Pointers Anybody?

[Emo Redneck]

Just a little about me; I am a teenager (yes, a teenager with an interest in snakes, how 'exciting'). That right there might be enough to scare some people. But its not as bad as you think.

Last Christmas i was giving the chance to own a snake. I put my own money into her and bought a baby Redtail Boa of about 5 months. And i learned from a friend how to sex them, my friend was an exotic veterinarian before she was almost killed by an Emerald Tree Boa. I soon found out that Aelita, as i do called her, was a girl.

Needless to say i had her until just recently when she passed away due to stress from moving two times, and having surgery because of a birth defect.

I plan on getting back in the herp hobby. A list of snakes i would like to have before i finishe high school:

1+ Redtail Boas
1+ Blood Pythons
1+ Rainboa Boas
1 Emerald Tree Boa
2+ Ball Pythons

And quite possibly a pair of Rubber Boas.

I know how to take care of them, before i moved to this little hillbilly town i made well over $500 during the summer when i would 'babysit' any reptiles my local townsfolk would have.

But i never messed with any of the snakes mentioned aboce with the exception of the Emerald Tree Boa and the Redtail. Could anybody give me pointers on how to raise them? I have seen them up close but never got a chance to learn of them and would prefer learn from proud owners rather than googling it. Im tempted to start breeding as well.

Thank you all and God Bless!

[Alexandra V]

Well the raising depends on the species, but a general rule of thumb that I give is that if you get a bitey baby, just let it bite you until it realizes that it's not going to help.

Another thing I would say is don't handle too much, feed proper-sized prey and on a good schedule, keep things clean, make sure you use the right equipment and keep the humidity/heat at the right place, etc.

To be honest, I'd advise you go for the balls or red tail first, then the bloods and then the rainbow boa and last the emerald tree boa because balls and boas are easy handlers and they'll give you a good chance to learn proper raising before you get to the more defensive and more intermediate snakes.

I'm another teen snake lover! Congrats on the new addiction

[FatBoy]

My advise is to start by thouroghly reading the caresheets provided on this site...then read every thread that looks interesting to you. Good luck with your future adventure and welcome to BP.net.

[Emo Redneck]

Alexandria:

Thanks for the tips. I think that the balls will come first, or at least one of them, because of several reason. Two of them simply being is that i am desperatly missing my Redtail and it bothers me seeing an empty terrarium. Another is that they are cheap enough, depending, and i could help a friend of mine as well as myself pass an SAE for my agriculture class.

The first time i was introduced to snakes was one falling out of a tree and me being bit several times trying to get it unwrapped round my neck. I dont know why exactly, but i fell in love with them at that moment. Vampire love, no?

Fatboy:
Thanks for advising me on the caresheets. I find them often enough but i havent found any on Emerald Tree Boas or Rainbows.. Yet.

[Alexandra V]

Alexandria:

Thanks for the tips. I think that the balls will come first, or at least one of them, because of several reason. Two of them simply being is that i am desperatly missing my Redtail and it bothers me seeing an empty terrarium. Another is that they are cheap enough, depending, and i could help a friend of mine as well as myself pass an SAE for my agriculture class.

The first time i was introduced to snakes was one falling out of a tree and me being bit several times trying to get it unwrapped round my neck. I dont know why exactly, but i fell in love with them at that moment. Vampire love, no?

Fatboy:
Thanks for advising me on the caresheets. I find them often enough but i havent found any on Emerald Tree Boas or Rainbows.. Yet.

Haha nice first snake experience! And check the caresheets on here, I don't know about emerald tree boa caresheets but I'm fairly certain that we have one for rainbow boas. Balls are my favourite because they're not generally expensive and they have awesome temperaments too.

[Emo Redneck]

The way i see it, and im just using my past experiences, any snake can become a lil lover. The Emerald Tree Boa i use to watch over, i knew him since he was 2 months old. And although i had to withstand several dozen bites, he became very eager to be picked up and held. I even put together a little baby sack for him, it would lay right above your chest and he would be placed in there and walk round the property.

I guess patience and alot of confidence that itll work is whats needed.

Are females naturally more aggressive than males? As a general rule of thumb.

[Alexandra V]

Are females naturally more aggressive than males? As a general rule of thumb.

To the best of my knowledge there's no difference in the personalities based on sex.