Is there an animal that meets these requirements?

[JodanOrNoDan]

So I have seen many variations of this question but nothing that fits specifically with my desires. The answer could very well be that the animal does not exist. I am looking for an animal that challenges my skills as a handler without challenging my husbandry skills. Something larger than a ball would be nice however I live in Florida so the really big guys are out and I need to be able to control and care for the animal by myself. I do not have problem with the possibility of getting tagged. I do not mind if the animal gets long however I do not want it so thick and heavy that I could not control it with force if the need arose without hurting it. It would be nice if the animal could thrive in a similar environment to my balls which are in racks. I am an experienced keeper, however as far as snakes go I have only kept rat snakes and balls which are both pretty much baby food. I have had interaction with hots in their natural environment however keeping something like that in my house is not something I could entertain since I have young children. The final nice to have would be if the animal has an albino form. Any recommendations guys?

[EL-Ziggy]

Three snakes come to mind. Texas Rat Snakes, Bull Snakes, and Carpet Pythons.

[AbsoluteApril]

How about Elaphe carinata, the King Rat Snake? They get pretty big (6-8') but stay nice and slender. I don't know if they come in albino but their normal coloration of black and yellow speckles is very pretty. I've always heard they are a very interesting species to keep.
Not my photos so here's links:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3209/...f251e6d3fb.jpg
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...e/c1d08b2f.jpg

[alphahippo]

i have a jungle carpet and that seems to fit what your looking for

[OhhWatALoser]

albino carpet python seems to fit all your needs

[JoshSloane]

A male boa fits the bill nicely. Will do fine in a 41 qt tub for many years, and then will only need a 4x2x1 for the entirety of its life. Boas are amazing animals that are big enough to be interesting, but not overwhelming.

[John1982]

I am looking for an animal that challenges my skills as a handler without challenging my husbandry skills.

That's easy enough, find something with a strong prey drive and scent your hands before handling - that ought to keep you on your toes.


Pituophis -- Lots of morphs, several different types of albinos throughout the different catenifer subspecies. Varies from species to species but, overall, probably the most cantankerous of the three I'm listing.

Drymachon -- No albinos here but if you want to add a bit of risk factor without any serious danger, here you go. Males get anywhere from large to huge - depending on species - and if you're not on your toes during feeding, can slash you a good one that might require stitches.

Aspidites -- A couple of morphs with these as well as line bred traits. Handle easy enough but always seem to be hungry and everything is food. Get lazy and you could very well have a not so nice feeling latched onto you for the better part of an hour while it tries to figure out how to swallow the hand that feeds it.

[JodanOrNoDan]

albino carpet python seems to fit all your needs

Any idea how big a coastal gets weight wise? Less hefty than a red tail boa?

[JoshSloane]

An albino carpet python is going to cost you an arm and a leg. Go pick up a male albino boa for a couple hundred and you wont be disappointed at all. Their personalities are much better than carpets IMO. I know there are a lot of people on here who love carpets, and I agree they are amazing animals, but nothing beats the disposition of a boa.

[OhhWatALoser]

Any idea how big a coastal gets weight wise? Less hefty than a red tail boa?

I don't deal with either so i really don't know. Well my longest carpet is an ij/coastal but seems to of topped out around 8.5ft and my pure jungle girl is heavy than her, just not as long. if you wanted an albino they originated in darwin's but are being out crossed to other subspecies. A big coastal might be on the line of what some people will call controllable or not. Just do your research if that's what you are considering.

An albino carpet python is going to cost you an arm and a leg. Go pick up a male albino boa for a couple hundred and you wont be disappointed at all. Their personalities are much better than carpets IMO. I know there are a lot of people on here who love carpets, and I agree they are amazing animals, but nothing beats the disposition of a boa.

they are under 1k right now, hardly an arm and a leg and like every morph they become more affordable every year. He specifically wanted an animal that is more on edge. Not that I've handled a lot of boas, but they have mostly been pretty calm. Carpets on the other hand, being on edge I would call normal.