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Opinion: WORST pet snake?

Hail_Britannia

Hail_Britannia

Animals > People.
I apologize if this has been done before, but I got to thinking today: everyone knows that the "big 5" snakes are difficult pets to keep (or they should), but what about the lesser-known species of snakes? I thought it might be helpful to newbies (as well as interesting and entertaining) to do a thread on the worst snakes to keep as pets. What do you guys think? What's the worst pet snake?

I'll start us off. I only have experience with our lonely corn snake, so my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt, but these are snakes I personally would never keep: Burmese Python, Reticulated Python, Blood Python, Green Anaconda, anything venomous.

What say you, CS.com members? What's the worst of the worst?
 
Depends. GTPs have a rep as difficult to keep sometimes, but those who mind what they are doing have beautiful GTPs and do well.

I think if one is prepared, any snake is going to be OK.
 
AS far as reputation (not personal experience so this is with a grain of salt)

-African Rock Python (Nasty personalities)
-Taipan (One bit and you are toast)
-MOST (not all) sea snakes (Next to impossible to have an enclosure that will it keep alive)
-Elephant Trunk Snake (for the sheer difficulty of keeping alive and healthy)
-Mambas (see above with Tiapan)
 
Anything that needs two people to take care of is not my kind of snake, although I'm sure that of all of those listed, you could find people that have specimens that are "puppy dog" tame.

When I'm older ( child out of the house) I do plan on getting a copperhead and pygmy rattlesnake!
 
1. King Cobra - No thanks... a snake that venomous, that grows that large... forget about it!

2. Mambas - They are highly venomous, quick, and by all accounts aggressive.

3. Gaboon Vipers - They are absolutely stunning, but way too dangerous for the likes of me.

4. Reticulated Python - They seem to be known as relatively unruly, and certainly too large for any one person to safely care for.

5. Burmese Pythons - I know, I know... They can be calm, well cared for properly by knowledgeable people, etc... But they are far too common, and unfortunately they pose a risk not only to their owners, but to the ecology of certain tropical areas where they have been foreignly introduced.

Oh yeah... Anacondas too - I believe the reasons are quite obvious. Massive, aggressive as a whole, and highly dangerous to people.
 
ForkedTung said:
Anything that needs two people to take care of is not my kind of snake, although I'm sure that of all of those listed, you could find people that have specimens that are "puppy dog" tame.

When I'm older ( child out of the house) I do plan on getting a copperhead and pygmy rattlesnake!
Click to expand...

Ahh!!Skeeeery! I'lle visit while you have kiddo in house!!
 
ForkedTung said:
Anything that needs two people to take care of is not my kind of snake, although I'm sure that of all of those listed, you could find people that have specimens that are "puppy dog" tame.

When I'm older ( child out of the house) I do plan on getting a copperhead and pygmy rattlesnake!
Click to expand...
LOL. No bashing or flaming now people. LOL. Kyle, I had several of both of those back in the late 1970's. And the sky did not fall, nor did the world come to an end. In other words, with adequate caution, those are beautiful and not impossible to keep. Even had a Western Pygmy mom deliver 5 perfect little babies in the summer of 1980. Tiny replicas.
 
yellowbellyhippy said:
Ahh!!Skeeeery! I'lle visit while you have kiddo in house!!
Click to expand...
No no skeeeeery, peepoles skeeeries, no no snakies scaries, snakies predictable behaviors....peepoles nonos no what do next. :rofl:

vetusvates said:
LOL. No bashing or flaming now people. LOL. Kyle, I had several of both of those back in the late 1970's. And the sky did not fall, nor did the world come to an end. In other words, with adequate caution, those are beautiful and not impossible to keep. Even had a Western Pygmy mom deliver 5 perfect little babies in the summer of 1980. Tiny replicas.
Click to expand...
Wow Eric, I never knew you kept 'HOTS that shouldn't surprise me but it does. I love the idea of snakes that give live birth. Do the babes have the ability to rattle at all or do the molts need to build up?
What do the Westerns look like? I'm thinking of a pygmy dusky.
I never knew this about Rattler bites, interesting:
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N&um=1
 
I'll go with anything over 8ft. and needing two people, but not because of their reps and more because people with no experience buy them, poorly care for them, and then want to get rid of it when its too big. Not all, but just look at CL its sad. I love hot snakes, but will never own one for the risk alone though I envy people who do. So my answer is there is not a "bad" pet snake, but to many bad owners. If you are experienced and have an extra hand for those just in case moments any snake of any size is fine. It also depends on why your getting the snake such as people who like to hold their snakes will probably not be wise to go buy a hot- that would be a bad snake for them. Or people who like the size of the burmese python, but lack the room, extra set of hands, and experience.
 
