Tips for Newbies thread!

[impulse reptiles]

there were almost always individuals amongst them, even whole clutches, that had no tendencies to bite at all.

i agree, some hatching's will not bite to the point were it becomes quite ridiculous,some have absolutely no urge to bite what so ever,these individuals in my experience are almost always slower feeders, its shows that the temperament of individual snakes will vary.

over the years i have began to have a soft spot for the snappiest of the clutch and go out of my way to use a hook and eventually get a calm snake that handles well...every time i tryed, iv succeeded in doing this, i have not met a snake that i couldnt calm down with reading the snakes body language, handling it right and not getting bitten.

(IMO) by the sound of it ,people aren't handling there animals right.

[Waterrat]

I also think there is a good time and bad time to handle snakes. I know few people who reach into their cage and pull their snake out to show off every time a mate comes in. Some people handle their snakes routinely, i.e. at particular time every day. Snakes are not dogs that start jumping around at 5pm because it's time for a walkie. Then there are those who don't take into consideration "before meal", "after meal", sloughing, cold surroundings (once out of its cage), strange smells (dog, cat, something they have been handling and the smell stays on the hands), situations, etc., etc. There are clues that snakes give us - you don't learn how to interpret them from books or the internet but it all comes in time. Observe before you handle.

[J-A-X]

I totally agree with you but to say "there is no such as a snake that doesn't bite"??? What message does that send out?

How about "any animal can, and will, bite in certain circumstances" ! !
You could buy a species of dog that is known to be placid, BUT if it feels the need to bite, it will !

my top tips:
-Research snake husbandry and setup the potential home, run it for a couple of weeks EMPTY and check the temps in all different ambient temps, eg with the room heater/air conditioner on, its no good having a basking spot for snakey that turns into to a roasting spot and his cool spot is 30+ before your thermostat cuts in, or worse, fails.
-go around the tub/enclosure and try and squeeze your little finger into the gaps, (between tub and lid / sliding glass doors, slots in large vents) if you can squeeze the tip of your finger in there, there is an escape route for snakey
- leave it alone to settle in for a week, offer a feed, if it takes it, great, leave it alone for another week and feed again. Establish a good feeding routine before you worry about handling. you have 20 - 30 years to handle it, don't rush it.
- lock all cages if they are in a communal part of your house... nothing gets makes me madder than the drunkin partyer wanting to to be a hero and wrestle my snakes. I keep them locked..

[IgotFrogs]

hrmmm my bit of advice i'd add to this is, don't just go from the tempture gage on your thermostat always always have a tempture probe in the enclosure as well, one of decent quilty .....

[IgotFrogs]

Oh and another one is while heat rocks might look like a good idea .... never ever put a heat rock in with a Animal with out it being pluged into a thermostat .....reptiles can and do get burnt by these devices so keep that in mind always plug into a thermostat 1st if you feel the need to use one at all

[CarpetPythons.com.au]

Michael, we like to call what you are talking about "Animal Sense"! It's not something that a reptile keeper learns overnight, and some never learn it! It's that instinct that comes with looking after lots of animals over many years. It's what we learned through trial and error. It's what we learned through not being able to run to a forum and ask somebody else what to do and how to do it! It's what we learned through losing an animal because we just did not know any better.

[smeejason]

Buy all the gear and have it up and running well before you contemplate getting the snake home. Take the time to monitor the room temps and cage temps before you stick the snake in there and wonder why it is stressed because it is to hot or to cold.
Another week waiting will not kill you but it might kill the snake not waiting.

[spongebob]

Ensure you have an ample supply of food for the herp prior to getting it, particularly if it is mostly insectivorous/rodent feeder as the little dragon/python will turn into a cricket/mouse munching monster.

Multiply this if you plan to breed. Over the coming months you will see desparate ads for woodies etc to feed newly hatched beardies, and then desparate price dropping ads for the youngsters, and then even more desparate ads for toeless beardies.I see it every year. All the result of poor planning

[raycarpetpython]

Here's a tip: never ever put anything sticky in your cage. no sticky stape, duct tape etc etc. Also not sure if anyone has mentioned this so far, but make your enclosures escape proof! The amount of people that seem to lose snakes is unreal. Seems to me that if if you think your snake might have the slightest chance of getting through a small hole or gap, they probably can/will. And I would think an enclosure with sliding glass doors would not be a good idea for a snake any less than 12 months old (or atleast 6months if it was a larger than normal snake).

just my 2 cents

[ubermensch]

I'm kinda wishing my baby WOULD bite so I could put a nice picture up on facebook :/
However she's the most placid little snake ever and the most she's ever done was headbutt me once when I poked her awake.
Although she's quite violent with her food....I don't know why she doesn't constrict, she prefers to bite the poor dead rat and bash its head in against the wall till she's sure it's "dead".

[zuesowns]

whats a good thermostat placement in a click clack and good temps for colder climates (5c and lower nights and 15c and lower days) and do what variants between night/day should be used?

Thermostat probe should be placed where you would like your hot spot/hot end (at one end of the enclosure) and from my knowledge, you won't need to drop temps at night time if you are not breeding.

[Addam]

What a good thread I'm sure most people who sign up to the sight will learn a thing or too. Can I just add, don't feed your snakes when they are obviously in slough mode, this can cause problems when the snake is shedding

[zuesowns]

Here is my tip: change your water regularly (1-3 times a week) as snakes like drinking fresh water.

Or will only drink fresh water, could someone confirm this?

[Scaler]

What a terrific thread!

I think reiterating how important research is is crucial.
Proper reading prior to buying will ensure your expectations are maintained
Perhaps its also worth mentioning that you'll need to plan to expand your enclosure for your growing snake - you may only need a click-clack to begin with, but your snake(s) will need a proper home for when they are adults. Proper reading prior to buying will ensure your expectations on size are maintained.

[ezekiel86]

some very good points everyone!