# Want to be Snake owner in need of help.



## Jenius20 (Aug 30, 2012)

Hello Reptile lovers I am in dire need of your help and advice and although this will be a long thread would love your help.

*My Predicament* is that all my life i have wanted a exotic pet but my parents have always wanted me to get something a bit more normal, like my friends.

So when i got a hampster i was only 12 years old and to be honest i was young and I used to play with it but i foolishly dumped alot of the work onto my mother.

Now i am 15 and when i saw my friends leopard geckos I had a rush that i have never felt before, so i decided to research a lot, and i mean a lot about reptiles in the hope of one day getting one.

Now my problem is because when i was younger i had the tendancy to have passing phases my mother thinks that will happen with a live animal and she will have to look after it. That is not true though as i have matured.

So i tried to pursaude her that i can look after a pet and i will look after it as i know it is a big responsibility.

So at now i have researched a lot, mainly about bearded dragons as the fasinated me and they were my second favorite only to snakes and i knew i would have more chance of getting a lizard.

I tried everything to prove that i could care for it with the love it deserved, literally everything. All the problems that i could forsee i found solutions too. I spent hours trying to make a care sheet just to make my point.

Then, one day we were going to our local town for new school supplies and i pursauded her to quickly stop at a reptile store that i heard was good, when i got there i fell in love with the snakes and i knew they were the pet for me. I still liked the bearded dragons and even thought there was some hope as my mum kept saying how nice they were.

But as soon as we left it was back to the old change the subject/its too much hassle.

*So how can you help?*

Since i am paying the costs, and i mean all of them that is not a problem and i dont think it is she doesnt like the snakes.

I think the problem lies that she is worried i will stop caring for it and it is too much hassle and she is also wondering what will happen when i go to university in 4 years time (i am starting my gcse's now).

I would *absolutely love it* if you could take it into your hearts to spend a few minutes trying to give me advice about my next step in pursauding them/how to fix the problems i stated *or* if you could do a detailed and constructive responce that outlies why they are good pets and countering my mums worries so mabye i could show her.

I can understand why some people may think there is no chance, just wait till you leave the house but i am determined, i dont know if you remember the first time you loved something, mabye your first reptile, but this is what it feels like.

I would also love it if people could leave there skypes/emails so if i need some advice i could get it, i understand this may be asking a lot but i really need some help .

Please take the time to respond,

-Jenius20-


----------



## IngloriousJD (Aug 24, 2012)

Unfortunately your mom may have a point my sister got a dog when she was your age and then she buggered off to uni, now mum and dad have to look after her.
However, When I was persuading my mum to allow me to have my first reptile, I went for the cheeky approach and bought the whole set up and got it all running in my room and left it out on show...Then she freaked out a bit and then I just went through with her how it would only be the 1 I would only ever have 1 3ft viv and it wouldn't take up much space... She caved and now I have 7 snakes, 2 lizards, 2 tortoises, 5 hedgehogs and 5 tarantulas :2thumb:

It may help if you say what sort of snake your after; I would advise corn, king, milk or royal python


----------



## Jenius20 (Aug 30, 2012)

IngloriousJD said:


> Unfortunately your mom may have a point my sister got a dog when she was your age and then she buggered off to uni, now mum and dad have to look after her.
> However, When I was persuading my mum to allow me to have my first reptile, I went for the cheeky approach and bought the whole set up and got it all running in my room and left it out on show...Then she freaked out a bit and then I just went through with her how it would only be the 1 I would only ever have 1 3ft viv and it wouldn't take up much space... She caved and now I have 7 snakes, 2 lizards, 2 tortoises, 5 hedgehogs and 5 tarantulas :2thumb:
> 
> It may help if you say what sort of snake your after; I would advise corn, king, milk or royal python


 I was think royals or corn snakes as i love how the ball pythons are thicker but they are more pricey and that can be a problem for someone who is paying for food with no income. And i love the colours of corn snakes.


----------



## IngloriousJD (Aug 24, 2012)

Jenius20 said:


> I was think royals or corn snakes as i love how the ball pythons are thicker but they are more pricey and that can be a problem for someone who is paying for food with no income. And i love the colours of corn snakes.


