Help me decide on a new snake! :)

[pretends2bnormal]

The bull and gopher snake seem like that ideal choice! I'll definitely look into them. Do they have any downsides that I should know about as a new keeper? Oh, and how large of an enclosure do you think an adult gopher/bull snake would need? Thanks.

Mine is a juvie, and for now my plan is to keep her in a 4x2 PVC cage (I've already got the cage), although if she starts having any rubbing or pushing issues when she grows, I can upgrade that later on. Unless she's especially large, I don't think it will be an issue.

I can't really think of any downside to them like BPs have (some finicky feeding/winter fasting). They're not worried about heat on prey, take F/T easy.. I guess juveniles could be squirmy or faster than you're used to and adults even will be more active to handle than a BP, but nothing all that hard to deal with. If there's anywhere around with a larger ratsnake, corn snake, or colubrid, handling one of those will give you a general idea of the activity level of one. I find it refreshing after handling the slower snakes I've got.

Something neat though is that they have pretty heavily keeled scales which makes for a really different texture.

For a 3rd option to consider as a more advanced and possibly bitey-er python species, carpet pythons can be good option too. Smaller species will stay below 6' (jungles and IJs, maybe Darwins also?). Known as nippy babies, but similarly most grow out of it. An active, semi-arboreal python, they're definitely different and impressive for a 2nd snake. Care is very similar to a BP for heat and humidity, you must want more height and perching options. They don't tend to he fussy eaters and if it is above room temp, they have no problem taking food frozen thaw instead of needing life-like temps like most BPs. I've got a male coastal juvie, almost a yearling now, that is calm as can be, but coastals will probably exceed your 6' limit as adults.

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