Looking For A New Species of Python

[MDball0918]

Sorry if the title is misleading but I didn't really know how else to put it. I am hitting up the Hamburg, Pa show this weekend and I am looking for a new species of python to care for. I have been working with ball pythons and boas for over 10 years and I am interested in trying to get a python that would average 8-10 feet. I do most of the handling myself and feel anything over like 12 feet would be too much for me to handle without a helper. So if anyone has any ideas or advice, please let me know. Thank you in advance.

[Tirevy]

How about a macklot's python, or a carpet python?

[JLC]

Black heads and womas have always been a favorite of mine. I'd definitely check those out before making any final decision!

[mainbutter]

You can't go wrong with a carpet python. I'm a big fan of coastal carpet pythons, and they can get some size on them. If you want something in the 8-10 foot range, a coastal is probably your best bet size-wise. Some older females may break the 10 foot mark, but even those are still handle-able.

Bredli carpet pythons (seperate species from morelia spilota) are also big, and get pretty chunky compared to other carpet pythons. Twin Cities Reptiles has a pair they're probably going to breed on display, and they've got some heavy bodies(compared to the typically slender carpet pythons). I've heard they can hit the 8 foot mark and definitely believe it, though I've never seen one that big in person.

Olive pythons and macklotts are fantastic as well, though I'll leave it up to you to decide if a full grown olive would be too much to handle by yourself. Here's a thread from the mp.com forums that has the only pics I've ever seen that accurately show what to expect from an older olive: http://www.moreliapythons.com/forums...29252-My-Olive

Looking at total size versus just length, the mass of a big blood python (p. brongersmai) would more than make up for the lack of the ability to hit the 10 foot mark. A big female is pretty impressive, but still quite manageable by yourself.

If you're not necessarily limiting yourself to the 8-10 foot range, some smaller stuff to check out would be woma pythons or green tree pythons. Both are visually stunning and fun to work with.

I hope that helps and gives you some ideas! I didn't cover everything out there, but it may be a start.

[jason_ladouceur]

olives are about that size and tre cool. and what about whitelips or water pythons.

[MDball0918]

Thank you all very much for all your suggestions. Every one of them are very beautiful animals. I am leaning towards either the coastal carpet, the brendli carpet, or possibly the white lip. Does anyone know if there are any defining characteristics that make any of these snakes better to keep than the others. I know most of the choice is the owners personal likes but I would like to hear from others who may own one or all of the snakes I listed and share anything that may set one off from the other. Thanks again

[geekypythongirl]

I can only speak for carpet pythons, since that's all we own. From what I hear, the feeding response on mine is typical.... She will go nuts, hit anything, strike hard and fast, doesn't matter if its frozen, live, whatever. If it looks like a mouse, she wants it. She lunges out of her tank at you to get it.

Once you get her out of her tank, she's quite nice. She's a mover though, and doesn't sit very still. She's never struck outside of her tank, and boy is she FAST (we let her go on the floor once, wooo did she bolt and quick). Right after she sheds, I believe she is our best looking snake.

She loves being high up in her tree, and only hides under her log the day after she eats.

Ours is still small, only about 4-4.5 feet, and she's slender (certainly not from underfeeding! She's a snake garbage disposal). I have attached some pictures, this is her around 8 months or so old (about 10 months ago)....

[gman8585]

Carpet python.......

[Crazy4Herps]

What about blood / short tail pythons?

[SK_Exotics]

If you really want to get "spotted", I recommend one of these:




Or if you just can't seem to run from ball pythons, you could always head for the "coast!"




Cheesy post but I love my non ball pythons alot too!
Sam