Any snake keepers?

ClonmelMan

Anyone keep and breed snakes, what would be a good type to breed and keep?

the Guru

There is a repite shop in Templer bar in dublin beside the hanels bar you could contact them and find out I have been in there and its mad

Frogs that eat rabbits.

and massive Spiders and snakes

ClonmelMan

There is a repite shop in Templer bar in dublin beside the hanels bar you could contact them and find out I have been in there and its mad

Thanks for that I just might be up in Dublin over the next 2 weeks.

Rancid

Reptile Haven in Fishamble Street.

Great place!
But it's not always open so check first for opening times. 01-6704001

elexes

easiest animal to keep imo . there lovly ...

Falkorre

As somone who kept snakes for many years,...
I would say go for Garter snakes, they are not the hugest of snakes but they are very easy to look after and feed (garters will take pinky mice OR guppies / small goldfish!)......
If your looking for somthing bigger then you will be moving to the rat snake type, somthing like a corn snake would be a good started, but do bear in mind, corn snakes and the rat snakes can have a tendency to be mean and bite, the garter snake is in my experience, extremely placid.

One thing i will say tho is, while snakes dont cost a lot to feed and look after generally, the set-up costs can be rather large. You will need a nice, decent size vivarium, sterile-rocks, heat mat, lighting, substrate, proper humidity control system, and probably you will also need vitamin supplements.

As I said tho, go for a garter snake, they look great and you will not regret it.
Hope that helps some,

B

ClonmelMan

Dawntreader thanks for the advice. I must shop arround to see whats available and check out the prices of the equipment as well.

Falkorre

Clonmelman,....
I forgot to mention, if u decide to go the way of the rat snake, avoid at all costs the yellow rat snake, others may dissagree, but of the 4 I have kept and bred, only 1 has been anything near placid and i have the scars to prove it lol

Best buyers tip i can give you, when buying any animal, it is never a good idea to go by how pretty the animal is, and even more so with snakes, ask the seller to handle the animal for a few mins, then do so urself, before u buy, then decide, and u can bet any seller that refuses to handle it, or refuses to let u, its because they know the animal will likely bite them or you and is in no way placid

B

Snowball

Dawntreader, what do u think and/or know about pithons???

I am also interested in buying a snake but I love pithons. I handeled one for about 3 hrs and it was the most buetifull and placid thing ever

any help??

Falkorre

Snowball,
Pythons, well mate, i Think You might be getting a bit ahead of yourself there lol

First, a lot of it depends on what type you get, over here u are most likely to end up with an animal called a "Royal Python", one big ass snake when it grows.

Dont get me wrong, Pythons are beautiful animals, *however* they are definitely *not* a snake for beginners, they require a LOT of maintainance, as adults, they will need food as big as for instance, rabbits or entire chickens (I am not exaggerating).

They will need a VERY big vivarium (cage), some people even believe you should not have one unless you have an entire spare-room to turn into its cage, and once they grow, they are VERY VERY strong, there have even been cases of ppl (mainly kids) being suffocated by being crushed by them.

I know when you held it, you were probably in awe of it, I was the first time I met one, but the care required with such a big animal should not be taken lightly. Think of a Python as the saint bernard of the snake world, without the fur most often they are placid, but remember cujo?

I would HIGHLY recommend you set your sights on somthing a bit smaller first, like a garter snake, before you decide you can handle such an animal.

Also, never forget the cost involved, aside from the viv (cage) which you are unlikely to be able to buy for less than €250 for one that you wont have to replace in 6 months (unless you make ur own, which I only recommend AFTER you have kept snakes a while and understand their needs), ur gonna have heating equipment (Probably about €70-90), humidity, food, substrate (no powdery little piles with these guys, when they grow they can SH1T like no other reptile! lol , u will also need vitamin supplements, treated climbing branches (Never ever use branches u just got from a garden or park for a snake, they can have begs inside or have picked up disease or even have insecticides on them, same goes for rocks!).

Always have a couple of fake rocks in the cage to aid shedding, and the water dish / area, should always be big enough for the snake to soak in (often snakes need help with shedding their skin).

Still think you want a Python snowball? lol

I have been involved in the keeping of most domestic pets and exotics over the years, and the Pythons were the most time consuming, expensive and *if* they bit, hurt the most lol, put it that way

B

Snowball

Dawntreader, thanks for yor advice

I am still interested in a python but as you pointed out it might not be the best snake to start with so maybe a garter snake might be better.
The thing is that I am kinda looking ahead with all this because I am in college at the mo and intend to travel some of the summers and to travel after I finish so that would be a bit unrealistic to think that a snake would be able for that.

The one thing I wanted to know is that in you experiance (although a handfull) are pythons placid??

And, is the Grater snake the most placid snake around or is there more that would be just as or even more placid??

Thanks for your help

Falkorre

Snoball,...

Pythons, are *usually* *reasonably* placid in my experience, as long as you get them young, and handle them a *lot* during that time.

In my experience, the garter snake is definitely the most placed, possible coming in tied with the brown water snake. But the trick with any snake, IMHO, is buy them young as you can get them. Older snakes come with older, more ingrained behaviours. Even the most placid species has its exceptions when the snake has not been reared correctly.

And no, nomatter what animal you decide to get, do not get it until you know you can devote some time each day to it, and give it a permanent home in one place, otherwise you WILL end up with a very stressed, insecure and possibly unpredictable animal.



B

Snowball

no, ur defenatly righ. There is no excuse IMHO for someone to have an animal of any size while not in a stable situation.
The one exception is maybe a dog but that dog should be well trained, loved and with an owner that is responsible. Also the dog should be a few years old first. And that is still very .... cagie IMHO.

Anyways, no, I have no intention of getting a snake untill I am in a very stable situation.

Thanks for your advice

Falkorre

NP mate, anytime

B

FAYESY

I started out with a Royal Python! they are not that hard! only problem with Pythons & especially the Royal's is that they are very picky eaters! Syd will only eat live food! which is horrible to watch so I have to breed mice just for him, he has a large tank a heat mat & a basking spot light some logs & a hide. He will get to 4-6 feet & will take full grown rats when he is fully grown not rabbits! or chickens they do not get that big. Now some of the boas can get huge! An added bonus is that because they are big they are harder to lose! we had a Corn snake that escaped! I belive he was eaten by my hedgehogs as I have never seen him & they went off of their food for a week!! Oh well the joys of pets!

Faye

daveg

Originally posted by FAYESY
we had a Corn snake that escaped! I belive he was eaten by my hedgehogs as I have never seen him & they went off of their food for a week

Is it just me or did anyone else found that hilariously funny. I imagined a corn snake to be a few feet long...

**caugh** **ahem** anyway....

FAYESY

Daveg,

You may have found it very funny that my hogs ate my snake! we found it kinda upsetting! In the wild Long Eared Desert Hedgehogs eat poisionous snakes & scorpions! they are very tough & can ingest the deadliest poisions with ease! they also went off of their food for a week! so me thinks poor snake was a grand feast for 2 hogs!

Faye:rolleyes:

Falkorre

when *I* started out, I had a snake that was feeding well on pinkies, he escaped once because he managed to push his way thru some loose silicone, he ate my favourite hamster whom I kept in an uncovered tank
NOT at all pleasant

B