most appropriate first snake

[davehughes]

OK .

in the eternal quest for the 'best' first snake ostensibly for my 12 year old daughter...

I know that they all have personal traits, but what would make a fine friendly bredli or woma any better a first snake than a fine friendly jungle, carpet or diamond?

Ideally i would love a woma or bhp but they are out of my price range. I haveheard a lot of good things about bredli but then some people have lovely jungles...

oh it's so confusing. :?

 

[Khagan]

Friendly? Jungle? are those 2 words supposed to go in the same sentence? =P

 

[NaughtyByNature]

If your 12 yr old is naughty, get her a Jungle python :evil:

Seriously though you can not go past a Coastal Carpet Python, my little ones have handles our's since she was a hatchy now she is over 2 metres and still is very placid around the kid's.
No bites ( YET).:shock:

If you want something smaller try something in Like a small spotted Python, all depends on what sort if enclosure you have also. If you only get a hatchy it can live very happily in a click clack for months before having to update to something bigger.

Best of luck and try looking on here for a hatchy, APS have some wonderful and highly recommended breeders
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[natrix]

hi Dave ,
A Bredli was my first snake & he was great , all the great traits of a beautiful natured boy etc ,
& he's still like that . But later I bought an 8 month old Jungle & he's exactly the same .
I was expecting an agro little snake from all I'd read , but he's a great little snake , a bit faster
& more edgy than the Bredli but he's never gone for me & loves wrapping himself around my arm.
So I'd say go for what you like ,you might get a little angry one of any kind of Python but the chances are they'll be great if you let them settle in for 5-7 days before any regular handling.

 

[davehughes]

Space is not an issue - we have a couple of old wardrobes that can be made into vivariums...

The way i see it is is we get a mild mannered hatchling then with handling it will be a cool snake for the rest of its days - it's not like kids who turn feral and start biting when they are teenagers...
At least now I know not to look for a jungle (unless girl gets very naughty)

 

[GrumpyTheSnake]

"""GO THE BREDLI"""""

We've had this little guy a total of two days!! ( The snake not the kid:lol::lol

My 3 year old son will attest to having a Bredli as a first. He quite happily told me today, that my new little Bredli was now his, but I was allowed to keep the "girl one". LOL out of the mouths of babes.

After lengthy discussions, and the promise of an enclosure in his room when he's older, he is allowing me to look after the snake for him.... but just for a little while!!:lol::lol:

 

[Sdaji]

Bredli, Murray Darlings and Womas are both brilliant first snakes, Jungles are often snappy, other carpets can be less reliable, Diamonds are prone to health issues after a few years of age. The Children's Python group is also great. You're quite right, you could get a non-snappy Jungle and it may make a great pet, but you're more likely to get a problem feeder or snappy feeder that way. There are snappy bredli too of course. The recommendations are based on the odds.

 

[davehughes]

Soo cute - the snake - not the kid! - cool cut tho...

how old that one?

which leads to the question that i should have asked originally - is hatchling size best for a newb like me to be getting? with the feeding and all and maybe not knowing how gentle the personality is going to be...?

i like the idea of raising a little fella but maybe it's not the best idea really as i have next to no idea about raising snakes...

 

[GrumpyTheSnake]

He's 8months old. I bought him and a little 7mth old female. All feeding and shedding history for both.
http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66264 - here's their pics the first night home.

I'm glad I listened to the advice of more experienced people. I was advised to go for something that was a little older, that way, I didn't have to worry about getting them out of the snappy stage, or trying to get them to eat... the usual "little" problems that can arise with hatchies.

My hubby bought me a childreni as my very first, and she was soooo snappy, and is still a problem feeder. We are persevering with her, but it is just so much easier with a more established snake.

That is just my opinion, the best advice I can give is; listen to what everybody has to say. Think about it and discuss it with your child and wife/partner, then make an informed decision. Don't rush it.

Hope that helps a little.

Cheers,
Grumps.

 

[natrix]

I'd say buy one that's 7-10 months old & already feeding regularly on mice & has had a couple of sheds .
I also wanted to add that even though it's a new thing for your family , you fall into a groove really quickly in looking after them , it's really not tricky at all if you follow the basic info & use common sense. Go for it.

 

[davehughes]

Thanks for all the the great knowledge ...

we have been quietly looking for nearly a year now. I am very glad that i didn't go for the very young spotteds that we looked at back then. Lately I am tending to bredli as the woma are out of my price range and the bredli lovers on this site all seem to love them...

the bredli are also a lovely looking snake.

so what would be the ballpark dollars for a 7ish month bredli?

I'm sure that the snake will be be less disruption to family life than baxter the beardie

 

[natrix]

Ballpark price for 7 month old Bredli --250 to 350.

 

[Nikki.]

Yep , definatly go for a bredli , i am 11 and my (first ) snake is a Bredli and he hasnt bitten anyone yet , and he soo placid

 

[MoreliaMatt]

i have 1 completely psychotic bredli, and 1 bredli thats reasonably good.....

have you considered an inland carpet (murray darling)? they are great too!