which one should i get?!?!?!

[TC195]

I'm turning 13 late July and I think I want another snake. Me and my older brother have had our first snake for about 2 weeks now. It's a ball python(normal). I'm having trouble figuring out if i want a red tail boa or another ball python. I really like red tails but, the only thing is that I'm scarred of getting bit and I've heard that red tails tend to bite every once in while. Which would be the better choice?

[sg1trogdor]

well its your choice but i would hold off until you get more experience with the snake you have. As for biting. All snakes can and will bite under certain circumstances. If you want a red tail get one if you want another ball then get a ball. Really its your choice. They are both awesome animals and great starter snakes well a ball more so than a rtb just because of the size difference but they are both just very sweet snakes.

[Matt94rocks]

I would get a ball until you have more expierence then try a larger species of snake.

[Mindibun]

I kept my first snake for a year before I got a second. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect with her. I suggest waiting a little while longer. It gives you more time to plan things out and look around and figure out what you REALLY want. (And to save up money)

[blackcrystal22]

I know snakes are addictive but seriously, don't get over enthused.

Two weeks with your first snake nonetheless. Problems could come up, and even if you did get another ball, if you don't quarantine for a good 3-6 months before you introduce them, a lot could go wrong. Basically you just need to wait a while. With your first snake you have a lot to learn after two weeks time.

Also, you have to consider size here. Ball pythons need at LEAST a 20gal when they're full adults. Two would probably need a 40, a 30gal wouldn't work very well..
If the red tailed boa eats well, it could require a room enclosure. No species really bites more than any other, it depends on the snake. Sometimes certain species can be more aggressive and not work so well to handle but they might not bite. You have to take the risk of getting bit by ANY snake. :]

[TC195]

if i get another snake my brother will keep the one we have now in his room and the other will be in my room

[kc261]

TC-

I have to agree with the others who say to wait longer than 2 weeks before getting another snake. People tend to be fascinated with anything that is new, but that does not always last, and with 13 year olds this is even more true. It would be somewhat different if snakes have been "your thing" for your entire life and your parents or someone else close to you has had snakes and you've been around them a lot, and this one is just the first that is personally yours, but that doesn't sound like the case.

Ball pythons can live 30 years or more (I think the longest on record is around 50 years). How sure are you that you'll still be interested? Another thing to consider is what will happen to the snakes when you go away to college?

One other thing to consider is if there is a reason you are limiting yourself to these 2 species. Red-tailed boas can get rather large for a first time keeper. Also do your parents know how big they can get and are they ok with this? And while BPs are wonderful, I do think variety is a good thing also. There are MANY species of snakes that make great pets for first time owners. If you've already researched them and these 2 species are really your favorites, that's fine. But if not, why not look into other possibilities before making a decision?

Finally, I want to clear up a few things blackcrystal said that are possibly misleading.

You should ALWAYS quarantine a new snake. Since it was in the same paragraph as mentioning you've only had your first snake for 2 weeks, it sorta sounded like quarantine would be less of an issue if you'd had the current snake longer, but that is not true.

BPs (or other snakes) should not be kept in the same enclosure. There are exceptions (breeding being a major one, but then it is only long enough to breed them), and there are people who do it successfully, but it is not something recommended for a beginning keeper to try.

Since you said your family would keep one in your room and one in your brother's room, that is good for both the separate enclosures and the quarantine issues.

As blackcrystal said, with all snakes, you might get bitten. There definitely are some species that bite more than others though. BPs are some of the least inclined to bite, but they do still bite. However, I'd recommend looking at it from the perspective of if/when you get bitten, how bad will it be? As a general rule, a bite from a bigger snake will hurt more and do more damage. A bite from a BP, especially a young one, is not as bad. A bite from a corn snake (another very popular first snake/pet snake), even a full-sized adult, will likely not hurt at all.