All around favorite?

[Primo]

I want to ask you folks from Australia what your all around favorite Aussie python is and why. I would love to own another animal here though I doubt my wife will agree.
As of now I have a select few snakes that have peaked my interest that include an Olive, a Bredli and a Brisbane, locality coastal. Those are the Aussie snakes I'd like. I also like the Suriname boa constrictor and the super dwarf reticulated pythons.

Right now I currently have my son's female Royal python (boring) she is pretty much completely terrestrial and not very active. Her feeding habits are typical of the species and other than the fact that she was my son's 9th birthday present 4 years ago I really don't have an attachment to her.

I have a Barranquilla, Colombian boa constrictor which I love. He is semi arboreal, thick and muscular and eats anything at any time. I feed him monthly which may seem infrequent but almost all boas are overfed in captivity.

My (our) third snake is a coastal carpet mix/mutt. She is very active, probably beats the boa in activity and is even more arboreal. I will say the 2 traits I really enjoy are semi arboreal activity and activity in general. My female coastal is however a terrible feeder. Carpets would probably beat boas for me if they had the size. I assume my non eater is not the norm for carpets.

If I was to choose an Aussie python based on activity and climbing/display behavior would you guys give the nod to a Bredli, Brisbane coastal or olive? I know olives are not huge climbers but I hear they are quite active.

I'm equipped to handle 10-12 feet and maybe 40 pounds (apologies for the non metric) of snake and I'd like to see at least an 8 footer.

I'm curious to hear your recommendations. Thanks for any insight/experience.

Cheers!

This is how I display our animals.

Carpet cage.

Top cage royal and bottom boa constrictor.

 

[pythoninfinite]

I think each species has its individual appeal, but a perfect, unmarked Olive, with its fine small scales and velvet sheen is hard to beat. M. bredli is also underrated I think, and have suffered in this country by being bred in huge numbers which have made them a bit "ho hum" for many keepers, and hard to get rid of as hatchies. The juvies are especially gorgeous in both these species!

Jamie

 

[Primo]

I think each species has its individual appeal, but a perfect, unmarked Olive, with its fine small scales and velvet sheen is hard to beat. M. bredli is also underrated I think, and have suffered in this country by being bred in huge numbers which have made them a bit "ho hum" for many keepers, and hard to get rid of as hatchies. The juvies are especially gorgeous in both these species!

Jamie

Thanks for the thoughtful response. I'm very interested in both species. If you have a moment could you run down what you think (based on my likes) what I would enjoy more?

I think the Bredli python meets many of my requirements but I don't know enough about olives. If they climb and perch in the slightest and stay active they area real front runner!

It may help to show off my 2 favorites here.

This boa constrictor is very special. It is a true locality animal from Barranquilla, Colombia.

He is a male and is about 6 feet 2 or 3 inches long at 4 years old. I suspect he is 10-12 pounds. I keep my boa very lean and feed a somewhat natural/wild schedule which is really no schedule. He becomes rather active at night and is very controlled and deliberate in his movements. He is probably the stealthiest of my two favorites.

This is my coastal mutt. She is longer than the boa but not nearly as dense or heavy. She is probably 6 feet and maybe 4 inches.

She is by far the busiest of the 2 and loves to climb and perch. If she was a consistent eater, I'd have probably my favorite in this package. Although handling a heavy, strong and docile boa constrictor is special. They really are one of the strongest snakes pound for pound when length is factored in.

And this is an older shot of the 5 year old royal.

She is 5 years old, a click over 4 feet and fairly boring. Non prehensile tail, almost completely terrestrial and a terrible feeder. She'll live forever though because of her self regulating food intake. I like her colors and I love the fact she is my son's snake and she is what got me deeply interested in boas and pythons.

Once again, with my personal likes in mind, feel free to add your experiences with the Bredli, large locality coastals and olives.





Again, thank you for the response!

 

[Stompsy]

Thanks for the thoughtful response. I'm very interested in both species. If you have a moment could you run down what you think (based on my likes) what I would enjoy more?

I think the Bredli python meets many of my requirements and don't know enough about olives. If they clim and perch in the slightest and stay active they area real front runner!

It may help to show off my 2 favorites here.

This boa constrictor is very special. It is a true locality animal from Barranquilla, Colombia.