Corns are lovely snakes have never been my cup of tea tbh but each to their own :2thumb:
I wouldn't buy from a shop though because they have overheads their prices are higher, cut out the middle man and go straight to the breeder.
Don't take this the wrong way but if you haven't got an income and your parents are reluctant to have anything to do with the snake whose going to pay for the vets bills should something go wrong?


----------



## craig1985 (Aug 8, 2012)

IngloriousJD said:


> Unfortunately your mom may have a point my sister got a dog when she was your age and then she buggered off to uni, now mum and dad have to look after her.
> However, When I was persuading my mum to allow me to have my first reptile, I went for the cheeky approach and bought the whole set up and got it all running in my room and left it out on show...Then she freaked out a bit and then I just went through with her how it would only be the 1 I would only ever have 1 3ft viv and it wouldn't take up much space... She caved and now I have 7 snakes, 2 lizards, 2 tortoises, 5 hedgehogs and 5 tarantulas :2thumb:
> 
> It may help if you say what sort of snake your after; I would advise corn, king, milk or royal python


haha now this made me laugh, good story :2thumb:


----------



## Jenius20 (Aug 30, 2012)

IngloriousJD said:


> Corns are lovely snakes have never been my cup of tea tbh but each to their own :2thumb:
> I wouldn't buy from a shop though because they have overheads their prices are higher, cut out the middle man and go straight to the breeder.
> Don't take this the wrong way but if you haven't got an income and your parents are reluctant to have anything to do with the snake whose going to pay for the vets bills should something go wrong?


When i say i dont have an income i mean i dont have a proper job because of my age, i still do dog walking for people.


----------



## IngloriousJD (Aug 24, 2012)

Go for it then, you could persuade your mom by saying, they don't smell, they only need food once a week, they only defacate about once a week, i'll put a lock on the cage so it can't escape, it's going to be my pet so I'll be responsible for cleaning, handling, feeding and suchlike. My parents didn't want me to get one because they didn't want the extra hassle.
Just a bit of info on corns incase you needed it :lol2:All you really need for a baby corn is a faunarium, heat mat, mat stat, two hides, substrate (i would use aspen) and a digital thermometer.
The hot end should be about 88, cold end about 80-82.


----------



## IngloriousJD (Aug 24, 2012)

craig1985 said:


> haha now this made me laugh, good story :2thumb:


Glad you like :2thumb: mum adores them now she finds all the creatures fascinating and shes adopting the hedgehogs when I get a fulltime job aha


----------



## SeanReptiles (Sep 24, 2010)

Ignore people saying you shouldn't get one, start off simple with a beginner reptile as a corn snake or king snake. Follow your heart as you only live once.

Only a bit of negative advice, don't take on what you can't look after because that is when it goes very wrong.

Also, in regard to your mum about you going to university, well thats in 4 years time, i doubt many people on this website keep a reptile for 4 years. Reptiles can be given or sold on to another loving home, that is how the reptile world goes around.

But i do think you should start off with something simple. Anymore advice message me on here i'll be glad to give it.

p.s - i had my first reptile when i was young, and now i've had hundreds if not thousands of reptiles threw the years. 

Good luck buddy.


----------



## Jenius20 (Aug 30, 2012)

Thanks for the advice guys really helpfull ill try again soon,

I would love to get some advice as care sheets can only get you so far  Ill message you soon gtg to sleep now though its getting on 2:30 am


----------



## Zachary (Aug 1, 2012)

You said that your friend has leopard geckos... Why not volunteer to look after them for a couple of weeks when he is away, to show your mum that you know that you can be responsible enough, and if she does let you get something, keep the viv spotless and the animal properly fed and watered. 

Show that you really care, and it's not just something that you will get bored of after a couple of months.

My parents were pretty easy to convince to start with, even though for my first couple years of keeping reptiles my parents did a lot of the work, I've gradually increased how much time I dedicate to caring for them. These days, I look after all my snakes myself, they are all perfectly healthy and if I want another snake it's easy to convince them as they know it's going to be taken care for.

