'proper' way to own a snake

[Beans]

The only reason I could see you needing to oil a snake, would be if you couldn't get your hands on mite spray. You oil the snake, and the mites suffocate and die. But....oiling after a shed? They do that themselves which is why they go all cloudy and crappy looking.. There is absolutely no reason to be oiling a snake I just... can't understand why you would do it? I really want you to find out and let me know. As for this forum the people here are VERY knowledgeable. They all have experience in what they do, they have wonderful ideas to share that are great. By being here you are learning more than you could from a 'few' herpetologists. As for licensing, we are all licensed. You need to be to own snakes.

 

[longqi]

As you progress you will find that there is no proper way to keep a snake
Sure the basics will not change much
But all the other bits are in a state of flux depending on both you and the snake

Only a few years ago everybody said
You cannot play with GTPs
Jungle pythons were supposedly chainsaws
To actually play with a snake meant you were very strange
To interact with a snake meant you even stranger
To treat one as a pet and member of the family still gives great concern to some people

So there is no proper way
There is just the way that suits both you and the individual snake

 

[notechistiger]

You'll learn who gives the best advice, who's been keeping for 20+ years, etc.

Keeping a single snake does not make anyone an expert, but many people think this (myself included, at one point). You'll figure out fast who these are and should take their advice with only a grain of salt (it's often just spewed out and sometimes not even in the correct context).

Everyone deserves respect though =)

Almost feels like you should avoid reptile conversations with your mother in law. Set in her ways with harmful practices and can't even tell you why? Hmmm lol

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Frankly, I don't believe any vet with reptile experience would suggest routinely oiling a snake AFTER it has shed - it's just a stupid idea which will bugger up the appearance of the snake, and may compromise its health, just when it looks its very best with its beautiful post-shed sheen. Similarly breeders... any breeder producing numbers of snakes would never suggest oiling a snake, ESPECIALLY after it has shed. If your mil has a closed mind about these things, then I pity the animals in her care. Hard to believe that information like that comes from TWO "experienced" sources. It's nonsense.

As has been suggested, oil DOES have only one place in the medicine chest for reptiles - removing rubber-based tape adhesives when a snake comes into contact with adhesive tapes - but of course any experienced keeper knows you NEVER use these products anywhere that a snake can come into contact with them.

Jamie

 

[saximus]

As others have said, if you stick around here, you will begin to work out who to listen to and who not to listen to. It's just like real life - you wouldn't take advice from anyone on the street without doing your own research or asking around to try to get a bit of consensus. So you shouldn't do that with an online forum either.
As a starting point, of all people who have offered assistance in this thread and your other one, Pythoninfinite and Trueblue are two people who you can be pretty confident listening to. These dudes have kept snakes for longer than half the people on this forum have been alive.

 

[Lawra]

Another vote towards listening to [MENTION=1228]Pythoninfinite[/MENTION]'s advice, he's like the holy jeebus of herp care. Between Jamie, [MENTION=16366]Snowman[/MENTION] and a few others there's about 100 years of experience (ducks incoming flames lol) so trust what they say!

 

[TrueBlue]

geckojosh, Its common knowledge. Seek and you shall find.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Another vote towards listening to [MENTION=1228]Pythoninfinite[/MENTION]'s advice, he's like the holy jeebus of herp care. Between Jamie, [MENTION=16366]Snowman[/MENTION] and a few others there's about 100 years of experience (ducks incoming flames lol) so trust what they say!

Yep, I'm certainly not the only one... just the one with the biggest mouth ! I'd go so far as to say that the older herps here have experience collectively in the high hundreds of years - I've been keeping and hanging around collections, both private and public, for nearly 60 years myself. More than enough to have made all the mistakes myself and inflicting some horrible things on to the reptiles in my care in the early days...

Jamie

 

[cement]

It also depends on the background of the keeper. The older fellas (and girls!) have come from the wild side. Back in the day there was no internet, and there was no basic care. there was only wild observation and trial and error. Even today, people who activily work in the feild with these animals will alway have a better understanding of the animal then the hobbyist who keeps and breeds and doesn't see a wild snake.
Not everyone can do that though...(get a wholistic experience), and that is why the internet with guys like Jamie and others really help out.

 

[Snowman]

Another vote towards listening to @Pythoninfinite's advice, he's like the holy jeebus of herp care. Between Jamie, @Snowman and a few others there's about 100 years of experience (ducks incoming flames lol) so trust what they say!

I'm just a noob. I've been lucky to meet some solid snake mentors when I started.

 

[Lawra]

I'm just a noob. I've been lucky to meet some solid snake mentors when I started.

I'm still very much a noob myself but have received some excellent advice on this forum and connected with fantastic keepers with mountains of knowledge. I was learning gradually before joining but ever since I feel my knowledge has increased exponentially. Always more to learn though! My signature seems somewhat apt in this situation lol.

 

[serpenttongue]

My mother in law for instance oils her snakes with vegetable oil. About a 10c piece after every shed. I've been told on here not to do it.

Snakes produce their own natural lubricating oils during shedding to help loosen and remove the old skin. When the skin is shed, they are left with remnants of the oil all over their body. This oil is what gives them that clean, velvety sheen after shedding. There is no good reason for someone to apply vegetable oil to a snake after shedding, unless it is heavily burdened with mites - and in which case I don't recommend vegetable oil anyway.

- - - Updated - - -

This is the first time I have heard this, do you have anymore information I can read about it?

This is common knowledge. Snakes can take in water through the skin. Many dehydrated snakes will soak in water to help hydrate themselves.

Place a single drop of water between a pythons scales and watch it suddenly disappear as it is taken in through the skin. I used to do it all the time with my diamonds.

 

[jess1802]

It's great to read everyone's opinion. And yes I'm very aware you need a licence to own reptiles. I do have one as I also own a turtle what I meant was licenced breeders etc

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

 

[Varanoidea]

It's great to read everyone's opinion. And yes I'm very aware you need a licence to own reptiles. I do have one as I also own a turtle what I meant was licenced breeders etc

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

There is no licensing for being a breeder as far as I am aware. Petshops have to purchase a license to sell herps on their premises, though.

 

[baker]

There is no such thing as a licensed breeder other than the keeping license that is required for your relevant state. Any person with two of a species can breed and become a breeder. That is why you also have to take the advice given to you by a breeder of the animal you are buying with a grain of salt depending on who the breeder is.
Some of the best places to get advice is on forums and facebook pages like this where you can read several different opinions on the topics as you need because keeping reptiles is not a straight forward one way fits all process. You will quickly work out who are the good people to listen to and who to completely ignore with the advice that they post. Books and other internet sites are also great places to get information just be careful when using internet sites as anyone can create one.
Cheers Cameron.