New to pet snakes, any veteran advice?

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Originally Posted by MixMiner66

i'm going to check them out, but right now most of the evidence is pointing towards the Californian king snake

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All depends what you want from your snake ..

I have 5 Royals / Balls and 4 King snakes and Hybrid ( King X Milk ) snake ....

Royals are great for handling a they're so placid , slow moving and docile ( hardly ever bite or nip ) .... wheras my King snakes are all really vibrant colours , very active in the Viv , crazy-scary feeding response , when handling they are rather fast moving and inquisitive plus there is always the chance of getting a little nip or two for no reason :)


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Originally Posted by MixMiner66

i'm going to check them out, but right now most of the evidence is pointing towards the Californian king snake

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Originally Posted by MixMiner66

Thanks, but as I said before, I have researched everything except thermostats, and that was because on all of the numerous websites I had been looking at, not one ever mentioned one. The other main reason for this thread is because ALL of the information I have read has contradicted something else, but the same is true here. I really just need to know if I can keep a corn snake or a ball python in a twenty gallon tank, because so far it's about 50/50 on who says yes and no.

P.S: A couple posts ago somebody said that the second hide wasn't just for show and I know that, but only a small portion of the websites I have looked at actually agree that it is necessary and especially since I am on a budget, I will have to skip it.

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Welcome! You've come to the right place to get the most accurate advice you can. This forum is loaded with knowledgeable people who have years upon years of experience with thousands of snakes. You're going to find contradictory information everywhere, including this forum. However, this forum is by far the best place I've found for quality, reliable information and good people who are passionate about these animals.

A thermostat is one of the most important, if not most important, piece of equipment you can buy and is a MUST. Unless you want to put your snake in danger, risking serious burns, or possibly heat spikes which can be fatal.

I wouldn't keep a corn or a BP in a twenty gallon as an adult, so if you don't have room to upgrade it may not be a good idea to try. I also wouldn't plan on a Kingsnake being in a 20 gallon forever either. My Cal King is 4ft long and 677grams and still growing, albeit slowly at this point. He is in a 40 gallon breeder and uses EVERY square inch. I can't imagine him crammed into a 20 gallon. It would honestly break my heart to put see him in a 20 gallon.

That being said, he is hands down my favorite snake ever. From size, to how he handles, to feeding response (he's never skipped a meal, eats BP and corns refusals) to appearance, to ease of care I love everything about him. He's an absolute sweetheart. With the exception being when he's in shed, then he's a jerk. But, I know him and expect this and just leave him alone while he's in shed.

If a 20 gallon is a make or break, then I would give my 100% vote for a male western hognose. Awesome little snakes, tons of fun!!! Curious and alert, entertaining and adorable. They handle well, despite sometimes being feisty at first. Their defense strategies are hysterical and fascinating. From the way they flatten out to appear bigger, to the hilarious hiss which doesn't scare anybody, to even rolling over and playing dead tongue out and all. I absolutely LOVE my hognose and am 10000000% sure I will be adding a few more to the family.

As for your comment about being on a budget and cutting out one hide: Maybe it's best to wait a while and save up. Do some more research and find out what snake is best for you while you save. It's always smart to have some cash stashed away for any unexpected expenses. Equipment fails, vet visits are almost inevitable, etc.... If you can't afford a second hide (which is proper husbandry for a healthy snake) then you can't afford a vet visit. Hides are pretty cheap and can even be made form items at the dollar store, which is super cheap, so no reason to not provide the proper setup for your new pet.

I've got experience keeping BPs, Kings, corns and hognose and personally would only keep a hognose in a 20 gallon as an adult.

Anyway, I hope I helped.
Feel free to ask any more questions you may have.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

I think he meant "exotic vet". I took in a burned snake (rescue) a few months back, vet bill was $300. A decent thermostat is $50-60.

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Swype strikes again!

Thanks for the correction.

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Originally Posted by MixMiner66

Basically, I have done enough research on everything other than thermostats and that was only because I have never even heard a website mention one before. The problem is that most of the stuff i'm reading is contradicting other research.

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Many sources are. Stick with the caresheet and suggestions here and you'll be fine.

As for heat sources. Does your home ever drop lower than 75? If so, you may need a secondary heat source for those times.

A uth does nothing for your air temp.

Okay, so if you're going for cost-effective, another thing you might want to consider is getting a male ball python (normal morphs are around $20-$40) and putting him in a tub setup!! Get a sterilite underbed tub with latches, around, 18L - 33L (the smallest you can get away with for a male is a 9L, and even a 33L is technically smaller and cheaper, a lot cheaper, than a 20 gal tank) and drill/melt holes in it with a lighter and a screwdriver/drill. You're still gonna need a thermostat and heat mat (the kind without the sticky back, like MicroClimate, Fluker's premium heat mat (small), and FlexWatt heat tape work best for tubs), of course, and use newspaper or paper towel as substrate. Depending on the size of the tub, you'll get away with a single hide. You can get smaller tubs for a snake like a ball python (especially the males, that are smaller) because they do not move a lot and they feel safer in snug environments. They don't need any supplemental lighting and will do just fine on paper towel with a water bowl and hide. Tubs are ideal for ball pythons because they hold humidity well and all you have to do is mist the paper towel substrate with water once a week to keep the humidity up. But, of course, as with any enclosure, you'll wanna check humidity levels and temps daily. If you find that your tub is too humid, just add more holes. That'll help prevent scale rot. However, as you know, BPs can be somewhat picky eaters. If you're having trouble getting him to eat, you can try submerging your f/t food item's head in HOT water, and grab it with the feeding tongs by the scruff of the neck rather than the tail, to try to coerce a feeding response. It usually works. :D

I forgot to add, I would recommend an 18L or 33L tub. Tubs have the floorspace without unnecessary height added. You can get a clear tub, but if the snake is stressed, try throwing a towel over the tub or get a tub that's darker, like, a black or smoky tub. This may eliminate a need for a hide if a towel thrown over the tub turns the snake's whole enclosure into a hide. Of course, it's always better to provide your snake with a hide or two from the start, and the only way I would think it's alright to only get one hide is if the only way to provide two is to get them too small for the snake. Does that make sense??
(by the way, im borrowing this account with permission from the user, lol. I've been keeping snakes for 10 years)

Hides also don't have to be expensive. Ever eat Ramen noodles? Those black plastic rectangular containers can be turned into hides very easily - just run them through the dishwasher, use scissors or kitchen shears to make an access hole, smooth any sharp edges with an emery board, and it's done.

So, for a buck (or 50 cents on sale) you've got a cheap lunch at the office and a snake hide.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Hides also don't have to be expensive. Ever eat Ramen noodles? Those black plastic rectangular containers can be turned into hides very easily - just run them through the dishwasher, use scissors or kitchen shears to make an access hole, smooth any sharp edges with an emery board, and it's done.

So, for a buck (or 50 cents on sale) you've got a cheap lunch at the office and a snake hide.

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Hey that's exactly what I do...