I know this sounds silly -.- but how do you hold a snake?

[RedFox]

Cazza why don't you look at spotted pythons, stimsons pythons, woma pythons, as well as children's.

Reptile Husbandry Articles by Southern Cross Reptiles

Read article 1 and 10. They might give you a starting point.

 

[Cazza]

Can you get a woma python in SA? or do you have to get a basic licence first?

 

[sharky]

My first snake was a spotted python. Small species, cute and reluctant to bite. (I've had my girl for 1 year, not one snap!) But then again none of my snakes have ever been snappy :? I guess it is up to the individual snake. If you can find hatchies with both parents being highly docile then there is a greater chance of your hatchie being a sweet heart! Hatchie bites don't hurt anyway. If you can get them out of the snappy stage before they are adults (or big) then you should be fine. I think if you want a coastal you should get one. I was recommended by 10 different people to stay away from Jungles but I still got one! My girl hasn't even snapped at me I agree with Jax though, be careful when holding an adult, the can change in a blink of an eye. Good idea to have someone always with you.

I would recommend as starters: Childrens, Stimsons, Spotteds, Pygmy, Woma, MD and bredlis. These are the species I would recommend but I say you can get what you want if you KNOW you ARE READY. (Except species such as scrubs, GTPS, olives and roughies )

Also there is nothing wrong with not knowing how to hold a snake. The breeder will not care! They'd be more then happy to show you how to hold a python properly, most snake people aren't judgemental and want to help youth/newbies get into reps. Also ask to hold the coastal parents, see if you'd be able to handle and hold an adult one. If you don't feel so confident with a big coastal wrapped around you, go for a smaller species and work your way up as you become more comfortable and experienced.

Good luck! (And glad to see more girls our age getting into the hobby )

 

[J-A-X]

If this is going to be your only pet then you don't need a license here in SA. If you already have a bird/amphibian/lizard on the list below then you will need a licence
http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/827168b1-063b-4daf-a547-9e6100c2780e/Basic_animals_list.pdf

Yes Womas are available in SA

 

[sharky]

For 1 protected animal you do not need a licence

Damn! Jax bet me to it

 

[Sel]

I think you should all stop trying to talk her out of buying what she wants!

A coastal is fine for you, it will get big.. but no big deal if thats what you want.
Anteresia will only grow 1- 1.5 metres.. if i was you, id go for it.. Although, id get a Diamond instead

Good luck

 

[bigjoediver]

Why not look at a Gammon ranges Carpet python, don't grow as big as a coastal but have the nice carpet patterns. Not that common but SXR have some nice yearlings for sale at present (around $250 ish from memory).

 

[Bananapeel]

I would recommend as starters: Childrens, Stimsons, Spotteds, Pygmy, Woma, MD and bredlis. These are the species I would recommend but I say you can get what you want if you KNOW you ARE READY. (Except species such as scrubs, GTPS, olives and roughies )


Good luck! (And glad to see more girls our age getting into the hobby )

+1 except that roughies make great starter snakes. Good size, generally great temperament, the teeth are a bit off putting but that doesn't worry me.
MDs are smaller and a great starter snake but still reaching over 2m+ give or take.
Any of the ants. Woma also perfect beginner snake with some size. Bredlis again great. Decently sized but a nice snake. But by all means go with a coastal.
Oh and really good to see more teen girls in the hobby. I just need to move to SA now lol.
Oh and I wanted a biggish first snake too so i didnt go with any of the antaresias. Oh and dont worry, you'll be in possession of multiple sized snakes in no time if your parents aren't like mine at least...

 

[Cazza]

I have looked at all of these snakes and the Woma is starting to stand out from the crowd more people recommend them (plus the colour that they have is very pretty lol).

 

[J-A-X]

I think you should all stop trying to talk her out of buying what she wants!

