What is the best intermediate snake species?

[Tyler Lawrence]

What snake species would you think I should have experience with before getting an arboreal snake?

[dakski]

That really depends on what you're looking for in a snake.

Are you looking for something that typically handles well and you'll handle often? Or Are you looking for more of a display snake?

How about size of snake? I see you mentioned a green anaconda, so I'm guessing you want to go bigger...
To answer that...I would definitely not jump straight from a BP to a conda, especially a green. That's way too much snake for one person. Another thing to consider is they require very large enclosures with a huge water pool because they spend a lot of time in the water. Feeding them isn't cheap either.

I say look into different boas (red tails, BCIs and rainbows), blood and short-tail pythons, carpet pythons, dwarf retics, if you want something with more size that handles well.

If you're into the more slender snakes and want to stay under 5 feet I always say go for a King.

If you're thinking more of a display snake look into GTPs or ETBs.

It's really going to come down to what YOU want. Do some research, narrow it down, ask follow up questions and you'll find the right snake for you

For the most part, you read my mind, craigafrechette.

I recently wanted more of a challenge, not something crazy, and had room for a big tank(s).

I had an adult Blue Tongue Skink, 3 leopard Geckos, an adult corn snake, and an adult BP. After some consideration, and a similar thought process to you OP, I ended up with a female BCI.

I was due to upgrade all my tanks and ended up with a 5 tank stack/apartment of 6X2' Boaphile tanks. That will be the perfect size for my female BCI when she is an adult (she's a 2016 baby), and is more than enough room for everyone else (I have one 6X2' split in to two 3X2's for the geckos - two get along and one does not play well with others).

BCI's are beautiful (and come in many morphs) and get big, but not crazy big (again I wouldn't put an adult around your neck, but one person can handle an adult female BCI). The care for BCI's, aside from needing more room (especially for females), is very similar to BP's. In fact, I run both my BP tank and BCI tank off the same thermostats. They are also, in general and snake specific of course, puppy dogs. Behira (my BCI) is incredibly tame and handleable. More active when being handled than a BP, but not crazy or anything. I will say that BCI's have an incredible feeding response (common and Behira for sure), so probably a good idea to get some big tongs and hook train from the get go. I made the mistake of not and got a feeding response bite early on. Now I hook train and Behira is a total sweetheart (once she knows food is not involved).

BCC's and to an even greater extent, BRB's, need more humidity than BCI's and are a little less forgiving in that department, from what I have heard. Also, BCI's and BCC's in particular, need to be slow grown for health and long life. Much easier to overfeed than underfeed. Because of this, it can take 4-6 years, or more, for one to reach adult size.

BCC's also tend to get bigger than BCI's (males 5-7FT+ and females 7-9FT+), where as BCI's are closer to (4-6FT+ for males and (6-8FT +) for females.

From what I have heard, Retics, even dwarf retics, can be a handful. Supposed to have great personality and can be very docile and rewarding. However, you need an even bigger tank than a BCI, and care is different as well. They push, dig, rearrange, etc. and want to go where they want to go when being handled, etc. I think, because of size and personality/attitude, Retics are more advanced than intermediate, but please correct me (anyone) if I am wrong.

Again in my mind, going from BP to BCI means a bigger, more active snake, but husbandry (aside from tank size) is very similar. So the only real issue there is size.

There are also dwarf/locality specific species of Boa's that stay smaller than BCI's and could live in a similar setup to a BP. However, I am not as familiar with them, and from limited experience with babies, they seemed less chill than the BCI's I looked at. Also, aside from getting a different species, not sure where the challenge/intermediate level step up is.

Again, I agree - Display Snake - GTP or ETB are both beautiful options. I have heard better things temperament wise for GTP's and they don't have teeth that resemble fangs quite as bad as ETB's, but that's up to you. Both are beautiful snakes and make great display animals.

If looking for something different, in colubrids, I personally love corn snakes and you can get some crazy morphs. Care is easy and forgiving and they aren't too much of a challenge though.

There are other colubrids, like Russian Rat snakes, that can be really cool pets too. Texas rats are bigger colubrids that also come in morphs, but I have heard they can be testy and unpredictable. No thanks.

Milksnakes and king snakes come in a vast variety of morphs as well and can be great pets.

I would stay away from anything that might need two people as an adult.

I would say no to Anacondas, burmese, and anything other than a dwarf retic (although I still think they are more advanced snakes). They have dwarf burmese, but I have heard mixed things on availability and temperament. I think they are still working out the kinks there.

Finally, Blood Pythons can be pretty cool, but also very heavy bodied snakes, and temperament can vary. In general though, I have heard/read more positive things about them recently and as they have become more popular and bred more.

In conclusion:

My recommendation for a next level snake going from BP and hognose is a BCI.

In consideration: Corn, Milk, King, russian rat, dwarf locale boa's etc.

I would also consider: Blood Python and maybe, maybe, a SD retic.

I would avoid: Anacondas, Burmese Pythons, and texas rat snakes and other larger colubrid snakes.

Good luck, please let us know your thoughts, and also keep us in the loop with whatever you decide/get.

[dakski]

What snake species would you think I should have experience with before getting an arboreal snake?

If looking to go arboreal, a carpet python could be a good next step (they are semi-arboreal I believe). I have no experience and have read little about them though, so others should chime in.

[SDA]

For arboreal you can try amazon tree boas but they take time to acclimate as they can be defensive.

Carpet pythons are slightly less arboreal as they in the wild, tend to be both arboreal and terrestrial. They too can be defensive when young but can get pretty tame.

