# New to Reptiles



## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

hello i am new to reptiles. i am a noob and have no experience what so ever with reptiles. however, i am very interested in getting some as pets. i need your advice to help pick out my type of reptile. heres what im looking for: either a snake or a group of lizards that would be VERY VERY VERY EASY TO HANDLE and are NOT aggresive to humans as i want something that i can pick up alot and not have to worry about it biting me or my little cousins and sister, something that DOES NOT grow past 4 ft. (anything larger than that, i will NOT be allowed to have) and DOES NOT grow less than 8 inches.

** i am slightly leaning more towards lizards that i can have a group of (say 3+) and not have any problems with aggression or fighting or biting humans when coming in contact with humans and would be good for a first timer.

p.s tank size is not an issue as long as it doesnt go bigger than 75 g

any advice/suggestions/comments/answers are greatly appreciated as i am very eagered to getting a reptile pet.


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## dark FrOsT (Sep 23, 2006)

welcome to the site, glad to see another member interested in herps.

well if you go the lizard route you can get geckos and they can be housed together without ne problems and you can put a lot more then 3 in a 75 gal tank







but ive never owned then and im not to sure how well they are handled. i think its okay but i am not sure. like lepord geckos and what not come in tons of colours, i see them at all the pet stores all the time and they easy to care for. also most dont get to big.

if you want something larger you can look at getting a bearded dragon they are easy to care for, easy to handle but im not sure if you could get away with keeping 3 in a 75 gal tank, maybe 2. they also come in different colour morphs (colours).

something you have to remember if you keep more then one species in the same tank is not them killing each other but i them mating ... what are you going to do if they have babies.

me presonally i like snakes i find they are easier to care for. you dont need to feed them daily its once a week and thats it and because of this it cost less weekly to keep them. so ya i find them easier but thats just my opinion. just make sure it has eaten before you buy it ask if you can see a feeding, some snakes are picky eaters. you dont want a picky snake.

also just me thinking do u have the 75 gal tank or are you going to have to buy a new tank(s) casue you can always get 2 30 gal tanks and get 2 snakes.

as for beginner snakes i would get either a corn or a milk snake. corns come in tons of morphs and im my experence with them are great feeders and have excellent temperments. corn snakes are awesome and your family would have no problems handling them at all awesome snakes. there are a ton of differnet milk snakes to choose from and i have heard good things about them as well (never owned a milk).

if you want to go a little bigger you can get a royal "ball" python they stay in you size range but are a little more advanced then the corn snake because they can be picky eaters. i have seen some ppls ball pythons strike at there food the second its placed in the cage. mine may not eat for 2 weeks and will only eat live mice. shes just picky as hell. other then that they have excellent temperments and make great pets

well i hope that helps a bit .. just fire off some more questions if they come up


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

thanks dark frost man... ur advice really helped i really do appreciate it... and to answer the 75 g tank question, i do not own a 75 gallon, thats just the maximum size my parents would let me put in the house and thats even pushing it! .... ive been thinking alot last night and i just wanna to kno... which reptiles are more active and handleable leopard geckos, blue tongued skinks or snakes?

ive been thinkin and im SORT of leaning more towards a snake so i just have to ask would i be able to keep a corn snake in a 55 g for life? how many would i be able to fit? are snakes like piranhas, the more u have in a tank the more agressive they are? how big they do they actually get? AND how much are they? (i live in toronto, canada)


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## TimmyTeam (Jun 20, 2003)

A corn snake should be fine in a 55g for life.The pet store i work at sells them for between $90-$120, i hope that help's pricewise. No, i would only put one snake in a single tank. Corn snakes can get anywhere from 4-5' even sometimes even up to 5 and a half feet.


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

5 ft. are u serious? do they get more agressive and bite more when they get older/bigger?


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## TimmyTeam (Jun 20, 2003)

they will get calmer as you handle them more.


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

would it be possible to keep corn snakes in a fish tank or does it have to be a special kind of tank? not in a previously used fish tank but in a new one that i can buy from a lfs because tanks are much cheaper at that lfs than in any pet stores near me. also what cleaning is required for snakes?


