Carpet handling

Hey Morelia folks! Quick question for y'all. I'm contemplating my next snake and am really considering all types of constrictors. I was chatting in a FB group with a guy about carpets and he told me that one key in not getting tagged is not to over-handle them, that more people get bitten b/c they treat them like BP's, and he recommended only handling 3 times a week and for no longer than 20 to 30 minutes. Is this accurate? I have no reason to think the guy was lying to me or anything like that, just looking for a variety of opinions. Personally, i really enjoy handling a lot, thats one of the things i love about my boa; if this hands-off husbandry really is the best practice then a carpet might not be the right snake for me.

Ive never owned a Carpet but some freinds have and its been work in progress. Im a Burm & Ball guy but his reference to handling a Ball was dead wrong so I hope a few Carpet Hobbyists chime in with info for you. 3 times a week is OK for most Burms but they are really interactive Snakes, Balls Stress out quickly.

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Originally Posted by Mr Sully

Ive never owned a Carpet but some freinds have and its been work in progress. Im a Burm & Ball guy but his reference to handling a Ball was dead wrong so I hope a few Carpet Hobbyists chime in with info for you. 3 times a week is OK for most Burms but they are really interactive Snakes, Balls Stress out quickly.

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Interesting you should mention burms, as they are also on my list, although frankly they are a long shot for me in terms of the resources needed for such a big animal, but i am really enamored with them. Of course i've heard of their great docile nature, but what about handling - how much? how often? I take my boa out most nights, not every night of course, but easily 4 to 5 times a week for an hour or 2 - watching a movie, working on the computer with him around my shoulders. Now i realize that physically interactions will be different once they get to size, but does this kind of frequency sound unhealthy for a burm?

My Jungle Carpet was a terror when I got her. She bit at anything that came within like 3' of her. I got her tamed down kind of where it was a 50/50 chance I got bit. Took like 4 months and I would handle her about 2-3 times a week. She never really got calm like a boa or bp. From what I was told about Jungles is that they are almost always fairly high strung. I was told if you want a mellow carpet, get either a Bredli or Inland. I was told both of those are pretty laid back and pretty much all babies are a bit jumpy.

With that said, there will be exceptions. My advice is ask the breeder what the temperament is when you buy it. And like you, I like handling my snakes so that's why I'm a boa and retic guy. All 4 of my boas are really laid back even as babies and Caesar the retic is a lounger as well. If he doesn't want to be held, he just tries to climboff my arms, down my leg and to the floor lol. He isn't jumpy or anything.

I'm sure i'll get reamed for it but imo I see carpets kind of like GTPs, more of a display animal than a daily handle animal. Of course there are exceptions to the rule as I've seen guys with GTPs that were as laid back if not more than any of my boas.

I too wanted a lot of different species but I'm being drawn back to boas lol. The only species that really grabs me are retics specifically SD/D crosses as I don't want something over 10'. That's why I'm going to get me the Peruvian BCC and probably a sharp snow female BCI for Rango. That will probably be it for me for a long time. One day I would like to get another carpet but would probably go for a Bredli or Inland.

I have 4 Carpets ranging from 2014 - 2010. I find that statement about over handling preposterous.

Sounds to me like that person may have handled their Carpet(s) so often that they may have been in the blue at times. My Jungle girl can be hard to tell when she is in shed at times unless you are looking for it. Even then I've handled her the day before shed not knowing.

I think I could handle all my Carpets in shed and they wouldn't bite. I'm sure one day I'll do something stupid or neglectful and get bit, but not so far.

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Lizzy

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

My Jungle Carpet was a terror when I got her. She bit at anything that came within like 3' of her. I got her tamed down kind of where it was a 50/50 chance I got bit. Took like 4 months and ......................


I'm sure i'll get reamed for it but imo I see carpets kind of like GTPs, more of a display animal than a daily handle animal. Of course there are exceptions to the rule as I've seen guys with GTPs that were as laid back if not more than any of my boas.

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Realy? Really Sauzo?

I've always respected your posts and felt almost all noteworthy, except some of your Carpet posts, especially THIS one. You have 4 months experience with a Carpet and you make a blanket statement like this? Wow! That's not you brother, you know better.

I probably have as much or more experience with Retics than the the time you have had yours. I used to hang out with a Breeder and ALOT of his were terrors. Have you ever heard me say a negative thing about Retics? You have encouraged some folks to get a Retic on some threads. I think that is great. You point out a lot of positive things. Have I ever piped in with negative views? No, because I realize that my experience is very limited and a very small snapshot of those Retic's personalities.