I've kept corns, Bairds ratsnakes (much nicer than corns, and easy to keep), a royal and a boa, and I'm not planning on stopping there! If you want any tips on those based on my personal experience, feel free to pm me.

Good luck!

-Z


----------



## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

Most reptiles live long old lives, for a snake for instance you're looking to up and over 20years. I can absolutely see your mothers point to be honest. One minute you've said you had your heart set on a leopard gecko, and now it's possibly a snake or beardie. If you had your own place I would say go and buy whatever you want, but chances are you'll move on to uni, expand your social life and focus on studies, and probably wont give much time to the animal. How about trying to start some work experience in a reptile shop or offer to volunteer with them? That way you can have some hands on experience with them and it'll allow you to decide which one you'd like for the future. I don't mean to sound harsh, but there's far too many reptiles on sites such as preloved and even advertised on here as it is, wait until you've settled down.


----------



## Janine00 (Sep 20, 2008)

ChazzieJo said:


> Most reptiles live long old lives, for a snake for instance you're looking to up and over 20years. I can absolutely see your mothers point to be honest.
> I don't mean to sound harsh, but there's far too many reptiles on sites such as preloved and even advertised on here as it is, wait until you've settled down.


Like your enthusiasm, but try to slow down and listen to some advice you won't want to hear:2thumb: If no rep shops etc., near you where you can get work experience/vol work, then at least look to adopting an older snake that someone is passing on because they are going to uni and no longer have time for it etc.... :whistling2: Often cheaper than going for all new set up etc. and doing the hobby a favour by taking a 'preloved' pet. Chances are it may be a passing phase for you, none of us can tell until we've been in the hobby a few years (so no disrespect to any youngsters out there.... some of us 'oldies' can be just as bad)! but it sounds like you are going for it whatever anyone says :lol2:


----------



## Jenius20 (Aug 30, 2012)

@ChazzieJo
I never wanted leopard geckos, i just like reptiles in general, i think the reason for this is more of a "see what i can get away with getting" and this was quite a while ago, all these events took place over a year or so not a few weeks  But i see your point, and in fact i am going to be getting some work experiance .

But, i guess ill just have to take it on the chin and mabye try again next year /:
I may still get in contact with you guys as im still wanting to get some info


----------



## BanksyAndAmy (Aug 30, 2012)

Jenius20 said:


> @ChazzieJo
> I never wanted leopard geckos, i just like reptiles in general, i think the reason for this is more of a "see what i can get away with getting" and this was quite a while ago, all these events took place over a year or so not a few weeks  But i see your point, and in fact i am going to be getting some work experiance .
> 
> But, i guess ill just have to take it on the chin and mabye try again next year /:
> I may still get in contact with you guys as im still wanting to get some info


I know how you feel and my heart does go out to you! But you have a whole future ahead of you and pets can be a tie, and can lead to heart break especially when you are young and the want of a pet is so strong! I remember crying because I wanted a horse so bad and my mum and dad got me a plastic one!!! Lol!
I don't know what area you are in but try taking mum along to a few reptile shows. That way you can both get advice from people with more experience and knowledge than you and also volunteering with a local reptile shop can show your mum you are serious and also help you really decide if you want the responsibility of a pet. 
Good luck


----------



## LittlestarRed (Sep 8, 2011)

I can understand your Mum's reservations, especially if she's had to take on caring for your animals in the past.

That said Snakes general care needs are less labour intensive than a Hamsters.

I think a Corn or Rat Snake would be a good pet for you, they are generally active, friendly and feed well. 
I wouldn't recommend a Royal for the potential feeding problems they can have (I speak from experience here!). 

The biggest hurdle you face is that you will need to prove to your Mum that you can and will look after the Snake yourself. I'm not quite sure how you can do that without first owning the Snake though?

If you really feel that you are able and have enough money to keep an a Snake, then I think your Mum should give you a chance to prove it. After all trust is earned!

