Olive Python Questions...

[KathandStu]

You guys were right! After only a couple of months of having 'Zar I want another snake! Sooo addictive!

I have fallen in love with Olive pythons & would love to get one some time this year (that is my New Years Resolution). I was hoping you guys could give me some basic info on them (I have found stuff online, in books etc but like to get info from "Real" people as well).

How much would I be looking at paying for a young Olive (maybe a yearling?) Also do they have any special requirements with heating/humidity/food/enclosure etc? As I said I have a Diamond x Carpet already set up in an enclosure & I was hoping I could put together a second set-up in much the same way.

Thanks in advance.

Kath

 

[olivehydra]

Good choice
This is my opinion only for what its worth.......
Very easy to keep. Large enclosure will be required within 2-3 years. I prefer width over height in regard to cage size. Price varies depending upon breeders but hatchies range between $300-500. I would suggest a hatchie over a yearling because you could end up with a 7ft yearling, which may or may not be desirable??. Happy to answer any other questions, but be warned, I'm biased and may talk you into getting two :wink:

 

[inthegrass]

what olivehydra said.
cheers.

 

[peterescue]

Definately the right direstion. A beautiful snake but beware the previous two because they are bias.
I have one that has poor in enclosure temprement due to being fed in the enclosure all its life. I know have to hook it out but its fine after that. The other is larger and nicknamed Cuddles. Has only ever bitten one person and that was a mistake on her part and mine. Would trust her with my wife.

 

[serpenttongue]

If you can successfully keep a Diamond/Carpet hybrid then you can successfully keep an Olive. Olives are great but i have found that alot of hatchlings are VERY aggressive and this could really turn you off them. However, if you spend a lot of time with it you'll eventually tame it, and it will become a docile captive. Even as youngsters Olives are very muscular and athletic and can really put the squeeze on you so always use caution when holding them throughout their lives.

They are a very hardy captive that can be kept the same way as most pythons and they dont require any special needs. They have big appetites and do grow fast though, so you should have an adult size enclosure ready. Olives will climb if allowed but they do fine within enclosures of limited height, but plenty of floor space.

They are usually around $350-$400

 

[hugsta]

Ahhh, olives, awesome snakes. They do grow quite large though, the largest I have seen was Tim's from URS and at 13ft and 30 odd kilos it is a lot of snake and needs a lot of room. Let alone the food bill that goes with it.......and you thought a great dane had big poos....LOL.

Getting a hatchy is definately the way to go, but make sure you get one that is feeding well on rats and not mice as they can be a pain to convert over. I have a female 2 yr old that was sloww to get feeding and is going strong now, she is coming up to 7ft and just over 2.5kgs. A big baby though.

 

[joelypat]

Just thought i would let you know that i just purchased an olive hatchy from Bob Whittey a few days before Chrissy. He still has a few left. Some are feeding on finches and some on mice. His price was $400. My first olive (she is nearly 2 years old now) i have never been able to get off birds, which has been a problem every now and again getting food for her, so i made sure that i got one this time that eats mice from the start. Good luck with it all and i highly recomend olives.
Cheers
Joel

 

[playwell]

Olives are great, they are so much more up front than Morelia species.

They will approach the front of the enclosure on site of movement, looking for food, so dont expect to put your hand in and pick it up without a food response bite.

I have found that a hook is required to let the snake know that its not feeding time. once out of the enclosure they are pretty good to handle, but must keep and eye on it as they will always have food on their mind.

Expect them to be fast and much more active than Morelia, but so much more entertaining. Food requirements are higher but the Olive is so worth it. they are great, no complaints here.

You can tell their mood by watching body laungauge, expecially tail movements. Angry or excited Olice will twitch it's tail. Very funny & can be a warning.

A hatchy seems to fetch $400 on average.

Get one, they are awsome.

Regards
Craig

 

[Scale_Addiction]

I am thinking of selling my male yearling olive, he is snappy in the cage but fine out, he is only snappy coz he's so damn HUNGRY all the time! anyhow, he's a top looking snake around 4-5 feet, about 3 times as thick as your thumb, he has no scars. eats anything... and i mean anything... :roll:

throw me an offer if your interested, he must be close to the 24 month mark.

 

[Scale_Addiction]

would swap for antaresia also.

 

[Br8knitOFF]

I LOVE 'em!

I just got my little guy (about 30" or so) last Thursday- I haven't even held him yet- letting him chill out.

Having said that, he is the most beautiful snake I've ever seen, and they are very entertaining to watch if you put enough stuff in there for them to climb around on- VERY active snakes! Pictures do not do these animals justice!

He ate 2 small rat hoppers (F/T) for me the day before yesterday without hesitation, and continued to cruise around climbing and exploring!

When I opened the box he was shipped in, it looked like he had a pretty rough ride, because he was out of the deli bowl he was in, and curled up around the heat pack at the bottom of the cooler.

When I reached in to welcome him home, he was most snappy, so I put the box inside his enclosure to let him come out on his own terms.

Within about 12 hours, he REALLY calmed down, and stopped striking at everything that moved out side his window.

Needless to say, I'm DYING to handle him, but I got to let his rodents digest. I figure I'll give him another day, and I'll give it a whirl...

The absolute coolest snake I've ever owned, and I know it's only going to get better!

//Todd

 

[bigguy]

Kath,

I currently have 2 clutches of Olive Pythons available now. These are great snakes and are known as gentle giants. However, I agree what the others have stated, they love food. Whenever you open the cage door they will think they are being fed, so its a great idea to touch them with an object to let them know they are coming out. Once touched they just turn off the feeding response and are happily handled.

I live at Gosford, just north of Sydney and can be reached by ringing 43285928. They are $400ea.

Bob

 

[swampie]

If you go to Neil Sonnemans website you will find an exellent care sheet on olives covering everything from basic husandry to breeding.

 

[KathandStu]

Bigguy: I am sooo tempted. Unfortunatly I am completely broke for a couple of months so I will have to pass.

Swampie: Thanks, I look at the site now.

 

[MrBredli]

Swampie, Neil Sonnemans website has been taken down by his service provider. I asked him the other day if he intended putting a new one up and he said he had no plans to do so

 

[KathandStu]

MrBredli: I was just going to ask for a web address as all I got on Google were "error" pages & obscure references to his site. It's a pity. Any other Olive care sheets online which you (or anyone else) suggest I have a look at?

 

[MrBredli]

Sure do.. look at the care sheet on this site. You'll find it in 'Care Sheets' under 'Liasis' and guess who it's written by.. none other than Neil Sonneman himself.

 

[Br8knitOFF]

Here ya go... enough said.

This guy has TOTALLY mellowed out after 1 week.

My 14-year old holding him LOVES him!

//Todd

 

[olivehydra]

Here ya go... enough said.

This guy has TOTALLY mellowed out after 1 week.

My 14-year old holding him LOVES him!

//Todd

Are they Vision Cages you got in the background?? I dont believe we can get them here? How do you find them as far as retaining heat?

 

[Br8knitOFF]

Vision Cages

Yes- they're 332's.

They're pretty darn good, especially when you stack them, and/or cover the UV vent. The one on the bottom stays nice and warm- so warm, that I turned off the belly heat.

The olive is on top, so I covered up the UV vent with a sweatshirt to get the temp up to right around 90?F on the warm side...

//Todd