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GunnarDanne
join:2002-12-02
Crown City, OH | Types of pet snakes
I'm looking for a small pet that has a little bit of intelligence. I'm looking at baby ball pythons. Are there any types of snakes that don't mind to be handled or maybe even enjoy it? | |
gallowsroad
join:2004-08-09
Tulsa, OK
1 edit | I used to keep and breed ball pythons (and other breeds). They are generally pretty easy going, especially if they are handled a lot when they are young. Of all the types of snakes I've kept they were, as a group, the most laid back. I've never been bitten by one, nor even had one strike at me.
I'm not sure what you mean by a "little bit of intelligence" when it comes to snakes, as they are mostly just instinctive, reactive creatures. They don't really think or learn, as a dog or cat can, but they are cool to hold and watch. They are good climbers and very strong.
If you've never kept snakes before, be sure to read up on what you will need in terms of supplies, caging, temperatures, and handling live food. Ball pythons can live a long time (up to 30-40 years in some cases), so be prepared to own your snake for many years to come.
Good luck.
--
Ha ha haaaaaaa....ever get the feeling you've been cheated?
- John Lydon, last Sex Pistols show | |
GunnarDanne
join:2002-12-02
Crown City, OH
| That's what I like to hear. What I meant about intelligence is if they can figure out that you won't hurt them. I know all animals are different but what is the likelihood I could take a ball python out of it's tank and keep it in my lap while I watch tv? | |
gallowsroad
join:2004-08-09
Tulsa, OK
| said by GunnarDanne  :I know all animals are different but what is the likelihood I could take a ball python out of it's tank and keep it in my lap while I watch tv? Very likely. The first one I ever bought spent the better part of any day I was at home out of his cage and wrapped around my arm, or even neck. They seek warm places and if it is day time and warm and quiet they'll fall asleep on you. They tend to be more active at night, being nocturnal, but you can play with them in day light and they'll respond.
When you go to take it from the cage, move slowly and avoid startling the python. If asleep, startling it awake can provoke a reflex defensive bite.
The only time you should not pick them up is during or right after feeding time. You'll see what I mean the first time you bring a mouse anywhere near the cage and your snake suddenly starts moving very quickly and coiling to strike. It is amazing just how quickly they move when prey is around. They remain keyed up for a while after feeding, so leave them be. You may not get bitten but it is the most likely time it could ever happen.
They do get grouchy during the molting period, prior to when the skin actually sheds. Their vision is reduced as the skin turns milky, which can make them respond a bit aggressively to movement.
If you do have him out of his cage and with you, be aware that if you have pets, especially cats, you need to keep them apart. Cats and snakes don't mix. A cat's prey drive can be triggered by a snake, and they will attempt to hunt it. A ball python, while fairly small (3-4 feet as adults, 5 feet is large for the breed), is really strong. They generally don't view anything too big to actually swallow as food, but the mammalian scent of a cat combined with the heat they put off could trigger feeding behavior. I'd guess the same would apply to small dogs.
I ultimately sold all of my snakes (including a twelve foot Burmese Python) precisely because my cats were starting to look like food and the Burmese was beginning to strike the cage glass every time one of them came into the room. For large constrictors, cats and even dogs qualify as a potential meal.
Now that I am older and married, snakes are just not an option. I did enjoy keeping them - they are beautiful and fascinating in a way very different to other, more common house pets (though I love those too - we have 4 cats and a dog), and once you have the basics down, are not very difficult to care for.
All in all, ball pythons are generally incredibly tame. I include all the chatter above about how to avoid bites because there are pretty much just a few specific conditions under which a bite is at all likely, if even then. As I said, I had many of them, bred them, handled them and never once was bitten.
--
Ha ha haaaaaaa....ever get the feeling you've been cheated?
- John Lydon, last Sex Pistols show | |
GunnarDanne
join:2002-12-02
Crown City, OH | Thank you. It is just a matter of figuring out when I should buy one. | |
Jahntassa
What, I can have feathers
Premium
join:2006-04-14
Conway, SC | If you want a small pet with some form of 'intelligence', look into rats. They're pretty smart and if you can find a breeder, very human friendly and interactive. When I had mine they'd chill out on my shoulder or in my lap with no problems. | |
La Luna
Surviving Ashraful
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join:2001-07-12
Warwick, NY
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1 edit | reply to GunnarDanne
Ball pythons are a good choice, they are very uninclined to bite. However, make SURE it is eating before you purchase. Ball pythons, especially babies, are notorious for not eating when stressed. A little trick is to cover the cage the to give the snake "privacy" while trying to encourage feeding. Once that is over come (which it usually is), they are a joy to own. And you may get one that feeds fine right away. Just remember to move slow and gentle when handling and don't disturb the snake while it's eating and for a day or so after (they will occasionally regurgitate their food if you do...not a big deal but you'll have to feed him/her again and clean up the mess!).