[EL-Ziggy]

Carpet pythons are a blast to keep. They're great display snakes that handle well, there are some amazing morphs and natural types, the husbandry is a breeze and they're usually great feeders. I think they're the perfect mid sized snake. Like others have also said bulls and other pits are awesome colubrids. If you're open to a larger snake that's not as commonly kept take a look at Olive pythons. I have a yearling that I love to pieces. He's quickly becoming one of my favorites.

[Godzilla78]

I love all snakes, but python regius are the royalty! Literally! Until I have a room full of royal pythons, keeping any other species is blasphemous to me! Lol

I have thought about a large BCI one day maybe, or a nice GTP on display.
I also find king snakes quite mesmerizing, or similar sized rat snakes.

[Sauzo]

I have 3 ball pythons 1 western hognose snake what would be a good next level snake?
Thanks.

That question is very subjective. It would depend on if you are looking for a larger constrictor or perhaps another colubrid.

If you are looking for a large constrictor, my vote goes to a boa or even SD retic.

If you are looking for a colubrid, cant help you there.

The key is you need to do the research beforehand. Know what you are getting into and the costs of said animal and evaluate whether you have the funds and time for them. Really only you can answer that question.

As for snakes that a single person can handle, there are boas, SD retics, carpets. Caesar who is my SD retic is 7-8 feet and i can handle him solo no problem. He is a handful as he is always on the go like most retics but nothing i cant handle. Boas are much more laid back, kind of like a huge BP that isnt scared or hides.

But again, cant stress it enough, do the research for the snake you are interested in and then ask questions about that snake. Your question is too broad and generalized so you are going to get all kinds of different answers.

And dont be deterred by any snake. Some take more specific set ups but imo, none so far have seemed really hard for me. I was worried about GTPs for years which put me off from buying one even though i always wanted one. Well the stars lined up and i say screw it and bit the bullet. Turned out Pat is very easy to care for once i got the set up right. You just need to research and nothing is really hard. People also say Surinames are hard to care for. I dont find that true either. Gina is just as easy as my BCIs to care for as long as you research and know what to do. That is the key. Maybe i got lucky or maybe all my research beforehand paid off

[dakski]

That question is very subjective. It would depend on if you are looking for a larger constrictor or perhaps another colubrid.

If you are looking for a large constrictor, my vote goes to a boa or even SD retic.

If you are looking for a colubrid, cant help you there.

The key is you need to do the research beforehand. Know what you are getting into and the costs of said animal and evaluate whether you have the funds and time for them. Really only you can answer that question.

As for snakes that a single person can handle, there are boas, SD retics, carpets. Caesar who is my SD retic is 7-8 feet and i can handle him solo no problem. He is a handful as he is always on the go like most retics but nothing i cant handle. Boas are much more laid back, kind of like a huge BP that isnt scared or hides.

But again, cant stress it enough, do the research for the snake you are interested in and then ask questions about that snake. Your question is too broad and generalized so you are going to get all kinds of different answers.

And dont be deterred by any snake. Some take more specific set ups but imo, none so far have seemed really hard for me. I was worried about GTPs for years which put me off from buying one even though i always wanted one. Well the stars lined up and i say screw it and bit the bullet. Turned out Pat is very easy to care for once i got the set up right. You just need to research and nothing is really hard. People also say Surinames are hard to care for. I dont find that true either. Gina is just as easy as my BCIs to care for as long as you research and know what to do. That is the key. Maybe i got lucky or maybe all my research beforehand paid off

Yes, yes, and yes! Good points. Although, I think colubrids are cool, though not exactly your cup of tea, Sauzo?

I agree it's very important to research. You are going to have a colubrid for 10-20 years and a boid for even longer. Make sure you are comfortable with your decision and can properly care for the snake. You are asking the question, so I imagine you will do that, but it's a good point.

"Boas are much more laid back, kind of like a huge BP that isnt scared or hides."

I am nominating this for best description of a Boa on BP.net.

I can attest, from limited experience, Boa's are not shy and do not scare easy! Shayna, my BP is a total sweetheart, but scares herself bumping into stationary objects, and is rarely found outside a hide.

Behira uses hides, but usually only part way. She likes getting her body snug in there, but her head is almost always way out of the hide and checking things out.

She is very observant and likes to see what's going on around her, in tank, or out and about being handled. I like the bravery and personality, but do not love Shayna any less.

For what's worth, Figment, my corn (and I have had several throughout my life), is similar to Boa's in terms of not scaring easy and often checking things out. He likes to hide more than Behira, but also will come right out to see me half the time I open the tank. When being handled, he is more interested in moving around though. He's an adult and about 650G and 5FT, so very manageable, to say the least, but he moves a lot. He does not scare or mind being redirected though. If he bumps into something, it's, "NEXT!" Bump, next, bump, next, bump, next. He almost likes bumping things with his head to investigate.

[Tyler Lawrence]

I have done some research and found an amazing snake species the Asian vine snake,
though I think since I have not had an arboreal or defensive snake yet it might be a little much,
I think I should get a little experience with a nippy/fast arboreal snake that's not rear fanged venomous,
So do you think I should have experience with another species first? If so what?
Thanks.

[Starscream]

If you want a snake that's arboreal and slightly nippy, I'm going to again nominate beauty snakes. Depending on the species they can be a bit large (VBB get around 9' but can get closer to 12', and Taiwans usually get around 7'. Chinese usually get 5' I think) but they're also very slender in comparison to their length.

From what I've read if they're not handled regularly they will be more defensive and possibly bity. They're highly aboreal as well. And also beautiful, but I might just be biased lol.

(as a random wild suggestion check out baron's racers, they look so interesting!)