He is a male and is about 6 feet 2 or 3 inches long at 4 years old. I suspect he is 10-12 pounds. I keep my boa very lean and feed a somewhat natural/wild schedule which is really no schedule.

Again, thank you for the response!

Your Boa is gorgeous!

I am slightly bias when it comes to Australian pythons as my first snake was a Bredli and they are still my favourite. He was a wonderfully placid snake, very active and not too worried about movement around his enclosure. He was fed regularly and never refused a feed and even though I downsized to move states and moved him on, I'm still tempted to obtain another, even though they are (as the previous poster suggested), a little boring an ho hum in Australia now.

 

[Primo]

Your Boa is gorgeous!

I am slightly bias when it comes to Australian pythons as my first snake was a Bredli and they are still my favourite. He was a wonderfully placid snake, very active and not too worried about movement around his enclosure. He was fed regularly and never refused a feed and even though I downsized to move states and moved him on, I'm still tempted to obtain another, even though they are (as the previous poster suggested), a little boring an ho hum in Australia now.

Thanks very much!!

I am really happy to hear the Bredli are well liked. I have some access to them here and am quite interested in them.

A forum like this is very helpful and the "Ho Hum" business doesn't bother me and it shouldn't anybody. I'll sit in my snake room with a beer and the lights off and enjoy my time with any snake I personally like no matter how common it may be.

Thanks again!

 

[BredliFreak]

I'm biased towards Bredli too, but olives are stunning animals and if you have space I advise getting one. I love your enclosures, and I reckon a GTP would go well in one. Also if you have pure albino darwins in the U.S don't rule them out, they are great but underrated pythons. JMO

 

[Primo]

I guess I'll come straight out and ask.

Do olives like to climb and perch? If so I could try to set up and enclosure with that in mind. I have heard they don't from some and they do from others. I'm more inclined to believe they a primarily terrestrial from all the info I've read but I also don't see a lot of study on them.

I know I can probably get many of my requirements in a reticulated python, but the size potential ruins it it for me. Even the dwarf and super dwarf species have that hidden mainland gene.

Aussie pythons really fit the bill and sans another boa are my favorites.

 

[BredliFreak]

They are predominantly terrestrial, and also semi aquatic and saxicoline (rock dwelling) so you could get away with a long enclosure but they will use a bit of height.

 

[Primo]

Great info and fairly close to what I suspected.

Probably for my enclosures and system here, I may be better suited for a Bredli or Brisbane coastal if I take the Aussie route.

Once again, I'm back to boa constrictors and carpet pythons. Why am I not surprised?? LOL!!!

You guys are very helpful here.

 

[pythoninfinite]

Yep, as BF has said, Olives are primarily terrestrial, but they do climb occasionally. I remember a collector in Western Australia retrieving one about 9ft long out of a tree and it nearly killing him while he had both hands occupied hanging on to the tree. The things we do for love...

Saxicoline... what about crepusclar, matutinal and vespertine :shock:?

Primo, I used to keep Boas (constrictor) when I was living in Perth, and I know what you mean about stealth. My workshop was about 40ft x 20ft and the food freezer was 40ft away from their enclosure. Within about 3-5 mins they knew I had taken rats out of the freezer and left them on the lid - you could see their pupils dilate and they would VERY slowly adjust their positions to one of strike pose - this usually took 15-30 minutes, it was almost imperceptible. I had the great experience of allowing one of them to be used by Alice Cooper when he was doing concerts in Perth - it was a bit heavy but it fit the bill!

Must be well past your bedtime over there matey!

Jamie

 

[Iguana]

You are very fortunate to be able to keep such exotic reptiles! Don't get me wrong the Australian wildlife is amazing, but I have a soft spot for Royal pythons and Retics :lol:
There's a lot of great information already, but i thought i'd put in my suggestion. Based on your preference to the boa, a Bredli shouldn't disappoint. A long but chunky snake which if 'tamed' right, can be a great handler. The 'wild type' have beautiful coloring, but a 'hypo' is great too. If a heat light and sturdy branch is provided you'll find that it will spend a majority of it's time out and about, although carpets in general are pretty active snakes. They also have a great feeding response.
A taller enclosure would be put to good use as well. Also, if you are looking for a display snake, a nice colored jungle would look fantastic. Although, many are prone to have a nasty temper!

