#snake advice

[birds-and-the-birds]

psa: if you ever get a pet snake (or any reptile), please purchase from a reputable breeder!! don’t take your chances with pet stores!!

Both of these snakes belong/belonged to me, are the same species, and were kept in the exact same conditions, but the one on the right was purchased from a local breeder on morphmarket while the one on the left was purchased from a local pet store.

They are the same age, however the one on the left (nutmeg) unfortunately didn’t make it past three weeks.

Nutmeg was 3 grams and ginger is currently 14 grams

i’m unsure if nutmeg was neglected or just had bad genetics, but she and all her clutch mates were all very lethargic, and I bought her to try and save her

[gatoburr0]

Oohh snakes? What sort of starting terrarium and heating spaces would you recommend for beginning snake owners? (Yes I know research for each but advise is advise plus opinions and maybe sneaky photos of snakes)

Tanks depend on what species you own. For my lil girl I have one of these with doors on the front. This is temporary as specifically female boas grow up to 4 meters long (like 10-11 ft) but this is enough for a few couple of years. After that I think I’ll have to give her a separate room… if the species you’re beginning with stays little, then this one or a bigger one is ideal.

Just make sure to make it a fun and nicely decorated space for your noodle so they have stuff to do, especially with all that space.

All terrariums need a warm side and a cool side for them to regulate their temperature, with hides on both sides. Water bowl usually kept in or near the cold side of the terrarium so it won’t evaporate. For heating, her terrarium has an internal heat mat that I keep on the same side as the light bulb. Just an individual UV bulb. Not sure what brand or what kind but as long as it serves as a heating lamp (not exactly basking because those are usually very strong and boas don’t exactly bask that much from what I’ve observed). <- also I turn off all lights at 7:40/8:00 pm every night to mimic the natural day-night cycle (which reduces heat) and only leave the heating pad on *in case it gets too cold*.

I don’t really measure the heating in the terrarium as it’s quite wide and there’s a lot of space for my boa to move around in, but I do measure the humidity. Mine needs 80%-90% humidity all the time, and strictly 90%-100% if she’s shedding;

I don’t know much about species I don’t own, but in my opinion, hognoses (venomous but not deadly), corns, corals (specifically the non venomous ones bc venomous ones are dangerous), Mexican blacks, bull snakes (they’re a bit sassy and have attitude) and boas/pythons are great for beginners. There are a few constrictors (as in the non venomous constrictor snakes) that aren’t beginner friendly at all like for example the emerald tree boa…

They say ball pythons are good beginner pets but I don’t really agree because they’re picky with their food, they need certain humidity regulations and they can get sick pretty quickly if the terrarium is off. <- my opinion based on experience.

And here you have some more pictures of her.

Bonus big yawn.

[saltycharacters]

Hey could I get advice from or be directed to someone experienced with ball pythons? My Udon has recently changed houses and first few days she was fine but recently she's been staying up past her bed time, slithering around the cage well past noon until she just. Falls asleep in the middle of her cage, not even in any of her hides. I tried giving her more hides, modifying humidty a bit, changing her set up, etc, and I'm not sure why she's so upset with her enclosure especially since she's appeared fine before and I've also recently increased her rat size so she shouldn't be hungry.

Maybe this new house is a little too hot for her? I maintain a warm and cool balance as recomended but recently the cooler side has been a little higher, around 82-85 fahrenheit, if that's the problem is there any recommendations on how I can cool her tank??? I can't move her again and I thought it would be good because my other room use to be much colder and this house is much warmer, but if it's not good then it might be a constant thing I have to battle against. I don't know what's wrong with her but it's making me really stressed and I could use any advice

[scarletandgreyexotics]

What kind of snakes would you recommend for someone who wants to adopt a good noodle?

Well, that would be highly dependent on your lifestyle and interests! Corn snakes are one of the perfect starting snakes, as are other North American colubrids like milk snakes and king snakes. If you would rather have something smaller, rosy boas and sand boas are great. If you want something with a little more girth (but not too big!), look into dwarf boas and Bredli pythons. 

My very first snake was a common boa (non-dwarf), and it’s worked out very well for me (...maybe even TOO well, haha!), but while they are pretty easy to take care of, the size certainly isn’t for everyone.

Ball pythons are commonly toted as a beginner species because they are very docile, but they are sensitive tropical snakes who are extra-prone to things like feeding strikes if their husbandry is off. 

