Well hey there, kids~

[Yuan-Ti]

Hey person reading this thing. I am brandy spankin' new to this site and am fairly new to snakes. I have always wanted one and now that I am 23 and finally have the opportunity to do so I find I have problems. So in addition to introductions I also have questions if you, dear reader, could please answer.

So first I have wanted a snake since I was quite about 13 or 14 but neither my father nor mother wanted to support me in that. It started with my step-uncle who owned a tarantula. I was fascinated by this creature, if creeped out. I mean bigass spider, ya know? So anyway one day he catches a green grass snake and cages it. Now this was what I was looking for. It was cute and yet still a dangerous predator...to lizards at least. I got to hold it a bit and loved the smooth scales and the gentle tongue flicking. I enjoyed it while it lasted because my step-uncle was more interested in feeding his tarantula with the snake which he did a day later. Heartbroken, I was. Thats when I asked my parents to allow me to explore the realm of reptiles.

Sad story aside, I had forgotten about my reptilian fascination for over 10 years until now. I took up one of the best games I have ever played, Dungeons and Dragons. I found a magical belt which transformed into a snake familiar on command and so I fell in love again by vicariously holding an imaginary magical danger noodle with my character. So I set about finding these slithery friends and encountered Jenny Gaines on YouTube who has several snakes, most notable is Waffle the Kenyan Sand Boa. But I found more and HLH reptiles, also on the Tube. Through Jenny I saw how adorable snakes are and through HLH I saw how they make amazing pets and also the basics of care.

So I did more research and found lots of valuable info. A veritable wealth of how-to and how-not-to. I found excitement in just learning it all. So now I am making overtures to make owning a BP or as I like to call them, Royal Python, and a Kenyan Sand Boa. The python will come first and some time down the line I will get my desert noodle. So aaaanyway, here is my first question: despite my preparations of the accumulation of knowledge and the purchasing of require materials (ie habitat and shtuff) I still feel a might unprepared and nervous; is that normal?

Now I did go to the only local exotic pet store and have a look at their selection and was not impressed. They had 3 babies, all of which were morphs and waaaaaay out of my budget, and a few adults which weren't for sale. The baby morphs didn't even seem like they might be the more valuable types. The one I remember was a Topaz. So I felt disheartened after that. I was wanting to hold my prospective friend rather than order somewhere since I can't seem to find a breeder to save my life. And so comes question 2 and 2.5: are there referral services to reputable breeders who ship on the site? Is that allowed? And 2.5 is how would I find a breeder locally if there are a few? I asked around, googled a bunch and got nil from it.

Question 3: and lastly can anyone recommend a decent, affordable thermostat? Every one I look at is freaking expensive.

So yeah, anyway, thats mah introduction post. Such a purdy post. Thanks for reading, if ya have till now.

[Sunnieskys]

Im new too. I did 6 mo of research and built her habitat. I also wanted to hold my snake. I found local reptile show. And yes being nervous is normal too.

[Yuan-Ti]

I think I am sitting on 3 months of research. The habitat is ready save a latching hatch lid that I will be building on the terrarium. I also have a curtain thing I want to fit on there to help block excess light.

[KMG]

For a breeder we have many supporting breeders along the sides of your screen.



As for a tstat if you buy cheap you'll get cheap. The tstat is the most important thing you'll buy for your snake. For me I don't use anything less than the Herpstat 1 which is currently listed at $139. I don't consider that expensive for the item that can make or break my collection. I have two Herpstat 1s, a 2, and a 4. They have all given me great service with no issues.

Check around local classified ads, here, and other herp sites. Many times you can find gently used tstat at a good price.

http://www.spyderrobotics.com/index....=index&cPath=1

Some others to be considered are Helix and VE. My first choice and vote is for Herpstat.

helixcontrols.com/?page_id=42

www.reptilebasics.com/thermostats

[Craiga 01453]

Welcome! And good job doing the research and preparation before bringing a snake home!

I personally would highly recommend going to a reptile expo. Best place to see and handle many amazing animals.
You can also check out the website for the expo and look at the list of vendors and research the breeders prior to going to the show. This will help to find some tables you definitely want to visit and possibly some to avoid.

morphmarket.com is a great place to explore as well.

As for tstats, there are many options, but the basic rule of thumb there is: you get what you pay for.
An "expensive" tstat could save your animal's life, prevent burns and expensive vet bills and even prevent house fires. You do the math.

Good luck! Keep us posted and we're here when you have more questions.

[Yuan-Ti]

Thanks, everyone. I feel I have a bit more to go on now. Getting the snake will probably take a couple more weeks at least, plus a trip to the Hobby Lobby for some materials. I do have one last question, how young is too young for baby pythons? Like should I try to get one thats a little older or go with the "once fed" rule I have heard about?

[Oxylepy]

You want a snake that is consistantly feeding. I would suggest a snake that is over 100g.

[Yuan-Ti]

Got'cha. So after more searching and digging deeper the nearest expo is 3 hours away on a Saturday once every 3 months...kinda hard to get Saturdays off when you work in retail lol. Even 3 months ahead.

So it appears I will have to order. And now I have a question regarding coloring. I'm looking for like a green coloring with more solid colors like a blade but I have no idea what the proper terms are...except blade. What am I looking for? I saw something called a Toxic which had like a green hue which was kinda cool. But anyway, yeah, what am I lookin' for? :D

[dr del]

I've never heard of either of those genes.

There is one called a toxique but I don't remember it being greenish in any way?

Are we talking bp's here?