Thinking about first snake...

[apeterson2]

oh and don't always trust what you read on the internet, remember the person is trying to get rid of the snake for some reason or another

[Driver]

I have bought all but 2 snakes from Craigslist. I have found that the ones that i have bought have all been underfeed and not properly taken care of.

[TomC]

I can promise you if you keep the number of snakes low they are the most low maintenance pet you will ever own. The biggest thing is do your homework before getting the snake. On craigs list you can sometimes get the whole set up but there is a 99% chance the set up will not be ideal and you will want to change several things the get the husbandry up to your standards. If you rely off of word on the streets you will get advice on how to make a snake survive, if you want it to thrive I highly reccomend you rely on the people here to point you in the right direction.

[JulieInNJ]

Just my ,

Our first snake is an adopted BP from Craigslist. The bad side: she was being housed in a basement with no heat source, and only had a mouse thrown into her tank every 2 weeks. The good side: she an amazing snake, and even though she's a normal bp, she's easily one of the most stunning animals I have ever seen. So, yes, you can get some really amazing adoptions from Craigslist, but be prepared for an animal that may have had a less-than-stellar life to this point.

And I agree, it's more work taking care of my dogs than the snakes. I don't have to yell at the snake to stop barking out the windows.

[wytchling]

And I agree, it's more work taking care of my dogs than the snakes. I don't have to yell at the snake to stop barking out the windows.

LOL. So, so true. (I have 4 dogs so it's a barking mad house. )

I just got my BP almost 2 weeks ago. Once I got my husbandry right, I spent more time worrying about feeding and shedding than I actually spent on upkeep. (He did fine with both, I'm happy to report.)

The folks here are absolutely awesome about settling your fears and answering any questions you might have.

Good luck on finding your perfect BP baby.

[mestapho]

I had a great experience getting my guy off of craigslist. I got a 1yr 3 month old, 3 foot, male normal in great shape, 40 gallon Xilla glass terrarium, exoterra water/soaking dish, two hides, uth, and flukers light/heat source fixture for $50. All I added were two sets of thermometers/hygrometers, and rheostat for the heat sources.

So you can have a good experience purchasing off of craigslist.

[Toddnkaya]

Thanks everyone. This forum is awesome!!
I have a couple of calls into Craigslist people, so we will see what happens.
I have also found a couple of awesome online breeders that look stellar!
If I decide to go the online route to buy my first snake, buy a tank from craigslist, How much am I looking at to spend on heat lamps/pads thermometers and humidity control etc.? ( I will try to swing by a pet shop today to brouse)
Thanks, Todd

[mestapho]

Lamps at Petco/smart run around $15-20 for domes and $35 for a hood type fixture. Don't waste money on a UVB light as they don't need it.
Under tank heater $20 -$40 depending on size. $20 for a two outlet rheostat to control heat. Two dual temp/hygrometers will be $20.
$7 for substrate if you want to use eco earth or the like. You'll need two hides as well which you can make very easily from plastic planter dishes or the like.
Exo terra hide will be around $20. Water dish - again you can do this quite cheaply or a pet store dish for terrariums will be around $20.

If this is going to be an animal you want to display you may want to go with a small boa, something like a Hog Island Boa, as they are more comfortable out in the open.
A BP that is happy will be hiding much of the day, as they are nocturnal and shy animals. Boas can also be much less picky about feeding.