Quote Originally Posted by mainbutter View Post

I'm going to contest your assertion that they are "not a beginner snake". A bitey, flighty, angry snake could still be a "beginner" snake in my book if it were easy to keep healthy and was tolerant of a variety of temperature and humidity gradients, as well as feeding schedules and feeder species. Carpets fit the bill nicely, don't get so large they are unmanageable, and still have a reputation as incredibly handle-able (if energetic) as adults.

I recommend a snake hook with pretty much any snake that isn't a ball python.
ok I can see your point there. thank you. I have no intentions of breeding her. I had no intentions of actually getting a carpet but the price was insanely cheap imo. I saw some hatchlings for $60-$80 at the cleveland expo last sunday. I do educational shows for my local clubs like boy scouts, library and cub scouts etc, so anytime i can pick up a healthy animal that I dont normally have around I usually jump on it. So being a coastal cross how much bigger can I expect? shes right about 5 foot at the moment. the cage shes in is 36 long by 24 deep by 24 tall. Is that enough for now or do I need to start looking for something else? she is nice and firm well rounded but she still just seems slim. is that normal? or does she need a little extra put on? any info from you pros is greatly appreciated. Thanks