I'm truly sorry your Jungle didn't work out for you and you didn't stick it out. I really believe Alli's personality would have mellowed. But if it wasn't a good match I understand that. I hold nothing against you for getting rid of her. Maybe you feel you've earned the right to make such statements with the blood and sweat you put into Alli, but I don't.

I'll stop here, because there is nothing personal going on here, I feel that you are a friend with a great sum of snake knowledge and experience. I just can't let this one go. I guess because I have always had a high opinion of your posts you just let me down this time and I am disappointed.

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Originally Posted by Reinz

Realy? Really Sauzo?

I've always respected your posts and felt almost all noteworthy, except some of your Carpet posts, especially THIS one. You have 4 months experience with a Carpet and you make a blanket statement like this? Wow! That's not you brother, you know better.

I probably have as much or more experience with Retics than the the time you have had yours. I used to hang out with a Breeder and ALOT of his were terrors. Have you ever heard me say a negative thing about Retics? You have encouraged some folks to get a Retic on some threads. I think that is great. You point out a lot of positive things. Have I ever piped in with negative views? No, because I realize that my experience is very limited and a very small snapshot of those Retic's personalities.

I'm truly sorry your Jungle didn't work out for you and you didn't stick it out. I really believe Alli's personality would have mellowed. But if it wasn't a good match I understand that. I hold nothing against you for getting rid of her. Maybe you feel you've earned the right to make such statements with the blood and sweat you put into Alli, but I don't.

I'll stop here, because there is nothing personal going on here, I feel that you are a friend with a great sum of snake knowledge and experience. I just can't let this one go. I guess because I have always had a high opinion of your posts you just let me down this time and I am disappointed.

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I'm not trying to be negative. I'm giving my experience from the one I had as well as what I've been told by people I talked to about carpets. I told him, if I was to get a carpet, it would be a Bredli or Inland as I was told those are going to be your best luck at getting a snake that is going to tolerate a fair amount of handling. I was told that Jungles are probably the most nippy out of all the carpets.

That's why I also told him to find out the temperament of the carpet he wants as we all know not all snakes are the same personality even if the species is said to be calm or otherwise.

And if you have a negative experience with a certain species, you should speak up when someone asks so as to give the person a full spectrum of what to possibly expect and what you have learned so you can pass it on to him.

Sorry if I let you down but I was giving him my experience with what I had and letting him know what I was told by other guys who have had carpets for long long time. Like I said, he can learn from my mistakes plus learn from people who have had good experiences with carpets. I never said anything anything negative about them except that I feel they are more of a display animal than something like a boa which you can throw over your shoulders and go outside and do yard work with and for the most part, they are going to be fine with it. And even my label of 'display animal' isn't a negative.

And finally at the end I did say I would like to get another carpet but I would probably make it a Bredli or Inland as like I said, I was told those are known more for being mellow although I'm sure the babies will be nippy but like I was told, most outgrow it within a year but again some don't. That is how I felt Allie was. Either she wouldn't outgrow it or possibly the person that had her before me might have done something to her to scar her psychologically.

Oh and also, it took 4 months to get Allie to where she would only bite me 50% of the time from about 2' away. The minute you opened the cage, she was in defensive mode in a tight 'S' ready to strike. She never really got out of that habit even after 4 months and she was well over a year old so unless she was a late bloomer, she should have been out of the hatchling/yearling nippy mode. Don't get me wrong, I really did like her, she was awesome looking but after 4 months of not knowing if you were going to get bit or not every time you opened the cage to even change water, it got old. I mean I'm assuming all your carpets including your jungle were fairly mellow when you got them or at most, they would just draw back in defense if you moved a little too fast in front of them?

Anyways, I'm not taking it personal. Everyone is entitled to post their view. That is the whole reason for these boards and discussions.

Ok, I’ve been keeping carpets for 20 years. I’ve had more than 50 different carpets over the years and currently have 24 in the collection. I have yet to meet the unhandle-able carpet. Almost all of them are quite nippy as youngsters. And some have kept this nippy period up to two years in age. I don’t handle my snakes even close to 2-3 times a week. Having said that, I have found that almost all will take the occasional shot at me throughout their lives. Of course, I’ve learned to read them pretty well and rarely get tagged. I always approach them carefully and look for signs that today is the day that I will get bit just for fun. So, I believe carpets of all kinds to be completely handle-able. But, if you want a snake that will never ever strike at you, a carpet probably won’t work for you.

