Anyone here keep snakes?

[pyzik 597]

Been thinking about getting a simple corn snake and just ordered "The Art of Keeping Snakes".

I want to building a living vivarium for the snake. More like a terrarium with a snake in it... LOL.

[poolingmyignorance 2,191]

Best advice i can give you is no matter weather you choose to love feed our pre kill (pre kill is far safer) box feed your snakes. That means placing the food in a separate container, then washing your hands throughly and placing the snake in the container that had the prey already in it. That prevents them from developing a hand food association, which is the main reason people get bit. You don't want to be reaching your hand into a cage with hungry expects snake that expects a meal when it sees your hands.

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

Sure bro any questions you have just PM me and I'll be happy to help you. I raised all kinds of snakes, venomous and non venomous, from harmless garden snakes to pit vipers and constrictors. I raised large pythons, bred them and sold the babies for years until the market got flooded and there wasn't enough money in it to be worthwhile. I love snakes. The living vivarium is fun to do, yet problematic. You find that snakes are nasty little critters to clean up after, so being able to completely change out their bedding is very helpful in keeping their environment clean and free of disease, parasites, and odor. Make sure whatever kind you get, to build a setup that's easy to keep warm, secure from escape (especially if you have a cat).... and easy to clean. All snakes like to be warm and need plenty of water to drink and bath in. It will also need somehting in there to rub against when starting to shed. They can do it fine on glass, but they appreciate a nice rock or branch, or something. Also be careful to cleanse any natural materials like rocks, branches, and substrate, to keep out parasites.

That's a good book and will tell you all that stuff....

 

Happy herping!

[pyzik 597]

Thanks, Pooling & Cobra.

 

I'm getting excited. It's tempting to just go get one now and just a boring aquarium just to have it. LOL

But I am going to take my time and get the vivarium set up first.

 

Thanks for the tip on keeping the bedding easy to change. I want to look into keeping the plants in small pots and burying the pots in the substrate so they look planted but are easy to remove and watering them won't soak the substrate.

 

I've wanted a snake for a while but was put off by how long they can live... 20 years! That's a long time.

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

No prob, like I said man any weird questions that come up just hit me up. I've heard and answered about every snake question there is over thirty years of keeping them...lol. Also that's a good idea what pooling said about not just handing the snake it's meal with your hand. At least not for a good while til it is very used to being handled. For your peace of mind and anyone else who wants to handle it. It's no fun being chewed on by any kind of snake, and corn snakes are constrictors just like boas and pythons. They have LOTS of teeth and they are all curved backwards to hold their prey tight while they suffocate it. Once they have you in their mouth it's hard for them to even let go if they want to, if you are trying to pull away, which is instinctive...lol. One of the hardest things to do is relax with a snake chomping down on you and be still while you let it realize you are not a mouse... or worse, a rabbit. HAhahaha!!! I've had my whole hand down a 12 foot Burmese Python's gullet knukles first! That shit was no picnic!

[poolingmyignorance 2,191]

I had to adopt the box method once i started working with monitors, since then I've realized it seems to keep the animals much more willing to be handled, they look forward to theafter "treat" . Only thing about snakes with this method is it's best to let them relax inside the box for a half hour before moving them back to their regular home as they tend to vomit if disturbed after eating.

A large plastic bin with a lid and a heating pad slid under it is .what i used. Just make sure that it's small enough the snake can get away from the heat too.

[thebuns1 4,323]

While I prefer turtles, I love snakes. All of the above is good advice. I like to handle mine, so I never really kept any that were venomous for more than a few days. Just keep in mind that they are cold blooded and instinct driven, meaning they wont love you no matter how much you love them. I found that parasites were the number one killer of my snakes in the past. Keeping a clean environment def. goes a long way.

[Beretty 37]

Keep an eye on temperature. I would stay away from heat pads. Necrotic dermititus (scale rot) is a nasty thing.

[poolingmyignorance 2,191]

Keep an eye on temperature. I would stay away from heat pads. Necrotic dermititus (scale rot) is a nasty thing.

Humidity and venhilation are important too. Terreriums aren't really the best snake habitat, a "display" type case with a hinged front is ideal with 5 wooden sides that can be ported for air flow. I'd avoid sliding glass/plasitc entrys as smaller snakes can wedge themselves between the panes of glass and break out, or injurt themselves.

As far as heating pads, they makes this type called a "Kobra Mat" that heats to exactly 100degrees F, I've never had any issues with them..but I've never really had any issues with the old school style either if it's kept under the enclosure and NOT INSIDE it. Keeping it outside the enclosure also eliminates another possible escape route. Always avoid light bulbs for heat source as snakes like get close to their lights and if it's too close will burn, or can splash them and cause them to crack...the ceramic heating elements can be used but must have a good sturdy shield to keep the snake from burning on it.

