New: Advice and ideas for a snake would be appreciated!

[ShrimpKing]

Hi all,

I have been keeping Aussie turtles, Blue tongue skinks and countless aquariums for many years now and I have finally gotten to the point of potentially investing some time into keeping a snake. I have never owned a snake before.

I have some specific requirements, I am open to anyone's ideas.
Here is what I am looking for in a snake:

-Can be kept under a NSW R1 class licence
-The smaller the better (like I really only want a SMALL snake)
-Can be kept in a semi-aquatic enclosure
(I want to have a custom built enclosure, the bottom third will be an aquarium with bulkheads leading to filtration and heating and small schools of Australian Smelt, and the top two thirds will be an arboreal environment. That way the snake can live its days in the trees but still go for a swim or a feed in the water.)

I have heard that Stimson's pythons and Pygmy pythons stay relatively small, however I do not know if these snakes would do well in such a humid (semi-aquatic) environment.

Again, I have never owned a snake before, so any and all advice would be great.

Cheers, ShrimpKing

 

[Imported_tuatara]

semi aquatic...Keelback/freshwater snake would probs be your only option, they stay relatively small too. dunno if they're on the R1, but they're definitely a more active snake. is there any specific reason it has to be semi-aquatic?

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

is there any specific reason it has to be semi-aquatic?

Because of the above mentioned setup he wants to use...

 

[ShrimpKing]

semi aquatic...Keelback/freshwater snake would probs be your only option, they stay relatively small too. dunno if they're on the R1, but they're definitely a more active snake. is there any specific reason it has to be semi-aquatic?

Yeah mate, there is no way I am getting a new pet without there being some sort of aquarium involved.
I'd like to have a habitat set up that resembles a Riparian zone, having both the "river" and the "trees".

Keelback's only grow to 75cm, so that is a good option. Thanks

(Keelbacks are only on Class 2 licence)

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Keelback's only grow to 75cm, so that is a good option. Thanks

It's probably your only option... Stimmie's and Pygmy's would not suit your proposed habitat.

 

[ShrimpKing]

Yes I suspected they would not suit such a habitat.

I am open to larger snakes (prefer smaller) but it has to be a species that could cope with the humidity and the semi-aquatic habitat.

 

[Bl69aze]

Sounds like you aren’t wanting a snake out of interest in snakes but rather just so you can add it to your list of things you keep.

 

[cris]

There are a few aquatic and semiaqautic snakes, but I don't think any are on that lower category (I don't know the list though). Common tree snakes should be fine in that sort of enclosure, but not the best choice as a first snake.

 

[Snapped]

Would the chemicals in the aquarium be dangerous for a snake? (just thinking out loud here) and how would the snake have a cool zone?

 

[cris]

Water skinks might be worth considering if you are interested in other reptiles.

Would the chemicals in the aquarium be dangerous for a snake? (just thinking out loud here) and how would the snake have a cool zone?

You shouldn't need to add chemicals to an aquarium under normal circumstances. Some poisons used to control fish disease can be harmful to snakes, so it would be best to remove the fish or snake if you needed to treat the fish. The water would be cool enough in most situations. Heat should be provided by a basking light to create an area of lower humidity.

 

[ShrimpKing]

Sounds like you aren’t wanting a snake out of interest in snakes but rather just so you can add it to your list of things you keep.

Excuse me, but it is my love of aquatic animals that is the reasoning behind my proposed design and requirements for a snake. If it was indeed how you say (just to add it to a list of things that I keep), then why would I not just buy a whole lot of easy going cheap snakes to improve my "list"? Instead, I have been extremely specific in what I am looking for, because I KNOW what I am looking for and am not just "adding to a list".

Water skinks might be worth considering if you are interested in other reptiles.

Common Tree snakes were my first thought, but yes, probably not a good first snake. I have thought of Eastern Water Skinks, however aquarium bulkheads and weirs are apparently unsafe for smaller skinks (risk of drowning).

You shouldn't need to add chemicals to an aquarium under normal circumstances. Some poisons used to control fish disease can be harmful to snakes, so it would be best to remove the fish or snake if you needed to treat the fish. The water would be cool enough in most situations. Heat should be provided by a basking light to create an area of lower humidity.

Purified rainwater and poses no threat to ELN turtles or skinks, so the water isn't an issue (unless treating ailments and diseases as stated above).

 

[Nero Egernia]

Sounds like you aren’t wanting a snake out of interest in snakes but rather just so you can add it to your list of things you keep.

Bl69aze, that comment's unnecessary. Some people may simply have specific requirements for what they want in a pet. Some people wish to keep their snakes in simple easy to clean setups, while some want something that's easy to handle, and others are interested in unusual colours etc. In ShrimpKing's case he's interested in aquatic critters.

