Does it ever end?

[ClarinetPhoenix]

I literally just brought home my 3rd snake less than a week ago and I'm still exploring and looking around the next morph or species I want to eventually get.....

Looking at...
BCC's
BCI's
Argentine Boas
Carpet Pythons
Just discovered the Leopard gene morphs for BP's, eyeing those now....

All the beautiful snakes out there.

I think I've got the snake bug...bad. When does it end!!?!

[Jellybeans]

I literally just brought home my 3rd snake less than a week ago and I'm still exploring and looking around the next morph or species I want to eventually get.....

Looking at...
BCC's
BCI's
Argentine Boas
Carpet Pythons
Just discovered the Leopard gene morphs for BP's, eyeing those now....

All the beautiful snakes out there.

I think I've got the snake bug...bad. When does it end!!?!

When one day you realize that you've got too many

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[Bogertophis]

Maybe never...but hopefully before your time, energy and budget fails to keep them at their optimum health.

[Cheesenugget]

Yea, I feel you.

I had to ban myself from attending expos. Pet stores don't bother me as much because I have crappy ones around me lol.

However, I am looking... That morphmarket is always calling...

What helps with limiting myself is after I upgraded all of my old cheap thermostats for Herpstat 2's and the enclosures and realizing how much I don't want to do that again. It sure gets expensive if you want to do it right. So my next one will probably be the last and it has to be small enough to use for my extra 20 gallon long and super easy to feed, like a Great Plains rat snake, grey banded king..

[Ax01]

I literally just brought home my 3rd snake less than a week ago and I'm still exploring and looking around the next morph or species I want to eventually get.....

Looking at...
BCC's
BCI's
Argentine Boas
Carpet Pythons
Just discovered the Leopard gene morphs for BP's, eyeing those now....

All the beautiful snakes out there.

I think I've got the snake bug...bad. When does it end!!?!

this is u. or maybe it's me. hmmm, it's all of us...

[pretends2bnormal]

this is u. or maybe it's me. hmmm, it's all of us...

I definitely do that. "Just one more!" I say as I plan to attend NARBC.. my husband just laughs at me now.

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[Bogertophis]

We even have a (very self-aware) member here who goes by "Jus1More"...

[dakski]

I literally just brought home my 3rd snake less than a week ago and I'm still exploring and looking around the next morph or species I want to eventually get.....

Looking at...
BCC's
BCI's
Argentine Boas
Carpet Pythons
Just discovered the Leopard gene morphs for BP's, eyeing those now....

All the beautiful snakes out there.

I think I've got the snake bug...bad. When does it end!!?!

A few thoughts.

First, it ends when you are comfortable with your collection from either a time, space, money, enjoyment, or you get too many and lose passion for it.

Do not let it get to the losing passion part. It happens. I've seen it too many times.

I believe in obligation and believe in supporting and nurturing and spending time with the animals I have. I have stopped at 13 reptiles.

I feel I have reached the limit where time wise, I could possibly be neglecting someone if I got more, and definitely wouldn't be able to spend the time I want with everyone. Additionally, anymore time spent on the reptiles, and I believe it will be more like work and less like a hobby. I want it to be a hobby and something I continue to be passionate about.

The number is different for everyone, but everyone should evaluate their priorities.

Could I find more animals I want? Yes, but at what expense? I have other things in life I enjoy and work and a fiancé, and dogs, etc. Life is about balance and too much of anything usually isn't a good thing.

Secondly, I have all the species you are looking at except for a Argentine Boa.

What you get probably depends on experience and what you are looking for.

BCC's:

In most case they are very docile, similar to a BCI, if handled and acclimated, but they can get very large and need high humidity, very regimented and proper feeding schedules (they can get regurgitation syndrome much easier than other boas), and less tolerant of mistakes in husbandry. However, they are gorgeous and impressive animals.

BCI's

Name a color and you can get it. Males tend to stay very reasonably sized and females do get bigger, but not huge if fed properly, like a BCC can and a BO can.

Both BCI's and BCC's

Very strong food response. The pro of this is that they eat like clockwork and happily take F/T. The cons are you absolutely should hook train any boa. They think food often and you do not want to be mistaken for food.

Both are extremely docile in most cases when handled and respected. My BCC and BCI are my favorite snakes to handle. They are inquisitive and calm, but active to enough to keep it interesting.

Carpet Pythons

Great display snakes as they spend much of their time in the open and wrapped around perches/branches.

Smaller species are available like Darwin (more arboreal) and Irian Jaya (less arboreal). They are active when handled, but not crazy. Think Boa meets corn snake. They have a strong food response and are fun to watch strike from their perch and eat while coiled around it and hanging.

Not as hardy as BCI's, but pretty good. Need height in enclosure for climbing. However, enclosure does not have to be as long as a similar sized Boa because they are perched most of the time and not as thick bodied.



Any more questions on species, feel free to ask here or PM. I could talk all day.


Good luck finding your balance. My only advise is try to go slow, especially in the beginning, to make sure this is what you want and are going to stay passionate about for years and years.

I have 13 reptiles and acquired a bunch lately, but I've been keeping them for 20+ years.

[Jellybeans]

For me yes.
I have had animals in my care for decades. Loved them all and love my current ones dearly. BUT I plan on not being as obligated in years to come so that I can travel and be away from home for a bit.

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[ClarinetPhoenix]

I'm thinking I should stop at 3 for now. As they are young they definitely are not a handful for me to care for right now.

Reasons, not due to "omg I have enough reptiles".
I want to move out on my own at the beginning of next year and have to consider moving now with multiple reptiles, a cat and the costs, this isn't something I've ignored when taking on reptiles, generally most places around here accept them and I will be taking steps to ensure that me leasing with reptiles will be protected, documented and on paper.

Anyway,
Currently sharing an apartment with a rather negative and dependent mother(she insists on referring to my snakes as "dangerous animals that can kill you and your cat"). She tolerates my hobby, but I'm tired of hearing that.
To put it mildly, this is basically my apartment, I pay the bills, she lives with me. But that needs to change, driving me nuts. Plus I hate this apartment.

Annnnd my other thoughts...
Are there definitely more snakes that I want? Yes! Might I still get that second carpet python I was planning for this summer? Quite possibly, will I think about it and whether its a good idea? Most definitely. Hopefully I will make the decision that is best for my situation. It probably depends heavily on me finding the one I _really_ want, vs just buying a snake to buy a snake.

I also know that snakes are still an option once I do move and get on my own.

Just gotta fight my impatience.

I actually made this thread as a joke for the mindset of "just one more". But I'm also getting some really good feedback on pacing myself on how many animals I have in my care.