I got my first carpet python last fall and she is awesome! Definitely one of my favorite snakes both as an individual and species as a whole. Her temperament is great and I have her out a lot more than my boas. She's an excellent eater but aside from feeding time she's a little puppy dog even in blue. I've handled quite a few other carpets as well ranging from hatchlings to a 19 year old Coastal. I've seen some videos of snappy hatchlings but have yet to encounter one. I've been checking out a lot of hatchlings lately looking to add another on to my collection just can't decide what kind of carpet I want yet. There were a couple hatchlings that striked a few times at first but you can't expect a hatchling not to be scared/defensive. They also seem to calm down after a few minutes. All the juvenile and adults I've interacted with have been great. If you're that worried about it I'd find one locally so you can handle it first.

Good luck! :)

I don't know if some of you remember Isabel's temperament when she came home, but she fast a feisty baby. Lots of nips and the occasional musking. Not because she was mean, she was just tiny and very frightened. My boyfriend would handle her for 10 to 15 minutes about every other day, always ending the handling on a positive note. She calmed down a lot over the course of 3 to 4 months as she put on some size. Now she's approaching 3 feet, and rarely nips. She'll tag my boyfriend if she's comfy and doesn't want to be messed with, but other than that,she's a total doll. Carpets take patience, but they are fantastic if you're willing to work through the nippy baby stage. We have 5 carpets and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

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I should mention I also tap/hook train all my snakes

I have 5 carpets. I don't handle my snakes very much but not because I can't. All of my carpets are easy to handle but they are quite active during handling. They're not going to sit in your lap for hours like a BP or boa might. Besides the occasional strike from hatchlings only one of my carpets has ever bitten me and even then it was my fault. Carpets are probably my favorite snakes to keep. They're beautiful display snakes that usually eat and handle well. I think every keeper needs at least one carpet. :)

My Bredli and JCP were both defensive-nippy as youngsters, but definitely calmed down as they grew. My Bredli is not as trustworthy now as my JCP, but I think that's because she also very head-shy. I keep her away from my face. My JCP, OTOH I will let explore me and squeak in my ear (when excited he makes all sorts of little noises [emoji4]).

I also have a Honduran milk snake, who was my juvenile delinquent snake - peeing, pooping, masking, biting, and grabbing on and *chewing*, without obvious provocation. Even though the carpets were bigger than Mr. Pissy-Pants in their defensive phases, I was less worried about taking a hit from them - they'd tag and let go, and were pretty predictable on what would scare them.

As Ziggy said, they're not lap-snakes, they are on the move all the time. My Bredli is big enough (suspect she's nearing 7') that you have to pay attention to keep her out of trouble.


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dkatz4,
I reread this thread and thought it might seem to you that a carpet is not good for you.

That is not my opinion.

A carpet is good for any snake keeper! They’re not BPs, they’re feisty youngsters, they will not sit in your lap (they have exploring to do). But, they are great snakes and I don’t think handling them 2 to 3 times a week or only as required, makes much of a difference as long as the snake is properly cared for.

I said in an earlier post that I don’t handle mine even close to 2 -3 times a week. But in my early days as a carpet keeper I handled them at that frequency (I had more time and fewer snakes back in the day). I found no difference in the snake’s dispositions either way.

I would encourage anyone to add a carpet to their collection. Of course, once you decide to add a “carpet”, you’ll need to decide which type (including the ever popular “cross” and “who knows”). Don’t sweat it too much, in the end you’ll have a bunch of them anyways.

I've always loved the Jungles or even Jungle Jags. If you do add one, my vote is for one of those even though Allie was a terror lol. They look sweet. just make sure you start off with one that 'mellow' even though most babies are nippy lol. I still think the person who had Allie before me somehow traumatized her as I've never had an issue 'breaking' a snake but Allie broke me haha. Bredli and Inland look pretty awesome too and like I mentioned those seem to be on the more mellow end of carpet so I've been told. I'm sure one day, I'll end up getting another carpet as I liked everything about Allie except the biting, bolting and overall over the top defensiveness. So I'll probably go for a Jungle or Jungle Jag....or maybe a Bredli or Inland lol.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

I'm not trying to be negative. I'm giving my experience from the one I had as well as what I've been told by people I talked to about carpets. I told him, if I was to get a carpet, it would be a Bredli or Inland as I was told those are going to be your best luck at getting a snake that is going to tolerate a fair amount of handling. I was told that Jungles are probably the most nippy out of all the carpets.

That's why I also told him to find out the temperament of the carpet he wants as we all know not all snakes are the same personality even if the species is said to be calm or otherwise.

