Hi, I am a novice

[GlenClark]

Hi everybody,

My son has been nagging me for years to get a snake as a pet. I told him he had to wait until he was 10, which is in July.

I would appreciate any tips and advice as I am a complete novice, I have never even held a snake before. My son is keen and has been for ages so I know he is fair dinkum about it and it is not just a passing fad.

Will there be any snakes for sale around July? What sort of enclosure will I need? What sort of snake am I best off getting?

thanks

 

[Dicco]

Where are you located?

 

[soulweaver]

a good place to start is to yourself as many books as you can. There are quite a few around, go to www.herpshop.com.au and check out his selection.

whilst on your site you will see the herptrader which is classifieds for pythons, and yes you will get pythons in july, the question is do you want a hatchie or adult python? its easier to get hatchies around this time of year then it is in july, but some ppl do have hatchies, well not quite hatchies, but young snakes held back for different reasons.

can't remember the site address, but mike swan herp books is also another great place for books.

can't stress enough how important it is too read as much as you can, then you know what to expect. The net is also full of advice, but not always the right advice, read the books, then question the books on the net if you have any problems.

SW

 

[soulweaver]

one other thing i should mention, i forgot to talk about what snake to get. PPL will tell you to get a childreni because they don't grow so bit, others will say get a Brisbane Coastal python, which grows a lot bigger but is also a very hardy snake.................i say decide what sort of snake you like, if you buy the snake young by the time it gets to adult size you will be a pro, and the size won't concern you anymore.

can't go to far wrong if you buy a snake you like, rather then settling because the snake has or hasn't differenct charcteristics.

 

[redline]

hi GlenClark welcome 2 the site

 

[moosenoose]

Glen is it? I think thats great you're looking into it for him. Many parents wouldn't give a moments thought to their son asking for a snake as a pet. They are one of the most facinating animals in the animal kingdom IMPO. The general species of python, once set up correctly, would have to be one of the easiest, carefree & rewarding animals to care for. On repeating Diccos' question, where are you?

 

[GlenClark]

G'day and thanks for the replies and tips.

I am in Minchinbury in Sydney and ideally would like to start the young bloke off with a baby snake. He is 100% committed to owning a snake as I said he has been nagging me for years to get one. He likes the look of the diamond python, would this be a good starting point for a 10 year old?

 

[Rennie]

Welcome, diamonds are beautiful and make nice pets but are a little bit harder to look after than most pythons. Thats not to say you shouldn't get one if thats what he really wants, my little sister got one for her first python. Just do a little research into Diamond Python Syndrome (DPS) first. There are a lot of different opinions but I've found a lot of people say that they have to be kept outside after their first year or first few years. Some say they need UV, some say they need a wide temperature gradient and cooler temps in general, some say you have to be very careful not to overfeed them. I'm not sure exactly what causes it or who to believe because I am by no means an expert (I have kept pythons for 3 years but have learnt more from listening to discussions on here in 3 months I think) but just thought I'd inform you because no-one else has. Anyway good luck, enjoy and hopefully we'll see you around here more in the future!