# Can you reccomend a snake forum?



## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

I've really been considering getting an easy snake (or two?) since I have a buildup of mice in my freezer. I'm considering ordering from this site: http://www.backwaterreptiles.com/snakes ... -sale.html

Idk how the snake world operates, but if there was one that is friendly and helpful, I would love a link. Or even suggestions on favorite snakes and why! Thanks. : )


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

www.ball-pythons.net !!!


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## candycorn (Oct 31, 2011)

Well for easy snakes, a cornsnake fits the bill. And cirnsnakes.com is friendly and has the premeir breeders in the world. I would not consider a ball python easy or much good as a mouse eater on e they reach the juvi stage. Cornsnakes are perfect. Calm and easy.


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## thewesterngate (May 22, 2012)

I have a few different species..any kind of colubrid is good, perfect eaters and not very demanding. Balls eventually outgrow mice and need to be fed three or more to make a decent meal. I have a blood python, supposedly amazing eaters, who will only eat pre-killed or FT when absolutely NO ONE is looking. 

ETA: ball-pythons.net is great, but mostly for BPs. iHerp is a great community with an 'ask' section for help.


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

So at first, I started off liking the looks of corn snakes, and was considering one of these:
https://www.reptmart.com/p-924-albino-corn-snake-baby-for-sale.aspx
https://www.reptmart.com/p-953-hypomelanistic-corn-snake-for-sale.aspx

But then I got side tracked by one of their beautiful relatives, the Rat Snakes:
https://www.reptmart.com/p-1038-licorice-rat-snake-for-sale.aspx
https://www.reptmart.com/p-1040-radiated-rat-snake-for-sale.aspx

I'm leaning really heavily towards the rat snakes...


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## thewesterngate (May 22, 2012)

DO IT.  I would get a white-sided rat or bull snake in a heart beat if I didn't have 9 snakes! I still might when I get a job...


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## sys15 (Nov 26, 2011)

lampropeltis are the best snakes.

i think you probably need to see them in person before you'll really know what you like. maybe even have to keep some for a while before you'll know. for example, i find some medium to larger snakes very attractive, but i can't stand keeping them. they tear their cages up, defecate in great, disgusting piles and take up a ton of room. i'm sure other people feel something similar regarding smaller snakes.


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## Kingnoel (Apr 23, 2011)

I agree with Candycorn, Colubrids are excellent. Hognoses especially are very tractable and mellow. Easy to maintain and stay a nice manageable size. Definitely try to see some in person first if you can. Good luck and welcome to the world of the slithering.


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## candycorn (Oct 31, 2011)

Stick with the corns. You will be happier in the end. The white sided black rat (licorice) can be a great snake...but they do smell. They have a musky oder. They get large - up to 6 feet. I have a normal phase one, and I love him...but he is definatly a stinkbomb.
The radiated rat is not a good choice at all for a first snake. They are nasty bitting buggers who also fling their poop. LOL! They also get very large and are super fast. Finally they require cool temps so often you need to house them in a basement in the summers. I had an asian ratsnake myself once and never again!


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## morning-star (Apr 9, 2011)

'licorice rats' (also known as 'white sided') are lovely! can be a little bit nippy as hatchlings but with regular handling should calm down nicely.

Radiated rats are pretty but not for the faint hearted! Very feisty! such character and attitude if your happy to get bitten, and make great display pets!

corn snakes are nice and easy to care for, as are king snakes, house snakes.

most boa's are generally soppy if your looking for something larger, and royal are great also (though can sometimes have feeding problems)

rat-snakes I recommend you looking into is: 
Everglades and yellow rats (care same as corns -though a little nippy to start) 
black rats (care same as corns -though a little nippy to start) 
tans Pecos 
baird's rats (care same as corns -though a little nippy to start) 
Persian rats 
four-lined rats
*rhino ratsnakes
trinket snake 
*Taiwanese beauty (get very large 7-10ft, can be a little aggressive/flighty at times, stunning though!) 
*Vietnamese beauty (get very large 8-11ft, can be a little aggressive/flighty at times, stunning though!)
*red-tail racer ( can be very aggressive/flightly like radiated rats but soooo pretty and amazing. I'm on a waiting list for a captive bred one!)

* = wouldn't recommend as a starter unless you do lots of homework on them first.

Here is a great forum: 
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/

-its UK based but lots of people from the states chat on there as well.

also you might like: 
http://www.ratsnakefoundation.org/

I own: 
Everglades hybrid 
Royal
Two Taiwanese beauty's 
Cape house snake 
hi white cali king

I have also cared for boa's and corns, so any questions just ask!

candycorn; what Asian species did you keep?