And if you have a negative experience with a certain species, you should speak up when someone asks so as to give the person a full spectrum of what to possibly expect and what you have learned so you can pass it on to him.

Sorry if I let you down but I was giving him my experience with what I had and letting him know what I was told by other guys who have had carpets for long long time. Like I said, he can learn from my mistakes plus learn from people who have had good experiences with carpets. I never said anything anything negative about them except that I feel they are more of a display animal than something like a boa which you can throw over your shoulders and go outside and do yard work with and for the most part, they are going to be fine with it. And even my label of 'display animal' isn't a negative.

And finally at the end I did say I would like to get another carpet but I would probably make it a Bredli or Inland as like I said, I was told those are known more for being mellow although I'm sure the babies will be nippy but like I was told, most outgrow it within a year but again some don't. That is how I felt Allie was. Either she wouldn't outgrow it or possibly the person that had her before me might have done something to her to scar her psychologically.

Oh and also, it took 4 months to get Allie to where she would only bite me 50% of the time from about 2' away. The minute you opened the cage, she was in defensive mode in a tight 'S' ready to strike. She never really got out of that habit even after 4 months and she was well over a year old so unless she was a late bloomer, she should have been out of the hatchling/yearling nippy mode. Don't get me wrong, I really did like her, she was awesome looking but after 4 months of not knowing if you were going to get bit or not every time you opened the cage to even change water, it got old. I mean I'm assuming all your carpets including your jungle were fairly mellow when you got them or at most, they would just draw back in defense if you moved a little too fast in front of them?

Anyways, I'm not taking it personal. Everyone is entitled to post their view. That is the whole reason for these boards and discussions.

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Thanks for your courteous response. :)

Just like with any critter, you're going to encounter individual personalities. Mostly, I don't find carpets difficult to calm down, they just have a bit of a hair trigger as youngsters. I don't fancy myself a pincushion, so I simply use a mini hook when doing general maintenance for their first year. The majority of these animals, seldom having me lay hands on them after initial sexing, won't draw any blood after their yearling mark. You can certainly handle them younger and get there sooner but most become easily handled with little to no effort. They tend to learn that I'm not a threat and, since most of my animals are for display or sale anyway, I don't push the issue and let them come around naturally. You'll find some devils in the bunch and you'll also find some absolute sweethearts - the same can be said for any genus/species.

I have a young Jungle Carpet and though she is a bit skittish (jumpy when I touch her) I take her out a lot. No issues, no bites and she will come out on her own if I leave the cover open. She loves to hang out on the laptop and, probably, is my favourite snake (my ball does not come out much, just chills in her hide, my hog island lays around a lot but loves to be out hanging on our dining room chairs and my BRB just tries to go constantly when out but very rarely moves out of his hide when inside). The JCP is a great display snake as she likes to hang out on the dowel that I have put in her cage (eats from there as well), never goes in her hide and when feeding time gets near she moves around quite abit.

thank you all so much for your thoughtful responses. I'm still very much playing the field in terms of genus/species, the thing is, my wife is very much not into snakes, so i sort of have to approach this snake as if it could be my last, or at least my last for a good number of years. My default is another boa (a big female this time) but i am infatuated with the idea of a burm (definitely a male, trying to stay on the manageable side of gigantic), and just because you carpet guys rave so much about them i figure i had to consider them as well. As you can tell i'm looking for some size, so a female costal has been my go-to, but i just love the high yellows of a jungle. Well anyway, i just wanted to thank you and also maybe sort of warn you that i will probably be posting a similar thread on the giant python page (Shane, we talked about burm stuff a bit on an earlier thread of mine)

A caramel burm would be awesome. I'd love to have one but that's just too much snake to handle alone. Not to mention, up here there really isn't maybe breeders for them.

I saw a jungle carpet at the local pet store and all the employees said that it was puppy dog tame and never struck at anyone, I was amazed because I always heard about people giving them a bad reputation. I think it depends on the snake and how it was raised from a youngster. I find that the younger I get a snake the more I can train him to be easy going (the less baggage they have). The right environment really helps, a solid tub that makes them feel secure, the proper humidity and temps, and especially lots of food to keep them fat and happy.

I think that handling is good for any snake. I think you have to start with short sessions and really read the snake well and work up to longer sessions. I'm currently working with my SD retic who was a terror when I got him just a few weeks ago. This last session lasted about five minutes, I always keep him close to his tub so that if he wants to run he has a place to retreat. I started with sessions less than 30 seconds, now I'm at about five minutes and he is really chilling out, well for the most part. He still can be a bit nippy at first and pee on me LOL, but I think after a month or two we will move past that. Right now I'm handling 1-2 times per week, usually a couple days after a feeding when his rodent bump has gone away LOL.

