Hallo!

originally from Germany but currently live in US - relatively newish keeper with a small collection, and simply put i’m into real big snakes and am looking forward to networking with and learning from everyone here - moving forward, i’m looking into anacondas and retics

my collection:
-“Kali,” BCC, wild/normal type, captive female
-“Irwin,” S. amesthistina, wild/normal type, captive male (Southern - Merauke)
-“Lilith,” P. regius, wild/normal type, captive female
-“Mandume,” P. anchietae, wild/normal type, captive male

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Originally Posted by YungRasputin

originally from Germany but currently live in US - relatively newish keeper with a small collection, and simply put i’m into real big snakes and am looking forward to networking with and learning from everyone here - looking forward, i’m looking into anacondas and retics

my collection:
-“Kali,” BCC, wild/normal type, captive female
-“Irwin,” S. amesthistina, wild/normal type, captive male (Southern - Merauke)
-“Lilith,” P. regius, wild/normal type, captive female
-“Mandume,” P. anchietae, wild/normal type, captive male

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Very cool. I know what a BCC and a P. regius are, but I had to look up S. amesthistina and P. anchietae. Scrub and Angolan. Again, very cool. Please post pics. We love pics. If you don't know how, see this thread. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by Homebody

Very cool. I know what a BCC and a P. regius are, but I had to look up S. amesthistina and P. anchietae. Scrub and Angolan. Again, very cool. Please post pics. We love pics. If you don't know how, see this thread. Thanks.

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i have the safari/mobile version of this Forum, i tried posting to the member pic sub forum and it’s processing rn but will do!

:welcome: We have some active members here with some big snakes- I hope your posts will stir them up so we can get some updates from them too.

I just watched an episode of "Animal Cribs" on Animal Planet yesterday- they did an amazing dream-come-true "enclosure" (major home modification) for a guy (a firefighter) & his 2 son that have 4 big snakes, all rescues that they've had for years- the largest is a 200 lb. 20 footer. The only thing was, the snakes are vastly different sizes (2 are boas) and they're all housed together, always have been since he's taken them in, which is far from ideal. Anyway, it was interesting to say the least. It was a major build in their basement & the snakes obviously were very happy with it. As are the 3 guys who no longer have to carry the 200 lb. snake upstairs to use the jacuzzi tub...:cool:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

:welcome: We have some active members here with some big snakes- I hope your posts will stir them up so we can get some updates from them too.

I just watched an episode of "Animal Cribs" on Animal Planet yesterday- they did an amazing dream-come-true "enclosure" (major home modification) for a guy (a firefighter) & his 2 son that have 4 big snakes, all rescues that they've had for years- the largest is a 200 lb. 20 footer. The only thing was, the snakes are vastly different sizes (2 are boas) and they're all housed together, always have been since he's taken them in, which is far from ideal. Anyway, it was interesting to say the least. It was a major build in their basement & the snakes obviously were very happy with it. As are the 3 guys who no longer have to carry the 200 lb. snake upstairs to use the jacuzzi tub...:cool:

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that’s super cool! i’ll def have to check that out! always interested in seeing how people create habitats for the giants 😁 and that’s what i think is so neat about green anacondas (and anacondas in general really) is the absolute challenge of creating a paludarium for such a massive animal

The trouble with these shows is they never say what it cost to do- this build must have been astronomical. :cool: I mean the snakes had 2 adjoining rooms connected by a cave, with a pool & waterfall... it was beautiful, that's for sure. But if you're into building- they showed details of what went into this.

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Originally Posted by Homebody

Very cool. I know what a BCC and a P. regius are, but I had to look up S. amesthistina and P. anchietae. Scrub and Angolan. Again, very cool. Please post pics. We love pics. If you don't know how, see this thread. Thanks.

