# FINALLY decided...



## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

itz too late to turn back now. i juss ordered a red tail boa online. maybe next time i'll get the balls..


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## brutusbeefcake (Dec 8, 2004)

just do a search man--- all the info is out there right at your finger-tips


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## bjmarche (Jun 30, 2005)

Yea, a list that long would take a nice while to do.
If you have a tank, and want a snake, tell us the size of the tank, and we'll tell you what you can put in it.


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## brutusbeefcake (Dec 8, 2004)

Spaceman Spiff said:


> Yea, a list that long would take a nice while to do.
> If you have a tank, and want a snake, tell us the size of the tank, and we'll tell you what you can put in it.


i think hes already done that? this will make it easy... for a beginner which you clearly are id go with a colubrid(corns, milks, rats, kings), ball pythons are everyones favs, childrens python(stay small), maybe a bci? prefferably a hog as they stay the smallest(males 5-6 ft) - redtails get closer to 8 or more which doesnt sound like a lot at first but is a load to handle... go to kingsnake.com and look through the classifieds- lots of breeders on that site with good prices and healthy captive bread snakes--- id go with a corn if i were you, they stay a little more slender and smaller and come in an array of different colors and are pretty tough to kill given the minimum requirements(food, heat pad, water, substrate, and reg maintenance)


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

yea. ive been searchin on kingsnake.com and switching to google to see whats good. theres goin to be an expo this week in NOVA so i wanted a list so i could see whats good at full size. i am probably getting a ball python i guess if i can get one for about 30$, last time i saw one for that price, but i wasnt that interested so i didnt grab it. i am looking for a large boa or python that i could wrap around my neck at home lol. thing is... i want to tame my kingsnake first before i get one, but hey, if i see something good at the expo this week and seems fair of a price to me... ill asure u ill take it home wid me lol. im hoping that i'll see some red tailed also.


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## brutusbeefcake (Dec 8, 2004)

my boas only 3 feet and hes already a load to handle...strong as hell!!!


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

Corns are nice Snakes, but their personality is way different than that of Pythons or Boids. They don't like to sit there at all and are always moving when you have them out. From a photographer's standpoint, taking pics of my Corns and Hoggies is a major pain in the arse! I'd much rather shoot my Balls or Burm.


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

man draco, i hate u... jkjk. u made me get into those burms after u put pictures of it in ur thread of ur albino burm. ahhhhhh, after i saw it. ive been researching it over and over. one day, i will get one hopefully, when i move out of the house. (parents hate snakes!)

draco, do u think this is true? i read on one site that burms can stay 8-10 feet if u don't feel it much? but if u do that, theres a higher chance it'll bite u cuz it'll be aggressive cuz of hunger all teh time.


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

You should never starve an animal just to keep it smaller. That's cruel. If you can't house it, don't get it, simple as that. Balls are just as nice, IMO. I have four with plans on getting more. But man, one Burm is definately enough!


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## psychofish (Jun 5, 2004)

dracofish said:


> You should never starve an animal just to keep it smaller. That's cruel. If you can't house it, don't get it, simple as that.


























100% agree


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## brutusbeefcake (Dec 8, 2004)

in all honesty man(black piranha) i can almost assure you that you are nowhere near ready for a burm... 8-10 feet? lol yeah maybe before it turns 2!!! ha- but seriously ive been keeping snakes for about 6-8 years and i want nothing to do with a burm- they are beautiful animals but get waaaaaaaay to big! stick to the small stuff


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

brutusbeefcake said:


> in all honesty man(black piranha) i can almost assure you that you are nowhere near ready for a burm... 8-10 feet? lol yeah maybe before it turns 2!!! ha- but seriously ive been keeping snakes for about 6-8 years and i want nothing to do with a burm- they are beautiful animals but get waaaaaaaay to big! stick to the small stuff


damn it! haha, ughhh, anyone kno how much ball pythons go for in expos? and how about red-tails?im thinkin of goin this week but i dun wanna go there juss to look at stuff and pay 5 bucks to get in... i wanna bring something home wid me! i guess i'll go wid tha ball or red-tailed though.


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## brutusbeefcake (Dec 8, 2004)

i would think you could get a ball for 30-50? and keep in mind a redtail is gonna push 8 feet or more and very girthy.... not telling you what to get just preparing you!


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

If you purchase a Ball, make sure you get a CB (captive bred) one. They are generally much easier to feed.


