Bigger Beginner Snakes?

I'm 14 and am looking for a good beginner snake that is bigger. I am not ruling out colubrids but want something a bit thicker than a corn. I've heard Carpet Pythons make good beginner snakes and also I've heard Bull Snakes are "fool proof beginner snakes". Can anyone tell me some different beginner snakes besides the normal Corns,Kings,Milks and Ball Pythons?
Obviously I will do extensive research before buying or even considering a crrtin snake and I understand individual snakes are all different.:snake:

By beginner snake, it depends on if you mean easy to handle/docile temperament, or undemanding about their setup and husbandry.

I'd recommend dumeril's boas, one that's at least 1-2 years old, for something that'll get much bigger than a ball but still manageable. Undemanding husbandry, and very docile and calm. Males are smaller, females can get 7-8 feet and thick.

For colubrids, definitely a russian rat snake! Big and docile and easy husbandry

If you really want a species of carpet or bullsnake, do your research on their temperament first. Not all are docile lol.

I think carpets and bulls are great beginner snakes. Those are two of my favorite snake species :). Some can be a little nippy when they're young but most settle down pretty quickly. They're both pretty easy to care for but like you said, bulls are pretty fool proof. Low-mid 80's for a hot spot and ambient temps are perfect for the cool side. If you want a larger carpet you should look into Coastals or Bredli. I love carpets for their semi-arboreal tendencies but you do have to keep them a bit warmer than colubrids. Either species would make a great beginner snake IMO. Best wishes with whatever you choose.

My female bull will be 4 in September. She was 42g when I got her. She's easily 3kg now.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...pshndp3itp.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...psd4wkxvhv.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...psdgmhhfhn.jpg

My male Coastal Carpet just turned 3. He was 85g when I got him as a yearling. He's a little over 2kg now.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...psn8gu95gc.jpg

By beginner I mean something you can handle regularly that has a good temperament. I like the idea of a Carpet. Also EL-Ziggy,I love your carpet! Will he get a lot bigger? And if so,how much bigger is he expected to get?

Oh,and I have been reading up on Bull Snakes and it SEEMs(Keyword "Seems" XD) like with regular handling as a hatchling they will usually calm down?:confuzd:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

By beginner I mean something you can handle regularly that has a good temperament. I like the idea of a Carpet. Also EL-Ziggy,I love your carpet! Will he get a lot bigger? And if so,how much bigger is he expected to get?

---

The Coastal is currently a little shy of 6ft. I expect he'll grow another 1-3ft since they average about 7-9ft in length. I don't handle any of my snakes a lot but they all tolerate handling very well. Neither of my bulls have struck at me since they were hatchlings.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

The Coastal is currently a little shy of 6ft. I expect he'll grow another 1-3ft since they average about 7-9ft in length.

---

Do they get very thick around? I mean,do they get much thicker than what he is now? Sorry for all the questions:rolleyes:

Also what about a Woma Python?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

Do they get very thick around? I mean,do they get much thicker than what he is now? Sorry for all the questions:rolleyes:

---

The Coastal probably won't be as thick as a boa but he'll be about the size of my bull snake as far as his girth. He eats large rats now but could easily take a jumbo rat and eventually he'll eat small rabbits. I've seen some pretty big Coastals. They're very impressive as adults. The largest of the carpet subspecies is probably the Bredli. Those will be quite a bit chunkier than the other carpets. I have a Bredli but he's still pretty small at 700g. I'm looking forward to watching him grow.

http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/...ps59ryqsli.jpg

Does your Bull eat rats?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

Does your Bull eat rats?

---

They sure do. All of my snakes eat rats. :snake:

Woma pythons are considered a great beginner snake in Australia. They're less so in N. America, I think mostly because they aren't is common as BPs, so they're more expensive. They're not as heavy-bodied as a BP, more like a colubrid or the other Australian pythons.

I have a juvenile woma, he's a great little guy. His feed response isn't as strong as some womas (he'll usually consider his dinner for a couple/few seconds before striking and coiling), and he's a sweetheart to handle.

