what is the best first reptile?????

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Originally Posted by cornfuzed

ok i am contomplatin about the lepord gecko or the bp????
i can get the bp for free and already have a rubbermaid setup to house a bp but my dad is deathly afraid of not the snake but............ rats (they need rats as they get bigger don't they?)
a lepord geck looks cool and all but i am having a hard time with the whole bug thing(my brother bought a terantula a couple years ago and was some expensive breed like $150 and i shot with a 12guage 19 times! i hate bugs
plus anytime i go in to the petstore sure as :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r: a frigen cricket climbs up my leg and i spend 20minutes bouncing around trying to get it out) i know i am lame crickets are not big deal maby i'll just go with the ball or crested
a big plus is i can get a free babby ball from a reputable breeder (not a bad deal i think and shipp is only like $25-30)

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at the risk of you shooting someone or something, you should not do anything with bugs. :D go with the ball and feed him frozen rats, but read up on care and if you have any questions ask.

you can also feed superworms, wax worms, meal worms just doesnt have to be crickets if you decide to get a LG i feed all of the above just to get a variety.

You said you have a rubbermaid setup.. do you also have heat tape and a thermostat? The t-stat is the single most expensive thing you need.. expect to pay at least $70. Also be aware that some ball pythons are very difficult to switch to feeding pre killed rats, so you may need to feed your snake live prey.

If you'd rather have a crested gecko, you can have them shipped to you as well, just because there isn't a local breeder it doesn't mean you can't get one.

i think that i'll stick with the ball and because i already told him that they get 5-6 feet i'll just say the breeder has bread with a morph with het genes and since the clutch is of 8 eggs and there is a 78% chance i'll get a dwarf (i just start talking fast because he know nothing about any reptile and when it gets bigger i'll just say it is a miricale lol!!)
i know it is wrong but i'll lie to my dad (wont be the first time nor the last)
and after i get it and he learns to like it he won't care when it grows up :sabduel: :sabduel: :sabduel: :sabduel: :sabduel: :sabduel:
(sorry but that is by far the coolest smiley!)

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Originally Posted by Shelby

You said you have a rubbermaid setup.. do you also have heat tape and a thermostat? The t-stat is the single most expensive thing you need.. expect to pay at least $70. Also be aware that some ball pythons are very difficult to switch to feeding pre killed rats, so you may need to feed your snake live prey.

If you'd rather have a crested gecko, you can have them shipped to you as well, just because there isn't a local breeder it doesn't mean you can't get one.

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instead of heat tape i have a heating pad i got the setup from a friend who had a green iggie in it and it got to big so he sold it to me for $30 with the heat pad,log,hide,larg water dish,heat and uv lights,and a big bag or bark(is that good for a ball?) also it has 2 digital thermoters with built in humidity guages as well as an analog temperature guage in the middle

u wont need the UV and you will want two identicle hides, one for cool side one for hot side.

Lying to your dad isn't a great idea. It surely won't invoke his trust in you for future matters.. better to do your research and show him you know what you're talking about. That shows maturity which tends to impress parents.

You still need a thermostat to control that heating pad. Without it those things overheat and can easily burn a snake. You do not need UV lighting, but you need at least 2 hides.

A baby ball python is going to be pretty stressed in a big cage.. you'll either need to stuff it with hides or get something like a plastic shoebox (much better size for a baby ball.. they can be hard to get feeding if they feel insecure in a big open cage)

Plus that analog temperature and humidity guages are garbage. Throw them in the trash and get a digital thermometer/hygrometer. You can find them at target or walmart.

Oh.. and I highly doubt you're getting a dwarf ball python.. LOL no such thing as far as I know. If you breed a het to a normal you will get possible hets, not morphs (unless it's a dominant or co-dom gene)

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Originally Posted by Shelby

Lying to your dad isn't a great idea. It surely won't invoke his trust in you for future matters.. better to do your research and show him you know what you're talking about. That shows maturity which tends to impress parents.

You still need a thermostat to control that heating pad. Without it those things overheat and can easily burn a snake. You do not need UV lighting, but you need at least 2 hides.

A baby ball python is going to be pretty stressed in a big cage.. you'll either need to stuff it with hides or get something like a plastic shoebox (much better size for a baby ball.. they can be hard to get feeding if they feel insecure in a big open cage)

Plus that analog temperature and humidity guages are garbage. Throw them in the trash and get a digital thermometer/hygrometer. You can find them at target or walmart.

Oh.. and I highly doubt you're getting a dwarf ball python.. LOL no such thing as far as I know. If you breed a het to a normal you will get possible hets, not morphs (unless it's a dominant or co-dom gene)

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really? i thought the dwarf lie was briliant yeah i know that there is no such thing as a dwarf is far as i have read also i have 5 and a 10G fish tanks alying arround(i used to breed fish and they were my breeding tanks allong with my 220G 90G and 55G(only the 55 is saltwater)

A 5 gallon tank isn't a bad idea.