I think if you got a snake right out of the egg and worked a lot with him you could tame any snake out there. I think reading the snake, feeding heavy when very young, and building trust is the key.

If you get a full size mature snake that's aggressive it will take a lot more work to tame them down and you may never really fully trust that snake. Especially if it's a large snake, the penalty for not reading it properly is a lot greater than with a small snake.

I'd say find a Jungle carpet that you know is tame.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

................... I'd love to have one but that's just too much snake to handle alone. .....................

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I agree man. I've been dying to get a Burm for years, but I live alone so I don't think I better do it.

Carpet python are surely different to handle than most other python and you can easily tell they are at least semi-arboreal and part of the morelia genus.

Out of my three I can get the younger two to strike easily by waving a hand in front of them. They react pretty strongly to being touched, whipping around and sometimes hissing till they get them out of the cage. I'm not sure I'd suggest one as first snake as they could scare off someone with little experience. Sometimes you gotta take a bite.

That said I'm not sure I agree with them being snake you shouldn't handle too much. Mine sure don't show any handling related stress as a BP might.
Also three times a week isn't considered handling few times, it actually might be over-handling for some species.

As for burmese, I just love them. If it wasn't for the size it'd be a great first snake. If you're prepared to get a 4 ft cage you might go for a male, just ask the breeder for a mellow one.

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Originally Posted by dkatz4

(Shane, we talked about burm stuff a bit on an earlier thread of mine)

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I remember the thread but didn't realize it was you. I'm guessing the wife still hasn't come around to accept the idea of a giant snake in the house huh?

Wow, yesterday was a banner day for this thread, so much good advice. Where to begin? - regarding Burms - I've been reconsidering them as well, pretty much for the reasons you mentioned, the size (duh). Not only do i tend to handle alone since wifey is not on board, but honestly, i like to handle a lot, like walk around and do small chores or talk on the phone with him on my shoulders. Now my little boa has less weight than a Hawaiian lai so i'm prepared for some more heft, but i think within 2 or 3 years, a burm, even a male would pretty much be a sit-down snake (also, i'm not a very big dude) Cage size is not really an issue, i have a spot picked out that will accommodate 3 ft deep, 3 feet high, and 6 to 9 feet long (I used to do cabinets and furniture, so i'll be building it myself) but dynamic interaction handling sessions are important to me so i fear the burm is out (i winced as i typed that).

Another option that i know will spark a lot of interest is, of course, an SD/D retic! I am compiling all the threads that many of you here are involved with and/or began over the past few months, reading Cody's stuff and watching his YT videos over and over again. Honestly, i have 3 concerns; in ascending order of gravity they are: 1. Price, they ain't cheap, but i suppose if you shop around long enough a bargain will come along. 2. (Hyper)Activity - i dont want a BP, but i dont want a 10 foot corn snake either - Sauzo, you always preach Cesar's chill, but it seems like the general consensus is that they are movers But that might not be the worst thing in the world, every one who has one seems to declare them their favorite snake, so maybe i'm just projecting my own nervousness. And 3. Maintenance. Remember my only experience is with a boa, the the sheer quantity of food retics need feels overwhelming, to say nothing of the waste! I also hear a lot of concerns about pacing or rubbing or other general reptilian agita, just feels like a high maintenance animal. Now i'm not worried about my ability to take care of that stuff, just whether or not I'll be enjoying myself at the end of the day.

_oh yeah, and by the way, another boa is still very high on the list - my only qualms are how damn long it takes to grow them up (healthfully) and simple interest in diversity.

SD retic for sure! Yes they are movers, yes they are a bit more clean up, but I can't speak highly enough of mine. She's gotten pretty chill to handle as she's grown. Doesn't really run or act flighty. Very food oriented but a tap with a hook or roll of paper towels and slow but confident approach and she's like a puppy dog once out of the cage. Very inquisitive critter always checking out everything in the room and my every movement when she's awake and in her enclosure.
Having said that, I still would like to have a carpet python some day haha


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Originally Posted by dkatz4

Wow, yesterday was a banner day for this thread, so much good advice. Where to begin? - regarding Burms - I've been reconsidering them as well, pretty much for the reasons you mentioned, the size (duh). Not only do i tend to handle alone since wifey is not on board, but honestly, i like to handle a lot, like walk around and do small chores or talk on the phone with him on my shoulders. Now my little boa has less weight than a Hawaiian lai so i'm prepared for some more heft, but i think within 2 or 3 years, a burm, even a male would pretty much be a sit-down snake (also, i'm not a very big dude) Cage size is not really an issue, i have a spot picked out that will accommodate 3 ft deep, 3 feet high, and 6 to 9 feet long (I used to do cabinets and furniture, so i'll be building it myself) but dynamic interaction handling sessions are important to me so i fear the burm is out (i winced as i typed that).