If you like carpet pythons, I would say that you probably want to see what the snake's personality is like before buying, and/or buy from a trusted breeder if you can't, since it would be your first snake. And at the same time, definitely don't be intimidated by nippy babies - any/all species of snake can be that way. I have a Jungle Carpet Python, an Irian Jaya Carpet Python, and a Bredli. The Bredli is insanely head-shy, which can make her a challenge to handle, especially now that she's over 7' long. The JCP was nippy as a youngster, but has settled down nicely. The IJCP has been a sweetheart since I got him as a baby a couple-few months ago, I'd call him puppy-dog tame, and I don't expect that to change.

Some people have had trouble switching carpets from mice to rats, but my Bredli and JCP are our garbage disposal snakes. I suspect the IJCP is too, I just haven't offered him anything but rats yet, since he was already on rat pups when I got him, and I'm not sure he's quite big enough for rabbit kits yet.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I really like Bulls and Womas,especially about how they are bigger but they arnt giant

I don't like how much more expensive Womas are compared to Bulls:sigh2:

I really like the Albino Bull Snakes :) I might go with a Normal though

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

I really like the Albino Bull Snakes :) I might go with a Normal though

---

You can't beat a nice normal bull. I've seen some amazing normals. I really like the axanthic white sided, patternless, yellow, and Kingsville Red bulls too. There's quite a few awesome morphs to choose from. Now you've got me thinking about adding another one. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

I think carpets and bulls are great beginner snakes. Those are two of my favorite snake species :). Some can be a little nippy when they're young but most settle down pretty quickly. They're both pretty easy to care for but like you said, bulls are pretty fool proof. Low-mid 80's for a hot spot and ambient temps are perfect for the cool side. If you want a larger carpet you should look into Coastals or Bredli. I love carpets for their semi-arboreal tendencies but you do have to keep them a bit warmer than colubrids. Either species would make a great beginner snake IMO. Best wishes with whatever you choose.

My female bull will be 4 in September. She was 42g when I got her. She's easily 3kg now.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...pshndp3itp.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...psd4wkxvhv.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...psdgmhhfhn.jpg

My male Coastal Carpet just turned 3. He was 85g when I got him as a yearling. He's a little over 2kg now.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...psn8gu95gc.jpg

---

You all look great Zig!
Great post!

is a boa larger than you want? They have similar husbandry requirements as a bp but are larger and more active, though not as active as colubrids.

I would love a boa,like a Hog Island or a Durmeils,or even a Boa Constricter. But my mother...She thought a Ball Python could kill you :snake: So I feel like the size combined with the name "Boa" will be too much for her. Although a male Durmeils.....Maybe? I'm not actually sure how big the male's get

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

I would love a boa,like a Hog Island or a Durmeils,or even a Boa Constricter. But my mother...She thought a Ball Python could kill you :snake: So I feel like the size combined with the name "Boa" will be too much for her. Although a male Durmeils.....Maybe? I'm not actually sure how big the male's get

---

Male Dum's don't get too long, about 6-7 feet, but they are very thick and strong snakes.

I feel like my mom would think they would attempt to kill me :/

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

I feel like my mom would think they would attempt to kill me :/

---

Most of my snakes will attempt to kill me on feeding day.. It's my job to make sure they hit the intended prey instead of my person or, depending on the animal, things can get hairy pretty quick. You need to know what your animals are capable of so you don't end up putting yourself in a compromising situation. A ball python might be just the thing if you want a larger bodied animal. Their shorter length, coupled with that girth, make them pretty impressive animals as adults. You'll also learn lots while keeping an animal that isn't strong enough to put a serious hurting on you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John1982

Most of my snakes will attempt to kill me on feeding day...

---

My snakes too. Including a 15 inch long California kingsnake that decided my finger was just the right size for his dinner. :P

Most of the Pituophis genus (bullsnake, pine snakes, gopher snakes) of North America make excellent pets. The bullsnake is the biggest of the bunch, but most of them are nearly as big. Albino Sonora gopher snakes and Pacific gopher snakes are fairly easy to get. The black pine is the most mellow of the Pituophis I've owned. The southern pines were the least friendly but could still be managed. I've also kept Sonora gopher snakes and Great Basin gopher snakes and liked them a lot. Worst thing I can say about the group is that they need handling fairly often because if handled rarely, they learn to expect food whenever the cage is opened. A five foot snake with its mouth open as it shoots out of the cage door can be a bit startling. Handled often, most are puppydogs.