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

ok, done deciding. im gonna stick wid tha ball. i might also buy two and have them seperated so i can breed em in the future, maybe though. i am thinkin bout housing it in a 5gal rubbermaid shoebox? this will be temporary till it gets a lil more bigger. i was wondering.. since itz a plastic box.. how would i provide it heat? im thinkin bout using a heat mat? but where do i put it? underneath the plastic? wont it melt the box? also, wouldnt the heat mat burn the wood that i am goin to place the box on? im goin to put the box on top of my wooded shelf, and wondering how would i provide heat for the python? o and i am thinkin bout using newspaper as the substrate.

any help would be great, thnx.


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

If you're going to use a tub as an enclosure, you're going to need to build a rack system to slide it into because if you don't, the snake will eventually escape. Those snapping tops are not tight enough. We use a rack system like this for our snakes:









For heat we use three strips of flex-wat running up the back, so each enclosure has a warm side and cool side. The flex-wat is controled by a thermostat.


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## brutusbeefcake (Dec 8, 2004)

no offense but breeding is def not for beginners!!! so if thats your plan you better start educating yourself now! and why a rubbermaid? our we cutting costs? our we sure we can afford this pet? if i were you id buy the "critter cage"(40g breeder)specifically for snakes and cost anywhere from 70-100$... nice sliding screen top that locks in place and then you never have to upgrade(36x18")... get a heat pad to cover 1/3 of the tank, a water bowl, hidebox, newspaper... and your good to go!


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

dracofish said:


> If you're going to use a tub as an enclosure, you're going to need to build a rack system to slide it into because if you don't, the snake will eventually escape. Those snapping tops are not tight enough. We use a rack system like this for our snakes:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


oO, i like that setup. did u build that urself? tha shelve i mean. do u think a heat mat will burn through the plastic though? cuz im plannin to use those rubbermaid and stick a heat mat below it. i dont think the heat mat will burn the wood and cause a fire cuz i have one downstairs in my tortoise pen and is right on the wood.

brutus, ive been researchin on breedin them all night last night and i think ive learned quite enough. only thing ive gotta figure out is to make a incubator instead of buying one.


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

Yes, we built it. If you buy a good heat mat with a thermostat, I don't think it will be a problem. They don't get that hot, unless there's a malfunction.

There is a lot to breeding. Someone interested in doing so needs to consider everything, especially costs. There's also researching genetics, etc. To be a good breeder, there's a lot more involved than just sticking a male and female together.


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## brutusbeefcake (Dec 8, 2004)

dracofish said:


> Yes, we built it. If you buy a good heat mat with a thermostat, I don't think it will be a problem. They don't get that hot, unless there's a malfunction.
> 
> There is a lot to breeding. Someone interested in doing so needs to consider everything, especially costs. There's also researching genetics, etc. To be a good breeder, there's a lot more involved than just sticking a male and female together.


yeah id probably weigh this all out first before you go buying something... i mean a 5g rubbermaid?? i think you can do better than that? rubbermaids are for rack systems and rack systems are for people with lots of snakes... get the snake a more suitable home and spend more than one night educating yourself on breeding please


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

brutusbeefcake said:


> Yes, we built it. If you buy a good heat mat with a thermostat, I don't think it will be a problem. They don't get that hot, unless there's a malfunction.
> 
> There is a lot to breeding. Someone interested in doing so needs to consider everything, especially costs. There's also researching genetics, etc. To be a good breeder, there's a lot more involved than just sticking a male and female together.


yea, there is more to it than juss gettin a pair. i remember i had a pair of beardies. i did not kno they were goin to breed that winter... i knew all about how they would and all, but my female was a runt actually. but they did chase each other around and all and did there thing. juss thought it wouldnt lay eggs and wouldnt be able to breed because of tha large size comparison, but that summer, it layed like a dozen eggs? sadly, i didnt kno how to make a incubator so they all died.


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## brutusbeefcake (Dec 8, 2004)

impulse buying is not good with reptiles my friend!!! but oh well- its your call...


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

damn it!, i was so pissed off today. i couldnt get a ride to tha expo, my ride ditched on me, what a bitch.

that means, i didnt get a boa/python and i still have more thinkin to do and i guess a longer wait. sucks.


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## psychofish (Jun 5, 2004)

you should most def get a ball instead of a RTB.

RTB's get to be alot bigger and have much more of 
an attitude than a ball.


