need help picking a constrictor

[NYbirdEater]

I want to buy a snake for my son who is turning 5 next month and need some advice as I only was allowed to keep garter snakes as a kid. He loves constrictors, are there any that don't get as big as a burmese that aren't too difficult to care for? If boas are smaller that would be fine. I want to get a baby and raise it so I can teach him how to care for a pet. I will be getting one from the NY metro reptile show in July so there should be a good selection. Prefer something colorful or with amazing patterns or both! Any info will help. Thanks!

 

[Iktomi]

That's a tough one. Boas can usually get up to 8 feet. (Very rarely they can get a bit bigger.) Seems to me thats too big for a 5 year old. I'm thinking maybe a ball python?

 

[ddale]

That's a tough one. Boas can usually get up to 8 feet. (Very rarely they can get a bit bigger.) Seems to me thats too big for a 5 year old. I'm thinking maybe a ball python?

I agree with Iktomi, a Ball (or Royal) Python would probably be the best choice for the following reasons:

1. Easy care
2. Docile temperment (as an average, there are exceptions)
3. Small adult size (by comparison)
4. Hardy animals with few problems if well maintained
5. Cheap ($25.00 and up)
6. Beautiful animal

My ball python (Bubba) is now 4 feet long and has the temperment of a kitten.

Hope this helps!

 

[pitbulllady]

There are small species of boa and python which are available. Rosey Boas are very nice, pretty, soft little snakes native to the Western US and parts of Mexico which are easy to keep and generally under four feet in length. There are also Rubber Boas, but they require a bit more knowledgeable upkeep and are shyer, and many people aren't crazy about the looks because the head and tail look the same! The Solomon Island Ground Boas can also be nice little, if somewhat FAT, snakes, but make sure you know the temperament on individuals(goes for ANY animal you plan to buy, really)because some imports can be snappy. There are also some small pythons native to Australia, such as the Children's(named after a scientist)and Spotted pythons, which are basically corn snake-sized.

Does it have to be a boid, by the way? There are many species of colubrid which are constrictors, and would make excellent pets. Most are easier to care for in terms of temperature and humidity requirements than most boids are, too, and are also cheaper. Many of the kingsnake, milksnake and ratsnake species make very good pets. It is hard to go wrong with a Corn, and not only are they usually very docile and easy to care for, but are available in a whole pallette of designer colors and patterns, so if one doesn't suit you, there's likely another variety which will!

A word on Ball Pythons-IF you do decide to get one, MAKE SURE it is a captive-bred animal that is feeding eagerly on mice or rat pups! There are literally hundreds of thousands of Ball Pythons which are shipped from Africa each year, and many of these can be very difficult for even a seasoned herper to acclimate. Most Ball Pythons, captive-bred or not, will go "off-feed" for months at a time, often during their breeding season, but sometimes for no reason at all. This can be extremenly frustrating for the owner, to say the least. Like most tropical boids, they need to be kept at a fairly high temperature and humidity, too. I guess you could call Ball Pythons the "Chilean Rosehairs of the snake world", LOL! There are captive-bred color morphs which are even more attractive than the original wild type, but be prepared to shell out some MAJOR bucks for those!

pitbulllady

 

[tarantulakeeper]

Everyone has their favorite, and I would like to put in a good word for corn snakes as a kid's pet. I teach 5th grade and have kept two corn snakes in my classroom now for 10 years. My students earn a "snake pass" during the week and then have the opportunity to take them out on Fridays. I have an Okatee and a Snow. They are active while the kids have them out, but not fast or nervous. I have never had a student threatened or bit. They feed on thawed adult mice and will strike and constrict as though the mouse is alive. The kids love it. I always feed in a separate container though, which has kept them from getting nippy. You can't go wrong with a corn, IMHO. Enjoy your shopping! John

 

[Highlander]

I have to side with tarantulakeeper though corns arn't really what you are looking they can be beautiful(plenty of colors and patterns to choose from),are easy to care for,don't grow very large,and are docile.I think a corn would make a great first snake for a child.Hope that helps


Jonathan/Highlander

 

[NYbirdEater]

Thanks for all the great info. Corn snake does sound like a promising second to one of the other constrictors. Also, I should point out that I have been wanting a constrictor since I was 5 so now's my chance too! As far as corn snakes go, can they be kept communally? Maybe 2 in 1 tank? Also what is needed to keep the temp and humidity up? Hot rock or heat pad, and does the tank need to be misted or should an automatic mister be installed?