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## TimmyTeam (Jun 20, 2003)

Yea fish tanks are good for them, Give them fresh water everyday (water is a bacteria breeding ground). Spot clean whenever they sh*t, and completely clean the tank (take all shavings out, and sterilize with a bleach/water solution) about once a month.


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

ohh ok thats good to hear and also wat kind of tank should i be looking for? a long tank? a tall tank? one that has more width? what other equipment should i get???? ( i kno i need a heater, wats the best heater out there for snakes?) and lastly how should my set up look? i.e how many logs,sticks,rocks,grass,dirt?


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## TimmyTeam (Jun 20, 2003)

I'd go for a tank with more length and width. Um you can use repti-bark,aspen, or newspaper for substrate, i would suggest a heat lamp for the primary heat source, and if your house is cold (I know mine is and i live close to you) you could use a heat lamp and an under tank heater. You could put a few rocks and pieces of wood in there for him to climb on, also make sure there is a hide box or cave on the hot side and cold side.


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

yeah my house is pretty cold... and im planning to keep it in the basement? my basement is one of those places where its the coldest place in the winter and coldest place in the summer... so any advice for keeping the snake warm and comfortable besides have a heat lamp? would i have to keep the heat lamp on 24/7 or is there specific times where u turn it on and off? are these type of snakes active?... would i need a stand for the tank too?


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## TimmyTeam (Jun 20, 2003)

It's up to you if you want a stand, yes corn snakes are fairly active, alot more so than constrictors. I use a heat lamp and a heat mat bcoz my house is cold. I just turn my lamp on when i wake up and off when i got to bed. You can also get another lamp and put a red-light or moon-glo bulb in it to keep it warm at night (as the snake cannot see the light from these bulbs).


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

would it be possible to put any other reptile in there with the corn snake? and also will a 30 g tank be enough for a corn snake full grown? (just asking because i want to save as much money as possible) and also wat is the benefits to having a heat lamp AND heat map rather than just having a heat lamp?


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## TimmyTeam (Jun 20, 2003)

Having both will raise the ambient tank temp. and having the heat lamp will do both, and provide a basking spot. No i wouldn't risk mixing different species due to different needs (temp. humidity) and its hard to keep track of who's healthy and who's not. I wouldnt cheap out and go small, a 30g would be suffient for a while but would eventually get out grown, if you get get a 55 id say do it.


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

oh alright timmy thx for all the advice!!!


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

oops forgot to ask... do u have any pics of a full grown corn snake? and also how much does it hurt when they bite? im scared of getting bit!..... how do you prevent it from biting and when is the right/wrong time to handle them?

oops forgot to ask... do u have any pics of a full grown corn snake? and also how much does it hurt when they bite? im scared of getting bit!..... how do you prevent it from biting and when is the right/wrong time to handle them?

oops forgot to ask... do u have any pics of a full grown corn snake? and also how much does it hurt when they bite? im scared of getting bit!..... how do you prevent it from biting and when is the right/wrong time to handle them?


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## TimmyTeam (Jun 20, 2003)

go into google and type Corn snake into images. I get bit at work all the time and honestly, i cant even feel it when they bite...im more scared of getting bit by hampsters lol.


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

haha alrightt good to hear it doesnt hurt, takes the worry off my shoulders lol!


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## dark FrOsT (Sep 23, 2006)

sorry been off line a few days.

ya a 55 gal would be good for life like suggested earlier. you could go smaller if you was 30-45 i have found that snakes like smaller enclosures apose to larger ones. especailly when babies. i would have said an adult corn reaches four feet but 5 max. i have seen a 16 year old corn that i didnt think was 5 but then again i didnt measure it.

as for heat you can either get a undertank heater and heat lamp with a 50w bulb or so. or just go higher like a 75w red bulb and have it on all day and night. thats wat i do in the winter cause my snakes are in the basement to. snakes and lizards from my understanding cant see the colour red so if you have the heat lamp on all night it looks cool cause you and see the snake but the snake or lizard thinks its dark.

as for your question of keeping 2 snakes together i know ppl that have and been successful and i know ppl the have and werent. its very risky and most of the time not worth it. but i really comes down to what you want to do.

as for handling there like little puppy dogs i seen some corns that kids are almost most fighting over that dont even care at all. mine have never even gone into a strike position at me. getting bit could happen but i dont think it will happen. could but wont.

as for substrate i use "forest bark" i like it. i think zoo med makes it.

i use a normal house timer to turn my lights on and off everyday they cost like 10 bucks
i live in ontario, i read where you live and forget but i see corns at my lps for 39-80 bucks

ps just tell your folks it grows to 3-4 feet ... thats what i did lol


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

dark frost!! there u are man i was waiting for your responses and thx!!







