Just curious.....what do you do with these big snakes?

[PassionFruitReptiles]

I think most big snakes have way more "personality" than BPs, especially my Retics that i had. They are so fascinating and intelligent, truly remarkable creatures.

[bcr229]

Setting the possibility aside, do the big guys have as much personality as the BP? Our Ginny is such a sweet girl.

Our big guys (and gals) all have an abundance of "personality". I won't delude myself by saying they "love" me or they crave affection like a dog or cat will, but many tolerate or even seek out interaction with people.

Retics will run the gamut just like any other species; some will be chill, some flighty, some nippy or defensive, etc. We purposefully avoided buying any female babies that didn't tolerate handling right out of the egg, and our two mainland males are adults who were known to be chill even during breeding - some males can become difficult when they mature.

That's not to say we're not careful with them, or that they won't change in the future, or we take stupid chances during handling sessions - a bite from an adult retic is gonna hurt! As newcomers to bigger snakes we knew we lacked the experience needed to keep a difficult animal though, so our purchases were driven first by temperment and then by morph.

[KMG]

Am I really the only one with a snake door in my back door?

[Gio]

That's an interesting question (original post).

Seeing how you are entering the snake hobby with a royal, let me use myself as an example.

I bought a royal for my son's 9th B-day 3 years ago, knowing full well I'd be the primary care giver. I was pretty neutral about the whole reptile gig in the beginning. Then I started to research more, and became further interested in the biology of snakes. I've probably put in a masters degree worth of study and research into these animals and learn more daily. It's a hobby for sure.

My first thought when making the purchase was "I can't own something over 5 feet". After about 6 months I was so enamored by constricting snakes I started looking at various species and became hooked on boa constrictors. Once you raise a snake from a juvenile to adult, the size doesn't play into the equation as much as you'd think. A truly interested keeper will learn all they can about their species, and in many cases other types as well.

Size is certainly something to be respected and cared for responsibly, but folks that have large/giant snakes are fascinated by more than just sheer size. It just so happens that some of the most interesting snakes are quite large.


This is something that comes with experience and research. While I certainly enjoy an animal that is larger than the typical royal, I'm realistic knowing my situation is not right for a very large snake. I can handle a 10 foot + coastal carpet or a 8-10 foot boa constrictor at best. I know my family situation and limitations. My wife isn't going to be involved in handling, and I'm not overly confident an emergency bailout plan with her as the first responder would go well, and my kids aren't quite ready for that yet either. I set my limits accordingly.

The people who do have the giants, are, or at least should be fully aware of what they have. The responsible keepers have safety plans, friends or relatives that can help with certain tasks, and working with the animals becomes the norm.

It's really not any different from owning a large breed of dog. If you are not able to properly handle or control it, it's not a good idea to own one. Sadly many people think dog ownership is simple and put little thought or time into it.

I think you'll find that the "giant" snake owners put a lot of valuable time into researching their animals, and care for them religiously. They are VERY aware of the capabilities of their animals in general, but there are always idiots that don't do those things and that isn't specific to snakes.

Snakes are not roaming, social animals. The big ones don't need miles of space, but on the other hand giving them room will allow you to see some of the fascinating behaviors they perform.

I think if you are around this hobby for any length of time, there is a somewhat natural progression toward other species, and a tendency to want to experience something "impressive". It's not for everyone, but if you continue to research and fill your mind with knowledge about these animals, your curiosity might lead you down the path to larger things.

[reptileexperts]

Think of it this way in terms of personality / shyness.

Animals are evolved to be elusive and shy when they are tiny creatures that must fear for their life among even the smallest of predators. This generates very skittish animals that would routinely bite or musk if given the chance when handled or cornered. As we increase the size of the animals in question, more confidence is felt, and less fear stress comes into play. When dealing with Giant Snakes, you tend to see no human fear and thus more interactions that will take place. Retics and burms are typically not the snakes you would see hiding from it's owner or even a dog or cat that may be in the room. While many snakes will get scared of these situations - larger constrictors simply try and read the scene and get an understanding of their environment - you are part of that environment. This creates an entirely different personality than you would see in smaller pythons / colubrids. And makes them more tolerable to handling.

[pbyeerts]

Rabbits, chickens, ducks, lambs, large guinea pigs and piglets were the main food sources for my large constrictors.

Gulp...!


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[reptileexperts]

Has anyone seen my rabbit


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[d_b]

Some people like theater rooms...I personally like a jungle room. Its just what each individual likes and will do.

[KMG]

Some people like theater rooms...I personally like a jungle room. Its just what each individual likes and will do.

I have both!!!

[Alexiel03]

Think of it this way in terms of personality / shyness.

Animals are evolved to be elusive and shy when they are tiny creatures that must fear for their life among even the smallest of predators. This generates very skittish animals that would routinely bite or musk if given the chance when handled or cornered. As we increase the size of the animals in question, more confidence is felt, and less fear stress comes into play. When dealing with Giant Snakes, you tend to see no human fear and thus more interactions that will take place. Retics and burms are typically not the snakes you would see hiding from it's owner or even a dog or cat that may be in the room. While many snakes will get scared of these situations - larger constrictors simply try and read the scene and get an understanding of their environment - you are part of that environment. This creates an entirely different personality than you would see in smaller pythons / colubrids. And makes them more tolerable to handling.

i agree, my big female burm always comes to the front of her cage and looks out the window on the cage door whenever i go into the snake room lol she loves interacting with people too, my bps are usually almost always hiding.