 

[NYbirdEater]

There are small species of boa and python which are available. Rosey Boas are very nice, pretty, soft little snakes native to the Western US and parts of Mexico which are easy to keep and generally under four feet in length. There are also Rubber Boas, but they require a bit more knowledgeable upkeep and are shyer, and many people aren't crazy about the looks because the head and tail look the same! The Solomon Island Ground Boas can also be nice little, if somewhat FAT, snakes, but make sure you know the temperament on individuals(goes for ANY animal you plan to buy, really)because some imports can be snappy. There are also some small pythons native to Australia, such as the Children's(named after a scientist)and Spotted pythons, which are basically corn snake-sized.

Does it have to be a boid, by the way? There are many species of colubrid which are constrictors, and would make excellent pets. Most are easier to care for in terms of temperature and humidity requirements than most boids are, too, and are also cheaper. Many of the kingsnake, milksnake and ratsnake species make very good pets. It is hard to go wrong with a Corn, and not only are they usually very docile and easy to care for, but are available in a whole pallette of designer colors and patterns, so if one doesn't suit you, there's likely another variety which will!

A word on Ball Pythons-IF you do decide to get one, MAKE SURE it is a captive-bred animal that is feeding eagerly on mice or rat pups! There are literally hundreds of thousands of Ball Pythons which are shipped from Africa each year, and many of these can be very difficult for even a seasoned herper to acclimate. Most Ball Pythons, captive-bred or not, will go "off-feed" for months at a time, often during their breeding season, but sometimes for no reason at all. This can be extremenly frustrating for the owner, to say the least. Like most tropical boids, they need to be kept at a fairly high temperature and humidity, too. I guess you could call Ball Pythons the "Chilean Rosehairs of the snake world", LOL! There are captive-bred color morphs which are even more attractive than the original wild type, but be prepared to shell out some MAJOR bucks for those!

pitbulllady

I'm familiar with about 1% of snake knowledge so the terms boid and colubrid mean nothing to me. I did see some pictures of colubrids and always wondered what exactly they were, some of them have some wild patterns and colors. Also when it comes to temperment, what should I look for when choosing a baby snake? Is it possible to tell by that youn by holding it, will it strike if it is more aggressive? As far as the species of snake I could care less as long as it constricts it's prey. I got tired of the old garter snake in a fishbowl swimming with it's mouth open after 10 years, but it was wild to watch it gulp down 50 fish at a time. I also always get captive bred when getting tarantulas simply because of parasites so I always make sure to ask. Thanks!

 

[NYbirdEater]

Everyone has their favorite, and I would like to put in a good word for corn snakes as a kid's pet. I teach 5th grade and have kept two corn snakes in my classroom now for 10 years. My students earn a "snake pass" during the week and then have the opportunity to take them out on Fridays. I have an Okatee and a Snow. They are active while the kids have them out, but not fast or nervous. I have never had a student threatened or bit. They feed on thawed adult mice and will strike and constrict as though the mouse is alive. The kids love it. I always feed in a separate container though, which has kept them from getting nippy. You can't go wrong with a corn, IMHO. Enjoy your shopping! John

Can you feed them live prey as well?

 

[Iktomi]

You can feed any of them live prey. I used to do it myself. I personally wouldn't recommend it though, because mice BITE and leave scars on your snake. When they get bigger and move to rats, that's a pretty nasty bite.
IMO, feed frozen/thawed or freshly killed if convenient.

 

[NYbirdEater]

You can feed any of them live prey. I used to do it myself. I personally wouldn't recommend it though, because mice BITE and leave scars on your snake. When they get bigger and move to rats, that's a pretty nasty bite.
IMO, feed frozen/thawed or freshly killed if convenient.

So what you just wack the mouse or rat in the head and throw it in while stumbling or unconcious? Any more humane way? Not because I have a weak stomach but just because there may be an easy way i'm not aware of. I assume pinkies and fuzzy's wouldn't pose a threat when the snake is small.