 

[Buggster]

The only thing I can think of that may suit is a Water Python, but they are by no means a small snake (nor are they known for their docile temperaments...).

If you’re willing to wait and put your project on hold, you can first get a smaller snake (like a Stimsons) and gain experience and confidence with the care and handling of the animal before moving onto something bigger.

The only problem I see with your idea is the bottom third as being only water- whatever snake you get (be it a Water Python, Keelback...) is going to need somewhere to stretch out on the ground and can’t be expected to live solely in the branches or on the water. A suggestion would be instead create a ‘sloped’ surface so that say half of the ‘ground’ is above water and dry at any time. While this would mean a larger enclosure to fit everything in, it would look awesome.

And if you’re willing to give up the whole aquatic snake altogether, a GTP may suit as they do live their lives almost entirely in the tree and do require a higher humidity than other snakes (from memory...). Again they would still need a place on the ground to be able to go down to if they want, but they do make awesome display animals and a water feature in the tank would look stunning with them. Don’t think they’re real keen swimmers though, so you’re unlikely to see them going for a splash or fish.

They are R2 animals, but again, they are a trickier species to keep so it would be worth getting a more sturdy animal to play around with first (in a ‘typical’ setup).

Please keep us updated! I’d love to see how it turns out
[doublepost=1520657996,1520657742][/doublepost]

(From google) this is someone GTP setup- Snake is on the right wall just about half way up.

 

[Bl69aze]

Sorry about my “rude” response earlier.

I only skimmed your post and the parts that stuck out was that you kept all that other stuff and wanted a snake. And in my rush I took it as “I only want a snake because I’ve never had one but it has to be X X and X “ and I didn’t read the requirements u set out


Unless youre living over a lake in a rainforest, I wouldn’t think ambient humidity would be such a problem compared to humidity from people spraying their enclosure and their heat lamps sucking it all up.

 

[ShrimpKing]

The only thing I can think of that may suit is a Water Python, but they are by no means a small snake (nor are they known for their docile temperaments...).

If you’re willing to wait and put your project on hold, you can first get a smaller snake (like a Stimsons) and gain experience and confidence with the care and handling of the animal before moving onto something bigger.

The only problem I see with your idea is the bottom third as being only water- whatever snake you get (be it a Water Python, Keelback...) is going to need somewhere to stretch out on the ground and can’t be expected to live solely in the branches or on the water. A suggestion would be instead create a ‘sloped’ surface so that say half of the ‘ground’ is above water and dry at any time. While this would mean a larger enclosure to fit everything in, it would look awesome.

And if you’re willing to give up the whole aquatic snake altogether, a GTP may suit as they do live their lives almost entirely in the tree and do require a higher humidity than other snakes (from memory...). Again they would still need a place on the ground to be able to go down to if they want, but they do make awesome display animals and a water feature in the tank would look stunning with them. Don’t think they’re real keen swimmers though, so you’re unlikely to see them going for a splash or fish.

They are R2 animals, but again, they are a trickier species to keep so it would be worth getting a more sturdy animal to play around with first (in a ‘typical’ setup).

Please keep us updated! I’d love to see how it turns out
[doublepost=1520657996,1520657742][/doublepost]View attachment 323569

(From google) this is someone GTP setup- Snake is on the right wall just about half way up.

Cheers for the advice!

The setup that I am thinking of would actually have a ledge down the bottom that would act as a "ground level". However below this ledge would be the aquarium level. The ledge would span most of the surface area but there would still be sloped spaces on the sides and front (for access).

I am really liking the idea of a Keelback, but that will mean keeping other snake/s first for both experience and R2 requirements.

While GTP are beautiful, they are a big snake, which means a massive enclosure (if I were to add a water level it would be even more so).

Thanks for the advice, will keep it in mind.

Sorry about my “rude” response earlier.

I only skimmed your post and the parts that stuck out was that you kept all that other stuff and wanted a snake. And in my rush I took it as “I only want a snake because I’ve never had one but it has to be X X and X “ and I didn’t read the requirements u set out


Unless youre living over a lake in a rainforest, I wouldn’t think ambient humidity would be such a problem compared to humidity from people spraying their enclosure and their heat lamps sucking it all up.

All good, just making sure we are clear. The passion is real, but i'm not getting my first snake just to have one, I want it to be through real passion.

 

[Imported_tuatara]

What size is the enclosure, too?

 

[Scutellatus]

If done correctly with enough air flow, there isn't a reason that you couldn't pick any species of snake. You best bet would be to get a reptile identification book/field guide and find something that catches your eye. Then work on the specifics of how much humidity the particular species can handle and design the air flow in the enclosure around that.