The subspecies of Pantherophis obsoletus are also good. These include the black rat snake, gray rat, yellow rat, etc. The yellow rat is the least friendly, and even they tame well if raised from babies. They are more slender than Pituophis, though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

I would love a boa,like a Hog Island or a Durmeils,or even a Boa Constricter. But my mother...She thought a Ball Python could kill you :snake: So I feel like the size combined with the name "Boa" will be too much for her. Although a male Durmeils.....Maybe? I'm not actually sure how big the male's get

---

I think bulls, like in the pics ziggy posted, are about the same size as a dumeril's though. Depending on the type of carpet python, they also get about that big, but just more or less not as thick.

Maybe best to get a female ball python, or something that size?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

I feel like my mom would think they would attempt to kill me :/

---

If your parents aren't 100% ok with you having a snake and are comfortable with caring for it if you're not around then you should wait until after you move into your own place to get one. Snakes will live for decades and you're entering a time in your life where you will be moving around a lot after high school (college, military, first job, etc).

If you still want to work with them find a job at a pet store.

What did you decide? Have you picked something out? I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon and say a Dumeril's is a great beginner snake. They also grow slowly, so you'll have plenty of time to convince your mom it's not going to kill you ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Team Slytherin

What did you decide? Have you picked something out? I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon and say a Dumeril's is a great beginner snake. They also grow slowly, so you'll have plenty of time to convince your mom it's not going to kill you ;)

---

I'd almost forgotten about this thread :P I havent actually decided yet but Im leaning towards a Corn, a Cal King or maybe even seeing if I could turn mom onto a Bull. Im pretty sure a full grown Dum eats rabbits? Because of our pet rabbits I don't see mom being okay with that and I dont want to get a snake who is going to starve(or cost me a fortune eating multiple rats a feeding)just because I dont want frozen rabbits in m freezer.:)

Getting into larger snakes you have to be committed. My Burmese Python from years ago was not a puppy dog but at the same time never struck. Every single time I held it from it being a baby until adulthood it did the typical huff and hiss noise. Never bothered me because I was use to it and it would quit once it got it out of it's system. Also always remember each snake is it's own individual and don't think a Dumerils Boa is tame by default. There is an adult Dum at a pet store in my area that I'm sure will remain in the pet store for some time to come. I've seen wild copperheads tamer than this one. Of all the larger snakes I have ever owned, the common boa was hard to beat.

I would say that carpets are more of an intermediate snake, but that's just me.

They are nippy little things when they're babies and usually grow out of it, but it's still not incredibly uncommon to have a nippy, unpredictable adult. Jungles seem to be more aggressive than coastals but coastals do grow bigger. They are morelia of course, so the bites are not fun either when they're adults.


....If I were you, I would be looking at a male BCI boa. They'really almost always relaxed and docile, very rarely refuse meals, and they're easy to care for.

I would recommend getting a Boa 100%. They are very easy to care for, they never miss a meal, they are amazing to handle, as they are very alert, attentive and active and they reach a larger, yet manageable size...

So just wanted to update this thread as its accumilated more respones. I finally decided on a Ball Python :) In the beginning of this thread I wasnt really sure how my mom would react to a bigger snake or even the idea of a bigger snake. Now with my little dude Dean she is absolutly in love(Although she has to be in a really brave mood to hold him) She is always commenting on how cute he is :) I actually mentioned getting a reticulated python in the wayyyyyy future(After college and than some) and she actually said she would be fine with that :O She's come a long way with liking snakes since we've had Dean. She actually keeps pestering me about breeding snakes and thinks I should breed Corns or Balls. Some time though I'll get a Albino(Khal) Boa or a Hog Island Boa :D

Anyway, thanks for reading this horribly spelled update post!