Another good choice for a beginner is the corn snake. Also very uninclined to bite, not as timid about eating as the ball python and they come in a rainbow of beautiful and different color morphs.
Snakes are not known for their "intelligence", they can't rationalize that you aren't going to hurt them. Some are just naturally less inclined to bite than others. You can certainly take a ball python or a corn snake out for short periods of time, but remember, that IS stressful for the snake and they shouldn't be away from their warm tank for long periods of time. Make sure you do research into what you need to maintain the specific type of snake you decide on. Their needs vary by species.
Never try to pick up a snake after you've handled a prey item, make sure to wash your hands so they don't confuse your hand with a mouse! Also, try to differentiate between feeding time and being handled. Passing their food to them (preferably pre frozen/thawed rather than live, which can bite the snake) with tongs and not your hand is a good way for them to know the difference.
Just remember that any snake, even captive bred, is STILL a wild animal....there is no guarantee you'll never get bitten. If you do, don't panic, it's not the end of the world. Getting bit is almost always due to a mistake the owner made. Those of us who've have owned snakes have almost certainly been bit at one time or another. I have! I got a good bite from a Borneo Short Tail python (NOT a beginner snake!) that left teeth embedded in my hand.
A good place to go for info/purchasing good quality snakes/reptiles is a reptile show if you can find one in your area. The animals are much cheaper than at a pet store and the people are very knowledgable. Reptile Magazine has them listed. I purchased almost all my reptiles at shows. My last ball python baby only cost $25.
gallowsroad gave you good advice also.
Edit: They generally don't like having their heads touched. 
--
You can chain my body to the earth, but still my spirit flies!
13,189 DEADLY TERROR ATTACKS SINCE 9/11 | |
gallowsroad
join:2004-08-09
Tulsa, OK
| said by La Luna :Getting bit is almost always due to a mistake the owner made. Those of us who've have owned snakes have almost certainly been bit at one time or another. I have! I got a good bite from a Borneo Short Tail python (NOT a beginner snake!) that left teeth embedded in my hand. Lots of excellent advice in this post.
I certainly did not mean to imply never being bitten - more than once, but never by a Ball Python - they really are pretty easy going.
I was once bitten by an 8 foot Boa after opening a cage door and startling him from sleep. It was entirely my fault. I was looking right at him and never even saw the strike take place - they move that fast. Fortunately, their teeth, even at that size, are individually pretty small, so while there was considerable blood I wasn't seriously injured.
Keys to a healthy snake are a clean, well lit cage kept at the appropriate temperature (this is crucial, as temps too high or low can lead to feeding problems and illness), a bowl of water large enough for the snake to immerse itself in (helps when molting, and for temperature regulation), good lining (I used mats fake grass, like for porches, or large wood chips for larger snakes - they liked to burrow into them some times) and some form of exercise. A cage large enough for the snake to move around freely in and something to climb on are good for that. I used large pieces of driftwood and large rocks to give them something to rub up against to make shedding a little easier. My cages all tended to be way on the large size - I wanted them to have plenty of room.
Feeding can be difficult. La Luna gives good advice about dead/frozen prey. If you can get your snake to accept dead food, it will be easier on you - no need to keep live animals, and you can store them. Few of my snakes were willing to eat dead prey, so you do have to take precautions if you wind up feeding live animals to your snake. If the strike and constriction are not clean, the mouse can bite your snake, and significantly injure it. Those wounds have to be treated properly to avoid infection. A common sight in home kept snakes are scars along their backs and spines from being bitten by mice or rats used as food.
If you do feed live, using prey of the right size can aid in avoiding injury to the snake. Better to feed more small mice than a few larger ones capable of biting, or being almost too large for your snake to easily kill and swallow.
If you get yours as a baby, training it to accept dead prey will be far easier. Adults can sometimes make the transition, but more often than not, IME, they will refuse to eat.
There are books available to purchase or from your local library that can give you the run down on the supplies you'll need, temperature ranges for different snakes, feeding frequency, and all that good stuff. I recommend reading one or two before getting your snake, so you'll be prepared.
--
Ha ha haaaaaaa....ever get the feeling you've been cheated?
- John Lydon, last Sex Pistols show | |
Skand
join:2001-06-01
Corpus Christi, TX
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| reply to GunnarDanne
I have a albino corn snake and he seems pretty laid back. He eats 2-3 pinkies a week. He's currently up at my school in one of the teacher's labs, so he gets held by 10-12 year olds all day 5 days a week. The lab that he is in also has other colored corn snakes. Of my two reptiles, he is the easiest to care for.
I also have a »en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crested_gecko
If you don't necessarily have your sights set on a snake. While a little more care is needed with my new caledonian crested gecko than my snake, he's still pretty easy to maintain and imo, of the two he's the cooler one. He doesn't change colors like a chameleon, but he does "fire up" at night and so he has two sets of colors. He loves to be held and he's certainly a little explorer. | |
GunnarDanne
join:2002-12-02
Crown City, OH | Thanks again everyone. I thought about rats but my roommate doesn't like them. The thing I like about snakes is that they can't take off on you like something with legs. I like the ball python's size. | |
La Luna
Surviving Ashraful
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join:2001-07-12
Warwick, NY
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| reply to gallowsroad
I've never been bitten by a ball python either, but I've been nipped by a corn snake and a garter snake. Both felt like velcro. The bites left tiny, little pin pricks. 