A coastal is fine for you, it will get big.. but no big deal if thats what you want.
Anteresia will only grow 1- 1.5 metres.. if i was you, id go for it.. Although, id get a Diamond instead

Good luck

I'm not trying to talk her out of it, just making sure she has all the facts going in. My coastal was my first snake but I was well over the age of 15. I actually researched every species allowed on a basic permit before coming to my decision. Unfortunately it would seem that Cazzas has not.

What other pets do you have Cazza - apart from a chihuahua ?

 

[PieBald]

I agree with Jax dont buy a large growing snake.

 

[Cazza]

Apart from my Chihuahua I have 6 budgies (that are breeding) but they are outside in an avery. I convinced my mum (which took alot of arguing) to keep the snake inside and she has said yes as long as I keep the snake in a non- carpeted room, which means I have to keep it where lino is. (I also had to promise never to let it loose on the floor lol.)

 

[J-A-X]

Check the for sale section. If you cant find one in sa then a lot of breeders will ship from interstate (more paperwork and expense)
I'm not sure when the breeding season is for Womas.

If you are sure you want a woma then upgrade your account to a subscriber and put a 'wanted to buy' thread in the marketplace.
You cannot ask for breeders outside of the marketplace without copping an infraction !

 

[Tesla]

Get a coastal, they are excellent beginner snakes. Will feed readily, are more interesting to watch than Antaresia and are a lot more hardy than the above mentioned species.
People here seem to base their opinions on what they have read on the forums, the problem with that is the person they read it from more than likely did the same. It would be nice if people actually commented with their personal experiences rather than what they have read.

 

[Cazza]

I was origianally going for a Coastal , but my mum would probably kick me out of the house if it grew pretty big (more than 3.5m) and I would be either living at my grandparents house or out in the shed . Nah, I just think that it is best to get something that doesn't take up too much room (and won't give my sis nightmares lol because she never wants to hold or touch a snake). So I reckon for someone like me (a beginner) I reckon to start off with I should get somthing small like J-A-X suggested.

 

[J-A-X]

Do as much research about the species that interest you the most, find out how big, what temps, etc.
then start getting cost for your enclosure - maybe dad might be able to build one for you.
Don't forget costs of thermostats, thermometers, heat cords or lights.
Do you know where to get the food and how much it will cost. Will mum let you keep it in the family freezer!

Getting a snake is the easy and often the cheapest part.

Head to the wiki article for more information
http://www.aussiepythons.com/wiki/Frequently-Asked-Questions.

 

[Damiieen]

Snakes don't exactly grow that quick but obviously that can vary on how often you feed and what you feed. If you want a coastal and are gonna start off with a yearling then go for it! You will get the hang of it in no time!

Research is key!

 

[Damiieen]

Also Antaresia didn't appeal to me and I wanted something that grew to a decent size so I got a Bredli..

 

[Trimeresurus]

Get whatever snake you want. If you want a python that's easy to deal with stay away from green tree pythons, as overdramatised as people make keeping them, that minimal extra effort can be too much for some to keep up with.

I don't know why people don't reccomend any of the big snakes for starters, if she gets it now it's going to take years to grow big.. if she gets it in a year or 2 it's going to take years to grow big..do you think she needs to watch a stimson grow to a metre before she can own a jungle, then that to 6ft before a coastal? Stupid logic.


Coastals are hardy snakes and if you buy a yearling it's going to be ages before it's big (unless big is 6ft to you). These snakes don't grow overnight, your family will see it grow with you, and by the time it even makes it to 7-8ft you'll know the snake and how to handle it inside out. That being said, I do recommend making sure you'll be able to have a 4-6ft long tank somewhere in the future.

+1 except that roughies make great starter snakes. Good size, generally great temperament, the teeth are a bit off putting but that doesn't worry me.

I agree, except their teeth, like chondros aren't big, bigger than others if you look at the size of the snake in comparison but feels no worse than any other snake.

 

[bigjoediver]

GTP's and RSP's are out of the equation for the OP as both are specialist permit animals in SA. As for everyone trying to talk her out of a coastal, I think it's more for her mums benefit not hers. Mums obviously not a snake fan and would more likely be open to something that's not going to end up 8ft long.