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## huntx7 (Nov 13, 2004)

psychofish said:


> you should most def get a ball instead of a RTB.
> 
> RTB's get to be alot bigger and have much more of
> an attitude than a ball.


:nod:

Overall, a much lower maintenance snake.


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

Another type of snake to consider is a captive bred Western Hognose. I was cleaning cages the other night and when I came across my Hoggies I was like "Hmmm, these are great little snakes and they often get overlooked!" My captive bred ones have no problems feeding and eat quite well. They are very docile, never bite, and are cool to boot! Here is what one looks like:










They are Colubrids, stay small (this species less than 24"), are very docile, and look like little Rattlesnakes (that is their defense mechanism in the wild).


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## Mr_JT (May 10, 2006)

brutusbeefcake said:


> no offense but breeding is def not for beginners!!! so if thats your plan you better start educating yourself now! and why a rubbermaid? our we cutting costs? our we sure we can afford this pet? if i were you id buy the "critter cage"(40g breeder)specifically for snakes and cost anywhere from 70-100$... nice sliding screen top that locks in place and then you never have to upgrade(36x18")... get a heat pad to cover 1/3 of the tank, a water bowl, hidebox, newspaper... and your good to go!


Brutus- you forgot the thermostat.

All heat sources should be regulated with a thermostat.


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## brutusbeefcake (Dec 8, 2004)

i dont have and never have had a thermostat... i just check the pad myself to make sure it is working at all times


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

Having a thermostat is much easier and safer, especially if you have more than one snake. All you do is set it to the temp you want and it does the rest. Some will even change temps to regulate day/night cycles. I'm not sure of the brand we have, but it works great with flex-wat.


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## brutusbeefcake (Dec 8, 2004)

dracofish said:


> Having a thermostat is much easier and safer, especially if you have more than one snake. All you do is set it to the temp you want and it does the rest. Some will even change temps to regulate day/night cycles. I'm not sure of the brand we have, but it works great with flex-wat.


and i have 1 snake... i will soon be buyin my boy cage 421d(i think) from boaphiles and it has a built in thermo... heatpad...etc... but for a single cornsnake in a 20 or 30g i dont think hes gonna need one?


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

To me, saying that you don't need a thermostat even for one reptile is like using a really cheap heater in a fish tank. It's like playing with fire. Sometimes the temp might be okay, but it could frequently get too hot or too cold, sometimes even to dangerous levels, which can lead to stress, sickness, and death. I'd rather play it safe, thank you very much.


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## greenmonkey51 (Aug 16, 2004)

Rubbermaids are the perfect cages for any snake under 5'. The problem with glass tanks is that they don't hold humidity well and ambient temp tend to flucuate. I set my ball python up in one. Everything is perfect as far as temps and humidity. All I had to do is place some weights on the lid and she can't get out. A good thermastat is a must. If your going with a ball, definately get one. MGReptiles has the best ones in the biz.


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

where can u get a thermostat? ive never used one either and had many herps. can u get it locally like at petco or petsmart? what are the good brands?


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

can't turn back now.. i juss ordered a red tail boa.


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## Mr_JT (May 10, 2006)

brutusbeefcake said:


> and i have 1 snake... i will soon be buyin my boy cage 421d(i think) from boaphiles and it has a built in thermo... heatpad...etc... but for a single cornsnake in a 20 or 30g i dont think hes gonna need one?


Thermostats are always necessary. Heatpads when unregulated can get up to crazy temperatures. The generally accepted ideal maximum for a corn snake is 88 degrees. A heatmat without a thermostat can exceed 100 degrees, sometimes they can get way up to 140 degrees. A corn isn't going to burn at 95 degrees, but studies show they suffer neurological damage if they have prolonged exposure to temps above 90 degrees. They will burn at much over 100.

Brutus- Its great that your boa is going to be in an enclosure with a stat in the near future. But stats are never optional, I have seen some really serious burns resulting from heatmats used without thermostats which have resulted in the death of the animals concerned.


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## brutusbeefcake (Dec 8, 2004)

black_piranha said:


> can't turn back now.. i juss ordered a red tail boa.


and you plan on keeping the boa in a rubbermaid how long?...


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## psychofish (Jun 5, 2004)

Good Luck.

Just hope this isnt your first snake


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

the snake goes in a 40gal rubbermaid tub. for awhile


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## greenmonkey51 (Aug 16, 2004)

mgreptiles.com has the best prices for good thermastats, if you don't have one already.


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