How many pets do you think is too much? Rescuing snakes

[Tarantuloid]

I own two cats, a chilean rose hair, an emperor scorpion, I breed Chinese mantises (but release them in my garden), I have a cockatiel and a budgie and I have a lot of fun taking care of them all.

I recently came across a beautiful Ball Python and an adult Corn snake that were recently rescued. Both snakes are in good health, but the python has some scars on his back due to escaping his previous owner and being injured at some point in his life outside. They want me to take both snakes and they're throwing in everything with them "enclosures for both, complete set up, water dish, etc.) and I'm pretty tempted to take their offer.

I take good care of my pets and I don't want to be considered a "hoarder" (haha), but these two snakes look really interesting and I enjoy rescuing animals rather than buying them at a local pet store.

Are ball pythons and corn snakes a lot of work as adults? I used to help take care of young corn snakes and pythons but I've never actually owned adult specimens.

 

[kalebo1]

As long as you are educated in caring for the animals you own and you have the TIME, SPACE, and MONEY to care for them I don't see why it would be an issue to take on more pets. If you have to question whether it may be too much...than maybe it is too much.

 

[Cydaea]

I have cats, 2 dogs, 2 rabbits, 11 T's, about 100 phasmids and 3 millipedes. If someone offered me a snake (or two, or three), I would gladly take it.

Snakes are low maintenance animals like T's (maybe a little ore work but not much) and if you have access to feeders (mice, rats) and you have the space for it, why not?

 

[Tarantuloid]

I take good care of my animals because they're like family or friends to me for the most part. Typically when I choose to get another animal, I prefer species that are lower maintenance and I am absolutely sure I can take care of.

Snakes I can definitely take care of, and I was originally going to only rescue one snake, but they offered to include both snakes and both separate terrariums with everything included. It's a pretty nice set up, and I know most of that stuff couldn't have come cheap. I like rescuing animals every now and then, and the ball python and corn snake aren't exactly the most demanding reptile species either.

 

[3skulls]

Like what was said above.
Time, Space and Money.

Food source and a good T-stat

I have well over 100 mouths to feed, its a lot of work at times.

 

[Tarantuloid]

Luckily there are plenty of stores here that supply frozen mice, but I had an interesting question to ask about both of these snake species. 100 mouths?! How do you do it? xD

Do ball pythons and corn snakes need a source of artificial light such as a heat mat or lamp? Someone once told me that ball pythons can actually survive without any artificial heat source, but isn't that false since they're cold blooded?

 

[3skulls]

The BP will need the warm side to be 88-90 range and the cool side around 77-80
Never above 95 or lower than 75. Humidity around 50-60% bumped up to 70% during the shed cycle.
An under the tank heater is best because a heat lamp sucks the humidity quick.
You'll want a good T-stat to regulate the temps.

I don't have any Corns but I do have Cal Kings. I'm thinking they will be pretty close in temps.
85ish on the warm side and 75ish on the cool.
I'm pretty sure they don't need high humidity.

Come on over to
ball-pythons.net

Pretty good group of people there. You'll find all the info you need.
Being rescues, they might need some special care to get them back to 100%

30+ of those mouths are snakes

 

[Tarantuloid]

The BP will need the warm side to be 88-90 range and the cool side around 77-80
Never above 95 or lower than 75. Humidity around 50-60% bumped up to 70% during the shed cycle.
An under the tank heater is best because a heat lamp sucks the humidity quick.
You'll want a good T-stat to regulate the temps.

I don't have any Corns but I do have Cal Kings. I'm thinking they will be pretty close in temps.
85ish on the warm side and 75ish on the cool.
I'm pretty sure they don't need high humidity.

Come on over to
ball-pythons.net

Pretty good group of people there. You'll find all the info you need.
Being rescues, they might need some special care to get them back to 100%

30+ of those mouths are snakes

I'm thankful that I'm at least getting everything I need with the snakes. You really have that many snakes?! Haha

 

[3skulls]

7.7.0 BPs
2.4.0 Carpets
0.0.4 Rats
0.1.0 Dumeril's
1.0.0 Rainbow Boa
1.0.0 BCI
2.3.0 Cal Kings

I think that's everyone.

 

[The Snark]

Suggested reading: Gerald Durrell on the keeping of animals. The limit is your own ability to properly feed and house them, assuring they are always comfortable and content. Providing a near perfect environment for animals isn't hoarding as much as a symbiosis.

 

[Tarantuloid]

Suggested reading: Gerald Durrell on the keeping of animals. The limit is your own ability to properly feed and house them, assuring they are always comfortable and content. Providing a near perfect environment for animals isn't hoarding as much as a symbiosis.

That is actually very well put, I just never see taking care of my animals as a "chore" but rather a fascinating hobby that helps reduce stress because it's something I just really like to do with my life. Today is the day I'll be checking out of these snakes again, in which I will possibly be taking either the corn snake, the ball python or both.

When I worked at a pet store a couple of years ago, I had to mess with both of these snake species on a regular basis since they are fairly common and docile. To be honest, other than the ball python's thicker build and the corn snake's tenancy to roam a little bit more, both species seemed to be fairly easy to take care of. However, they were both not fully grown specimens.

Out of a personal preference, what species do you prefer more? The Corn snake or Ball python? The Corn snake is about the same color morph as the wild corn snake is (red, orange etc.) and the ball python seems to have the same color morph as you would see commonly. I think both have very attractive patterns and they seem to be eating pretty well (I saw them each a couple of days ago). If you had to choose one species in the long run though, which would you prefer?

