How long to wait between getting new snakes?

Generally, how long do you wait between buying new snakes? What is your reasoning? There are so many I want, but there's always a small part of me that wonders if I should be making these long term commitments so quickly.

I get more when I have the room and the means to care for them. There are tons I want. lol I just don't have the room right now..

We're all different on this...from what you said you should slow down. "Long term commitments" can certainly bite ya. ;)

I don't even know how to answer your poll...I've been keeping for decades & like many others, my early enthusiasm got the better of me & I added many too
quickly. Now from a different (much later) perspective, I'd recommend slowing down. But only WE ourselves know what other commitments we have in our life,
as far as work, school, family, our own energy level & health, not to mention finances, & our own character traits (ie. do we tend to lose interest in hobbies and
crave something new all the time, or do we become more involved & detail oriented with things, maybe to share & pass along what we learn, like to our kids?)

So if you find yourself asking this question (& have no crystal ball on hand) I'd say better to slow down. This hobby is full of 'burn-outs' & often it's the snakes
that suffer the most.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

We're all different on this...from what you said you should slow down. "Long term commitments" can certainly bite ya. ;)

I don't even know how to answer your poll...I've been keeping for decades & like many others, my early enthusiasm got the better of me & I added many too
quickly. Now from a different (much later) perspective, I'd recommend slowing down. But only WE ourselves know what other commitments we have in our life,
as far as work, school, family, our own energy level & health, not to mention finances, & our own character traits (ie. do we tend to lose interest in hobbies and
crave something new all the time, or do we become more involved & detail oriented with things, maybe to share & pass along what we learn, like to our kids?)

So if you find yourself asking this question (& have no crystal ball on hand) I'd say better to slow down. This hobby is full of 'burn-outs' & often it's the snakes
that suffer the most.

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I agree, but also for me personally, it helps give life purpose. Rewarding effort and commitment that fills the time on a daily basis. It helps me keep a routine. But even still, there is that small part in the back of your mind, if you get another one too quickly that you aren't dedicating enough of your time to your other pets before making new commitments.

This one will vary greatly from individual to individual. We're all different people with different schedules, different financial situations, different desires and different capabilities.

For me, personally, I kinda wait until my "gut" tells me the time is right. Before my gut can tell me the time is right I have to know the timing is right for both my girlfriend and I and our schedules. I make sure finances are in place. Not just the money to purchase the animal, but I always make sure I've got all my equipment ahead of time. I also make sure I have an extra tstat and other heating equipment on hand. It's also important to have some money squirreled away for emergency vet bills or equipment replacement. The more animals I have, the larger the vet fund needs to be, just in case.

I also make sure that I have the time and energy to add another animal. I've got to be in a good place mentally (this one is important for me due to some health issues) where my mind is in a clear and positive place.

Finally, I have to have space for quarantine. Some have more than others as far as space goes. But quarantine is a practice I follow strictly.

So for me, once all criteria are met I can "start looking".

I started out in December, daughter got one for Christmas, never thought I would have multiple snakes at all

as of August I have 6, even though I thought my limit was 4. I just roll with it ... All mine are pets, not breeders

There was no timeline, as unwanted snakes were bought to my attention, I ended up with them and they all fit in with me and the kiddo.

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Originally Posted by Gocntry

I started out in December, daughter got one for Christmas, never thought I would have multiple snakes at all

as of August I have 6, even though I thought my limit was 4. I just roll with it ... All mine are pets, not breeders

There was no timeline, as unwanted snakes were bought to my attention, I ended up with them and they all fit in with me and the kiddo.

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Are you able to follow proper quarantine? Cause you're asking for trouble otherwise

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

Are you able to follow proper quarantine? Cause you're asking for trouble otherwise

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Yes, spare bedroom is the snake room, nobody goes in there until I've had possession of them for 60 to 90 days, and they have had a trip to
my local exotic vet where they get checked for mites, R.I and anything else that could possibly be wrong, then they take their place with the others.

To me there are various factors such as overall experience, ability to troubleshoot your own animal when there is an issue etc.

When I started collecting BP within a year I had 12 of them but I also have over 7 years experience dealing with various reptiles prior to that, so it's not like I had no clue.

So again it depends, when I see people that buy their first snake have issues and already think about buying a second and sometime even mention breeding it really scares me, but when I see someone knowledgeable that seem to understand the species they own I am fine.

Ultimately it's your decision and it's based on what you feel works for you

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gocntry

Yes, spare bedroom is the snake room, nobody goes in there until I've had possession of them for 60 to 90 days, and they have had a trip to
my local exotic vet where they get checked for mites, R.I and anything else that could possibly be wrong, then they take their place with the others.

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But are they being quarantined in the same room? Cause each time another is added the clock should restart