New to the forum :)

[Chelsea94]

Hey there
I am a newbie, and actually do not currently own any reptiles personally, but I am very determinded to change that after my 18th birthday!
I was wondering if anyone could tell me where I can obtain a recreational reptile licence and how can tell if I have picked a trustworthy breeder?
I am interested in buying snakes, but I am unsure of which species would be best suited as a snake for beginners? I have been told Carpet pythons
are a good first snake but others have disagreed. You will have to excuse my lack of knowledge and silly questions as I am still learning

 

[ryanm]

Welcome Chelsea.

You can apply for your Recreational Wildlife Licence through the DERM website (https://www.epa.qld.gov.au/rwl/faces/jsp/login.jsp). With regards to the breeder, do a search on this forum and you will find quite a few threads on the topic, the same with good snakes for beginners.

Good luck and hope you enjoy your time here.

 

[Chelsea94]

Thankyou!

 

[gosia]

Welcome to APS Make sure you post photos of what you decide to be the first addition, then the second, then the third..... one thing about snskes and lizards - they are soooooo addictive )))

Enjoy!

 

[Chelsea94]

Thanks, I will definatley put heaps of photos up once I have got the new addition I wont be able to help myself haha and I'm sure I'm going to become addicted, I have been browsing through some photos and have already fallen in love with reptiles!

 

[snakeynewbie]

Are you wanting a snake that will eventually get very big or a small species? If you don't mind it growing large eventually I'd recommend coastal carpets. We got our first coastal recently and it's the sweetest little thing, my 7 year old carts him around the house for hours on end . He'll be over 3 metres long eventually though so not for you if you aren't prepared for it to grow big

 

[Ambush]

G'day Welcome

 

[Chelsea94]

Thanks for the great advice! I have a friend who owns two coastal carpets and they are also very placid and lovley snakes. I think I would preffer a medium sized snake to start with, as I still have to get the family used to having a snake in the house. But I would eventually like to own a varitey of different species of snakes large and small. Would you recommend buying one as a hatchling? I have been told by a few people I would be better getting an Adult as my first snake, but I am unsure.

 

[snakeynewbie]

Personally I prefer to get them as hatchlings to close to yearlings as long as they are well established feeders, means you can get used to each other while the snake is small. That's only my personal preference though and others will have other advice and perferences for their own reasons. Our coastal is about 50cm long at the moment and I really like that he will grow up used to being handled by my kids(not that I'd ever leave him as a large snake with small children but you know what i mean)

 

[Chelsea94]

Yes I understand and agree, I live with two small children and I would like for them to become familiar with the snake while it is only small and I believe I would form a closer bond with the snake if I handle it from a young age. What is your opinion on feeding frozen food as oppose to live food? Would you recommend it?

 

[Snowman]

Quick! Runaway while you still can.........

 

[snakeynewbie]

By live food do you mean freshly killed? You should not be feeding live food at all(risk of injury to snake plus unnecessary cruelty to the prey item hence snowmans remark) and I would not buy a snake that wasn't feeding reliably on frozen food personally unless you are willing to breed your own animals and kill them just prior to feeding.

 

[Chelsea94]

Okay, I would rather feed frozen food anyways I was just double checking I was making the right decision. Sorry guys, I'm still learning.

 

[DeadCricket]

If you're looking for a smaller python I might suggest a spotted python or Mac as some people call them. My spotted often spends time with children.

Each snake has its own personality. Some breeds that are considered aggressive have individuals that never bite and visa versa.

I personally find that an older snake is more confident and therefore easier to handle for begginers, providing they have been handled correctly for their earlier years. I got my spotted at 2yrs old and he is a dream. My coastal, whilst large, is also a dream to handle.

You will find lots of great breeders here on aps and I dare say they will let you come and meet the snakes before purchase, meaning you can handle them a bit and see how you get along.

At the end of the day you need to remember you're caring for wild animals and eventually you will get bitten. Luckily enough pythons aren't venomous and it doesn't really hurt

 

[Chelsea94]

Thanks for the advice What is the average size of a spotted python? I have handled older snakes before but very few hatchlings, so I am unfamiliar with the tempermant, although I have been told they are usually pretty snappy, as I would expect. I am not too worried about the bites but how do I ensure my snake wont get a bacteria infection or disease? is it just a matter of caring for your pet properly or is there more to it? Once again sorry for the silly questions, but if I don't ask I wont find out

 

[snakeynewbie]

Spotteds will mostly max out at around 1.5 metres sometimes a little more. I have one spotted and she's a nasty little bugger but she's an exception I'd say, never handled much other than with a hook before i got her and wild as anything, I'm hoping to get a nice mate for at some stage to breed with. Mostly it comes down to good husbandry, if you keep their temperature and humidity right and feed them well the risk is low but sometimes you do just get unlucky.

 

[DeadCricket]

As mentioned, there is exceptions in every species. Good husbandry, eg temps, humidity and food, is the best you can do to avoid a sick animal.

Hatchies are generally snappy because in the wild all they do is eat and hide. Everything they come across is either something they will eat or something that will eat them.

 

[Chelsea94]

I would like a snake that will grow about that size. What size tank would you suggest for a meduim sized snake? Is it the bigger the better?

 

[snakeynewbie]

Minimum of half their body length is the norm but as a permanent homr for a spotted I'd be looking at a 3ft tank. That said as a hatchie you'll only want a small tub to keep it in until it's bigger as they can be very stressed with too much open space around them

 

[Chelsea94]

A friend of mine breeds pythons and he suggested putting hatchlings in a small tub inside of the larger enclosure to get them used to their surroundings, would you say this is good advice? I've also heard that when bringing a new snake home you should leave it in its enclosure to settle in for a while, how long should you leave them before handling them?