# good beginner snake



## DeadIrishD (Nov 9, 2004)

I want a good beginner snake, that'll be able to spend alot of the night chilling with me 9 at night til 6 in the morning (having it be on me but I wont pet it.) , I want to be able to hand feed it. I'd perferr it to be bulkier than a corn snake. and I want something that I'll be able to keep around my neck that wont squeeze too much.

I know I sound like a picky bastard but f*ck these things will hopfully live long and I want it to be perfect.


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## Burf (Nov 3, 2003)

Hmmm, I dont think that you will find any reptiles that fit your list of wants! Even occasional handling can cause stress, and i believe it should be kept to a minimum.


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## nova (Aug 9, 2004)

I agree wiht J burf, and you may not want to try hand feeding snakes....


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## Burf (Nov 3, 2003)

> and you may not want to try hand feeding snakes....


Good point, could bring a lot more pain than its worth!!

Exotic pet keeping isn't what the media makes out it to be!


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

Sounds like an imaginary snake to me.



> having it be on me but I wont pet it.










Come on now that whats the difference here?


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

i had a really fat corn that would let you stick your hand in there and bait it with the mouse... but thats about it. even my super sweet black snake was a pig at eating time and would lunge for the rat pups. i've also been bitten by my one female anerytheristic corn many times because instead of the mouse she'd go for the hand (the guy who is keeping her for me now uses forceps to feed her.)

i used to handle my snakes every day, and often... never had a problem with them getting stressed out.


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## Guest (Nov 17, 2004)

DeadIrishD said:


> I want a good beginner snake, that'll be able to spend alot of the night chilling with me 9 at night til 6 in the morning (having it be on me but I wont pet it.) ,


 Snakes don't have any concept of "ownership" or companionship. It doesn't want to hang-out with a person. The snake certainly won't tolerate being worn as a fashion accesory for long.

Were you planning on walking around outside with the snake? 
From what I've seen, I'd say non-herp people don't like it when people walk around in public with their pet reptiles. The police will harass them for exhibition permits and most people will scoff at the person's obvious attempt to get attention with "props".

Only a reptile-hobbyist can understand another person's veneration for their pet snake or lizard.


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## DeadIrishD (Nov 9, 2004)

I don't know I heard many sites talk about handling their snakes often, and hand feeding, I also heard that snake bites don't hurt so I don't mind getting bit, but in the long run it'd probably stress the snake out more.

any snake that I dont have to worry about over handling? I remember my friend used to have a python that thing was awsome, and hand tame never even tried to bite anyone.

so if I forget about hand feeding them, would I be able to get one that I'd be able to handle alot or is that still a no?


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## DeadIrishD (Nov 9, 2004)

Atlanta Braves Baby! said:


> Sounds like an imaginary snake to me.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Sounds like an imaginary snake to me.



> having it be on me but I wont pet it.










Come on now that whats the difference here?

my bird used to be a c*nt bag whenever I tried to pet it but it loved to be with me, so there has to be a diffrence in that eh?


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## BoomerSub (Jun 23, 2003)

No, even the most handleable of snakes (I'm thinking of ball pythons and cornsnakes, plus some boas) will still stress out if handled that much. Taking it out once in a while is fine, but having it out for hours nightly is not.

I concur, hand-feeding is not a good idea. Unfortunately, I can't find any decent pics of a nonvenomous bite any worse than the classic "pinpricks". Oh well.

-PK


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## DeadIrishD (Nov 9, 2004)

ok, how long would you recomend that I hold them a day, I don't know just one snake by themselfs would seem kind of loneli thats why I had the time frame so long.....


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2004)

DeadIrishD said:


> ok, how long would you recomend that I hold them a day, I don't know just one snake by themselfs would seem kind of loneli thats why I had the time frame so long.....


 Snakes just don't have brains like mammals. While we require constant stimulation and social contact -snakes seem to enjoy quiet solitude.

In the wild, the only times snakes voluntarily come togther is during the mating season. Some species also hibernate together -but I'm not sure whther that's voluntary or if good hibernation spots are hard to come by.

I handle all of my snakes at least a few minutes every one to three weeks. I feel it keeps them tame, handleable, and gives them some mental stimulation.


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## redbellypacu (Sep 21, 2003)

i think the amount of time u handle an animal depends on the animal its self and how long u had it for. i had an albino cal. king snake that never wanted to come out and be handled or be touched or anything so i sold her, and bought a ball python that had 2 retained sheds and under weight when i frist got her and put her in the tank she wanted to bite. then i left her alone for 1 week and started to handle her 5 mins aday then i increased the time weekly by 10 mins. a week and know she comes out for an hour or longer and when i clean her tank evey week she goes looking around the room but she loves to look at the hamsters i have. you just have to work with the animal and gain its trust like with a dog or any other animal. that is just my 2 cents.

DeadIrishD one thing you want a snake but u will not pet it so does that mean that u will not touch the snake to get it out of the tank. but u will let it crawl all over u i just dont get it


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Extremely solitary, as bullsnake said. Prefer to be left alone.



> but I'm not sure whther that's voluntary or if good hibernation spots are hard to come by


Mostly the latter I think, however northern species often breed right as they come out of hibernation (taking some of the "searching" dilemna away)


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## psychofish (Jun 5, 2004)

DeadIrishD said:


> I also heard that snake bites don't hurt so I don't mind getting bit,


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

DeadIrishD said:


> I don't know I heard many sites talk about handling their snakes often, and hand feeding, I also heard that snake bites don't hurt so I don't mind getting bit, but in the long run it'd probably stress the snake out more.


 well thats obviously something from someone who's never been bitten before....

even a little 1' corn hurts somewhat... they may not have fangs but they do have these naaaasty razor sharp little teeth. when my 4.5' cali king (who hated being handled and was a regular old grump) bit my dad he bled like a stuck pig. i've only been bitten once and i do NOT want to be again rather unpleasant experiance because you really don't want to pull the snake off incase you injure them in removal.


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## slckr69 (Feb 21, 2004)

um.... whats a stuck pig bleed like ? you must be from iowa or something.. lol


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

slckr69 said:


> um.... whats a stuck pig bleed like ? you must be from iowa or something.. lol


 pennsylvania actually. just means he bled an awful lot.


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

Good answers guys.

Listen to them, they are correct, and are trying to keep you safe and happy. If you want a snake, first learn some more about them, they are very different than the animal you are wishing to own.


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

ball python there nocturnal they fit all of your things you want but you cant hand feed them (you can try but it would probably bite you to) and there arnt really snake that are biger that you can hand feed


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

DeadIrishD said:


> I want a good beginner snake, that'll be able to spend alot of the night chilling with me 9 at night til 6 in the morning (having it be on me but I wont pet it.) , I want to be able to hand feed it. I'd perferr it to be bulkier than a corn snake. and I want something that I'll be able to keep around my neck that wont squeeze too much.
> 
> I know I sound like a picky bastard but f*ck these things will hopfully live long and I want it to be perfect.


keepin a snake on ur neck from night to early morning will probably have u struggling for survival next morning.


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

Um...thread's from November 2004! MKAY!


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