The Better Snake

[BigSam]

I Was just wondering what is people's favorite snake. It's nothinh personal or serious just wondering what people like.

 

[Gillian]

WAAHH!
I have a Ball Python, a Red Tail, and a Corn. Hmmm..all are very cool in their own right..being that I've been through so very much with Othello, my Ball Python, he wins out..
Peace,
Gillian

 

[pategirl]

I love my corns....they're sweet, cute, and come in so many wonderful color morphs. They're also extremely easy to care for...a frozen thawed mouse a week and they're happy as can be. They don't require extra lighting or heat, since they are nocturnal. They're supposedly easy to breed as well, though I haven't tried that part yet.

 

[Wade]

You needed to add an "other" option

It changes alot, but of the snakes I'm currently working with I'd say my favorites are the Northern pine snake Pituophis melanoleucus and the Eastern hognose snake, Heterodon platirhinos, and possibly the Mexican black kingsnake Lampropeltus getula nigra.

Of snakes I'd love to work with, but haven't yet, I'd say eastern indigos and maybe those big asian ratsnakes (blue beauties, etc.).

I still have an appreciation for boas and pythons, my first snake was a burmese python, and she's still alive and well...and huge. Although in some ways I love them, I wouldn't recomend them to anybody. Balls and red tails are more reasonable to deal with, espesially balls. Great pet snakes, all around.

BTW- Corn snakes ARE rat snakes

Wade

 

[That Guy]

what about an anaconda?

 

[Wade]

Originally posted by hampton
what about an anaconda?

Green or Yellow?

Interestingly, while the female green anaconda is a massive snake, the males rarely exceed 8'. This is according to reasearcher I saw speak who said that after years and years of field work, capturing and measuring hundreds of them, he's never found a male greater than this size.

Wade

 

[BigSam]

To Make You Happy

How about we put the rat snake at other! If you have another snake that you would like to vote for put rat snake and we'll pretend that it is other. So cross out rat snake and put other, this should make things better

 

[sunnymarcie]

At the moment I picked the Ball python
We just purchased our first one today at the show=D
A young captive hatched female, her name is "Lucy"~
(Lucy Ball!! LOL!) I really could not name her anything else,
my daughter thinks it's funny to=D
(She was my favorite comedian)I'll post a picture of the snake as soon as I have time.

 

[Devildoll]

I love red tails... her is my big moody girl shes sweet though

 

[Bry]

I have all four, and I have to say the boas are my favorite.

Bry

 

[skinheaddave]

Rats. Hands down. Don't ask me to justify it, though. I mean, I can spout off some good reasons (variety of patterning, my appreciation for some of the patternings, variety of temperment, managable size, whatever) but in the end it all boils down to the fact that they just do it for me. Now, that's just NA rats. Mix in asian rats and the like and I could go on for hours.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Mojo Jojo]

Dude, check out ballpython.com. You can see all the different color variants of the ball python. If I can ever afford it, I will someday get a piebald ball python. They rule!

The albinos are quite beautiful and defininatly more affordable.

Jon

 

[Lasiodora]

Any type arboreal is my type of snake. Seeing a snake draped around a branch takes me away from the city and brings me into the jungle.
Mike

 

[Doug H]

You forgot to add Pituophis . Bull,pine,and gopher snakes.
this is what I have
1.1 Hypomealanistic Stillwater ,Ok bullsnakes
1.1 fort collins,Co ,bulls
1.1 Kankakee,Ill,bulls
0.1red lodge Montana,bull
1.0Sanoran gopher
0.1hypo sanoran gopher
1.1 P.d.janni
0.1P.d.deppei
0.1hypo het. P.d.deppei
1.0 P.bimaris
1.0 northern pine albino
1.0 northernpine
and in my freezer is a P.l.lineaticolis that unfortunetly died along time ago
Doug

 

[Bry]

Wow Doug, you've got a nice collection of pits there. I have a couple of pits, and I have to say they are by far some of my favorite snakes. I have a 0.1 bull that is supposedly a triple het. for amelanism, anery, and white-side. The other is a 1.0 Applegate phase amelanistic San Diego gopher.

Bry

 

[BigSam]

The Better Snake

Man you guys are crazy!! When you guys say pits you mean pit vipers right? I was at my local pet store today and they were selling a hognose snake for about 200 american dollars. this was a big hognose snake. Are your pits mean or are they nice meaning you can hadle them?? You got me wondering now:?

 

[Doug H]

BIGSAM, no not pitvipers ,pits is short for the snakes in the genus(spelling) Pituophis. the bullsnakes, gophersnakes, and pinesnakes. Hope this helps

Doug

 

[Bry]

LOL, No I may be crazy, but I'm not that crazy. Pituophis are awesome snakes, in my opinion. They are typically not aggressive as captive bred specimens. Wild caught do tend to be much more defensive. I've heard pine snakes tend to be more aggressive than the bulls and gophers. Pits can be good beginner snakes, but their speed can be a bit overwhelming for a newbie that's not prepared. In a race, they will blow any ball python out of the water. It's like putting a Mustang up against a Geo Metro. They can get quite large, gophers reach about 4-6', and bulls reach about 5-7' but have been recorded at 8-9', and if I remember correctly, pines reach about the same size as bulls.

That price for a hognose is a bit steep. If you're thinking about getting one, wait a couple years or so after you get the hang of caring for your snake. Their care is quite a bit more involved than ball pythons.

Bry

 

[BigSam]

The Better Snake

Oh Ok,
When I first heard this I thinking that you guys had maybe one or two lose in head...LOL:} But now it makes more sense. Have you guys ever owned a hognose snake or a rattler snake. I just want to know if there quick to strike. I guess all wide snakes and animals are quick to strike...HUH. You made it a little more clear about the pits.

 

[Bry]

I've never owned a hognose or a rattlesnake. I can tell you right now I'll own a hognose before I ever own a rattlesnake for obvious reasons. Yes, wild animals do tend to be more defensive than captive bred in most cases. Rattlers do tend to be quite aggressive animals. Even I am far from ready to think about working with them. Hognoses are also mildly venomous, generally not enough to kill a healthy human. But they can cause problems if you're allergic to their venom. Everyone I know who has worked with them can't get them to bite. They'll bluff (closed-mouth strike) and play dead before they'll bite. Just don't go sticking your finger down their throat.

Here are my pits, by the way. Albino gopher on the left, bull on the right. Excuse the crappy photo quality.

Bry