FAQ: What is a good first python?

[Greebo]

This question comes up alot. I would like some well constructed answers to this question which I will then make into a sticky post for all new members to read.
All posts that are chit-chat, badly written or not helpful will be removed then I will close the thread and make it a sticky thread.
The question is:
I have a 3ft by 2ft by 2ft enclosure. What would be a good first python and why?

[Dan19]

Coastals are imo the best first snake because they settle down and get used to humans better... i started off with a coastal and he was awesome as

[eladidare]

yeh i agree with dan... coastals, md's etc... hardy. easy to look after...etc

[x_aussie_bloke_x]

ill rather go 4 the smaller . eg spotted python something like that .

[SlothHead]

I think that the most important thing to consider when considering to have a python is, what space do you have available long term for housing of the animal.

If you have a 3 x 2 x 2 enclosure and this is all you will ever be able to fit, then the best first snake will be a species in the Antaresia family.

They grow to a max size of 1- 1.5m and therefore this enclosure would be fine for them as they become full grown.

If for example you have more room and will accommodate as the animal grows. Then the best first animal will be;
A one that you find appealing to you,
B one that is relatively easy to handle and
C one that is hardy with respect to vivarium or enclosure conditions, and with respect to your geographic location.

So to elaborate further.
A: This is an individual thing and can only be decided by you

B. The reason why you would want your first species relatively easy to handle is because you are going to have to handle the animal at times. Whether this is for cleaning, or feeding, or whatever the case may be, just to get them out. So a species that it relatively more placid than another would be an advantage as you build confidence in your handling ability and you build your “snake reading” skills. As such species that are renowned for being more placid than another would be:
Inland Carpets,
Diamonds,
Womas,
Bredli, and
Stimsons.

C. Since it is the first python in the collection, you are going to want to start out on the right foot with respect to care of the animal. So ideally, you will want your enclosure to mimic the natural environment that the species is endemic to. i.e. temperature variation, humidity variation, seasonal changes. When this is considered, you must also consider your geographic location and therefore the temps and humidity that the animal will be kept in. What I mean by this is, if you live in Cape York, the general temp will be higher and the humidity will be higher than the natural environment that a diamond lives in.

So you must consider what ambient temps you have in the house (or wherever you are housing the animal). It is always easier to increase temps and humidity than it is to reduce them. As such a hardy species will be the one that you can easily imitate their environment.

Therefore, if you live in the south of the country where temps are lower and humidity is comparatively lower, then most species will be quite easy to keep. For example, if you live in the ACT, a diamond python can be easily kept with little change to their enclosure other than a basking light and fluoro, with no overnight heating. But if you lived in Cairns, keeping a diamond would be far more difficult as you would then have to have a cool area so that they are not kept at constant high temps.

So the first animal that you select should be one where you can easily imitate their environment with respect to temps and humidity, which is dependant on the geographic locality that you will be keeping them in

There is no simple answer as there are other factors that must be factored into the equation. Each individual will have a different out come with possibly differing reasons.

In conclusion:

If you have limited space for keeping an animal, then the only option that you really have will be a species from the Antaresia family.
If space is not a problem and you can expand where you are keeping them, then Inland Carpet, Diamonds, Womas, Bredli, Stimsons. These species are easy to handle, they don’t grow too big (relative to others) and their environments, depending on your location can be easily replicated.

All the best, and any further help I am always open for questions.

[kandi]

my 1st snake was a maculosa and he was but nasty, sold him and bought a children's the best snake eva, my stimson would not eat i guess i was to in experienced traded for a much easier stimson he is lovely. and blonde mac's are nice as well. i chose these because they do not grow large, i have been zucked by a coastal and i guess they r not for me now. but as my experience grows who knows what i will have in the future. cheers debbie

[thesilverbeast]

any of the antaresia species would be fine in that size as adults.

out of them are the
Childrens - grows around a meter or just over, mostly faded markings
Spotted - Grows to around 1.5m, mostly has smaller spots for markings and doesn't fade as much as the childrens.
Stimsons - my personal favourite and generally known as the better looking of the three, adults will retain most of their paterns and will grow to about 1m.

[Mort123]

I reckon Coasties are the best beginner pythons, as i've heard childreni etc. have feeding probs

[Sdaji]

A good choice depends on the keeper. There is no one best choice for everyone. Coastal Carpets can grow to be large snakes, sometimes over 10' long, which makes them unsuitable for many people. Like most species, they vary from being brilliant feeders to extremely stubborn, so while one might be brilliant, another may be a nightmare. When it comes to handling, they're similar; some are very placid and laid back, others will bite anything within reach.

