snakes

[lute]

is it hard to keep a small snake at the right temp? what do they eat? how often do they eat? what kinds of small snakes are there?........pics?

just wondering.

[ILoveReptiles]

Well if you have a good enclosure, it shouldn't be all that difficult to keep the temperature adequate. In my case, for my rainbow boa, Prism, he needs 80% humidity at all times so I even have an automatic misting system set up for him.

Basically all you need is a dragon's lair heat mat (they stay cooler and are easier to regulate temperature) under the cage, and perhaps a lightbulb on a timer ...

And of course a digital thermometer with two inputs. but you can use other things to make sure there's a temperature gradient.

[CathyBogart]

Well....There are as many answers to your questions as there are species of snakes! Also, it depends on your definition of a small snake!

Most snakes commonly kept in captivity are fairly easy to maintain, but of course research is a must just to make sure.

Some eat crickets, some eat fish, some eat mice, etc.

Bug eaters need to eat most frequently, fish eaters less frequently, and rodent eaters even less frequently than that. Most rodent eaters eat every 7-10 days. (kingsnakes have a very high metabolism and like to eat more at first)

My first snake was a rough green snake named Fluffy. He looked like this:
http://www.uga.edu/srel/Graphics/green1.jpg
They are arboreal snakes that eat crickets and other soft-bodied insects. They get about three feet long and as big around as a pencil. They're s bit skittish at first, but they don't bite. They can be a bit harder to maintain, and unless marked captive-bred should be de-wormed as soon as you get them home. They're also very inexpensive. (Around $30 in my area)

Another good one is the Rosy Boa:
http://www.kingsnake.com/Isisreptiles/Photos/images/SMRBoa_jpg.jpg
They stay small, 1 1/2 to 3 feet on average. They're very friendly and very hardy. These are rodent eaters. I recommend them at work to people with kids.

The Kenyan Sand Boa is one of the easiest snakes to take care of. They're about the same size as the rosy, also very friendly, also rodent eaters. All they need is a ten gallon plus tank with a few inches of sand (and a heatpad underneath). They hide under the sand most of the time, but most snakes spend the majority of their time hiding so I don't see this as a problem. :)
http://www.dantiles.com/images/photos/snakes/boa_kenyansand.gif

Garter and ribbon snakes vary in size, but most are very slender and under three feet. I don't *personally* care for them as beginner pets because they're fish eaters, and fish can sometimes get a little....fragrant coming out the other side. Their moist environment can also be a bit of a challenge to maintain. They are, however, very friendly and often liked because they eat fish.
http://www.kbs.msu.edu/ACWA/natres/natrgrh/snakes/ribbon.jpg

And of course, I'm a little biased, but I LOVE Hognose snakes! They're 2-3 feet, very hardy, and friendly bluffers. This means that they often get excited and put on a "tough guy" show when you reach for them, but they don't bite and as soon as you pick them up they're calm and happy. They have a reputation for being hard to get eating, but it's unfair...the eastern species is tough to get on rodents but the Westerns aren't usually a problem. :)

http://nasicus.ophiophobia.net/images/chubby/chubby11.jpg

[luckies4me]

See, now this is the kind of info I am looking at. I would like to hear some pro's and con's to each species commonly kept as pets. I personally like the smaller snakes better and have had several ribbon snakes and they are my favorite snake! :D I also like corn snakes. If anyone has any info on corn snakes, eating habits, diet, etc. I would love to hear it. :)

[lute]

thanks, i like that rosy boa and the ribbon snake.

ive seen corn snakes beforethey are beautiful! does anyone know stuff about them.
WolfChan-you give WONDERFUL information.keep it commin'.lol

[wolfie]

I'd never be able to have a snake - I couldn't deal with them eating mice! :( I mean, I know snakes have to eat, but...

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I have a snow corn snake. He is by far the easiest of our snakes. They are small snakes, compaired to boas and pythons. He is rather easy to feed (my husband does it). We have our mice shiped to us frozen. Justin thaws one out and feeds him every saturday.

As for heat we use a heating pad rather than a bulb, this way he still has the heat at night when it needs to be dark. He has a worm side and a cool side in his tank. He has 2 hide boxes one on the cool side and one on the warm side. He also has a tree in the cage to climb and a water dish. He loves to climb!!

[CathyBogart]

Originally posted by wolfie
I'd never be able to have a snake - I couldn't deal with them eating mice! :( I mean, I know snakes have to eat, but...

How many did I list that don't eat mice? ;)

[CathyBogart]

Originally posted by lute
thanks, i like that rosy boa and the ribbon snake.

ive seen corn snakes beforethey are beautiful! does anyone know stuff about them.
WolfChan-you give WONDERFUL information.keep it commin'.lol

What else do you want to know? :)

Corn snakes are good snakes....I just don't care for them personally because it seems that everybody has them. They usually stay under four feet and are slender. They're friendly too.. They eat mice, and they almost always stay small enough to eat mice for their entire life.

Corn snakes also come in literally hundreds of colors and varieties. Here's a picture that shows just a few of the myriad varieties of corn snakes.

http://www.kingsnakes.com/PLLO_corn_group.jpg

I would also like to add that I generally recommend against Ball Pythons as a first snake. Plenty of people get them and have wonderful experiences, but plenty also get them and have nightmares....It's hard to tell if you don't know snakes very well whether someone is telling the truth about a snake being captive bred. Wild caught (and sometimes captive bred) BP's tend to fast...and fast...and fast! I've seen more than a few starve themselves to death. :( The good ones are really really good, but they're also not the easiest to find.

[Desert Arabian]

Me holding baby snake this past summer:
http://members.aol.com/OrliBloom177/babysnake.JPG
Close-up of heart on snake's head:
http://members.aol.com/OrliBloom177/snakehead.jpg

[lute]

i love the corn snakes! they are very pretty, and seem to be easy to care for. if my parents ever let me have another pet that would be what i would get.

[luckies4me]

That's what I am leaning towards, is a Corn Snake. I have always loved them and have always wanted one, and it sounds like they are a very hardy first snake and rather friendly. I am waiting for the next expo to role around because I want to pick one up. I really want a snow, or something similar. :)

[Twisterdog]

YLL ... that is a CUTE snake!

We have a rough green tree snake. He's a sweetie, and easy to keep.

I got him specifically because he eats insects - there is NO way I could feed mice or even fish to a snake. I'm a big baby about that. But I have no problem whatsoever murdering crickets.

[lute]

luckies4me, let us know if you get one.

i have one last question that i can't seem to find on my research. do snakes smell?

[CathyBogart]

Fish eaters do! Rodent/bug eaters aren't stinky unless you don't clean up after them, just like any other critter. :)

[tikeyas_mom]

Originally posted by lute
i love the corn snakes! they are very pretty, and seem to be easy to care for. if my parents ever let me have another pet that would be what i would get.

I have always wanted a corn snake since I got Tikeya, they are my favorite snake! one of my friends had one and I just loved it!

[CathyBogart]

I don't understand this obsession that the world seems to have with corn snakes. It seems like EVERYONE has one...and part of the fun of having Chubby for me is having something unique.

They're OK snakes, and easy care, but I personally feel that they're rather bland compared to most of the snakes out there. :)