Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 675

0 members and 675 guests
No Members online
Most users ever online was 47,180, 07-16-2025 at 05:30 PM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,915
Threads: 249,118
Posts: 2,572,197
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, KBFalconer

What Would You Get?

Printable View

  • 05-23-2014, 01:33 PM
    NH93
    What Would You Get?
    Hey all!


    Not to jinx anything, but I will be picking up a(nother) PVC enclosure on Saturday that I got for a wicked deal! It's a 48"x24"x12" locking PVC - identical to my other PVC enclosure. I found it on Kijiji, used in great shape. Talked the guy down to $80!

    Anyway, I am hoping to put something new in there within the year. I have a smaller tank (15 gal) that will be ready to go by the CRBE in Toronto in September, in case I get a baby of some sort. I have a few possibilities with this tank in the future, and am wondering what you would do! As of right now I have my beautiful, strong 2 year old snow corn (female), and my juvenile pinstripe ball python (male). They are in a divided 48"x24"x24" PVC enclosure, and after few months of proper quarantine I will be stacking the vives.

    Right now I am stuck between getting another snake - which would be easier for me to care for and leave when I need to - and a blue-tongued skink, for a more affectionate pet.
    I want something that would use the space; and I don't mind customizing it a bit if I need to (some mesh on the top, extra vents, dividers for more down the road, etc.)
    I feel confident in my herp skills and would like to try something a bit more intermediate or larger.

    Here's my top picks in no particular order: Brazillian rainbow boa, red tailed green rat snake (although it is more arboreal I've read...), blue-tongued skink, other larger colubrids/rat snakes.

    What would you do in my situation, or what other herps have you had great joy/success with as pets? http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/ima...lies/smile.gif


    Thank you for the feedback!
  • 05-23-2014, 01:36 PM
    Darkbird
    I'm so far behind caging wise, I'd just put something I already have in it. If your looking for something new, what kind of things interest you?
  • 05-23-2014, 01:54 PM
    bcr229
    BRB or male BCI
  • 05-23-2014, 01:59 PM
    Rickys_Reptiles
    I'd say not to get a BTS, unless you have someone who can take care of it when you go away for the long weekend or on a vacation.

    As far as snakes, BRB are wonderful, I'd get a male if I were you as the females will require a larger area. They require much higher humidity than the snakes you currently have though, so you'll likely need to add a moss flled box to provide a spot for it to go.

    another option is move the corn up and leave the BP at the bottom. You've only had the corn for 2 years and the BP for less. Sometimes it's nice to enjoy them for a while before getting another. If you get a new one every year you'll quickly have 2 dozen - much less time on your hands, higher bills etc.
  • 05-23-2014, 04:14 PM
    NH93
    Rickey you're no fun ;)
    I have only had them both since last year, actually. Got them a month apart (the corn was already a year when I got her). I'm not looking to remove the divider on the vive I already have because it cost a pretty penny and I don't want to ruin it!

    I've been doing quite a bit of research, and it seems like the requirements for BRBs are almost identical to BPs... but keeping up the humidity won't be an issue anyways. PVC and all. Moist hide is also not an issue - I use those already. I won't be going into this blind-sided, believe me I do my research beforehand!

    I go away for about 10 days in the winter and 10 days in the summer every year to fly to visit my parents, however I wouldn't be too worried about finding someone to feed a lizard, especially because it's not mice and rats like it is with snakes.
  • 05-23-2014, 04:17 PM
    NH93
    Re: What Would You Get?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Darkbird View Post
    I'm so far behind caging wise, I'd just put something I already have in it. If your looking for something new, what kind of things interest you?

    As mentioned (in no particular order): Brazillian rainbow boa, blue-tongued skink, and other large colubrids/rat snakes :) on another forum someone mentioned a Woma, but I think they are pretty expensive if I am not mistaken.

    I just really want something that will utilize the space. I have been leaning towards the skink because they are a bit more affectionate than a snake ;) I might get more out of it in that sense.
  • 05-23-2014, 07:52 PM
    jackal_727
    Brb and balls require quite different requirements. Balls need a hot side of well over 90, where a Brb could be killed with temps even close to that. Brb also need humidity of 70-80% compared to balls needing 60-70%. And putting a red-tailed rat snake in that enclosure would be a terrible idea. They are a very arboreal species that gets large and loves to climb.

