Next Step?

[abuja]

I've kept my little BP for about 3 months now and he is doing great. 2 successful sheds, many successful feedings, a comfortable home, and a tame and unstressed snake. As of now, he wheezes as he breathes, but he recently shed and I'm assuming it's just some skin stuck in his nose as he exhibits no other symptoms of RI. I've loved snakes and lizards all my life since Steve Irwin became my idol, and it's so true that snakes are like potato chips; you can't stop at just one! I'm planning on going to the pet store and holding their giant snakes to see if I can. I feel that if I were to gain my dad's permission (I'm in high school and live full time with my dad), I would be ready for another reptile.

What I'm saying is that I'm looking for a cheap, easy but harder than a BP to care for snake. The maximum size for a male that I would stand for is probably 10 feet, so that leaves all boas (excluding annies), some pythons, and colubrids, I think. Any recommendations? Right now I'm leaning towards a Rainbow Boa, Red Tail/Colombian boa, or a Dwarf Reticulated Python.

[Kaorte]

Blood Pythons

[abuja]

Really? I hear that they're REALLY heavy-bodied and I'm not so sure about that.

[Kaorte]

But they are oh so cool. And they don't get very long either, just fat.

[BrucenBruce]

Bloods are pretty cool to work with. There's just something about those thick snakes . . . I've fallen hard for their sleek scales, their incredible colors, and their enthusiastic, intelligent (for a snake, lol!) attitudes and reactions. And if you hold them every day, you'll never notice them growing - or yourself getting stronger. (Sort of like that old saw that if you lift a calf every day, you'll one day be able to lift a bull. I read about a woman who tried it - she was able to lift her calf every day until it weighed well over 400 pounds!)

If you're looking for something more arboreal, which might make a better display snake, you might consider a carpet. I had a pair of jungles years back that spent as much time in the branches as green tree pythons! More of those are on my list for sure. If you try the Brasilian rainbow boa, keep a sharp eye on your high temps. I'm told that if you let them get much higher than 88, you'll lose BRBs.

~Bruce

[abuja]

I like bloods, and they sound sweet, but I was thinking something a little bigger? Not bigger, rather, but longer. Like, between 6-10 feet (males or females). My dad is a little bit snake shy, and I'm trying very hard to change that!

[abuja]

Anyone? Do you guys think I would be prepared to handle the 6-8 foot male colombian boa?

[Neal]

A male yellow anaconda, won't surpass 10 feet. It probably won't even see double digits, however the females will. They are great. If you're interested let me know and I will refer you to the person I purchased mine from.

[abuja]

A male yellow anaconda, won't surpass 10 feet. It probably won't even see double digits, however the females will. They are great. If you're interested let me know and I will refer you to the person I purchased mine from.

Really? Okeydokey. I've heard that they're aggressive, is that only when they're from the wild? Now all that's left to do is convince my dad. It took me 3 years to convince my mom to let me have a bp, and 3 hours to convince my dad to let me keep my bp at his place when I moved to his place full time. He has issues with snakes, I don't know why. Thus far, here are my arguments for a yellow annie:

1. I'd keep him in my room in a cage above my bp
2. Won't exceed 8 feet, most likely will stay a 7 footer
3. Cheap, except for the initial cost
4. Will satisfy my craving for more and more snakes!

[Neal]

I wouldn't put a snake in a tank above your bp, as i'm sure the other tank will weigh more, unless I misunderstood you.

A male yellow anaconda, will stay around that size.

They don't cost a fortune, I want to say I paid $140-160 shipped. I believe it was $120 for the snake & 40 for shipping.

They're great snakes, look under the anaconda section of the forums, and look at some of my posts that I started.