I want a good sized snake with a good personality, one of those ball python hybrids would be neat, but I'm more thinking about a nice jungle carpet python, maybe a red tail? I don't know, but I'm not really finding much about the personalities of these snakes, people are only focused on the "morphs" and how pretty they are, I don't care if my snake is a blotchy ugly mess, as long as it's got a decent calm demeanor. Anyway, can anyone tell me a little from experience, are any of these snakes particularly ill tempered? I know ball pythons are very reluctant to bite, but I want something a little bit larger, nothing over 6 feet if possible. Know anything about carpets or red tails?
Thinking about getting a larger snake, help.
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Im not to sure about carpets but i do believe redtails can get over 6 foot. have you looked at corn snakes they dont get much over 4 foot. i do like the red tails but like i said thay cant get over 6 foot long.
My preferred snake is the imperial boa, to me they are the gentle giant.
I have never had a problem with them....
I have never had a problem with them....
I like the ball python, doesn't get to big not that expensive, the ones I have been around seem to not be aggressive, I think there downfall is that they can go off there food
at any time and I still don't think it is known why they do it.
at any time and I still don't think it is known why they do it.
Having owned numerous variously sized constrictors, I would recommend the ball python. I have had several and they are normally very docile and amenable to being handled. I have had a few impressive bites from red tails at times when it was definitely not an SFE (stupid feeding error) during normal handling sessions, so I don't usually recommend them as a pet snake. As an aside, I have also found that some of the more unusual color morphs tend to have an unpredictable side, so sticking with wild-type patterns may be better if you are hoping for a 'friendly' snake. I do not have any experience with the carpet pythons. Good luck.
If your looking for and adult I have a 5' Florida King Snake with LOTS of personality! She shouldn't get much bigger than she is.... maybe a few inches but thats it.
I want to get a hatchling RF but I cant till "Ginger" finds a new home. in the middle of every black stripe is a thin "Ginger" colored stripe, so her coloring is Yello, Black and Ginger (instead of Bright Red)
I want to get a hatchling RF but I cant till "Ginger" finds a new home. in the middle of every black stripe is a thin "Ginger" colored stripe, so her coloring is Yello, Black and Ginger (instead of Bright Red)
My experience has been that every individual snake is different. For instance, I have two adult ball pythons. One is relatively docile. The other is one of the very few snakes I've ever had to use a hook with!
Carpet pythons and red-tail boas are both such broad groups of snakes in both size, temperment and coloration. For starters, there are several different subspecies and localities of carpet pythons and red-tail boas. Some stay small, while others grow large. Some do have a reputation of being more irritable than others.
Carpets in general have a rather undeserving reputation of being snappy. While arboreal species do tend to be more "highstrung," I think this rep stems from nippy hatchlings (most babies are), and the overall more active nature (compared to the couch potato demeanor of a ball python). For some people, just because something moves around more it means its more aggressive (hogwash, if you ask me). All that said...if you get a carpet and expect it to act like a lazy ball python, think again! Carpets like to explore and move around! They are definitely interesting snakes, and if you get them young, you just need to handle them diligently.
The common (or Columbian) red-tailed boas definitely get over 6 feet. Males will get AT LEAST that large, and often 7-8 feet. Females can often reach length of 9-10 feet. Most are docile, but a grown red-tail is a handful for one person. And they are strong! Definitely stronger pound-for-pound than say, a Burmese python of comparable size. You may want to consider one of the smaller localities like the Hog Island Boas or Central American boas, both which stick around 5-6 feet.
Of course, there are many more other options out there! Like I said, every snake has their own personality. There's rainbow boas, Dumerils boas, large kingsnakes, bullsnakes, pine snakes, gopher snakes, blood pythons, etc.
What snakes have you kept so far?
Carpet pythons and red-tail boas are both such broad groups of snakes in both size, temperment and coloration. For starters, there are several different subspecies and localities of carpet pythons and red-tail boas. Some stay small, while others grow large. Some do have a reputation of being more irritable than others.
Carpets in general have a rather undeserving reputation of being snappy. While arboreal species do tend to be more "highstrung," I think this rep stems from nippy hatchlings (most babies are), and the overall more active nature (compared to the couch potato demeanor of a ball python). For some people, just because something moves around more it means its more aggressive (hogwash, if you ask me). All that said...if you get a carpet and expect it to act like a lazy ball python, think again! Carpets like to explore and move around! They are definitely interesting snakes, and if you get them young, you just need to handle them diligently.