    You really should move one of your snakes you currently have into it. Both corns and balls need more than a 2x2 space when full grown IMO. I'm really not trying to come off as if I'm harping on you, just trying to help you make a decision that's beneficial to the needs of your snakes.
  • 05-24-2014, 07:56 AM
    gaiaeagle
    We have our larger blood pythons in the same size cage. They really love the space.
  • 05-24-2014, 10:15 AM
    jclaiborne
    Re: What Would You Get?
    Im throwing my vote in for the Bluey...i currently have a male and female IJ and they are awesome! Very affectionate and intelligent. They come up to the doors of their cage when i walk in the room and if they want out they will paw at it...if not they look at me and the turn around and go bsck in their hide. My blueys and my tegu are by far the coolest two reptiles i have owned. What species of blueys were you looking at? I will say lizards do require more attention/interaction than snakes especially the more intelligent ones, but i take mine out while i clean or watch tv and they just perch on my shoulder and hand out.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
  • 05-25-2014, 09:29 AM
    NH93
    Re: What Would You Get?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jackal_727 View Post
    Brb and balls require quite different requirements. Balls need a hot side of well over 90, where a Brb could be killed with temps even close to that. Brb also need humidity of 70-80% compared to balls needing 60-70%. And putting a red-tailed rat snake in that enclosure would be a terrible idea. They are a very arboreal species that gets large and loves to climb.

    You really should move one of your snakes you currently have into it. Both corns and balls need more than a 2x2 space when full grown IMO. I'm really not trying to come off as if I'm harping on you, just trying to help you make a decision that's beneficial to the needs of your snakes.

    Balls do not need a hot side "well over 90F" - in fact, 90F is spot on what their hot spot ought to be. A 10% humidity difference, in my opinion, is not much. Not enough to scare me away from a BRB. Of course they are from very different parts of the world, but both of those places are hot and humid. To me their care is much closer in comparison than with that of, say, a North American colubrid (which is what I meant in my previous post; I apologize for any confusion there). Obviously I will do plenty of research before I bring anything new home!

    I simply put that I am interested in RTRS but I agree with you that it wouldn't do well in a 12" high enclosure. I didn't suggest I wanted in there, just that I am interested in them. So, for someone who has more knowledge of other species (thinking other rat and boldly-coloured snakes), I was hoping they would comment with another idea seeing as I am interested in RTRS.

    I disagree with you that my ball or corn will need a 4" cage all to themselves. As long as they can comfortably stretch out in their own enclosures (being that they can spread one side of the length and one side of the width and no more) they will be fine. Neither should reach more than 4ft, as the corn is a female - and about full grown - and the ball is a male. This could definitely change, but I can deal with that down the road if that ever were to happen.
    On that note, both are climbers (the ball python more so than the corn; I know, it sounds odd). I could not in good conscience reduce the head space they have, knowing how much they utilize it.

    I do appreciate your suggestions though.
  • 05-25-2014, 09:33 AM
    NH93
    Re: What Would You Get?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jclaiborne View Post
    Im throwing my vote in for the Bluey...i currently have a male and female IJ and they are awesome! Very affectionate and intelligent. They come up to the doors of their cage when i walk in the room and if they want out they will paw at it...if not they look at me and the turn around and go bsck in their hide. My blueys and my tegu are by far the coolest two reptiles i have owned. What species of blueys were you looking at? I will say lizards do require more attention/interaction than snakes especially the more intelligent ones, but i take mine out while i clean or watch tv and they just perch on my shoulder and hand out.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

    Awesome! Thank you for the reply :)
    I am thinking a northern; just a "normal" or what have you. I really don't know too much about any morphs, but I find the light coloured ones (perhaps an albino of some sort) to be absolutely beautiful. After doing some digging around though, it seems like they are pricey.
    I have never really been interested in lizards before, but skinks and the larger species do catch my interest. I am especially interested in the fact that they have emotions! ;) Not knocking snakes - because I love mine! - but I would love to have something that likes me back :) or at least pretends until I feed it LOL!
  • 05-25-2014, 10:48 AM
    jclaiborne
    Re: What Would You Get?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NH93 View Post
    Awesome! Thank you for the reply :)
    I am thinking a northern; just a "normal" or what have you. I really don't know too much about any morphs, but I find the light coloured ones (perhaps an albino of some sort) to be absolutely beautiful. After doing some digging around though, it seems like they are pricey.
    I have never really been interested in lizards before, but skinks and the larger species do catch my interest. I am especially interested in the fact that they have emotions! ;) Not knocking snakes - because I love mine! - but I would love to have something that likes me back :) or at least pretends until I feed it LOL!