So Mum, if you get to read this. I am a a Mum myself and have recently given my 7 Yr old responsibility for general care of one of our snakes. Obviously I supervise but so far he has done everything from cleaning to feeding, changing water and checking temperatures with no problem.
He does this by himself while I watch (just in case). He is doing this as a step to eventually getting his own pet to care for himself in his room. I told him he is too young at the moment, but he has surprised me at how well he has done! 

If a 7yr old can manage, then I'm sure a well researched 15 yr old who has learned their lesson with animals in the past could have a good chance of keeping a Snake independently!

Good Luck!

(p.s: I notice you're in Surrey too  )


----------



## Jenius20 (Aug 30, 2012)

Does anyone know if there are any shows in surrey soonish?

And guys really, really thanks to everyone who has posted with advice, cant beleive how nice everyone on this forum is  im not hopefull but ill post news when i get some


----------



## LittlestarRed (Sep 8, 2011)

Jenius20 said:


> Does anyone know if there are any shows in surrey soonish?
> 
> And guys really, really thanks to everyone who has posted with advice, cant beleive how nice everyone on this forum is  im not hopefull but ill post news when i get some


No, nothing soon I'm afraid. Kempton is the nearest and that was a couple of weeks ago. That show won't be on again until next August!

There's not a lot here in Surrey Reptile show wise, sadly!


----------



## Jenius20 (Aug 30, 2012)

LittlestarRed said:


> No, nothing soon I'm afraid. Kempton is the nearest and that was a couple of weeks ago. That show won't be on again until next August!
> 
> There's not a lot here in Surrey Reptile show wise, sadly!


 Thats a shame i guess if all goes to plan i will go next year :2thumb:


----------



## pk93 (Jan 26, 2010)

SeanReptiles said:


> Ignore people saying you shouldn't get one, start off simple with a beginner reptile as a corn snake or king snake. Follow your heart as you only live once.
> 
> Only a bit of negative advice, don't take on what you can't look after because that is when it goes very wrong.
> 
> ...


Not great advice, its a very poor assumption, lots of people have kept snakes on here for longer than 4 years, and no that's not how the reptile world goes.

Thats called being fickle and non-committed, reptile keeping isn't something that should be done on a whim, and to say, oh well i will sell it on in a few years is being ignorant.

Many a person has been accused of hoarding and impulse buying and it doesn't go down well.

Course it happens but normally for breeding purposes, if someone opened up with "what snake should i get for a few years?" they would be absolutely slated. 

Poor advice to a newbie.


PK


----------



## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

pk93 said:


> Not great advice, its a very poor assumption, lots of people have kept snakes on here for longer than 4 years, and no that's not how the reptile world goes.
> 
> Thats called being fickle and non-committed, reptile keeping isn't something that should be done on a whim, and to say, oh well i will sell it on in a few years is being ignorant.
> 
> ...



Couldn't agree more well said PK93 , 

and to seanreptiles are you sure you should be keeping reptiles??? Or any pets ???


----------



## Zachary (Aug 1, 2012)

Jenius20 said:


> Does anyone know if there are any shows in surrey soonish?


As LittlestarRed has already posted, you just missed kempton, though if you just want to look at lots of cool stuff then why not consider paying a visit to Crystal Palace reptiles? they have lots of snakes etc. and depending on where you are they aren't far (1/2 hour drive for us).

Or, if you are willing to travel a little, apparently there is an expo in Portsmouth, but I've never been so I can't comment on how good it is.

-Z


----------



## Hannah81 (Nov 19, 2008)

Come along to a Surrey reptile club meeting. 
We recently went to see the crocodiles at crocs crocs of the world.
Look it up on facebook.

Sent from my ST18i


----------



## Daíthí (Apr 23, 2010)

SeanReptiles said:


> Ignore people saying you shouldn't get one, start off simple with a beginner reptile as a corn snake or king snake. Follow your heart as you only live once.
> 
> Only a bit of negative advice, don't take on what you can't look after because that is when it goes very wrong.
> 
> ...


Wow...this is just terrible advice when it comes to taking responsibility for ANY living creature. 