Another option that i know will spark a lot of interest is, of course, an SD/D retic! I am compiling all the threads that many of you here are involved with and/or began over the past few months, reading Cody's stuff and watching his YT videos over and over again. Honestly, i have 3 concerns; in ascending order of gravity they are: 1. Price, they ain't cheap, but i suppose if you shop around long enough a bargain will come along. 2. (Hyper)Activity - i dont want a BP, but i dont want a 10 foot corn snake either - Sauzo, you always preach Cesar's chill, but it seems like the general consensus is that they are movers But that might not be the worst thing in the world, every one who has one seems to declare them their favorite snake, so maybe i'm just projecting my own nervousness. And 3. Maintenance. Remember my only experience is with a boa, the the sheer quantity of food retics need feels overwhelming, to say nothing of the waste! I also hear a lot of concerns about pacing or rubbing or other general reptilian agita, just feels like a high maintenance animal. Now i'm not worried about my ability to take care of that stuff, just whether or not I'll be enjoying myself at the end of the day.

_oh yeah, and by the way, another boa is still very high on the list - my only qualms are how damn long it takes to grow them up (healthfully) and simple interest in diversity.

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Caesar has different moods. Some days, he is a lounger who will just curl u on me. Other days, he is a spazz and will crawl all over me and hang down looking at the floor and stuff. Retics have different personalities at different times so you learn to read them. Caesar has never bit me or tried but you can tell when he is 'cranky' because you go to pick him up or touch him and he twitches and pulls away from you lol. That seems to be his way of saying he doesn't want to come out. I still can take him out but usually in those moods, he will crawl all over me and hang down to get to the floor or stretch out and try to get back in his cage haha.

Yeah they aren't cheap but on average, you could easily find a nice one for $500 range.

As for maintenance, Caesar isn't too bad. he seems to have gone out of the food phase for now lol. He still loves to eat but he isn't so driven anymore. Maybe he is getting older now. He doesn't really push much. Like I said, retics are different than boas. They definitely have personality and have good days where they are angels and bad days where they are devils but that's half the fun of them lol.

I personally think you will enjoy a SD/D retic. I too was worried like you were at first but mostly because of the size and possibly them being 'mean' but Caesar is awesome. Even on his spazz days, he is a blast to have out, so active and always looking at stuff lol. They will literally turn their head to look at you or stuff. I caught Caesar digging in the corner of his cage pushing his gauge around being a brat and when he saw me looking at him, he turned his face and looked up at me hahaha and stopped. Also he seems to know me per say. I mean my boas do too but like sometimes in the morning when I get up, I'll go check on the snakes and the boas are there hanging out and ill look in Caesars cage and he might be in his hide but if he sees me come to the cage, he will come out and come right to the front of the cage and look at me. So interactive.

I have heard good things of burms too about them being laidback and stuff. The only thing that turns me off from them is the size. If they made a SD/D burm that came in caramel, I would be on that faster than a fat kid on a chocolate cake! But I wouldn't trade Caesar for anything. He is my little spazz man that pisses all over his cage hahaha. I still have luck on my side as I haven't been pissed on by Caesar yet.

And as for food, they do love to eat. I feed Caesar a medium rat once a week now. When I first got him, he was eating a weaned rat every 4 days, then small rat every 4 days. I also switched up his food with quails and chicks and when he was small, I would give him mice as well.

And finally as for hook training, I tried with Caesar and it ended badly. he HATED the hook. It was the only time he actually hissed, opened his mouth and almost took a shot at it. I gave up on that thing. I just use a twisted up paper towel which works great for him. Sometimes when I slide his door open, he comes flying out the front to see whats going on. Doesn't have mouth open or anything, just wants to see whats up. I'll tap him in the head with the paper towel and he will back up and sit calmly in the cage or go back into his hide lol. He did once attack the glass door though a few weeks ago. I fed him a quail and after he was done, I tried sneaking the sheet of paper out. Well he was still in food mode and he opened his mouth anf glued it to the sliding door like the Facehugger from Aliens when the corporate guy was in the lab and that facehugger tried to get him in the tube. It was hilarious. Caesar sat there for about 5 secs rubbing his WIDE open mouth all over the glass. Then he backed up and just looked at me hahaha. And then he wandered off.

