Good pythons to keep as pets?

2012-01-31 19:11:53 UTC

I actually would recommend the Ball Python because it makes a great pet snake especially for someone new to snakes, but trust me because I was the same way with these snakes too as i've heard the same stories, but that's mainly from wild-caught bps like the ones that come from PetSmart and PetCo, so i'd just get one from a reptile expo/show or a reputable ball python breeder, but i've never had a feeding problem with mines the whole time i've had him though, but yeah I just suggest you get that or maybe get a Corn, Milk, or King snake if you'd want my honest opinion, my mind was set onto getting a Red-Tail Boa Constrictor as i've always wanted one and still do til' this day, but when I met my beautiful ball python "Killer" I immediately fell in love with the species and might get more into the near future, I learned a lot from my bp and he taught me not all bps are bad snakes after all and can be great feeders lol, but whatever floats your boat then go for it as long as you know how to care for such an animal, but i'm still suggesting the Ball Python. Good Luck!

swailes

2016-11-05 10:32:10 UTC

Olive Python Care

2012-02-01 05:07:11 UTC

The new ban is on transport and selling OVER state lines! It still allows selling and trading within state lines. So you can very much still have a burmese and a rock python. The law doesn't take full affect until 60 days, so if your trying to get one of those snakes, do it soon! Carpet Pythons are beautiful snakes. They are lively but also known to be quit nippy. I have seen tons that are great when it comes to handling and some that are terrors. Humidity is fairly simple. 60's-70's that range is where the few we have thrive at. Temperatures are in the 76-80F for the cooler side and 88-92F for the warmer side. Also, start your snake on rat pups. they are hard to transition and they have a l little bit more fat and protein content. Also with this breed, hides are ESSENTIAL. young ones should have hides on both sides. Also carpets are confusing because they are semi-arboreal. They do like to perch and will usually make use of any branches in their enclosure, but it's not really a necessity.

-Biak Green Tree Python aer also exotic and beautiful.! they are on the shorter end so that might not be for you either. There habitat is hot and humid.

More advanced snakes you could get are:

- BOELENS PYTHONS

-Blood Pythons

just do your research!1 hope that helped

2016-03-02 07:59:18 UTC

Are you asking if these animals should be kept as pets or not?? There is a big difference between a harmless ball python and a full grown leopard. If you are against having ANY type of "exotic" animal as a pet, then that means you are against having MOST animals as pets, including nearly every bird and fish species, most rodents, horses, and a whole list of harmless snakes. The word "Exotic" means "From a different part of the world. Not native." This describes almost every pet animal there currently is. Yes, I believe there SHOULD be laws against owning certain types of animals, like tigers, elephants, large cats, bears, venomous snakes, ect. The typical person simply does NOT have the knowledge or experience to properly care for or treat such animals and attacks are going to happen to innocent people. It's not a question of "if"... it's a question of "When". But there are many animals that are labeled "exotic" which make great pets! Take the bearded dragon for example. This is a small lizard from Australia that is extremely docile and is very easy to care for. I highly recommend this as a beginner lizard for someone just getting into reptiles. You mentioned pythons... but what about the small ball python (python regius)? These are very docile snakes which grow to a max. length of 4 - 5 feet. Then there is the Children's Python, which is named because of its docility. I totally agree with you that certain exotic pets should against the law, but I also think that before such laws are created, people need to be educated. It's very easy to read a newspaper article about a "pet" tiger mauling a woman to death and jump to the conclusion that all exotic pets should be banned. But let's keep in mind that some of our favourite animals are considered to be "exotic."

johnny

2012-01-31 21:13:28 UTC

Carpet pythons can vary in size depending on the species. The true jungle carpet is a good keep and can reach 6-7 ft. This species is a good intermediate snake. Some beginners start out with this species as well. Coastal carpets can reach lengths of 10-12 ft. This species does well with someone with an intermediate-experienced large snake background. The woma and the black headed python are good choice for intermediate to experienced snake keepers. These species do not get huge but are medium to large pythons. You may want to research the jungle carpet python. This species is a good choice and best fits your experience level status and snake size range requirement. Sometimes these snakes are crossed with diamond pythons and the babies are sold as jungle carpets. Look for a good jungle carpet python breeder to insure that you are getting a true jungle carpet. Blood pythons can be known to be unpredictable and are not a good choice for a beginner. These thick red snakes are known for having a short fuse but, I have handled a few some docile specimens.