Animals shouldn't be taken in as whimsical fads and anyone who only plans on keeping them for a few years until they're bored doesn't have the maturity to care for another life. I don't care how old you are, I know 50 and 60 year olds who don't have that maturity, but at least they're not out there advising people, "just go get whatever you want, when you get bored of it, sure you can just fob it off on someone else". The fact that you've kept "thousands" of reptiles over the years shows that you have the exact problem the OPs mother is trying to prevent. Take responsibility for your actions. If you have such poor impulse control that you've had and given away "thousands" of reptiles, then maybe you're not such a good person to be keeping them in the first place.


----------



## Jenius20 (Aug 30, 2012)

Thanks for all the advice guys, if anyone wants to really help me out the ABSOLUTE BEST help you could give me is why snakes make good pets, including price and handling and why they arnt scary, dont bite, things which i might know but my mother dearest wouldnt XD.


----------



## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Jenius20 said:


> Thanks for all the advice guys, if anyone wants to really help me out the ABSOLUTE BEST help you could give me is why snakes make good pets, including price and handling and why they arnt scary, dont bite, things which i might know but my mother dearest wouldnt XD.


If you had been researching as hard as you say, you could answer this : victory:

And the Animal Welfare Act 2007 says you can't buy your own animal until you're 16 years old.


----------



## Jenius20 (Aug 30, 2012)

Wow, thats not what i meant at all, i hope i didnt seem rude, the reason is because she doesnt beleive anything i say, so i thought she might beleive an outside view, and i wouldnt be buying it either, i would be looking after it 
-Jenius20-


----------



## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Jenius20 said:


> Wow, thats not what i meant at all, i hope i didnt seem rude, the reason is because she doesnt beleive anything i say, so i thought she might beleive an outside view, and i wouldnt be buying it either, i would be looking after it
> -Jenius20-


The thing is we can't tell you that 'snakes don't bite' for instance, because they do. Any snake can and will bite if threatened, frightened, or just in a bad mood - like my boa who will bite me if I bother her when she's in shed. Snakes differ in temperament and the only way to be responsible and 'safe' is to learn to read your own snake. 

If you want information about 'general' or usual temperament, price, husbandry etc, let us know what snake you're thinking of getting.


----------



## Jenius20 (Aug 30, 2012)

I like corn snakes and ball pythons but I think that i would prefer a royal but ive heard they can be fussy eaters 

-Jenius20-


----------



## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Jenius20 said:


> I like corn snakes and ball pythons but I think that i would prefer a royal but ive heard they can be fussy eaters
> 
> -Jenius20-


The first problem is assuming it will be a fussy eater. If it's environment is correct, and it's husbandry/care too, it will be fine.

Here's mine;










Firstly, it's a very small baby in a 4ft viv. A lot of people will say to put them in small RUB's (Really Useful Box), I don't like them so I didn't. You have to provide enough hides, the correct temperatures, and clean, fresh water every day. I also didn't handle her at all until she'd had a few feeds, to let her settle in. Feed them defrosted prey with the head heated (can use very hot water to so this) and use long tongs to wriggle it around a bit, near the heat-sensing pits just above their mouth. Mine eats every week :2thumb:

Babies (normals) around £40 for the snake. £100 ish for ceramic heat fixture, ceramic bulb, thermostat and bulb guard (if you shop around). Whatever you can pick a 2nd hand viv up for, say £30-£40. Substrate, decor and food. You have to be really, really unlucky (or stupid) to get a bite from a royal.


----------



## Lord Vetinari (Mar 4, 2011)

Jenius20 said:


> Thanks for all the advice guys, if anyone wants to really help me out the ABSOLUTE BEST help you could give me is why snakes make good pets, including price and handling and why they arnt scary, dont bite, things which i might know but my mother dearest wouldnt XD.


Snakes make great pets because they are fascinating creatures that I get a kick out of seeing everyday. They are also easy to care for and fit my lifestyle well. Plus they are pretty much the only animal I'm not allergic to. (your reasons may vary!)

Price from £20 - £20,000+ ..... It depends what you want. Most common species fit the £50-£100 band though. 

Handling: tolerated by snakes - some seem to 'enjoy' it. Some are very look don't touch though. handling is a very personal thing, people have different opinions. 

They aren't scary because ..... In the main they aren't. They aren't slimy. 

