Any Docile big pythons?

I'm still new to the snake community, and even though I have a habit if getting way to enthralled with any new hobby, but i'm trying to be reasonable with myself.

I know, one day, i'm going to want a big snake. I'm just wondering if there are any that have a pretty calm temperment like the BP's or do they all tend to be a little cranky?

I wont be even considering getting one until sometime down the road, i'm just wondering about temperments, whats a good one to start with, things of that nature.

Thanks in advance guys

Generally, burmese pythons tend to be quite docile. There are of course some that are moody, because they're all individuals, but that applies to every snake.

Of course even though they tend to be docile, you still have to be careful when you're working with large snakes like this. Everyone is going to harp this on you, so just be prepared haha. As long as you respect the animal and you bring it up with proper handling techniques, you should be fine with a big docile burm :)

1) Define "big"
2) Are you limiting yourself to pythons, or are boas in the mix too?

You're limited in your options if you're looking at 'true giants' such as burms, retics, afrocks, green 'condas.. because there are so few species that attain that kind of size.

Are you looking only at things that have the potential to break 150lbs? To any BP owner, a 30lb snake can sure seem huge.

Pick any species that reaches sizes over 30lbs, and I'm sure you can find individuals that are incredibly calm as well as individuals that come out swinging when you open their enclosure. There are no set rules for species personality, heck there was a thread started today asking about what to do regarding a ball python that was very defensive.

See, i've always been told Burmese pythons tend to be nasty, but i'm pretty sure it was by a guy who just had a nasty Burmese.

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

1) Define "big"
2) Are you limiting yourself to pythons, or are boas in the mix too?

You're limited in your options if you're looking at 'true giants' such as burms, retics, afrocks, green 'condas.. because there are so few species that attain that kind of size.

Are you looking only at things that have the potential to break 150lbs? To any BP owner, a 30lb snake can sure seem huge.

Pick any species that reaches sizes over 30lbs, and I'm sure you can find individuals that are incredibly calm as well as individuals that come out swinging when you open their enclosure. There are no set rules for species personality, heck there was a thread started today asking about what to do regarding a ball python that was very defensive.

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Oh yeah, i'm sure any snake...as with any animal, can be very defensive. I assumed, when I asked, that this was going to be some what of an open ended question with no real right or wrong answers.

As far as size goes, I'm thinking anything 8 foot plus..I really dont know, no real limit on size either...this is also a long way down the road, just better to get prepared now I suppose

When it comes to temperament of a big snake I consider the Burms to be the easiest (excluding Boa Constrictors which I really don’t put in the "Big Snake" group as Burms, Retics, etc.). I have kept Burms, Retics, Rocks, and Yellow Annies and by far the easiest to train and "Tame" where Burms.

That being said I always acquired a baby of these species and raise them using the "Hook Training" method. I personally think not taking that precaution and of course not having a second person on hand to handle them when they are big is risky.

But if handled correctly and respected for what they are you can have a wonderful pet.

Of course they all have their own personalities. :D

Burms are pretty good as they get use to the routine of things. Just remember they do have a big time feed response that makes some people say they are nasty. this is most obvious when they are younger. but like i said they can get accustom to handling pretty well in most cases. However you could consider other ones that aren’t Giants per say, such as boelens python, olivers etc but i am not sure on what the olives temper is like. Black heads can also be of a larger size and from my experience pretty good.

.Coastal carpets have the potential to get fairly large as well... but are not nearly as heavy bodied as a burm would be. Carpets have a reputation of being snappy as juveniles, but calm down once they're large enough for birds not to confuse them as worms :)

My experience with burms has been 1) as others have stated, very strong feeding response, and while they are typically kind of bumbly, they can react quickly to something they perceive as prey. 2) very good about handling, pretty easy going 3) only really cranky about being removed from the habitat...lots of hisses or body flails, but never any strikes.

When acquired as babys, and raised with proper handling techniques and with strict adherence to interaction guidelines, there are no snakes (at least non-venomous ones) that can not become calm, tractable adults.
Learning to "read" your animals as you open an enclosure can prepare you for what kind of mood they are in. Again, strict interaction guidelines should be followed. For example:

If I am feeding any snake, the prey (FT) is offered immediately upon opening the door. If not, I open the door and wait about a minute before offering my hand (as in, they start to come out and the first thing they smell is my hand). By ALWAYS following this procedure, the snake learns when to expect food and when not to. Same for animals that are fed in separate containers. Door (or lid) opens and it's either food or me. Once this practise is learned, I have had no bites in many, many years.

Chris

So I just found a guy whos trying to get rid of an 11 foot albino Reticulated Python

He says its "super tame, never hissed or struck at me"

Comes with a great looking cage and everything, I don't know how much he wants for it yet.

I was kind of thinking of diving in to this, but i'm not certain

Boas would be a good start. They'd give you a feel for handling bigger snakes, but they don't get as massive as others. They also come in a lot of beautiful colors.

On the columbrid side, why not take a look at Indigo snakes? They get fairly long (longer than some boas), but aren't as heavy bodied, and even in the wild are pretty docile. They do have strong jaws, though, since their way of killing their prey includes grabbing the head and crushing it. They're gorgeous animals, and you can probably find captive bred youngsters.