When using natural fixtures, do like Cobra said and sterlize them. I really prefer crate myrtle branches as they don't have bark for parasites to hide in. I just stick them in the oven at 300 degrees for an hour to debug them..just keep them away from the heating elements and you'll be fine..(if the wife don't have a fit that is).

Edited March 14, 2013 by poolingmyignorance

[Maxwelhse 1,285]

Just the ones the people elected...

 

(Sorry, I couldn't resist)

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

Yeah they will sometimes lay on a hot rock or heat pad too long and burn themselves. I liked to use lamps for mine, just have to provide shade for when they don't feel like basking... and again...plenty of water. If using one of those stick on pads in part of the tank, be sure to get enough gravel or something above it to tone down the heat. Beware of introducing any wild caught prey or other reptiles into the environment too or you will get mites in there. They suck....literally. Snakes are also subject to respiratory infections. I lost my big girl at around 10 yrs old to pneumonia. She was over 15 feet and just laid her 4th clutch of eggs. I was successful in hatching about two thirds of the 55 eggs I think it was she had that time, using ann incubator. What you said about them living a long time... I actually thought that was a good thing. I raised two dogs from pups during the time I had that one snake. I still get people asking all the time about how my snakes are doing... When they get that big they become a huge part of your life. I do miss em, but not all the work that went with em. Still have their two custom built glass and wood cages I built for my breeding pair. Need to post pics of em in some pet stores come to think of it....

[poolingmyignorance 2,191]

Wild prey is a huge risk! IF you must, it's best to have a decontaminate tank just for prey and let is sit for a few weeks before feeding. Wild rats are subject to pestisides which they have developed resistance too, that will kill your snake in no time, if injested via prey.

Speaking of which it's always advisable to gut load prey items prior to feeding, to give your reptile a nutritional boost (if pre kill just give them a good last meal). Also like Cobra mention bacterial infections in snakes are NASTY customers. Reptiles can't ingest anti-biotics like mamals as bacterial plays a crucial role in their digestive system and will quickly kill a snake if given most anti-bios. However grape fruit seed extract can be given as a immune supplement during times of poor health. If injured snakes can get infections and their puss looks like dried up cheese and must be removed from the wound, you can flush the wound with warm water ( at your own risk they tend to get fussy when in less than best health).

[Capt Nemo 882]

Had 2 garter snakes and 3 brown snakes. My big brown was wild caught at 6" and grew to 24". She was the best specimen most herps had ever seen for color. She also mated once and had 18 young. Lost them all within 2 weeks to some bug.

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

Wow poolingmyignorance you brought back a memory I had successfully supressed....until now thanks...lol! Actually a couple of em. The one that's not so bad is gut bombs... I had girlfriend that worked at a very large facility that bred rats for lab experiments all over the country... "Charles River Labs" in Raleigh. They raised thousands of rats (nice big ones) and every week they had to gas the extras to keep their population where they needed it to be. Amy used to give me clearance to go around back once a week or month... whatever I needed, and pick up the "culls" after they were killed and before incineration. They were free and I could fill up a trash bag if I wanted that many. I used to freeze a bunch at a time in an extra freezer out in the barn. (eww... no wait this memory just got bad as well ....lol! Came home one time from the beach in Aug. and the power had been out to the rat freezer for a week. :-o ! THAT was a not too fun project! I did not DARE open the freezer cause you could already smell it from the street out front...lol! I buried the whole damned thing with ropes holding the door shut tight til I could maneuver it into the hole. OMG I actually dug that hole with the only shovel I had... a 1964 issue Army E tool... Buried it with two feet of dirt over the top and I swear you could STILL smell that sumbitch for awhile...omg...)

Anyway, because the rats were dead when I fed em, I would stick a Vitamin C in their mouths first because snakes get that from the gut contents of live animals, but it dies or becomes no good after death.

Other thing that I could have gone all day without thinking about! (Thanks again! hahaha)

My female got an abscess once in her mouth, that got infected before I realized there was a problem. At the time I was feeding nothing but storebought raw chicken thighs and leg quarters... a 3-4 lb 'family pack' at a time... with Vit C of course. So she gets all weird acting and would not eat, and acted like she was about to die... all goin into spasms and rubbing her head all over the place upside down, flipping around, etc. I took her to a vet that specialized in reptiles, and he had me help them hold her down on the table while he shot her up with meds, under a scale in the small of her neck. Then the fun part that friggin blew my mind.... He opened her mouth (remember this is a 12 foot beast with a mouth as big as a medium sized dog...) and said "look in there. See back there behind her air intake hole between that and her back teeth, that big swollen area with caked yellow cheese looking stuff packed in it?"