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just noticed these edits and ja it’s a big shame that scrubs aren’t more widely known about outside of Australian reptile circles because they’re truly amazing and imo, a really solid option for people who want to get into big snakes but aren’t into powerlifting like me lol they are super slim comparative to the other big snakes - only thing is, they can be real feisty and their fangs are on par with emerald tree boas but in my experience if you work with them a whole lot, they can be just as tame as BCC’s; just super inquisitive and active and always wants to explore

i understand why Angolans aren’t super common in the hobby because their habitat in Southern Angola/North Namibia is hostile in its own right and strewn with land mines but like with scrubs they’re super cool and super docile - extremely close in relation to P. regius/ball pythons but with several distinct differences, both physically and temperamentally - almost like a scrub python brain in a ball python body covered in beaded scales like a gila monster

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

The trouble with these shows is they never say what it cost to do- this build must have been astronomical. :cool: I mean the snakes had 2 adjoining rooms connected by a cave, with a pool & waterfall... it was beautiful, that's for sure. But if you're into building- they showed details of what went into this.

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i could only imagine! that and the water bill 🤣

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Originally Posted by YungRasputin

i understand why Angolans aren’t super common in the hobby because their habitat in Southern Angola/North Namibia is hostile in its own right and strewn with land mines but like with scrubs they’re super cool and super docile - extremely close in relation to P. regius/ball pythons but with several distinct differences, both physically and temperamentally - almost like a scrub python brain in a ball python body covered in beaded scales like a gila monster

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It sounds like cool ball python alternative people should consider.

I sure don't envy them when feeding time comes- in fact, there's at least 2 times that co-habbed snakes are a problem: when you're feeding them, & when it all comes back out. But this was a show about making dreams come true, not about dealing with every issue. I can't imagine cleaning all the nooks & crannies they created with all the fake rocks- they really need a shift-cage for clean-outs, but as I recall they put drains in the floor so it could be hosed out. It's worth a look. It's like you see in a good zoological display. I just hope people watching don't get the idea that co-habbing snakes is a good idea- they barely touched on that, & I was listening for it.

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Originally Posted by Homebody

It sounds like cool ball python alternative people should consider.

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absolutely - especially for people who are new to terraculture and struggle with keeping higher humidity levels, not so good with maintaining median temp ranges, and things of this nature - they’re super hardy desert snakes that can tolerate a massive temp range going from 120F all the way down to 32F

and they’re less picky about eating than ball pythons as well - just little garbage disposals in my experience

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I sure don't envy them when feeding time comes- in fact, there's at least 2 times that co-habbed snakes are a problem: when you're feeding them, & when it all comes back out. But this was a show about making dreams come true, not about dealing with every issue. I can't imagine cleaning all the nooks & crannies they created with all the fake rocks- they really need a shift-cage for clean-outs, but as I recall they put drains in the floor so it could be hosed out. It's worth a look. It's like you see in a good zoological display. I just hope people watching don't get the idea that co-habbing snakes is a good idea- they barely touched on that, & I was listening for it.

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that’s what i was curious about tbh - i just always assumed that snakes, much like arachnids, are cannibals and that communal enclosures are just asking for problems unless you’re like breeding or something

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Originally Posted by YungRasputin

that’s what i was curious about tbh - i just always assumed that snakes, much like arachnids, are cannibals and that communal enclosures are just asking for problems unless you’re like breeding or something

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It's a risk, for sure. Even with well-fed snakes, of the SAME species. I once put a pair of rat snakes together for breeding. The female had produced before, the male was a first-time breeder & he seemed interested. (Neither one was "wearing rat cologne" either, from a previous meal.) Everything looked normal- I watched for a while, but after I left the room for a short time, I came back to find the male had killed the female & was trying to eat her! :O Rat snakes do not normally prey on other snakes AND both were well-fed. :( To say I was upset is an understatement.

In that episode of Animal Cribs, their snakes were not matching sizes, that's for sure, & no genders were mentioned. Just a risk the owner accepted I guess- since not being able to provide more than one deluxe enclosure. Live & learn? He'd gotten away with co-habbing those snakes for years, so he wasn't about to change- I just wish the issue had been made more clear to novice snake-keepers viewing the program, that it's a bad idea to co-hab.