 

[JackTheHerper]

Morelia Bredli and Morelia Carinata, Both such beautiful snakes, And Definitely my favourites!

 

[Stompsy]

Morelia Bredli and Morelia Carinata, Both such beautiful snakes, And Definitely my favourites!

Add an Albino Darwin into that mix and I'm with you all the way!

 

[BredliFreak]

Did you keep boas because of museum stuff or another way

I get to work with boas at the Canberra Reptile zoo and they are great animals to work with. I can't wait till they have more exotics there.

 

[pythoninfinite]

Did you keep boas because of museum stuff or another way

I get to work with boas at the Canberra Reptile zoo and they are great animals to work with. I can't wait till they have more exotics there.

Yep, bred at Perth Zoo, and we used them in educational programs at the WA Museum (but it was really just because I wanted them )!

J

 

[Buggster]

In my opinion, nothing makes a better display animal than a Green Tree Python. Would love to get one, but I think I'll leave it for a couple more years when I'm more confident with having such a hard to care for Python!

 

[pinefamily]

The coastal is probably the most arboreal on your list, Primo.

 

[Evil_Birdy]

Not that I keep Morelia, but from the snakes that I do keep, I have noticed that behaviour is not really species specific, and therefore a measure of activity re coastals vs. bredli vs. olive vs. boa is a rather subjective thing to try to comment about.

Let me clarify. While, as I stated, I don't own Morelia, I do own a pair of spotted pythons. My female makes a grand total of two movements in her life:
1. To get from the cold side to the basking area
2. To get from the basking area to the cold area when she's had enough heat.
She is a very 'boring' snake, so to speak, and loves nothing more than to sleep.
My male on the other hand is on the opposite end of the spectrum, and is very active (and much more slender than her). In fact, he is moving around his enclosure as I write this, and makes an excellent display animal. Because of this, I could not effectively tell anyone that spotted pythons do or do not make good display animals. It depends entirely on the hatchling you happen to pick, and the personality of that animal. There is no species specific level of activity for spotted pythons - or for any animal really.

In in the same way, you have a very active coastal, but I know several people who have carpets much like my female spotted, that do nothing but perch and sleep.

All the snakes you have selected for your next pet are beautiful, but I couldn't really give you a suggestion regarding activity. Just pick the one you like the look of the best. They're all beautiful animals, but they're not all active animals. Short of learning how to speak snake, and asking the hatchlings, "on a scale of one to ten, how much do you like to move around?" it's really just a lucky dip regarding activity. Good luck on your search for a new snake. Be sure to post picks for us when you get it.

 

[Prof_Moreliarty]

Not that I keep Morelia, but from the snakes that I do keep, I have noticed that behaviour is not really species specific, and therefore a measure of activity re coastals vs. bredli vs. olive vs. boa is a rather subjective thing to try to comment about.

Let me clarify. While, as I stated, I don't own Morelia, I do own a pair of spotted pythons. My female makes a grand total of two movements in her life:
1. To get from the cold side to the basking area
2. To get from the basking area to the cold area when she's had enough heat.
She is a very 'boring' snake, so to speak, and loves nothing more than to sleep.
My male on the other hand is on the opposite end of the spectrum, and is very active (and much more slender than her). In fact, he is moving around his enclosure as I write this, and makes an excellent display animal. Because of this, I could not effectively tell anyone that spotted pythons do or do not make good display animals. It depends entirely on the hatchling you happen to pick, and the personality of that animal. There is no species specific level of activity for spotted pythons - or for any animal really.

In in the same way, you have a very active coastal, but I know several people who have carpets much like my female spotted, that do nothing but perch and sleep.

All the snakes you have selected for your next pet are beautiful, but I couldn't really give you a suggestion regarding activity. Just pick the one you like the look of the best. They're all beautiful animals, but they're not all active animals. Short of learning how to speak snake, and asking the hatchlings, "on a scale of one to ten, how much do you like to move around?" it's really just a lucky dip regarding activity. Good luck on your search for a new snake. Be sure to post picks for us when you get it.

Interesting observation, with MY snakes so im not saying this is a rule of thumb all the females behave pretty much as you describe your female spotted does and all the males are very active so maybe it is a question of sex if you want a really active snake? happy for more experienced owners than me to shoot my theory down.

 

[eipper]

Simalia oenpelliensis are my favorites- I don't keep them yet