P.S. If al lthe snake would get was a scar and not life threatening, I would say that adds an element of "nature" to it's life. Survival of the fittest right? Don't get me wrong, I love all my pets, and all are arachnids

 

[tarantulakeeper]

Can you feed them live prey as well?

I did once, and won't again. Besides what Iktomi mentioned, mice are cute to ten year olds and it's pretty tramatic to see the mouse trembling in the corner of an aqarium as the snake hunts it. I also buy frozen adult mice 100 at a time which makes them cheaper.

I do keep both snakes together in one container. It is a large (probably 40 gallon) one with a locking screen top. There are two hides in the container, but more often than not, the two are curled up together under one hide. I know they need to be able to stretch out for good health. I used a heating pad for a while but was worried about an electrical short burning my school down so I stopped using one about 6 years ago. Now they're just kept at comfortable room temperature. I'll defer the question of heat for babies to someone with more experience raising babies. I've only raised the two.

John

 

[LPacker79]

So what you just wack the mouse or rat in the head and throw it in while stumbling or unconcious? Any more humane way? Not because I have a weak stomach but just because there may be an easy way i'm not aware of. I assume pinkies and fuzzy's wouldn't pose a threat when the snake is small.

P.S. If al lthe snake would get was a scar and not life threatening, I would say that adds an element of "nature" to it's life. Survival of the fittest right? Don't get me wrong, I love all my pets, and all are arachnids

You can buy frozen over the net. Frozen is cheaper than live, and more convenient. You can store a large amount in your freezer, then just pop it it some warm water to defrost it.

Bites can be life threatening. There are lots of pictures floating around of snakes with large chunks of flesh missing due to rat bites. It's much much safer to feed dead prey.

 

[Iktomi]

All of the above is great info. In my own opinion, though I know what you mean when speak of "survival of the fittest," as was stated a bite can be very serious. Not only that, but the snake is in captivity and not in the wild. We have a responsibility to keep them uninjured, IMHO. I don't want my snake touching his ceramic heater just because he might get a little burn and learn an important lesson, you know what I mean? Again, just my opinion.

 

[Iktomi]

Oh yeah, if you do buy live, you do have to kill it. It isn't pretty. I grab them by the tail, and WHACK. If you do it right the first time, it's very quick.
And it's a much better death than some fuzzy mice have had being eaten by my L. parahybana bird eater! (That is NOT pretty.)

 

[NYbirdEater]

I get it. I feed my L parahyabna tarantula pinkies so I'm not worried about my son seeing it eat. Actually watching the tarantulas feed on crickets and mice has made him feel less afraid of death and helps teach him that some things eat other things and that's how they survive, including us. Although I never did eat a live cow or chicken, it was pre-killed for me. Those ghost corn snakes are awsome! some of the other variations are pretty wild too including the common ones. thanks for the info! I still can't choose.

 

[Phillip]

Yes corns can be kept together and requirements are about as easy as snakes get.On the colubrid question colubrids are the largest group of snakes and contain kings, milks, rats etc. etc. as opposed to boids being boas and pythons.

Phil

 

[NYbirdEater]

Yes corns can be kept together and requirements are about as easy as snakes get.On the colubrid question colubrids are the largest group of snakes and contain kings, milks, rats etc. etc. as opposed to boids being boas and pythons.

Phil

Cool. Thanks Phil. It confused me at first because I saw several photos labeled colubrid and they were all different. I really like the ghost corn snakes so most likey I will get one of those if they have them. have you ever come across an agressive one? How can you tell?

 

[Immortal_sin]

I want to put in a word for rosy boas again! It's the only snake we have, and he's the most docile, gentle, easy to care for snake that I can imagine. No humidity requirements either. He eats thawed jumbo mice every couple of weeks, and gets his water dish filled every couple of weeks as well.
He's full grown and less then 3' ...he's kept comfortably in a 20 gallon long.

 

[NYbirdEater]

I want to put in a word for rosy boas again! It's the only snake we have, and he's the most docile, gentle, easy to care for snake that I can imagine. No humidity requirements either. He eats thawed jumbo mice every couple of weeks, and gets his water dish filled every couple of weeks as well.
He's full grown and less then 3' ...he's kept comfortably in a 20 gallon long.

I don't really like the patterns on the rosy's or the colors. Are they that much more docile than a corn snake too really notice a difference?