I think you would like a retic. Just ask the personality on it. I asked Kris about Caesar and he told he is very handleable and LOVED to eat ANYTHING.

Now I'm sure there are people who have horror stories with them which is why I say, make sure to get one this mellow and not one that is insane and bolts like a maniac.

Now we're talking. Retics are my absolute favorite. Carpets and burms are tied for a close second. So I doubt you'd be unhappy no matter which route you take. Maintenance wise the retic requires the most, burm the least with the carpet somewhere in the middle. I have to clean Levi's (retic) pee at least every other day and poop averages twice a week. If you get a retic just be ready to deal with a lot of pee. He is very entertaining in his enclosure day or night. Like sauzo said when ever I walk into the room he comes out to see what's going on or will watch me clean the other snakes enclosures. Great temperament but I still tap him on the head Everytime it's not feeding time anyway. Some days he's really active when out of his enclosure and some days will just chill somewhere on me, usually with his head on the top of my head lol. Reli, my carpet python, usually pees once a week but will go twice every now and then. Poops about once a week. Also a great display snake. Loves to climb from perch to perch. Everytime I come into the room she is coiled up in a different spot. As stated before very easy to handle and I can have her out while I'm doing other things. Kitty, my burm, has a slower metabolism so she doesn't require much cleaning. She'll pee about twice a month and poop every month or 2. Very easy going when she's out and will usually just hang out. If she decides to explore she won't go far and usually comes back and climbs on or under me. She will coil up and sleep all day but is very active at night. She plays in her water A LOT which is ridiculously cute and entertaining. All 3 are excellent eaters. Never had any issues there. Although the retic is my favorite I can't really do much else if I have him out. I have to pretty much give him all my attention because he's so quick strong and determined lol. Which lead me to getting "hang out" snakes. But seeing you already have a boa you already got that part covered:p

I couldn't read all of the responses in depth. but let me say this:

Carpet pythons IN GENERAL are excellent captives. If you simply look at the multiple videos of real life, WILD carpets in Australia you will notice the adults 8 times out of 10 never put up much fuss when being picked up or moved. I'm talking non-captive animals. I think Australian pythons are rather confident and curious and maybe even semi social (still solitary) snakes.

I've been bitten by my boa constrictor, my carpet and my retic. Now with age I can't get my nearly 7 foot coastal to bite me if I want her to do so.

As for a pet snake, carpet pythons in fact one of the BEST species IMO. Wonderfully semi arboreal, they have similar metabolisms to boa constrictors and do not move nearly as fast as retics.

I HIGHLY recommend them. As fas as bites go, any juvenile snake can be, and usually is defensive for a while. Their bites are rather comical, and not at all dangerous. My carpet never drew blood. She's an absolute doll now.

If you get a carpet, use a handling branch for a while to introduce the snake to interaction. I did this with both my carpet and retic and they quickly became comfortable with handling.

Photobucket is down so I can't post a picture of the handling branch but you should not discard the species. I'd take a carpet over a Burm any day. Now that is just my opinion, but depending on your room size, cage size and physical capabilities, the carpet will be the least challenging when it is a fully grown adult. A 75 pound or much, much heavier Burn is a boat anchor. They are fascinating, however, they are one of the heaviest bodied snakes out there. Maybe only second to anacondas.

Also keep in mind that I find fully terrestrial snakes boring unless they are extremely active like many of the colubrids or olive and water pythons.

I'm kind of surprised the retic didn't grow on you as fast as it did for Jmcrook and I, Gio. I love retics but they are definitely a handful. I still love boas though and it is really a toss up between them and retics. They are 2 completely different spectrums as far as interaction. Boas are all laid back and mellow and retics are busy bodies for the most part.

Just as Gio cant get his carpet to bite him, I couldn't get Rosey to bite me. She didn't even wince or even so much as hiss when I took her to the vet and vet had to take a fluid sample from a bump on her nose. The vet was said she was really surprised how calm and laid back Rosey was during that as she has dealt with lots of snakes with lumps from rubbing and sinus infections and most pull away, hiss or try and bite. As pointed out, every snake is different personality wise so my advice is go with the one you like the best in color, pattern, size etc.

And as for bites, any snake can draw blood except maybe a really tiny baby. Every bite I've taken from my snakes have drawn blood although Dotties and Vicks were feeding responses. Rosey was being startled as a baby and it still drew 1 drop of blood albeit a tiny drop. Allison drew blood pretty much every bite she did to me and Caesar and Luna have never tried to bite me yet.