 

[cris]

While GTP are beautiful, they are a big snake, which means a massive enclosure (if I were to add a water level it would be even more so).

They are not that big and do not require a massive enclosure, if they are available on your licence that would be my pick if you don't feel confident about getting a common tree snake. I'm not actually sure if keeping other snakes would make you better prepared to keep a tree snake. The potential problems with tree snakes occur if they are not weaned before you get them or if you are not able to handle a snake that is very fast and agile.

 

[Buggster]

Only issue I'm seeing with Keelbacks is that I don't believe that they are a particularly good choice for an arboreal tank- I believe they are a more ground-dwelling species (and not to mention their availability in the hobby- I've yet to see one for sale or anyone mention they actually own one).

While GTP's may grow big they're not a species that needs a whole lot of space- they don't move around all that much and pretty much stick to their perch. Height is more important to them than anything else, but I've seen adults successfully kept in smaller enclosures (3ft h 1ft w 1ft l).
They are also not a species that should be handled too often which is something to consider. As babies their skin can be very fragile, and as adults getting them off a perch can be a real pain (literally- they have huge teeth).

If you're wanting to jump straight into keeping, the only other thing I can think of is a Diamond Python (which are relatively cheap, readily available and amazing looking animals). They are another arboreal python who does prefer a higher humidity than some other snake (and are also on R1). While for the most part very docile snakes they do tend to grow very big (around the 2-3m mark) but are an incredibly slow growing python (my 2 yr old Diamond is half the size and a fraction of the weight of my 2yr old Woma (and Woma's usually max out at the 1.5m mark)). I'm planning on moving him into an aviary when he gets really big, but that's a few years off yet, so it's not a terrible idea to get one as a practise/starter snake as I imagine what you are proposing would suit one, for a few years at least.
[doublepost=1520664057,1520663844][/doublepost]
Here’s my 2yr old boy. Excuse the mess of a tank- it’s clean up day and I was in the process of stripping the tank when Mr Cranky woke up. He spends 80% of his time up on the branches, 15% in his hanging boxes and the other 5% on the ground

 

[ShrimpKing]

What size is the enclosure, too?

I am thinking of having an enclosure that is 2 foot (depth) by 3 foot (width). The water section would be 1 foot high and then from the waterline to the top of the enclosure it would be 2 foot high. (Rough measurements)

If done correctly with enough air flow, there isn't a reason that you couldn't pick any species of snake. You best bet would be to get a reptile identification book/field guide and find something that catches your eye. Then work on the specifics of how much humidity the particular species can handle and design the air flow in the enclosure around that.

I am looking to actually have a species that would be active in an aquatic environment. (Hence why I am steering away from Stimson's and a pygmy).

Only issue I'm seeing with Keelbacks is that I don't believe that they are a particularly good choice for an arboreal tank- I believe they are a more ground-dwelling species (and not to mention their availability in the hobby- I've yet to see one for sale or anyone mention they actually own one).

While GTP's may grow big they're not a species that needs a whole lot of space- they don't move around all that much and pretty much stick to their perch. Height is more important to them than anything else, but I've seen adults successfully kept in smaller enclosures (3ft h 1ft w 1ft l).
They are also not a species that should be handled too often which is something to consider. As babies their skin can be very fragile, and as adults getting them off a perch can be a real pain (literally- they have huge teeth).

If you're wanting to jump straight into keeping, the only other thing I can think of is a Diamond Python (which are relatively cheap, readily available and amazing looking animals). They are another arboreal python who does prefer a higher humidity than some other snake (and are also on R1). While for the most part very docile snakes they do tend to grow very big (around the 2-3m mark) but are an incredibly slow growing python (my 2 yr old Diamond is half the size and a fraction of the weight of my 2yr old Woma (and Woma's usually max out at the 1.5m mark)). I'm planning on moving him into an aviary when he gets really big, but that's a few years off yet, so it's not a terrible idea to get one as a practise/starter snake as I imagine what you are proposing would suit one, for a few years at least.
[doublepost=1520664057,1520663844][/doublepost]View attachment 323570
Here’s my 2yr old boy. Excuse the mess of a tank- it’s clean up day and I was in the process of stripping the tank when Mr Cranky woke up. He spends 80% of his time up on the branches, 15% in his hanging boxes and the other 5% on the ground

Diamond Pythons are a bit too big. I am hoping to have a very big enclosure with a small snake (so that the snake has more than amble room, and then some more). I know I may seem to be picky, but as I have said above, I want to get this just right (a lot easier said than done).