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

Thanks for the great info on the two varieties! Guess I won't be getting a Radiated. I've tried google searching each, but alls that that dredges up is "Yahoo Answers" which never really helps me in the slightest. I feel myself shying from corns because they just seem so small, and from what I've been reading is that there is a fairly significant fluctuation in growth rates, and I'm worried I'm going to get a corn that stays puney forever... I don't want something huge, but I want something solid. Unless there is a corn variety that is known to grow larger than average?


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## sys15 (Nov 26, 2011)

how large of a snake are you looking for? to me, a corn snake is a little larger than i like.

there are lots of other factors that will influence what you like and what you don't. activity level, how they feel, etc. we're coming into reptile show season, why not wait and attend a few before making a decision?


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## morning-star (Apr 9, 2011)

corns will get to about 4-5ft on average, if you want anything bigger like a corn other north american rats (corns are technically ratsnakes) would suit. Or a corn x north american hybrid would in theory would end up 5-6ft. (like a "creamsicle corn")

At the end of the day pick a snake you really like, do your research into it's care and then go buy it once your 100%. I don't believe in the whole 'beginners snake' thing -if your responsible, and take the time to look into it most snakes are pretty easy to care for. 

sys15 have you looked into 'house snakes' or 'rosy boas'? They only max out at about 3-4ft and have a good temperament and are fairly easy to care for!


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## sys15 (Nov 26, 2011)

morning-star said:


> sys15 have you looked into 'house snakes' or 'rosy boas'? They only max out at about 3-4ft and have a good temperament and are fairly easy to care for!


i owned a couple of rosys a long time ago. didn't particularly care for them. haven't had a house snake, but in general i only like snakes that i've seen in the wild. their appearance doesn't really appeal to me much either.

lampropeltis are my addiction. i've kept a lot of other species from time to time, but nothing appeals to me like they do.


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## sys15 (Nov 26, 2011)

morning-star said:


> I don't believe in the whole 'beginners snake' thing -if your responsible, and take the time to look into it most snakes are pretty easy to care for.


i completely agree. get a snake you really like, you're likely to have it for a long time.


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## morning-star (Apr 9, 2011)

sys15 said:


> lampropeltis are my addiction. i've kept a lot of other species from time to time, but nothing appeals to me like they do.


corns get to the same sizes as kings though, so why is a corn 'too big'?

The only time I have parted with a snake was my big boa boy -In some ways I regret it, as he was great to handle but he went to a lovely home -we decided boa's just weren't for us, since they well do very little, take up a lot of room and because I wanted to focus on more ratsnakes ( we do have limited space).

I couldn't bare to part with any of my others though their like family. :lol:


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## sys15 (Nov 26, 2011)

morning-star said:


> sys15 said:
> 
> 
> > lampropeltis are my addiction. i've kept a lot of other species from time to time, but nothing appeals to me like they do.
> ...


some lampropeltis do, but not the ones that most appeal to me. i keep (kept really, i only have a few snakes at the moment) the smaller subspecies of north american milks as well as some mountain kings. most of them were under 100 g as adults.

i have kept a few larger snakes, including getula kings and guttata (emoryi) for long periods of time. i liked having a couple around as garbage disposals to avoid wasting mice that some of the pickier, smaller snakes refused at any given time. but i wouldn't have wanted to have those snakes in any numbers.


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## candycorn (Oct 31, 2011)

I had a blue beauty. 
And I second getting a creamcicle corn. Bigger than a pure corn and similar in apperance to the amel you liked.


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## KTyne (Jun 8, 2012)

I have a baby Ball Python and he's wonderful... they don't get too big either, but they are thick, unlike a Corn.
I would have to disagree on the fact that Corns are calm, they are non-stop moving!! Ball Pythons are chill but they do have feeding issues sometimes.. especially during breeding season.
Corns are lovely and I would definitely recommend one as a first-time snake, they get to be a nice size. I have never seen a Corn that I would consider a small snake. (Well, compared to say, a Boa, yes but not in general, lol)

Oh, and I would recommend Ball-pythons.net as well, they have a lot of Corn owners there too. Also I recommend reptileaddiction.org, they are very friendly and knowledgable!


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## morning-star (Apr 9, 2011)

when I say corns are calm I mean they are pretty easy to handle/less likely to bite -but yeah they can be pretty active (same as other ratsnakes)


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## KTyne (Jun 8, 2012)

Ahhh ok, well then yes that's true... although apparently they, too, can be a bit nippy when young.

Oh, and I wanted to add that my baby BP, who is only about 3 months old, has never once struck at me.


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