new interest in snakes, trying to learn.

[Skyrivers]

i've been playing with the idea of breeding animals for a few years. recently started looking in to more seriously. i've looked at all kinds of animals from snakes to foxes lizards sugar gliders and a bunch of others. snakes seem the most interesting and have the largest range of colors and patterns. been reading and watching videos for a few days. my knowledge is quite limited due to no experience but i think i've learned quite a bit. wanted to go through what i've learned so far.

handling: can be ok for short durations, but not really recommended cause snakes are solitary animals and don't want attention. i've also heard the opposite from owners that say their snakes enjoy the stimulation and body heat.

(They do not benefit from handling other than they benefit from not being scared from it when it is necessary. Some of them rare as it is even enjoy the time out.)

feeding: no benefit to live feed, frozen is best cause no risk of injury to animal. the only part of this that doesn't make sense is when i think about fruits and veggies. they start losing nutrients shortly after harvest. i would assume it's the same for something that is dead and frozen.

(Pre-killed or Frozen Thawed is the preferred method for safety reasons as you noted. Some will only eat life and others will eat almost anything offered. A dead animal will rot but if given right away would be healthy for the snake to eat. You have to feed what the animal will eat. Fish, eggs, rabbits etc....)

enclosures: people who consider snakes their pets buy fancy terrariums with hides substrate heat rocks wood for climbing and flowing water. breeders and people with experience tend to provide the bare minimum, plastic tubs and paper for easy clean up. this seems to be the most conflicting aspect for me. i want my animals to be happy, but from what i hear snakes are very basic creatures and it's debatable whether a snake can be happy. people with experience will say they only need their basic needs, food heat and water. everything else is more for the human than the snake. thoughts?

(Some species like ball pythons enjoy small confined spaces, in general. Some require large and active cages to be healthy. Research the specific species and know you animal. They communicate if they are not happy by their actions. Listen and give them what they need. Anything extra can be a distraction and anything less can cause issues.)

snake species: boas get big, not in to it. ball pythons seem to be the most popular cause of size, 3-5 feet. but i hear some boas are within that 3-5 range, while some pythons such as reticulated get pretty beefy. what is a good species to look at? want something that is nub friendly, has a unique look, and commands more than a few bucks to own one. so far i only looked at ball carpet blood and tree pythons.

(Keep in mind that the normal is more of a generality. I have a 6ft corn snake. I also have a 5ft swarf boa. Every animal is unique and the dedication it takes to care for it is specific to the animal you have. Why not start out with a corn snake or king snake? They are easy to care for and stay relatively small side and in most cases easy to handle. Other species like Tree boas, bloods, and Tree pythons tend to have more attitude or as I call it, defensiveness or food drive. Also adopting an established adult that is easy going is a good idea. You will know some of the animals history and food preferences that was already figured out by someone more experienced. Reticulated pythons are not for beginners! Myself excluded. Yes I still consider myself a noob and am learning every day but I am not the average JOE. Also take your time. When you see an animal that catches your eye and think you are ready, talk to the breeder about the animal. Ask feeding and attitude questions. If you ask enough questions and find more blanks than answers then I would not buy it. A good breeder will be glad to share this info with you and even fallow up after purchase.)

breeding: i was originally thinking of getting one male and one female. but later learned that many breeders will breed one male with multiple females. some say don't breed with more than 3, others say they breed with 4-6. i know there are alot of factors here, but if you guys had to pick a number, what would it be? was thinking about breeding within the same sub-species so i know what the offspring will be. but i hear alot of breeders enjoy cross breeding cause you can end up with a new sub-species. what do you guys think?

(As a new beginner why would you be thinking about breeding yet. You might get the animals and decide keeping them is not for you? You would not be ready to deal with bitey babies. If you buy babies to raise up then they will be year or more away from breeding. Get some experience before going this rout.)

eggs: i hear ball is between 3-6. some of the other pythons i looked at say 20-30 and up to 100. i want to be able to make profit to support the hobby/business so from that aspect you want lots of eggs, but 50-100 eggs sounds nuts. the tree python, a species i have interest in, can have 30. wondering how difficult it will be for an amateur to find homes for these snakes and what forums marketplaces or trade shows you guys recommend.

(Please take caution about Green Tree Pythons. They have huge personalities! Finding people who will provide proper care for them is not easy and would hope you would want them to be cared for properly? Grow and learn before breeding. This hobby requires dedication and caution.)

any other advice is also appreciated. thank you.

Summery. Don't breed yet! Learn and grow. GTP (green tree pythons) are not for beginners. Get an established adult and learn a few years with 1 animal before grabbing a few animals.