If your new to large snakes I would strongly suggest you start with a hatchling and raise it up yourself. When you raise a snake up you learn alot about the animal. After a while you will be able to tell when its having an "off" day and you learn what your limits with the animal are. How far can you push it before it pushes you. Retics are great animals but it may be a little overwhelming for you to start with an adult male as your first large snake. Also I consider most of my animals docile but that doesnt mean they dont bite. Every snake no matter how calm it is has bad days.

Ditto, nothing quite like the experience of raising up a snake on your own, and with the potential power of big'uns it can be really beneficial.

Plus it will let let you gradually get used to a bigger and bigger animal, they don't become monsters overnight (though with some fast growers it can almost seem like it!).

Yeah, I think i'm gonna go with your guys advice and just tell the guy i'm not interested.

I think it would also be better to raise it from a hatchling and do a little more research into which snake I actually want.

Thanks for the advice guys

another good idea, before you go for one of those 15-20ft+ monsters, maybe get an "in-between" snake first, like one that maxes out around 12-13 ft. cause a snake that "short", lol, isnt gonna weigh a ton and will be easily handleable by yourself (weight and size wise). or like stated before me, get a long thin snake, scrubs fit that profile, and theyre snappy when theyre young for the most part so taming something like that would be good practice for taming a semi aggressive school bus if you were unlucky enough to get an aggressive "big" snake. this is just my:twocents:
(ive been looking for an excuse to use the two cents icon lol)

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Originally Posted by MarkyMcFly

See, i've always been told Burmese pythons tend to be nasty, but i'm pretty sure it was by a guy who just had a nasty Burmese.

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That kid was a fkin moron.

any type of snake could be docile or aggressive. it's more about handling and getting a sense for the animal's unique personality before you buy it rather than choosing a certain species

Our big burm is so docle we do shows with him all the time.

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/...yandscouts.jpg

He has even been used for professional photo shoots

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/...m/IMG_1696.jpg

For my own curiosity--are olives considered to be generally docile snakes? The ones I've met have all been angels, and they are my choice 'big snake'

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Originally Posted by Denial

If your new to large snakes I would strongly suggest you start with a hatchling and raise it up yourself. When you raise a snake up you learn alot about the animal. After a while you will be able to tell when its having an "off" day and you learn what your limits with the animal are. How far can you push it before it pushes you. Retics are great animals but it may be a little overwhelming for you to start with an adult male as your first large snake. Also I consider most of my animals docile but that doesnt mean they dont bite. Every snake no matter how calm it is has bad days.

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X2. You need to start with a baby. I took in my Burmese Sephiroth, and he's lives up to that name.. he can be a calm And gentle giant, but push him and he turns into a 5 foot missile with razor sharp teeth.

A large snake treated him love and care is a docile snake. I've held plenty or reticulated and even African rock pythons that top 10-15 feet and are gentle giants. Just get a Baby and work your way up slowly learning the snake and you should no problems. I myself would suggest you get a male Because they're smaller.

And also as stated, no matter how docile a snake is it CAN bite. To say a snake will never bite is stupid. And that is another reason why it's better to work up, a 3 foot snake bite hurts less then a 13 foot snake. :P

Yeah, I've been looking around a lot and have found RTB to be a good choice as well (especially since I couldn't even get a burm in ny)

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk

Edit: Oops! Just realize I asked the same question in this thread before!


Uhh :) Boas are awesome? Still curious about Olives though, but I guess no one has had them

Personally I think a 8ft-12ft snake, like a carpet python or male red tail boa would be your best choice before you think you can handle a burm or retic. I honestly don't think 90% of the people who want a burm, retic, or anaconda are even remotely qualified to own a large constrictor like that. Your going to be shoveling piles of poop the size of your head, and feeding large and expensive meals depending on where you buy from you'll spend $14-$20 on 1 f/t rabbit each week. By no means is it easy to take care of a large python, I know because I was in the same position when I was younger except I bought a 10ft albino green burm. Had it for 4 months then realized this wasn't what I had in mind, so I ended up selling it to a professional snake keeper. Now I know after an unwise purchase that I don't want a burm or retic, I love them but realize only serious professionals who can properly house and feed these goliath's should have them.

Wow, I had almost forgot about this thread. Thanks for all the replies, and the pics *freaking awesome snake by the way*

I did get into a bigger python, but not big compared to any of these guys. I got me a baby blood python. I figured that if in a 2-3 years, when this lady really has some girth and weight on her, if I can handle her...THEN i'll move up to something bigger again.

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Originally Posted by MarkyMcFly

Wow, I had almost forgot about this thread. Thanks for all the replies, and the pics *freaking awesome snake by the way*

I did get into a bigger python, but not big compared to any of these guys. I got me a baby blood python. I figured that if in a 2-3 years, when this lady really has some girth and weight on her, if I can handle her...THEN i'll move up to something bigger again.

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good idea. its best to work your way up, than jump right in when it comes to things like this. Best of luck and PICS!!!!

What about maybe a Carpet python that gets rather large? Bredli females can get pretty long, but stay kinda slender.