Jessica Lynn

2012-01-31 20:51:51 UTC

I love carpets. coastal carpets though, due to the fact they are more domesticated, will be much better than a jungle carpet. Also, the reticulated python is amazing. Very rarely does it bite, and the onlly cases of someone being seriously injured by one were before 2000. But, the snake is huge! One of the largest in the world

Rebecca

2012-01-31 20:32:04 UTC

I would recommend you check out the carpet pythons - I have a couple jaguar carpet pythons and an albino carpet and they're amazing snakes. Another great python that's large but not crazy huge is the dwarf or super dwarf reticulated python. I have a dwarf purple albino retic and he's one of the prettiest and one of the most curious snakes I've ever owned. they're a lot of fun. The only caution would be to know exactly who you're buying from. There are far too many people selling mainland retics as dwarf or supers and there's about a 15 + foot length difference btw them. The woma python is kind of cool - they don't have the heat sensing pits that other pythons have so they're very unique looking. They're insanely tame - almost like a wet noodle as opposed to a snake - and they're great feeders!

Actually the womas and the retics are both awesome feeders. The carpets are alright once they get started but they're a pain to get on rats. One of my carpets literally throws herself off her perch when I offer her a rat. However, they almost always make the switch and they seem to feed much easier as they age.

And then there's the green tree python. Beautiful snakes and one of my favs even though I don't own any. They're fairly difficult to care for from what I hear and they don't handle all that well but I do know of many people who are very successful in keeping them.

Those are my suggestions anyways. All the best with your new snake!!

Just thought of another one - Olive python! They're awesome

Snakes. They get really big; sometimes up to 14 feet. They're probably the most aggressive feeders I've ever seen - to the point of being sadistic!! Once they're in a feeding frenzy, they're crazy. Foe this reason alone, I would Highly recommend some experience. I'm not sure of your experience level so I can't really say whether they're a good choice for you. But they are big, they handle quite well once they realize you aren't food and they're fairly hardy. They always shed out in one piece no matter how dry the cage is and they're a very nice, sleek looking snake. They're native to Australia so they're used to a bit of varying temps and overall, I would say they're one of my favorite snakes. I bought my first olive python 3 years ago and he's a doll. Very chill except when it's feeding time.

Moi

2012-01-31 20:11:38 UTC

Carpets are great! There's a lot of variety in them for you to look into, a bit of something for everyone. I have a trio of high yellow jungle jags, but have been wanting to get into IJ jags or tiger jags now. Bredli and pure diamonds are also nice, but carpets are one of those rare ones which actually look better as crosses sometimes... Like I said, something for everyone.

They're definitely one of the only "large" pythons I'd recommend for a beginner/intermediate. Still you need to be prepared to care for them. Also keep in mind that most carpets are nippy as hatchlings and can be sensitive, they have their fair sure of feeding issues as well, I suggest you start with a well started one or sub adult. This also gives you a better idea of how they're going to color up.

A carpet shouldn't be kept in a glass terrarium. Aside from not holding heat and humidity well, (Carpets do need slightly higher humidity) the see-through walls confuse and stress animals. They're also bulky, expensive, and can't be stacked or maneuvered around well.

Some folks use rack systems with large enough tubs, but I personally use 4'x2'x2' critter condos. It's a good, sturdy cage brand that you can custom order for cheap. Also look into boaphile plastics, showcase cages, repti racks, monster cages etc etc That's the style you'll want to get.

Anyways some other species you might want to look into are angolan pythons (Like a ball python, but larger and a lot rarer. Many people haven't heard of them. Highly recommended) bismark ringed pythons (Need higher humidity, expensive and fairly rare, can calm down with age but I still don't really recommend them) blackheaded pythons (Certainly on the larger scale and can be pricy, but are easy to care for if only given enough room.) and definitely woma pythons. (Like a smaller and more affordable black head. I think you should look into them)

Womas aren't the largest python out there, but some females can get serious size. They're fairly unique and easy to care for. Generally docile with a strong feeding response, they're active and will apreciate a lot of floor space. I keep my womas in a 4'x2'x1' cage and they use every inch of it.

I'd recommend a woma over a carpet. They don't need any special height or humidity, are hardier, are more docile on average especially as hatchlings, and are pretty much guaranteed to have a great feed response.

There's others out there for you to look into, but most I thought of were too small for your tastes (anthill, spotted, children's) or too aggressive on average (timor, green tree, white lipped) you can also look into blood pythons and other short tailed pythons. They can get pretty large and don't require much room, but do prefer higher humidity, don't move much, and some can be snappy/unpredictable.

Good luck~

Steven

2012-01-31 19:59:14 UTC

I You may want to check out carpet pythons since you want something that gets larger than a ball, Children's or spotted python. They usually max out at 7 to 8 feet and are semi-arboreal, so they make great display animals. Most of the carpets I have interacted with were pretty mellow. Hatchlings tend to be defensive, but usually mellow with age.