 

[arachnofab]

Can we get pics of your new found friends?

 

[Tarantuloid]

Can we get pics of your new found friends?

Sure thing, here is a few images the original owner sent me. He's a nice guy, but he's going into the army so his two snakes will be left behind with nobody to take care of them. Thus, they are now up for adoption. There's a lot of screenshots I put on my computer, but here's a couple of both the corn snake and the python:



He wants 50 dollars for the adult corn snake (comes with the entire enclosure and heat source accessories), but if I pay 70, he will include the ball python with it's entire enclosure as well.

 

[Fossa]

As long as you have space, time and money then go for it...try not to let on to people you rescue snakes as you will end up with all sorts people no longer want. My first corn was paid for as a baby, then I took in another two as rescues, then I took in a ball python hatchling from a LPS (I refused to pay for it and had to sign all sorts of papers so I wouldn't take further action against them) that had it housed on sand in an 8X8X8" cube tank directly under a heat bulb with no water and on a heat mat. It took four days of re hydration before he started moving. Following that I ended up with an adult ball python with burns over 70% of its body....five years on he's only just healed up fully and needs special care (interestingly his pigment has almost shed out all over him). Then someone I knew wanted rid of some beardies....both were fed tinned peas....nothing else. How they had survived to adult hood without metabolic bone disease i'll never know....anyway they had to be syringe fed for over a year before they would start eating themselves. Then came a mexican black king....again malnourished.Then leopard geckos....one turned out to be a carrier of crypto...had a friend bring me his two bearded dragons....again cared for poorly with severe MBD (these two went straight to the vets to be put down ...they had sores all over their stomachs as they could only drag themselves around and one had a skull that fused directly to its legs???)...cue boa constrictor hatchling...two more ball pythons....had to worm and de mite them....and then countless more!

so needless to say....make sure you know what your doing but go for it! lol I love my royals (and the rest of my pets lol) to bits and i'm glad they get the care and attention they need and deserve now.

 

[Tarantuloid]

As long as you have space, time and money then go for it...try not to let on to people you rescue snakes as you will end up with all sorts people no longer want. My first corn was paid for as a baby, then I took in another two as rescues, then I took in a ball python hatchling from a LPS (I refused to pay for it and had to sign all sorts of papers so I wouldn't take further action against them) that had it housed on sand in an 8X8X8" cube tank directly under a heat bulb with no water and on a heat mat. It took four days of re hydration before he started moving. Following that I ended up with an adult ball python with burns over 70% of its body....five years on he's only just healed up fully and needs special care (interestingly his pigment has almost shed out all over him). Then someone I knew wanted rid of some beardies....both were fed tinned peas....nothing else. How they had survived to adult hood without metabolic bone disease i'll never know....anyway they had to be syringe fed for over a year before they would start eating themselves. Then came a mexican black king....again malnourished.Then leopard geckos....one turned out to be a carrier of crypto...had a friend bring me his two bearded dragons....again cared for poorly with severe MBD (these two went straight to the vets to be put down ...they had sores all over their stomachs as they could only drag themselves around and one had a skull that fused directly to its legs???)...cue boa constrictor hatchling...two more ball pythons....had to worm and de mite them....and then countless more!

so needless to say....make sure you know what your doing but go for it! lol I love my royals (and the rest of my pets lol) to bits and i'm glad they get the care and attention they need and deserve now.

lol wow! I salute you for taking in so many animals with horrible conditions such as burns and deformities and actually providing them the care they need. I'm going to take it slow with these snakes. I'm going to do a few measurements with the terrariums and assure that I have a proper stand for it. He's not that far away, so we'll probably be taking a lot of repercussions before actually buying either of them.

 

[Cydaea]

$70 for both snakes and their enclosures is a steal. You could just see how it goes with both, and when it does prove to be too much find a new owner for one of them. Maybe even through these boards

I look at it this way, when I had only 1 T, and later 2, I didn't think I'd have the time and resources to take care of 10+. But here I am, and now I figure i could easily take care of (and find room for) twice as many. So it may look like a lot of work now, but as you go along you realize it's not.

 

[Tarantuloid]

$70 for both snakes and their enclosures is a steal. You could just see how it goes with both, and when it does prove to be too much find a new owner for one of them. Maybe even through these boards

I look at it this way, when I had only 1 T, and later 2, I didn't think I'd have the time and resources to take care of 10+. But here I am, and now I figure i could easily take care of (and find room for) twice as many. So it may look like a lot of work now, but as you go along you realize it's not.

Yeah I thought it was a great deal considering that I get full grown snakes, both enclosures and all accessories, I just want to make sure I have enough room for two snakes and not just one. I'm sure I do have enough space, but I'm going to measure both enclosures and assure myself that I do.

So having 10+ snakes for pets hasn't been all that bad?

 

[Cydaea]

Well, I have 10+ tarantulas, not snakes But I would love to have them! If only I had the space...

 

[Najakeeper]

Currently, I have six Death Adders, 2 Black Headed Pythons and 3 Gila Monsters. I am planning to get two more Death Adders if I can. In addition to the reptiles, I have a Siberian Husky, which I walk around two hours a day.

I am working full time in a demanding finance position and I am stretched to my limit with all the animals. But I still care for them everyday, do regular water changes, clean waste immediately and keep naturalistic setups. When I can not do these things properly, I will downsize. I refuse to provide substandart care to my animals and still keep them for my own pleasure on the expense of their health and well being.