The common (or Columbian) red-tailed boas definitely get over 6 feet. Males will get AT LEAST that large, and often 7-8 feet. Females can often reach length of 9-10 feet. Most are docile, but a grown red-tail is a handful for one person. And they are strong! Definitely stronger pound-for-pound than say, a Burmese python of comparable size. You may want to consider one of the smaller localities like the Hog Island Boas or Central American boas, both which stick around 5-6 feet.
Of course, there are many more other options out there! Like I said, every snake has their own personality. There's rainbow boas, Dumerils boas, large kingsnakes, bullsnakes, pine snakes, gopher snakes, blood pythons, etc.
What snakes have you kept so far?
Weda737 said:
I would not recommend a red tail boa because of their size. I have several and my largest one so far weighing 50 lbs and 8 ft long. They can get up to 10 ft and weighing over 100 lbs. If you want a 6 ft snake and like a thicker snake than the ball python, you should consider the blood pythons, they are pretty friendly and stay about 6 ft, but get thicker than the balls. I also have several balls and some will strike at you no matter how many times you handle them. I just depends on the snake. Good luck!
harris said:
I didn't want to be biased, but I do like Dumerils! I had a pair a couple years ago. Very cool-looking boas that don't get too big.
dmmj said:
Really? I wasn't aware they got that large. Oh well...guess I learn something new every day.
I've had a couple ball pythons, One was very very sweet, she was definitely attached to me, never liked anyone else to hold her, she would reach for me. I really miss her, but I want something a little more robust and active. I have done no research on the red tail, it just popped into my head as they are so popular. I have researched some on the carpet python but I just can't find anything on their demeanor. I know they are active and I certainly get what you mean on the snappy baby thing, I have bred corn snakes and of course I still have that clutch of baby black rat snakes, they will be released come spring. Right now my snow corn snake Rufus is my snake buddy. He was a hateful little booger as a baby, now he's just as pleasant as he can be. (After he realizes you're not feeding him at the moment. First he chases any movement when I open his tank but the second I touch him he's like "Oh okay I know what you're doing.")ShiningSnakes said:
I also understand about every snake being different. My Ball pythons were very different, my sweet girl loved riding on my shoulders, the boy however was too nervous, he would circle and circle around until he got a little too tight on the neck lol. It'll probably be a year or two before I actually buy another snake. I'll hopefully be moved out and be a homeowner by then, where I can devote a nice area to my snakes, I have plans to build a nice big floor to ceiling luxury enclosure just for my boy Rufus. I swear he has me under mind control to spoil him. Come to think of it, he spends an awful lot of time piled up on the highest place in his tank and just watches me... the little freak. More on topic, point is, I want time to really explore what would be right for me and do the proper research on the care of that particular species.
Definitely going to look into these suggestions, especially Dumerils Boa. Thanks guys, you're all awesome. Keep the info flowing.
Yeah, research is key.
I know you've kinda given yourself a size range and you definitely want something laid back and docile, and you're not really concerned with appearances persay. What about behavior or display tendencies? I suppose what I mean is: are you fine with a snake that remains hidden all the time, either burrowed underneath the substrate or curled up in a cave? Or do you want a snake that is more likely to be in the open and be for "show" as well as a hands-on pet? Just things to think about...
I know you've kinda given yourself a size range and you definitely want something laid back and docile, and you're not really concerned with appearances persay. What about behavior or display tendencies? I suppose what I mean is: are you fine with a snake that remains hidden all the time, either burrowed underneath the substrate or curled up in a cave? Or do you want a snake that is more likely to be in the open and be for "show" as well as a hands-on pet? Just things to think about...
ok... so Florida Kings are out then.....
Zamric said:
LOL...who said that? I wouldn't rule them out myself. I had a eastern king that was as docile as he was huge. About as "tame" as a snake could get. I love the big kings.
I envisioned an Eastern Indigo when I heard your wish list. I've never owned one, but I know people that do. They are really neat snakes. I really like the carpet pythons and Brazilian Rainbow boas too. If a corn or king is in your size range, you can't go wrong. I gave my dad a "ghost" corn and she lived for nearly 20 years. He loved that snake and handled her all the time. Great personality. She was real close to 6'.
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Blood pythons and argentine boss tame down well or if your looking to setup a nice fancy enclosure..I would go with a green tree python... (<---not known for great disposition)..but a beautiful animal none the less...
Ginger is really personable and likes to be handled. She is only 3.5 years old and and during the summer I like to take her outside and slither thru the grass or put her in a small tree she she can climb down. She always seems to enjoy this, especially when I put her in the raised garden and let her crawl all around the veggies.
