How hard is it to deal with large snakes?

[Jay_Bunny]

My fiance and I have been toying with the idea of getting a larger snake years down the road so I was wondering if anyone could give us any insight to what its like to care for these giant snakes.

[CeraDigital]

In all reality, it is what you make of it. I'm not going to lie, or make it seem like a cake walk. Caring for these animals is a somewhat difficult task when first starting out with them....but after a while, you get somewhat used to what needs done, and what there is to do, and things become a little more relaxed. The most important thing to remember is to give giants the respect they demand and deserve; whether it be a Burmese Python, a Retic, or African Rock. Never drop your gaurd! Your calmest snake could turn on you as quickly as an aggressive one would! Anything could set them off....scent in the air, quick movement, sudden environmental changes... Just be aware of what your snake is doing, how its moving, and how its reacting. I hope this helps!

Andrew

[Jay_Bunny]

Thanks for the reply. Would it be a good idea to gradually go up in size as far as snakes? Right now the largest snake we have will only grow to 4 or 5 feet long. So would it be a good get species of increasing size to get used to the demands of a large snake?

[CeraDigital]

I don't think of it as a good idea. No species compares with one another...

Personally, just study up on which snake you'd like, do your homework, and prepare. Try and get some hands on with the species before buying it...and then when your ready, go out and pick the one you want..

[TheresaBearden]

I agree with Andrew 100%-never ever let your guard down-they can become aggressive-I would definitely try and find someone who has larger snakes and see what you think. You can get to know your snake but you never truly know what they're going to do. Remember-they will be eating rabbits and larger meals(we just went through 98 lbs. of rabbit today), their feces is sooooo much bigger and you will need larger housing for them. Our largest at 17 feet was only 22 inches when we bought her 7 years ago-burms grow fast.
If you're ever in the Charleston area send me a message you can come check out our facility.

[Jay_Bunny]

I'd love to but I almost never get out of Richmond. That is what I am mostly worried about. The fact that these snakes are unpredictable. I mean, its one thing if a corn snake or a ball python bites you, but I've seen how fast and how hard they can wrap around you. I'm a small person, so maybe big snakes are a little out of my league. I must say though, they are beautiful. I'll do a little more research and see what I can find.

I know burms and retics get big but are there any smaller species? I once had a red-tailed boa as a kid (was technically my fathers) but I helped out in feedings. We only had her as a baby and had to find a new home for her before she reached full size (we had to move in with my grandmother and at the time snakes were an absolute no)