There are exceptions to just about every rule, but overall, bredli and Murray Darling Carpets are probably the best carpets for beginners as they're the most consistently well natured ones and typically brilliant feeders. They're also the two which are most resistant to health issues.

Children's Pythons (including Stimson's and Spotteds) are typically brilliant, and are a very managable size. More often than not they handle well (but of course there are exceptions), and once they start feeding are usually brilliant feeders for the rest of their lives.

Tanami Womas are brilliant, they typically have excellent temperaments, they're briiliant feeders and usually range from about 5-7' in length, which is great for people who want something larger than a Children's but not too huge to be managable. They're now becoming more affordable, so would be an ideal choice for many people.

It's probably worth noting that Diamonds have the highest incidence of health issues of all the commonly kept pythons, and despite being frequently recommended are not likely to thrive in the long term.

Under the right circumstances, any of them can be great, but similarly, any of them can be bad. Choosing a good individual is as important as choosing the right species.

[herpie boy]

murray darlings would have to be up there, as they are a very placid snake and great to handle,exellent feeders even from a young age.being an arborial species i found them to be very facinating and active in their enclosure. they are also a great choice for the fact that if the keeper decides to breed in the future they are one of the easiest to breed.i couldnt have asked for a better first snake........... i miss you guys

[S.D.]

I like all of the information above. Very well thought-out and useful.

If I was to answer the question, in a more “simple” way (to suit my experience as opposed to the above) I would suggest a Woma, in particular, of South Australian locality, as a great candidate for a first python. From all reports, and from my own experience, this locality of Woma is very well suited and received in captivity. I believe there are many reasons for this and I shall do my best to explain why with the following.

I believe one of the main reasons is due to the South Australian Woma’s temperament. Yes it is true that each snake is an individual - irrespective of species, locality or even clutch and parents. There may indeed be individuals of this locality out there that are prone to being cage defensive, dislike being handled and as a result act aggressively towards their keeper. However I am yet to hear of any specific cases of South Australian Womas showing any such behaviour (but like I said there will be cases out there and all snakes can and will bite their owner if they chose to). I think the temperament of a snake is very important when considering a soon-to-be keeper’s first choice of python – almost everyone wants a very placid and agreeable python to start off with as it’s a lot easier to keep, look after and most importantly learn from and enjoy their new companion. Although many experienced keepers may do their best to deter constant or even any handling of snakes at all, it is much easier said than done for first time keepers – we were all eager to make friends with this strange new creature when we were first introduced – and if we were to have been constantly bitten by our new “friend”, then I would assume our venture into the world of herpetology would have been very short lived or not as pleasing as we’d first thought (well for most anyway).

Another reason why I would suggest a Woma Python as a good first choice of snake relates to their “keepability” (yes, I know that’s not a word ). What I mean to say, is that Woma Pythons, in my experience, are very easy to look after and maintain as a healthy captive. Womas seem to be very robust and this may be due to the environment in which this species has survived for thousands of years. A desert has very little water to drink, much less humidity then the environment in which most other pythons occur (which aids the shedding process) and in particular, a huge variation in temperatures throughout the year (45 degrees and beyond in Summer to 10 degrees and below during Winter). Although it is best to have read and learned as much as one can from experienced python keepers, like everything else in life, the most experience is gained by “doing” – and having to do too much is a burden which many would deem unwarranted for a new keeper to carry. A Green Tree Python for example requires much more humidity in its enclosure to mimic its natural environment which is in the rainforests of North-Queensland. As a result many keepers suggest daily spraying of their python(s) and also various cage furniture and even substrate according to some. Also many keepers of Diamond Pythons suggest UV lights, basking lights on a timer (to come on only in the morning for a specific period), erratic temperatures and/or even outdoor enclosures to maintain this species. A Woma python on the other hand needs little to no consideration given to humidity (a water bowl, clean dry substrate, sufficient ventilation and a rough-surface or piece of furniture to rub on is all that is required for Womas to shed without problems usually), no UV requirements (although UV lights will not harm a Woma) and, due to the Woma’s natural environment, they usually thrive with floor heat (heat mats or head cord) as this is how they would usually bask and increase their body temperature (usually on a warm rock or from within a small cave or crevice for example). In my opinion, and as those of other’s suggest also, a Woma is far more suited to a simple click-clack setup with floor heat (for the first 6 – 12 months of its captive life) as opposed to Carpet Pythons for example who are more suited to an overhead heat source (although a click-clack with floor heat is more than sufficient for most of these pythons also). Therefore I can not think of a python that is easier to maintain and keep healthy for a new keeper than a Woma.