The dwarf boas may be right up your alley... Same species as the Colombian Boa that gets anywhere from 6-10 ft, Boa constrictor imperator (aka BCI), but smaller. They range from Nicaraguan boas, who tend to be very dark in coloration and stay very much on the small side (I've heard of males topping out at 3'), to Hogg Islands, who are a natural hypomelanistic and, though a little on the larger side of the dwarves with females maxing out up to 6', still not a snake that's going to get so massive you can't handle it on your own. I love BCI... I've never met a mean one (the occasional nippy baby aside, but that can be worked out). They're just lazy enough when you're handling them, without being as dreadfully boring as ball pythons (well... I guess not everyone thinks ball pythons are so boring, lol). Vin Russo @ http://cuttingedgeherp.com/ has a nice listing of many of the dwarf localities. He's also a very reputable breeder, if you decide to go the BCI route.
Dumeril's Boas are fantastic, too. IIRC, they max out at about 6' with females being larger. Generally good, laid-back temperament, like BCI. And they're definitely pretty!
Carpet pythons are definitely an interesting snake. Very active, can be nippy as babies, but calm down with proper handling. The one pitfall with a Carpet, considering what you're looking for, is they're too active to be a "hang around your neck" snake. I once had the opportunity to handle a friend's subadult Jungle, and it was all over the place! I was constantly having to reach behind to figure out where his head went, and I couldn't stand near anything or he'd try to climb it. Fun to interact with, but definitely not a lap snake! They also range a lot in size--anywhere from around 4-5 ft for Irian Jayas (IIRC, the smallest Carpet subspecies), up to 10 ft, give or take, for Coastals.
I feel I should put a word in, too, for Woma Pythons. I have a 5' male Woma who I'm very much in love with. He's super laid back, has never threatened to bite, and is the perfect size. Roughly 5' long, with a moderately heavy girth but not super thick. Probably about the proportions of a carpet python (based on the few older Carpets I've handled). Probably the biggest pitfall of Womas is that they can be pricey (last I looked, hatchlings were running around $250) and a little difficult to come by... I've also heard that babies can be nippy. But otherwise, great snakes.
(On another note--I'm pretty sure Rosies definitely don't get as big as 5'... I have two, who are both nearly full grown at about 3 ft. To the best of my knowledge, a couple localities can hit 4', but Rosies generally stay in the 2.5-3.5 ft range. Think length of a smallish adult corn snake, with the girth of a large adult corn snake. They're definitely cool snakes, though. My Volvagia is a great "hang around the neck" snake... When she's not hungry, that is! Lol. Anyway, I could be mistaken--who knows, there's so many localities and subspecies of Rosy Boa, there could easily be a couple out there that do get especially big...)
Dumeril's Boas are fantastic, too. IIRC, they max out at about 6' with females being larger. Generally good, laid-back temperament, like BCI. And they're definitely pretty!
Carpet pythons are definitely an interesting snake. Very active, can be nippy as babies, but calm down with proper handling. The one pitfall with a Carpet, considering what you're looking for, is they're too active to be a "hang around your neck" snake. I once had the opportunity to handle a friend's subadult Jungle, and it was all over the place! I was constantly having to reach behind to figure out where his head went, and I couldn't stand near anything or he'd try to climb it. Fun to interact with, but definitely not a lap snake! They also range a lot in size--anywhere from around 4-5 ft for Irian Jayas (IIRC, the smallest Carpet subspecies), up to 10 ft, give or take, for Coastals.
I feel I should put a word in, too, for Woma Pythons. I have a 5' male Woma who I'm very much in love with. He's super laid back, has never threatened to bite, and is the perfect size. Roughly 5' long, with a moderately heavy girth but not super thick. Probably about the proportions of a carpet python (based on the few older Carpets I've handled). Probably the biggest pitfall of Womas is that they can be pricey (last I looked, hatchlings were running around $250) and a little difficult to come by... I've also heard that babies can be nippy. But otherwise, great snakes.
(On another note--I'm pretty sure Rosies definitely don't get as big as 5'... I have two, who are both nearly full grown at about 3 ft. To the best of my knowledge, a couple localities can hit 4', but Rosies generally stay in the 2.5-3.5 ft range. Think length of a smallish adult corn snake, with the girth of a large adult corn snake. They're definitely cool snakes, though. My Volvagia is a great "hang around the neck" snake... When she's not hungry, that is! Lol. Anyway, I could be mistaken--who knows, there's so many localities and subspecies of Rosy Boa, there could easily be a couple out there that do get especially big...)
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