They do bite. But in the vast majority of cases hamster bites/cat and dog scratches are worse (and more frequent)


----------



## Jenius20 (Aug 30, 2012)

Thanks for the quality info guys, really helping out a newbie in need 
-Jenius20-


----------



## Jenius20 (Aug 30, 2012)

If anyone is interested i have an update.

I was about to give up as my mum wasnt having any of it, so i showed my dad kelfezonds video, showed him all your wonderfull comments, and now they are "thinking about it" and to talk again in a few days, i think this means i have a very, very high chance of getting a snake as they wouldnt be so cruel as to let me down now.

Im so excited cant wait!!!

-Jenius20-


----------



## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

Jenius20 said:


> If anyone is interested i have an update.
> 
> I was about to give up as my mum wasnt having any of it, so i showed my dad kelfezonds video, showed him all your wonderfull comments, and now they are "thinking about it" and to talk again in a few days, i think this means i have a very, very high chance of getting a snake as they wouldnt be so cruel as to let me down now.
> 
> ...


Nice 1 buddie :no1:


----------



## Xerse (Sep 22, 2010)

Jenius20 said:


> Hello Reptile lovers I am in dire need of your help and advice and although this will be a long thread would love your help.
> 
> *My Predicament* is that all my life i have wanted a exotic pet but my parents have always wanted me to get something a bit more normal, like my friends.
> 
> ...


The way i did it when my mother said no, i went and bought one, brought it home without her knowing. Within around 8 months i had 18 snakes in my bedroom without her knowing.

When she finally found out, there wasn't much she could do, they were already here.

Only now do i realise that was probably a bad move on my part, and if my mother had told me to get them out i'd of been in a pretty bad position!

Just keep researching, showing her you know what needs to be known. Don't moan to her about wanting one, that'll just make her not let you have one even more.

Research, turn your bedroom into a reptile shrine! Snakes/lizards posters all over the place, papers and books on reptiles around your room, always have your head into something to do with reptiles. I think this way she'd at least get the point that you really ARE interested in them.


----------



## craig1985 (Aug 8, 2012)

Lord Vetinari said:


> Snakes make great pets because they are fascinating creatures that I get a kick out of seeing everyday. They are also easy to care for and fit my lifestyle well. Plus they are pretty much the only animal I'm not allergic to. (your reasons may vary!)
> 
> Price from £20 - £20,000+ ..... It depends what you want. Most common species fit the £50-£100 band though.
> 
> ...


Whats the most expensive that you know of, I am very interested in seeing what kind it was


----------



## Lord Vetinari (Mar 4, 2011)

craig1985 said:


> Whats the most expensive that you know of, I am very interested in seeing what kind it was


£30k last year for a Royal Python morph.

Pastel coral or something.... I'm interested in neither RP's or morphs really. I wasnt paying much attention.


----------



## snakess (Sep 3, 2012)

Snakes are so easy to look after, they are less time consuming than say a guinea pig or a hamster. 
They don't smell like small mammals do and are pretty cheap, one mouse a week costs less than £1 and the electricity costs for one snake are surprisingly cheap. 
Just one thing to keep in mind if you are planning to go to university, I've never seen any university halls that allow pets. I know a snake isnt going to make a mess to the flat or anything but landlords are pretty wary. I attempted to hide a small fish tank while at university and had to put it in a cupboard everytime there was an inspection...not easy with a 3 foot viv. 
My partner had his snake at uni for a while but the owner found out and the snake had to be looked after my someone else for the last 9 months till he finished that year. 
I would never buy a snake with the intention of selling it in a few years because you know you wont be able to look after it, so you should have a plan for if you do go to university.


----------



## snakess (Sep 3, 2012)

Jenius20 said:


> If anyone is interested i have an update.
> 
> I was about to give up as my mum wasnt having any of it, so i showed my dad kelfezonds video, showed him all your wonderfull comments, and now they are "thinking about it" and to talk again in a few days, i think this means i have a very, very high chance of getting a snake as they wouldnt be so cruel as to let me down now.
> 
> ...


awesome, such a good video


----------

