Snake for a Beginner

[InsaneCaine]

First, I just wanted to say what a great board this is and what wonderfully knowledgeable people there are on this board. I have been reading these boards for about a year now and have learned quite a bit.

Now to my quandary - We, my wife and I, do not currently own any snakes. However, we have been looking into getting a snake for a while. My wife saw a picture of a Colombian High Pink Boa (BCI) and totally fell in love. I have done some research and read that a BCI would probably be a good boa to start with, but I have suggested to my wife that we start off with a Kingsnake first. From those of you that have experience, would you suggest starting with a Kingsnake, or do you think that just getting a BCI would be ok? Is it significantly harder to keep a BCI than a Kingsnake? I understand that there would be a significant difference in size, space, and food needed, but are the husbandry requirements that much more stringent?

Can you recommend any breeders for either of these snakes? I do not trust the pet stores around me, and, whichever snake that we get, we would like to make sure that it is captive bred.

Are there any boards for snakes that are like this board?

Thanks,
Caine

 

[Phillip]

Other than the amount of heat needed and the size of the tank when the snake is grown the care for a boa versus a king isn't that much different. If a boa is what you prefer then there is no reason you can't start with one as they are easy snakes to keep.

Kingsnake.com is a good site that you can find all the info you will need for either type of snake on.

Phil

 

[Valael]

It's kind of a thing that varies person to person. It completely depends on how much work you're willing to put in to it. Some people would argue that some beginners could start with a Retic if they were willing to put enough effort in to it. I wouldn't suggest it, but I do agree that it varies person to person. Some people wouldn't even put forth the energy for a corn snake.


A BCI sounds like a great snake to have if you have the room for it. If not, a kingsnake or corn snake is a great option, too.

 

[Gillian]

Caine,
Welcome! I myself, have a Coirnsnake, a BCI, and a Ball Python. If you are prepared for the eventual size of the BCI, I say go for it. Totally awesome snakes. (my Shadow is going through a "I'm pissed at the world" stage). But, he's still smallish, so I'm handling him alot, to get him to calm down.

Cornies are cool, but as very young hatchlings, they can sometimes be known for not eating, and having to be forcefed. Kingsnakes (which, you mentioned), have always had nice feeding responses, and make great pets.

Peace, light & eternal love...
Gillian
)0(

 

[Phillip]

Non feeding corns are by far the exception to the rule. I have kept tons of corns through the years and have yet to see one that wouldn't feed whenever it was given the chance. I also have yet to see corns referred to as known for not feeding anywhere except this post. Not trying to be argumentative just clearing up an apparent misconception. Also to say that kings always have a good feeding response depends greatly on the species. While hondos and cal kings are great greybands, scarlets, and many of the smaller mountain kings can be a nightmare to get started.

I also feel that corns are the best beginner snake hands down but wasn't trying to suggest them as a BCI is also an easy species to work with. The only real drawback is the adult size and space requirements.

Phil

 

[InsaneCaine]

Thanks for the replies. I would definitely prefer to get the boa. Therefore, I think that I would be willing to put more effort into keeping the boa, so I’m definitely leaning toward the boa at this point. I’ve heard that BCI’s are generally pretty good at temperament as well as being a little more forgiving in their husbandry needs than many other boas or large snakes. I’ve ordered a couple of books about boas so that I can research them further. I would like to see some full grown BCI’s in person just so that I can be sure that I want a snake of that size. Of course, if you guys have any pictures that show scale, please feel free to post them.

I was thinking about going to some of the reptile shows around here. It would take me about 2 hours to get to either the Kentucky Reptile Expo or the All Ohio Reptile Show. Do any of you guys go to these shows? Are they generally a good place to buy snakes and supplies, not to mention tarantulas? I think that I would be a little apprehensive to purchase anything at these shows, but they do give you the huge advantage of seeing the actual animal in person before purchasing it.

 

[Beardo]

Hey, Caine.... I live in Louisville, KY and I almost always attend the KY Show. A good friend of mine has a female BCI that is due to drop babies any day now. I can give you their contact info if you are interested.

 

[Phillip]

While I haven't been to either of the shows you mention the chance of seeing an adult columbian there is pretty high. Rarely will you see a show without at least one adult boa or at least some near adults to look at. They can get pretty large compared to most colubrids as some can hit the 8 foot mark but most are 6 to 7. A very thick robust snake as well and when grown they will need a pretty good sized cage and a good sized meal per feeding.

That said the only major difference care wise is that they need to be warmer than most colubrids do but that is easily accomplished with a heat pad. Temperment wise columbians are usually the calmest boas with the surinam and guyana being more nippy as a general rule. Both can be handled and gotten past this but columbians tend to be calm from the get go.

Personally I prefer surinams as they have a much redder tail and a long tail at that. Guyanas are nice also with their overall purple coloration. Both get larger than the columbian however.

Phil

 

[Bry]

It's hard to resist a face like this.

Bry

 

[Bry]

This one's hard to beat as well.

 

[InsaneCaine]

Bry, great pictures. David, I sent you an e-mail regarding getting your friend’s contact info.

I guess that I should have specified that the Kingsnake that I have been thinking about is a California Kingsnake. I like the ones that I have seen labeled as a Desert Banded California Kingsnake. I think that they kind of resemble a sea snake. But I would still rather have a boa, and judging from the feedback that I’ve been getting, it seems that getting a boa wouldn’t be a bad idea.

I would like to find one that has a lot of pinkish hues and a very red tail, so I’m sure that I will have to do a lot of looking around. I have seen pictures of the Surinams and Guyanas. I do think that they are very beautiful, but,unless I’m mistaken, I think that both of these are BCC’s. I’ve heard that these do get larger and may be a little harder to keep.

 

[Phillip]

I wouldn't say surinams and guyanas are harder just larger ans sometimes more nippy. Gentle handling will calm them down though just get a young one. Another thing to keep in mind is that none of the locales color up until they hit the 3 foot plus mark so baby coloration isn't going to give much of an indicator as to what the adults will look like. Babies with a lot of color right off the bat however are more prone to retain it when grown but it's no guarantee by any stretch.

Phil