The Borneo was the most painful bite, they have large teeth unlike the other two. If I hadn't yanked my hand back, I might not have had teeth left behind, but it's hard not to do that. And like you said, the strike is so fast you don't even see it coming. Our Red Tail Boa never tried to strike, she was very gentle. The worst was the Borneo and a couple of Pine Snakes we had, they even rattled their tails trying to sound like a rattler. They would strike at anything. Oh, and a Carpet x Diamond python cross, she was cranky also.
Back to the Ball Python for the OP: please remember to get your cage setup ready before you bring your snake home so he will be comfortable right away. Make sure to read up on heat requirements and how to regulate that heat. Besides keeping him warm, you don't want him to cook either!. Stay away from "heat rocks", they can burn the snake's belly (which they don't feel, they'll sit there and cook). You best bet is an under tank heating pad with a rheostat to regulate the temp, making sure the glass over the pad is covered with newspaper, THEN bedding, hopefully keeping the snake from laying directly on the glass. If you use a light, make sure it's outside the cage so the snake can't burn itself on the bulb.
Once you get it all set up, it's easy to maintain after that. I used plain old thick layers of newspaper as bedding, much cheaper and easier to clean than commercial bedding. Don't bother "decorating" the cage with doodads, the snake couldn't care less, they will knock things over and they take up space. Ball pythons do not need anything to climb on like some other species. One thing you might give him/her is a hidebox so he/she can crawl in and feel secure.
--
You can chain my body to the earth, but still my spirit flies!
13,192 DEADLY TERROR ATTACKS SINCE 9/11 | |
La Luna
Surviving Ashraful
Premium
join:2001-07-12
Warwick, NY
clubs:
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| reply to Skand
said by Skand :I have a albino corn snake and he seems pretty laid back. He eats 2-3 pinkies a week. He's currently up at my school in one of the teacher's labs, so he gets held by 10-12 year olds all day 5 days a week. The lab that he is in also has other colored corn snakes. Of my two reptiles, he is the easiest to care for. I also have a » en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crested_geckoIf you don't necessarily have your sights set on a snake. While a little more care is needed with my new caledonian crested gecko than my snake, he's still pretty easy to maintain and imo, of the two he's the cooler one. He doesn't change colors like a chameleon, but he does "fire up" at night and so he has two sets of colors. He loves to be held and he's certainly a little explorer. Why is the corn snake eating pinkies (assuming mouse pinkies, not rat)? Is it a baby snake? An adult corn snake can eat normal size adult mice.
--
You can chain my body to the earth, but still my spirit flies!
13,192 DEADLY TERROR ATTACKS SINCE 9/11 | |
gallowsroad
join:2004-08-09
Tulsa, OK
| reply to La Luna
I never kept anything smaller than Ball Pythons. To me, they are great for beginners because they are pretty hardy and have a "big snake" feel - well muscled, thick, and fairly slow moving, unlike some of the smaller snake species, which can be very quick.
The Red Tail Boa that bit me was the male in a breeding pair, and normally quite docile, as was she. The door to the cage opened to the front (massive 9'x6' wood and Plexiglas monstrosity), and he was half sleeping on the ledge formed by the inside part of the door. So he halfway fell out, my hand was there, and bam!
He was beautiful. Imagine a tan color like sand under bright sun, shot through with quartz so his skin literally sparkled, broken up by those distinctive blood red blotches. Incredible.
My Ball Pythons did enjoy climbing, so the driftwood pieces I found were perfect for them - they often climbed around on them and slept in them. Agreed about hiding places - they do like those. Your advice about those wretched heat rocks is dead on - they can be dangerous since they provide so much concentrated heat in a small area. I used heating pads beneath raised tanks, and covered the glass bottoms as I described above. This provided a warm atmosphere but left the glass slightly unevenly heated, allowing the snakes to find their comfort level. A thermometer inside made it easy to keep temperatures in the right range.
To OP: make sure your cage is also very secure. All snakes are escape artists, and Ball Pythons will test the enclosure to see if there are ways out. My first one got out a couple of times by raising the lid, even though it had clips designed to keep it closed. I resorted to bricks spaced around the top to make it too heavy for him to lift.
--
Ha ha haaaaaaa....ever get the feeling you've been cheated?
- John Lydon, last Sex Pistols show | |
stevennb
Ok, But, Thats The Last Straw.
Premium
join:2001-05-08
Wayne, NJ
| reply to GunnarDanne
Get a Anole and snake skin wallet »www.google.com/search?client=fir···e+Search. | |
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