Interesting responses so far. I'm one of those people who likes to hold their snakes, which is why I'll never keep venomous (aside from the danger factor). It's too bad, because I think copperheads are some of the most beautiful snakes out there.

In my opinion, what makes for a "bad" pet snake are any combination of these: highly specialized and/or difficult care, uncertain or aggressive temperament, and excessive size. Of course, there's always going to be someone who has adequate resources and knowledge and can keep, say, a green anaconda successfully and love every minute of it, but I'm sticking to generalizations for the purpose of this thread.
 
Just MY opinion.

Blood pythons. Big, ugly, and (can be) insanely aggressive.
Ball pythons. Over-rated, over-priced, overstuffed sausage snakes.
Kingsnakes (specifically California Kings). Mean, nasty little boogers that would prefer to eat you instead of enjoy being held.
 
I know you've got some ball pythons, Robbie. Do you not like them just because they're over-priced, or do you really not enjoy having them? I ask because I'm in love with them and would like one someday, but I have heard here and there that they can be difficult. Any thoughts?
 
Hail_Britannia said:
I know you've got some ball pythons, Robbie. Do you not like them just because they're over-priced, or do you really not enjoy having them? I ask because I'm in love with them and would like one someday, but I have heard here and there that they can be difficult. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

I've got 4 (that I own, plus another 4 that I'm babysitting), and I will never buy another one ever again (if I hatch out a Pied, Mojave, or Blue-Eyed Leucistic, though, it's staying). Not only are the morphs insanely overpriced, but they can be very difficult feeders, and very very very frustrating. You have to have their environment JUUUUUUUUUST right or they won't eat. I've got one right now that's on... yet another... hunger strike (he's had maybe 4 meals since February) and 3 babies that won't eat anything but live African soft fur pinks.

Now, I do have 2 that have never given me a problem feeding. Ever. But 2/8 just isn't a good enough ratio for me to ever want them again. I'm not going to sell the ones I have that are problems because I believe when you take in an animal, you take it in for life. So I will continue to care for them to the best of my ability. Even though they frustrate the heck outta me! LOL.
 
Good to know. When the time comes, maybe I'll consider a mini boa instead. I've got plenty of time to decide, since we don't have anywhere near the space or the funds right now for another pet :p
 
RobbiesCornField said:
I've got 4 (that I own, plus another 4 that I'm babysitting), and I will never buy another one ever again (if I hatch out a Pied, Mojave, or Blue-Eyed Leucistic, though, it's staying). Not only are the morphs insanely overpriced, but they can be very difficult feeders, and very very very frustrating. You have to have their environment JUUUUUUUUUST right or they won't eat. I've got one right now that's on... yet another... hunger strike (he's had maybe 4 meals since February) and 3 babies that won't eat anything but live African soft fur pinks.

Now, I do have 2 that have never given me a problem feeding. Ever. But 2/8 just isn't a good enough ratio for me to ever want them again. I'm not going to sell the ones I have that are problems because I believe when you take in an animal, you take it in for life. So I will continue to care for them to the best of my ability. Even though they frustrate the heck outta me! LOL.
Click to expand...


I have to agree....I love my ball pythons as pets, but they are not too exciting....a bit over-rated IMO....:sidestep:
 
Hail_Britannia said:
Good to know. When the time comes, maybe I'll consider a mini boa instead. I've got plenty of time to decide, since we don't have anywhere near the space or the funds right now for another pet :p
Click to expand...

YES YES YES!!! Do the mini-boa! I can pretty much guarantee you won't regret it. Especially a nice Hogg Island or Cay Caulker or Corn Isle. Boas are sweet as can be, almost always in sight, calm, sweet, and perfect feeders. The only time my boas have missed a meal was my male Dumerils during breeding season and my female Dumerils while she was pregnant.
 
Hey Robbie you got mean Cali's do you? I don't have a ton of experience with them but we have had one, there have been at least 6 at our local pet store and a nice large one at the pet store in the city next to me(went there last week end). Not once have I had a problem with any of them. Never been struck at, bit, or even musked. A couple of them tried to get away when getting them out of their enclosures but that is it. They are my second favorite snake, so I handle them when ever I can. Maybe they are just fooling with me so I will byuy them and then they are gonna be mean to me when I get them home?? I always seem to get warned to be careful that they are either head shy or may bite, as that is how they have been with others who have handled them.

I have finally been tagged by baby corn snakes though!
 
I'm not crazy about Hogg Islands...I think it's the speckling I don't like. I've been drooling over Elle's Corn Isle boas though...they're gorgeous. I'm in love with RTBs, but I just don't want something that gets that big. My only worry with the mini boas is I have heard of them getting larger than anticipated.

Sorry to totally derail my own thread :p
 
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