Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
Don't misunderstand me...I didn't say you should adopt them all! LOL But as I recall, you've had your heart set on a pricey Blue Beauty, which will also be costly to house (due to their adult size & activity level). So I'm just suggesting that despite your admiration for them, it might not make the best (most practical) pet for you -especially at this time in your life. Have you ever met a BB in person & gotten to hold one? These are restless snakes (even if they aren't nippy), so they don't tend to sit still & "relate" to you. Their metabolism is fast too, so they eat (& defecate) fairly often, & snakes live a long time, so that's a lot of $ on food, as well as frequent clean-up that you'll be committing yourself to for many years- I just want you to think beyond the "fantasy pet" to the real life creature. And please remember that I've kept my share of VERY similar Taiwan Beauty rat snakes. They're very active snakes- fun to watch in a zoo or in nature, but not one that is likely to cuddle up much with you at home. (I personally prefer somewhat calmer rat snakes for that reason.) I know, temptation is everywhere- so for sure, make your "one shot" count for a pet you really want to live with, AND also one you can afford. A BB might be a better pet to put off for the more distant future, to be honest.
I know you didn't mean that, I meant those are among my options that tickle my fancy, I wouldn't have them all at once.

I have not held nor even seen a VBB in real life before no. While I don't mind so much the activity level in terms of handling (I do kind of want a species that doesn't just, you know, sit there), I'm seeing your point with housing. A proper enclosure for an adult would easily run me over a grand, and that's before the snake itself and a food supply. And now that you've brought it up, it hit me that I've seen a number of reptile keepers not get their "dream reptile" until quite some time later when they had the experience and resources available to do it right. Perhaps I should do the same...

If I were to narrow it down to more "realistic" options then, there's three that stick out. A corn snake was the first snake I ever had, so it'd feel right to fully correct the mistake I made all those years ago and get a new one. Second would be another BP, which would be the most likely to fulfill the adoption/rescue goal if I don't specifically go with another morph because let's face it, unwanted BPs are sadly everywhere. Third is probably the most important from a practical standpoint. A "companion eater" that is of comparable size and build to a BP and thusly able to accept refusals if need be. BRBs sound the most tempting. I used to be put off by how vulnerable juveniles are to low humidity, but ever since I discovered how stupidly easy it is to keep it high via tubs, it sounds much less intimidating since it can safely quarantine in that during the first few months.