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Want to get a first snake and need advice

Have you thought about these?
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They are transpecos ratsnakes...they are very cornsnake ish....but IMO tend to bite even less and sit still even more.

OR these...

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Bairds ratsnakes are calm/easy as well, haven't been able to convince one to bite yet.


I do not recomend a BP as a first snake. I'd rather see you with a boa constrictor than a ball for a first snake...if not kept in a snake rack they can get really picky about eating around a year old.
 
I have many, many, many ball pythons they only get between 3 to 5 feet I have never ever been bitten by a ball python, Boas (RTB) can get up to 15' in captivity and they can a do bite, Ball python got the nickname because they are a timid snake and curl up into a ball when scared tucking there head in the middle, I have seen baby balls strike i'm it is just vary rare and as for hurting i have been bitten by my old Boa RTB of 7ft countless times it never really hurt just startled me more than anything. every snake is different trying to judge an individual is pointless, it is like seeing one human being and saying there all the same. Having said that they are an excellent starter snake not taking anything a way from the many other excellent starter snakes. Before you purchase any snake check thoroughly, handling it and making certain it is in good health ask for it to be fed, if they say it was just fed ask when will the next feeding be and can you witness it. I literally can't count how many snakes i have owned but with the exception of only 2 i have always done the above. as for the temps balls like dark hide outs and in my cage i have the hideout bottom heated and it is on on a rheostat, the cage is a little cooler and the room in the winter gets pretty cool. if the cage is somewhere in the range on the cooler night side and the hide is at the low to mid end of the day side you will be fine, Back around 1982 people had problems with balls eating this was due to a few facts, E.G. they were all wild caught, they were mostly stressed, they were not given hides (this is very important) and never acclimated to their new homes. it was like taking a human and putting them on the north pole with no close and then wondering why they died. Nowadays with them being captive bred and there habitat understood it is rare that someone encounters this problem. i have seen many a children own these snakes and have them in less than desirable conditions and they thrive. Handling the snake (after it is comfortable in its habitat) will acclimate it to the owner. please read all care sheets on them they are similar to many snakes and everyone i have had made very good pets, remember any snake can be a striker it is just less common with certain species such as the ball pythons.
 
FYI i have some pics of my current snakes in the chit chat area under
"Here are some pics of my snakes" The snake sparky is a regular ball and is 2 yrs old and has never missed a meal and has been in perfect health with perfect sheds, i keep records on my snakes to document any strange behavior etc, My green tree stopped eating for 2 wks when i switched her to her new home other than that everything is as expected
 
hehehe

When I first saw the huge pic, I thought---jeez louise!! that is some FINE camo!! I can't even find the snake anywhere!! then, I starting scrolling across and thought, my Lord, it's HUGE, it'll kill me!! lolol It is beautiful, but...in Georgia, I cannot have ratsnakes, they are illegal. Would the Transpecos and Baird's ratsnakes fall into that category since they are NOT native to Georgia (that I am aware of??) *g*

Zulu....hope I didn't offend you and I know you were not pushing me to buy your snakes....they are beautiful. I apologize if I did offend you....not my intent.

I just don't want to grab the first snake I think about and then not be able to give it a suitable habitat, food, etc. At Chehaw, we had a Burmese Python (I think--we didn't use him in educational programs, so I was not real familiar with him)...anyway...one of the directors of the park was hunting on a plantation and found him, emaciated and hungry and in pitiful shape (no doubt turned loose after he got too big to handle as a pet). Brought him back to Chehaw for the staff to clean up and nurse back to health. His enclosure had to have some work done once and he had to be moved into the educational animals building. He was HUGE!!! I'm thinking between 15 and 20 feet, as big around as my thigh (don't say a word!) and heavy! We could not work with him until we had been trained and then we had to have a minimum of 4 or 5 people when he was handled. He really was a sweet snake, we took him outside into a grassy area and walked him like a dog (outside the view of the public, though). He was very slow moving. BUT, I know I can't manage that kind of snake, no way. Heck, cleaning his enclosure was like cleaning a horse stall. Not for me.

Anyway...I apologize for the long post. I'll go do some more research and get back to you folks. Thank you so much for putting up with me and my questions.
 
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