I really don't think you can wrong with whatever you pick out the pileup here. Just make sure you find out the temperament before you purchase.......but my vote still is for a SD/D retic :D

You guys... I'm freaking out..I need ALL THE SNAKES

But seriously, this is why the hobby is so great, every species has something unique and appealing to offer. Man, i might have to just keep looking at all of them and wait for an individual to grab my fancy regardless of species. I will say that i am leaning toward something a bit heavy bodied; as much as i like when Irwin slips through my fingers, i pine for a snake that i can pat with the palm of my hand. Keep in mind my hands are not terribly big, so no anacondas necessary lol.

Lots of good info in this thread!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dkatz4

You guys... I'm freaking out..I need ALL THE SNAKES
I will say that i am leaning toward something a bit heavy bodied; as much as i like when Irwin slips through my fingers, i pine for a snake that i can pat with the palm of my hand. Keep in mind my hands are not terribly big, so no anacondas necessary lol.

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Check out blood and short-tailed pythons.

Go for a burm then but be sure to check your city and county regulations first. And if you get one, get a caramel burm and post lots of pics so I can drool lol.

Once I got accustomed to my son's ball, I realized I wanted a snake (a joke, right, who wants just one?!). So I started my research (mostly on here because there are no other sources like this place, that I have found). I determined that I wanted a smaller boa and happened to find one, locally, at a pet store. They had just got this Hog Island boa in and he was super looking and handled, in the store, easily. I brought him home in a little box (salespeople are such :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r:s, some time) and I put him in a three foot enclosure, very happy with my new snake. He has grown to a strong, 4 1/2 foot, super pet - still love the guy. Then a Jungle Carpet showed up on Kijiji and I talked my wife into needing another snake. The seller delivered her to my door, a little, black and yellow worm and I was thrilled with her. She is a great little doll - still not very heavy or thick but quite long and slim (her sheds are always a treat). Then I happened onto a Brazilian Rainbow that I bought from a young guy who serviced my pellet stove (super deal and an amazing snake). He is smooth scaled (almost glasslike) and fantastic looking snake, especially in the sunlight. He has grown to just a bit over 4 feet and is a typical boa - strong and fun. They are all great animals and I am pleased with them all. I knew that I wanted certain species of snakes but didn't have any particular one in mind (other than I didn't want a snake that grew too big, too fast - my Hog Island will be big enough for me) and when ones showed up, for sale, that interested me, I bought. I don't think that I will get more as four seems to be the right number for my household and lifestyle.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dkatz4

You guys... I'm freaking out..I need ALL THE SNAKES

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It's easier that way:sweeet:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dkatz4

You guys... I'm freaking out..I need ALL THE SNAKES

But seriously, this is why the hobby is so great, every species has something unique and appealing to offer. Man, i might have to just keep looking at all of them and wait for an individual to grab my fancy regardless of species. I will say that i am leaning toward something a bit heavy bodied; as much as i like when Irwin slips through my fingers, i pine for a snake that i can pat with the palm of my hand. Keep in mind my hands are not terribly big, so no anacondas necessary lol.

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Hard to beat a pure, locality, female BCC. Suriname or Peruvian boas are some of the largest around when it comes to boa constrictors.

Foot for foot, inch for inch, the strongest, most densely muscled of the 4 snakes I have experience with.

A boa constrictor will give you something unique as far as behavior. They will spend time climbing and perching if set up for it, and spend time on the ground. They are very easy to handle and chill out with. They are not under direct fire when it comes to most regulations.

I certainly can't pick a favorite between my boa, carpet and retic, (sorry royal python you are great, but not very interesting) so it depends on you, and what you are after.

I personally prefer busier snakes, however the retic here is the least relaxing to handle. He is loads of fun in other areas for me. The carpet here is excellent to handle, but the BIG, thick and chilled out boa constrictor will always be the couch companion.

You may find that in a Burm, however I'd stick with the male sex, and don't overfeed it.

Come to think of it, there are dwarf Burms out there but I'm not well versed in the breeders of the species.

If you are experienced and want to raise the bar, look into dwarf or dwarf x SD retics. My experience with them is limited, but very positive.

It seems the higher % SD models run a bit more flighty. Mine can almost jump, I'm not exaggerating,theat either. They are able to move/twitch their bodies very quickly and if they want to run on you, be prepared for it.

Enjoy whatever you pick out. I can help you with the boas, the carpet, and the retic to an extent as I've only had mine for about 5 months.