Species to avoid would include anything wild-caught (ribbon snakes, rough/smooth green snakes, egg eating snakes, etc.), giants like retics, burms, or anacondas, and [hopefully obviously] venomous snakes.

Whatever species ends up piquing your interest, just do a lot of research. It can be helpful to lurk on Facebook groups specific to the species - sometimes the hive mind gets a bit toxic (depending on the group), but they are usually pretty quick to correct common husbandry errors/misconceptions and you can learn a lot by just observing.

[slytherfriends]

Hello! I hope you're having a nice day/evening. I just wanted to ask, do you have any advice for those wanting to rear their first snakes? I'm hoping to find myself one when I can afford the essentials.

heya! thanks, so far today has been pretty good! as far as advice, I’m not really sure. I haven’t been keeping snakes all that long (almost 4 years) so I’m definitely still learning things. But I think it really depends on what kind of snake you’d like. I do know that no matter what kind of snake you get that all snakes require pretty specific care. 

My first snake was a ball python, I’ve had her now for over three years and shes doing great. My husbandry wasn’t the best when I first got her (i had bought a glass tank and it took a lot to keep it humid and warm, its been replaced by a PVC cage now) but I learned a ton from some of the people on here as well as the Ball Python Forum

So I suppose my first bit of advice after deciding what kind of snake you want, is to read as much as you can about that species of snake. Find people on here who have healthy thriving snakes of that species and read their FAQ’s and their care sheets. 

And also, idk if anyone else does this but i have a special savings account for snake-emergencies. Things like emergency vet visits, as well as regular supplies and food. The cost of keeping snakes (and other reptiles in my experience) is a lot more than some people (esp. me) expect. I know it might sound strict, but I’ve always held myself to the ideal that if I can’t afford the best care for my pet then I can’t afford that pet. If they aren’t happy healthy and thriving then I shouldn’t have that pet. When I was still in college and unemployed I wanted a snake sooo bad but I knew my income couldn’t provide the best for any animal so I waited until I could provide a good home. 

Also, I prefer to get my snakes from smaller private breeders. I did get Gyll from an online herp-mart type place, and nothing against them, and nothing was wrong with Gyll, but it was a bit impersonal. I don’t know her hatchday and she didn’t come with a lot of information (her feeding schedule etc.) I wouldn’t ever buy from a big box pet store like Petsmart. And there are certain ‘popular’ snake breeders (bhb) that don’t properly care for their animals and I would want to avoid. Its just my opinion though. I really like looking for animals on MorphMarket and FaunaClassifieds  I think there are a few people on tumblr who breed snakes as well. 

I personally like the herp community on here a lot, there are a lot of really nice, super helpful people.  @i-m-snek has some of the most helpful guides on here imo. So maybe check those out. Some of my other fav snake bloggers are: @thlpp @cornsnoot @tailsandco @the-long-dog @william-snekspeare @wheremyscalesslither 

Good luck, and let me know if you need anything else! 

Anyone else is also free to add to this I’m sure I forgot a bunch of basic tips, I haven’t had my coffee yet! <3

[itxirxlxs]

Guys I really want a ball python. 🐍 I want a snek. Can anyone inform me more about them?

[doctorhypetrain]

Advice needed

I have a ball python thats just over a year old. I got him when he was four and a half months old last August (his hatch date is sometime in April) and I did TONS of research before getting him so I knew what I was getting into and Id like to think I’m a good snek owner.

I’m concerned though because he isnt growing very well. When I got him he was very small and VERY skinny. Since then I have fed him almost every 5 days with the exception of sheds and travel which never lasted longer than 2 weeks between feeding. Ive bumped up the size of his meals overtime to maintain feeding him about 10% his body weight and never mice thicker than his widest point. At a year and a month hes proportionally round compared to length but hes still so small compared to other balls ive seen about the same age.

Should I be concerned? Is there anything I can do or improve? I figured his growth got a bit stunted because he had a rough start but as time passes its getting more noticable that hes growing very slowly.

Any input is welcome!!!

@tailsandco @the-long-dog @wheremyscalesslither

[sarakobus]

Snake people

What’s it mean when you feed your snake four (frozen) mice and a week later they’re back up? It’s been a little bit colder than normal, could that be it? His last shed was fine, his last feeding was fine (ate 7 mice last time).

I’ve had him for two years and this has never happened.