    Northerns are awesome...getting a morph will be next to impossible and costly...what i meant by species is that even thpugh they are all blue tongue skinks different "locales" are actually completely different species. Check out bluetongueskinks.net, it has one of the best put together and in depth care sheets along with pictures and descriptions of each species there is. The color range of each aniaml is amazing, as i said earlier both of mine are IJs, but my male is dark and bold with a bright red belly and my female is pink bellied with a light carmel color. I will snap some pics and post them up here for a reference just to give you an idea on variation.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
  • 05-25-2014, 11:19 AM
    jclaiborne
    Re: What Would You Get?
  • 05-25-2014, 05:27 PM
    NH93
    Re: What Would You Get?
    Quote:

    Oh my gosh!! They are GORGEOUS! I have a lot to learn about the locales :) Thank you so much for that link. I will definitely be checking that out! It's a whole new ball game for me ;)

    I have heard that you can't (or it is near impossible?) to sex young BTS, but I am wondering if you find - or have heard of - general tempermental differences between males and female? What are the personalities of yours?

    Thank you again!
  • 05-25-2014, 05:40 PM
    jclaiborne
    Re: What Would You Get?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NH93 View Post
    Oh my gosh!! They are GORGEOUS! I have a lot to learn about the locales :) Thank you so much for that link. I will definitely be checking that out! It's a whole new ball game for me ;)

    I have heard that you can't (or it is near impossible?) to sex young BTS, but I am wondering if you find - or have heard of - general tempermental differences between males and female? What are the personalities of yours?

    Thank you again!

    thank you! Some locals are near impossible to get because of australias export laws so you will see a lot of northerns, indos amd IJs. you are correct it is about impossible to determine sex in babies...and honestly in adults you can generally tell/guess by body and head size however it is not always accurate..you know you for sure have a male if it starts dropping sperm plugs. All that being said both their temperments are awesome...my male is a little more layed back than my female but he is also older. For the most part their personalities are what you put into then interaction wise. Northerns will all be captive bred so they tend to be a little calmer.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
  • 05-27-2014, 03:58 AM
    simplysalamander
    There are a lot of snakes that would go into that enclosure but it really sound's like you have your heart set on a skink. If that's the case then definately get a skink. If you know of anyone who can come in and check on the lizard (best option) or a place where you can board it (some pet shops and veterinarians will board) while you are travelling just go for it. Everyone who has them seems to love them.
  • 05-27-2014, 10:10 AM
    Rickys_Reptiles
    Re: What Would You Get?
    haha, little legs! so cute :)
  • 05-27-2014, 10:47 AM
    NH93
    Re: What Would You Get?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by simplysalamander View Post
    There are a lot of snakes that would go into that enclosure but it really sound's like you have your heart set on a skink. If that's the case then definately get a skink. If you know of anyone who can come in and check on the lizard (best option) or a place where you can board it (some pet shops and veterinarians will board) while you are travelling just go for it. Everyone who has them seems to love them.



    Ah, you saw right through me! ;) Doing some (a.k.a. LOTS) of research and they are getting to me...

    Thank you again, everyone, for the thoughtful suggestions!!
  • 05-27-2014, 12:21 PM
    jclaiborne
    Re: What Would You Get?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NH93 View Post
    Ah, you saw right through me! ;) Doing some (a.k.a. LOTS) of research and they are getting to me...

    Thank you again, everyone, for the thoughtful suggestions!!

    If you have any questions along the way dont hesitate to ask...there are a handful of people on here that have them...i am still constsntly learning about them as i go along.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
  • 05-27-2014, 12:55 PM
    Robs_slgf
    Re: What Would You Get?
    I went with a male brb for my first beauty. He's gorgeous, but a bit nippy since he's just a baby. His humidity needs to be kept between 80 & 90%. The cedar definitely helps with that. Good luck on whatever you choose!

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1