... i live in thornhill,ontario... right now, im still debating whether to get a corn snake or ball python... the thing that im looking for is that my snake NOT grow up to be so heavy that i cant even lift him out of the tank... also anything larger than 5-6 ft. would be scary for my parents and would want it out of the house... also i want a snake that will just CHILL with me and wont move much and can enjoy my company just sitting watching tv or on the computer and wont have to go around chasing him as he tries to escape from me.... also i read stories on forums that they have been bit by there BP simply from just petting them, that is wat scares me a 5 foot python biting me, that cant be good! i would really like to get a BP just because they are very chilled out while corn snakes (i hear) tend to move alot and are always loooking to escape or jump out of your hands while handling them... LAstly... say my snake (whatever kind it will be) grows out to be too large for mine or my familys comfort and what can i do to find him a new home?


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

any responses are greatly appreciated


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## dark FrOsT (Sep 23, 2006)

well first i would say do all the research you can b4 buying your snake and make sure you really want it... not just today, a week but years. if you most get rid of it some zoos or serpent teriums might take it. so can sell it or just give it away.

a BP would just chill out they are not super active. and it would just sit with you and wouldnt go very far. all tho i do know someone that fell asleep while handling the BP and they lost it for about a month or two. as for them being nipping there is always the odd one that will be a biter but for the most part the are very very easy to handle and will more then likely just go into a ball shape most of the time you do to handle it.

size wise i have worked with adults and they arent heavy or hard to handle.

they are a great snake and if you get one that feeds well your all set. if you have anymore questions just ask away im glad i can help.

take it easy

dark FrOsT


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

ahh again thanks for the good advice ... i just went to my lfs and i found a 20 gal tank for sale for only $27 and i think that is a pretty good price so im deciding to get one... ALSO!!! i went this pet store near my house where all the animals they have are captive breed. i saw this male ball python (6 months old) that the snake expert, whos sucha cool dude, let me hold him. i examined him and he seems to be fine. his skin is smooth, no marks, cuts or anything wrong. his breatheing is fine (no sound). his tongue was flickering. the only thing that i thot was wrong was that he hardly moved in his tank and on my hand he stayed stilled as a rock. just wondering if that was normal? by the way, the snake is for sale for $200 canadian. is that a good deal? should i get it?... btw im in the thornhill, ontario region. (if you dont think its a good deal, do know anywhere i can get a good, healthy, nice one?)


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## dark FrOsT (Sep 23, 2006)

ya thats normal mine chills out in its hiding spot all day at night it may come out but mainly its in its cave. i payed 70 canadian for mine but im thinking it WC ... my local pet store had CB and they were 200 plus i think.


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

srry im a noob...wats WC and CB mean?... also do theres going to be a reptile expo in mississauga, ontarion on feb. 25 and i was just wondering do you think it would be better to buy a baby BP from the expo? would it be cheaper? are the snakes more healthier and in general better than those snakes in a pet store? .... OR ... should i get the $200 BP from the local pet store... the more opinions/advice the better!!!!


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## dark FrOsT (Sep 23, 2006)

WC - wild caught - animal taken from the wild
CB - captive bred - born in captivity

not sure i have never been to an expo but it wouldnt hurt to shop around. how far are you away from st. catherines? cause there is a good reptile store there


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

ohhh im pretty far from there, i live near richmondhill


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## dark FrOsT (Sep 23, 2006)

ya i couldnt remember the distance you are away. i would go to the expo you should be able to get one much cheaper then 200


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## PiranhaLos (Feb 13, 2007)

thats wat im waiting for







wooo cant wait!! will u be attending?


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## dark FrOsT (Sep 23, 2006)

when is it and where


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