One more area in which I believe a Woma Python’s characteristics seem to compliment captive life relates to their feeding behaviour. Today with a greater number of generations having been bred in captivity and the improvement of husbandry techniques, animals with feeding problems and specialist diets seem to be a thing of the past. Despite this however, many a new keeper is always concerned with a python that seems to dislike the idea of eating mice and/or rats or indeed anything at all. Admittedly, most of these pythons will eventually get used to this idea and feed from that point on with no problems at all. Most pythons will not even be sold until they have been feeding unassisted for some time which makes the process for new keepers even easier. When it comes to food, Womas are in a class of their own though – most will attest to the Woma’s eating behaviour being similar to that of a pig. Woma Pythons are renowned for not being problematic or finicky eaters once they have been established. The only problem a new keeper might come across with Womas is saying “NO!” to that cute angelic face and puppy-dog-like eyes after they have just eaten their first mouse or rat in record time. In other words Womas are basically the “Fatty-Fatty-Bom-Baa” of pythons.

So after all that I hope I have established that South Australian Woma Pythons (or at least Womas overall) are at least due some consideration when deciding on a keeper’s first snake. In general (and put simply), Womas are nice, they’re very easy to care for and look after and they also like to eat. Like everything though, there are always a few cons to the pros. One would generally be the price of Womas. Although the price for Womas has fallen considerably in the last few years, they are still around the $1000 mark, which puts them out of reach for a lot of keepers, let alone a first-timer. $800 seems to be a very decent price these days but in the next few years it wouldn’t surprise me if the average price for a South Australian Woma for example dropped to around $500. Despite this though, and like I have stated previously, in most other respects, Womas seem to be the perfect captive and as a result an excellent choice for a first python. Hopefully the price will soon compliment this fact.

[Ryan93]

id go for coastal or even a central carpet python. they are a realy tame python.

[Inkslinger]

A good first python to buy would be a sub adult or adult one that is an established feeder used to being handled and with no past health issues.

An established python is much easier for a beginner to deal with no snappiness set temperament etc,

Look around in person. (if possible take an experienced person with you)

Handle the python you intend to buy .

Ask to see feeding shed records.

Inquire if the seller has a regular vet for his pythons. (This may be very important in future should your python become ill.)

Look at the set up the python is currently being kept in does it match in size yours?

Note substrate, lighting, heating and temperatures,

Note if the enclosure is in a high traffic area or a quite out of the way spot. This will enable you to ease your python into his new home with little stress. Ask if you can take the substrate with you as this will also aid as a comforter to the animal as it will have his smell on it.

When you have decided on your python ask the seller if you can observe it being fed.

Don't jump at the first python you see you will know the one that is right for you.

As to species do your research first they are so varied in price, size, attitude and husbandry. All of this must be taken into account, not just which one is the best looking.

Remember Pythons live a very long time so this is a big commitment.
Tread carefully, ask questions, research and go slowly and you wont be disappointed.

[Eiroc]

I'd like to say a coastal carpet as the first snake but they would need to be prepared to get a larger enclosure than 3ft as it grows. Either a tame one that has been purchased from another owner or as a hatchie so that you can get it used to being handled from an early age. An adult 6 to 8 foot python that bites would not be appropriate for any beginner.
Otherwise it would be one of the antaresia species, bought from a breeder - not from an average pet shop. They are easy to look after and handle, but if you don't know the history on it's feeding habits, you could be in for a surprise trying to get it to take food if you end up with a problem one. Many have their own quirky eating tricks and habits, so a beginner would not know how to approach the problem.

[serenaphoenix]

It also depends on how much you can afford to spend on said python - Womas certainly are lovely snakes - but not every first-time keeper can fork out the $700 + on one snake.

I agree with the above comments that Murray Darlings are beautiful snakes with an exceptionally docile temperment, great feeding response and an agreeable price tag to match - however 3ftx2ftx2ft isn't really big enough for an adult, and if this is all the space you have you would have to stick to an antaresia (Children's, Maccie or Stimson).

Also keep in mind that although it might seem pretty amazing to get an enormous snake (such as an olive or a scrubby) - you also have to pay for enormous meals, an enormous enclosure and possibly - if that snake turns on you - an enormous hospital bill. Best to think things through...

That said, don't go for second best - if you don't REALLY want a childrens python - don't get one just because it's "Suitable" - you'll probably regret it and end up buying the one you originally wanted anyway - just think about all the factors as outlined by the very experienced herpers above.