Which snake is good to start with?

[Humpo75]

Hi all im new to the reptile family. I have had bearded dragons for 10 months now and love them. I now want a snake (once I can talk the wife into it).

I want one that I can handle and is not going to bite me every time I go near them.
What breed do you guys think would be good to start with?
Is it better to get a baby snake and grow with it or a older one?

 

[notechistiger]

Any snake is a good snake. It depends on your situation. Have you got the space and money to spend on a potentially 12-foot animal? If not, then coastal carpet pythons are not for you. If you want something slightly smaller, go with a bredli (centrallian carpet python) or a MD (inland carpet python). If you don't have much space at all, go with something from the Antaresia group (such as a spotted, childrens or stimsons python).

If you have all the space you want, then you could go with an olive or scrub python. You just need to know that these snakes get to massive lengths and can give nasty bites when they're adults, and that it's always a good idea to have two people when getting them out.

What you need to do is research, research, research. Find what snake(s) appeal to you, by colour, size, cost, whatever, then go with it. I personally started with a spotted python and can safely say that I wouldn't swap her for the world.

As for your other questions- a bitey snake depends upon the snake itself. Generally younger snakes bite a lot because they feel threatened. A bite from a juvenile doesn't hurt. Handling and time will usually calm the snake down and allow for a placid animal. Remember, to them you're a HUGE hot hand that's going to eat them. Once they get a bit bigger, they see that you're really not as big as they thought, and that you're really not going to hurt them. With size grows confidence.

As for the age, if you're trying to convince your wife, then I'd go with an established-feeding juvenile (usually two-three months or so). This way, your wife can grow with it and not be daunted by an adult snake. A younger snake is usually easier to handle, because their bites don't hurt, and it's easier to condition them to being used to handling. Just remember that snakes often stress, and this can lead to a huge amount of problems from going off food to death, so it's best to let them be for a while when you first get them, then slowly start to introduce yourself to the snake.

I must say, I've found snakes a lot easier to deal with than bearded dragons, and a whole lot easier to care for.

Hope that helps.

 

[BenReyn]

Any snake is a good snake. It depends on your situation. Have you got the space and money to spend on a potentially 12-foot animal? If not, then coastal carpet pythons are not for you. If you want something slightly smaller, go with a bredli (centrallian carpet python) or a MD (inland carpet python). If you don't have much space at all, go with something from the Antaresia group (such as a spotted, childrens or stimsons python).

If you have all the space you want, then you could go with an olive or scrub python. You just need to know that these snakes get to massive lengths and can give nasty bites when they're adults, and that it's always a good idea to have two people when getting them out.

What you need to do is research, research, research. Find what snake(s) appeal to you, by colour, size, cost, whatever, then go with it. I personally started with a spotted python and can safely say that I wouldn't swap her for the world.

As for your other questions- a bitey snake depends upon the snake itself. Generally younger snakes bite a lot because they feel threatened. A bite from a juvenile doesn't hurt. Handling and time will usually calm the snake down and allow for a placid animal. Remember, to them you're a HUGE hot hand that's going to eat them. Once they get a bit bigger, they see that you're really not as big as they thought, and that you're really not going to hurt them. With size grows confidence.

As for the age, if you're trying to convince your wife, then I'd go with an established-feeding juvenile (usually two-three months or so). This way, your wife can grow with it and not be daunted by an adult snake. A younger snake is usually easier to handle, because their bites don't hurt, and it's easier to condition them to being used to handling. Just remember that snakes often stress, and this can lead to a huge amount of problems from going off food to death, so it's best to let them be for a while when you first get them, then slowly start to introduce yourself to the snake.

I must say, I've found snakes a lot easier to deal with than bearded dragons, and a whole lot easier to care for.

Hope that helps.

Bingo

Bingo

 

[daniel1234]

Notechristiger sums it up perfectly as always. My wife was the biggest chicken when it came to snakes, now I have ones I never intended to get (well not for a while) thanks to her. I personally like the established snakes but the hatchies are the ones that won my wife over initally. She was very tentative when she first held it but now we have aquired some full grown coastals and she treats them like the dog--sticks her hand into their hide, gives them a pat or pulls one out to hold. She actually handles them more than I do. One of them is on the mend, but unwell at present and appears to strike at you some times although it could be just a move out of my way. Knowing this has not dampend my wifes confidence she'll still stick her hand in to get them.

Whatever you buy, try to get a placid one for your wife, which is why I brought an MD, because they're supposed to have gental temperments (but grow big which is what liked as we had just seen a full grown coastal days earlier). Since then I have discovered that there are lots of well tempered snakes within all the breeds. My bredlie is so gentle and quite the socialite moving from person to person. So is my male coastal who comes out to greet you when you open the enclosure and will rest his head on your open hand. Yet when I was looking at bredlie's I met hatchies that were angles and others that were real demons (usually the better looking ones for some reason). Like the others said though--any snake can be a good first snake and you;ll find that whatever reasons lead you to buy your first snake will proberbly be totally different to the ones that lead you to buy your second, and third and.....

 

[Humpo75]

Sweet thanks guys for the info. Time to do some more research.....

 

[Chappy]

My Vote would be for the Murray Darling. Perfect 1st snake and the above posts sum it up perfectly.

 

[Rainbow-Serpent]

My friend started off with a Coastal Carpet Python, he says that theyre awesome.
Im not really sure about the answer to this one, but im sure someone else will tell you.

 

[dazza74]

i would go for a diamond as they are very docile.i have a 4 year old and got her when she was about 5 to 6 months old and has bitten me once.i was feeding her a rabbit and she dropped it and i picked it up and wham she got me .just over 2 months ago my wife got her 6 month old diamond and has yet to bite we just put our hand in and pick him up without biting.but have heard and read that md and bredlis are great to get as first snakes also .but its just my opinion and is up to you.

 

[Snakebuster]

I would say a Children's Python, or a Spotted Python.

 

[mebebrian]

Coastal's are great

 

[jasontini]

Gotta go with coastals too...!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hodges]

Yeah, keelbacks are great starter snakes.

 

[pete12]

yea my first was a coastal now i am getting a NT stimmi From TrueBlue on this website in the new year

Trust me once you get one you wont be able to stop :lol:

 

[miley_take]

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/herp-help/faq-what-is-a-good-first-python-61134

Here's a good thread about it, lots of valuable advice

 

[mebebrian]

Get a big one, small ones get lost

 

[timpye1]

cant go past a murray darling

 

[NCHERPS]

Please keep this on topic and stop feuding amongst yourselves or more infractions will follow.
All that Humpo75 wants is advice from as many of you as possible without the bickering, they can then decide which species they would prefer to go for.

I would personally suggest a yearling Stimsons python, they are established at that age, shouldn't be too jumpie like some hatchies and will not grow too large.
Good luck with it.

Neil