prey like fuzzies whereas it should be eating large mice and she has bitten me like 10 times lol 

Busy deffo fussy feeder


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## ChelsNLuke (Jun 23, 2012)

I'd say non feeding because our first snake together is a Columbian rainbow boa and he is very very stroppy even at eighteen months or so yet I would happily take every bite(when it can't be avoided) than have him reject a feed.
-Chels


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## slowwormfan (Dec 20, 2011)

I voted for the stroppy snake. I've owned a snake for 1.5 weeks, so I'm definitely a new owner. I have 2 reasons for my vote. Firstly my hubby is scared of snakes (he grew up where wild snakes kill people). He's only just ok with the nice quiet baby I've got, he'd never cope with a bad tempered one. Secondly, there's loads of advice about non feeders, plus any problems like that & I could either exchange my snake or send it back to the breeder for a few weeks until they were feeding ok.

Maybe my vote is affected by my buying from a highly experienced local breeder who is keen to help, when I bought my snake they reminded me that they will give a refund or exchange if I had any problems, & they want me to bring the snake back in a few weeks for a check-up & to check if the next size up mouse is needed.


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## Salmo (Jan 27, 2013)

I voted for a non-feeding snake - I was 10 when I got my first snake, a California King that was very stroppy and would bite a fair bit if you gave it the chance. It was a great feeder from what I remember but I ended up swapping it for a yellow rat snake that had a nice temperament but wouldn't feed and ended up dying after a trip to the vets


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## viperdan (Sep 15, 2011)

I would certainly say a none feeding snake... My burmese python was a little stroppy at first and tried to bite a few times. I didnt stress much over the stoppy snake, but the none feeding did get me stressed after not eating for 5 weeks (ate for the first time this morning... :2thumb::2thumb::2thumb


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## Revobuzz (Nov 8, 2011)

For me it would be non feeding.

The longer it goes on the worst it will be.


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## Antonyw (Dec 23, 2011)

*I'd buy the lively one*

It's got personality


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## Sazzness (Oct 18, 2012)

A non-feeder. No matter your desperate attempts to understand, it just won't eat. The longer it goes on, the more stressed you get. It's natural, especially if you have pets that eat daily, to think that if a pet eats - it's happy! So when it doesn't, you worry.

A hissy, stroppy snake is something that you can get over. It either tames down, or you alter yourself to fit the snake (don't handle it as often as you would like, but it keeps the snake happy).


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## kirsten (Jan 13, 2008)

These are really great results.

It all goes towards market research for the shop. 

Baby dwarf boas, rather than royals.


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## Dragon73 (Jan 17, 2011)

A non-feeding snake for sure. A stroppy snake that bites you and such might be a bit irritating, but a non-feeder is at risk of dying. For me the two are in totally different leagues. Better my fingers at risk any day than the snake.


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## Africandragoncorn (Sep 16, 2012)

IceBloodExotics said:


> Im not new to snakes, by far:lol2: but I would say a non feeding...
> 
> Although both would detair you from getting another snake :sad:


Im still fairly new to snakes i bought my first a year ago and she was a bit aggesive and it took me a good month to stop her biting at me. I now have 2 lol so obviously this did not deter me and would quite happily deal with another aggresive snake. However i have yet to encounter a non-feeder and i reckon this would be a much harder challenge to conquer. However i do plan to breed my 2 once they are both of age in a years time and im sure their sproglets will provide me with some new challenges lol


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