I was like !!!!

So then he tells me what it is (weirdest lookin 'puss' I ever did see!) and to my amazement asks his assistant to hold her mouth open while he sat there for what seemed like forever and with a long swab on a stick, dipped in something I forget...maybe peroxide or betadine solution? and dug every bit of it out, then cleansed the abscess with another solution or medication, and Cleo actually LET HIM!

So then the part that really blew me away... he looks at me and says "ok did you get all that? You and your girlfriend here, or whoever you can get to help you, are going to have to do this EVERY DAY.... , as well as give her the daily antibiotic injections like I showed you how to do."

So I looked at her first kinda wide eyed and like.... !!!! HAhahaha! Then looked back at him and managed a muffled.... mmmkay.

LMAO cause it's funny now but I was shittin my britches about then....

So she agreed, we went home with the medicines and the swabs & needles.... and somehow managed to treat that sweet snake every day until she was all healed up. I will NEVER forget (NOW>>>lol) the look on my room mate's face and his girlfriend, when they walked in the door the next day and saw what my girl and I were in there doing with a friend's help holding! They were both like...

I still can't believe it but she knew we were helping her and felt obvious relief after each time, so she did not even put up a friggin fight the whole time. It was F'n amazing! Digging out those yellow cottage cheese lookin chunks is imprinted on the back of my skull forever.... and now to a much lesser degree YOURS NOW... lol!

 

 

 

Y'all can thank pooling for that...LMAO!

 

So yes...sorry for babbling on, but there are many things you would never even imagine, that you learn to do when seriously raising reptiles.... especially very large ones. I almost miss the extra spice that added to life...... almost.

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

BTW speaking of memories, Pyzik you may find some cool stuff in this thread too. Lots of great pics too.

 

http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?/topic/44619-exotic-pets/?hl=%2Bexotic+%2Bpets

[jerry52 893]

I love snakes, they taste like chicken.

A little flower and butter for frying and potato chips on the side.

They need to be at least an inch thick

[MT Predator 2,294]

Cobra and pooling have good advice. I had a Burmese for many years which I had to sell because of an overseas Military move. I had her since High School and she was around 15' when I got rid of her. Currently have a beautiful Ball Python. She is close to 3' now, got her as a baby. I live feed BTW.

[pyzik 597]

Thanks for all the advise! I'll be checking out that linked thread when I am done with this post.

Cobra, your story had me cracking up. Best use of smileys in a story to date!

 

I found a 20 gallon Tetrafauna Reptohabitat tank on craigslist for $20.

Gonna pick it up after work. It's got stickers all over the doors, but I think it will clean up nicely for $20.

[pyzik 597]

Cobra, dude... WTF with that King eating itself! LOL. That's crazy.

I looked it up and check this out!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lblU-jcIh5Q

Edited March 15, 2013 by Pyzik

[gunman1 1,753]

They all creap me the fuck out

[Beretty 37]

I always fed live. I know the consequences but "The T-Rex doesn't want to be fed, He wants to hunt". I've owned snakes my whole life (garter, corn, king, ball python, and red tails) but I'm sure I don't have near the exp. level of Cobra and others.

[jerry52 893]

We have a bounty season on them down here.

Edited March 16, 2013 by jerry52

[Beretty 37]

We have a bounty season on them down here.

I know. I seriously wanted to get into snake hunting/trapping while I'm down here. Just missed the Python Challenge. It took longer than expected to find a job, so finances will currently not allow any expeditionary endeavors. Seeing that you're from Bonita, where do you shoot down here?

[sccritterkiller 473]

I love snakes, they taste like chicken.

A little flower and butter for frying and potato chips on the side.

They need to be at least an inch thick

 

Hard to beat a good rattler....delicious!

[HB of CJ 1,263]

I used to grab up big garter, grass and bull snakes and hand release them under the homestead cabin years ago. Found that they kept all the mice, rats, pack rats and other critters away. The only problem is that sometimes when it got cold, they could crawl up in bed with me to keep warm I guess. Cute little wiggly critters. Made nice pets indeed. HB of CJ (old coot) (all true)

[MCASgt New River 10,036]

I currently have three Ball Pythons; one adult male, one juvenile male and one juvenile female. I have been thinking about getting some corns but tank space is limited right now. If your looking for a place to learn from you can check out www dot KINGSNAKE dot com. They have a LOT of good info and a GREAT market board.

 

PM me directly if you have any questions,

Gunny NR