Tips for Newbies thread!

[zuesowns]

whats a good thermostat placement in a click clack and good temps for colder climates (5c and lower nights and 15c and lower days) and do what variants between night/day should be used?

Thermostat probe should be placed where you would like your hot spot/hot end (at one end of the enclosure) and from my knowledge, you won't need to drop temps at night time if you are not breeding.

 

[Addam]

What a good thread I'm sure most people who sign up to the sight will learn a thing or too. Can I just add, don't feed your snakes when they are obviously in slough mode, this can cause problems when the snake is shedding

 

[zuesowns]

Here is my tip: change your water regularly (1-3 times a week) as snakes like drinking fresh water.

Or will only drink fresh water, could someone confirm this?

 

[Scaler]

What a terrific thread!

I think reiterating how important research is is crucial.
Proper reading prior to buying will ensure your expectations are maintained
Perhaps its also worth mentioning that you'll need to plan to expand your enclosure for your growing snake - you may only need a click-clack to begin with, but your snake(s) will need a proper home for when they are adults. Proper reading prior to buying will ensure your expectations on size are maintained.

 

[ezekiel86]

some very good points everyone!

 

[zuesowns]

Another good tip which I learnt after I expanded my collection.

Quarantine: separate your new reptile from your current collection (separate rooms), for minimum of 6 months, some would even state 12 months, with basic setup, water bowl, hide, perch, heat, substrate.

If you research you will most likely find the answer, if it is confusing or conflicting, you can create a thread on the forum and supply your references, sources for confirmation.

 

[Southside Morelia]

Don't settle for something that's okay, but doesn't really thrill you. Save the extra money or wait for the next season to get an animal you really want. Remember that snakes live 20 - 30 years

Gotta agree with this PM 101%....

 

[Southside Morelia]

I genially sick to this plan with feeding all my snakes (everyone has a different oppinion though);

I feed 1 - 2 (feed items) each week up until they are 2 years old. Increasing food size to suit size of animals gut (middle section) I prefer feeding anything same size to a bit bigger then gut width. so increase when you see no bulge.

I feed 2 (feed items) each fortnight until they are 3years (adult) according to size of their gut depends on size of food item.

I feed 2 - 3 (feed items) each month to the adults. The amount given depends on if the animal is male or female (this is for anyone breeding - males get fed less to stay small and females get fed more to ensure a healthy up to size breeder). If you don't intend on breeding then feed how much ya want 2 or 3 feed items, just remember the more you feed the bigger and fatter they will get.

I agree 100% with the above as well and have to put my 2 cents on the feeding side of caring for pythons.... Make sure you can AFFORD to feed your animals. ie if you breed rats/mice make sure you can AFFORD to feed them...IF you buy frozen, make sure you can AFFORD to purchase the rats/mice to feed your animals as per the above regime..As pythonmum says they live for 30 odd years....now that's a commitment to be mulled over beforehand as you may NOT be able to sell a 10year old python when the novelty or financial aspect finally wears off....

 

[Blondie84]

baby snakes do bite(as all snakes can, its what they do when scared- defend themselves) There is no such thing as a snake that doesnt bite..(i get asked alot..)

Have to throw my 2 cents in there as well. My MD is 9 months old and i have had her for about 7 months and she has never even looked like biting. And let me just say I have given her plenty of reason to (not that I torment her or anything but I am a newbie).

I think it is smart that people are prepared for the fact that as snake owners they stand a chance of getting bitten but to make such a sweeping statement like that is a little misleading also. I was fully prepared for the possibility of getting bitten, as well as the possibility of her being a little bit of a fussy eater and having issues changing over from mice to rats. Thankfully I have had none of these issues, the only real issue I have had is that my girl hates being in her enclosure and constricts quite firmly when it is time for her to 'go to bed'.

I think my bit of advice I would add is that, when it comes to herps, the only guarantee is that there are no guarantees. Sure you might get a snappy hatchy. It might calm down with handling. It might not. You might get a calm and placid snake. This might mean that they are picky eaters. It might not. You really just have to be prepared for all possible scenarios and deal with them as they happen.

 

[MrShorty8878]

hah same here i just read and read not usually pisifcly on a snake yet but on whats a good one to have and cages but when i make up my mind cant wait to know everything about the snake i want because im still looking to see what snakes good 4 me

 

[Pintojax]

Just remember that when it comes to a larger python The Teeth arent the only thing to worry about.... Remember that they are experts at suffication by constriction and can do permanent damage to an arm or a leg and YES if they are big enough they can even KILL an adult person... Children are easier to digest tho (lol) and less work to kill....
PLEASE know that ALL snakes have teeth and they CAN all bite...

 

[MrShorty8878]

well with the biting situation what IMO better sooner then later oh and whats this about killing children because their easyeir to digest im just about 14 but i am very small for my age lol but i am looking at smaller pythons at the moment im looking at spotted pyhton, stimsons python or a coastel carpet python

 

[LadyJ]

HAVE A VET FUND! It can happen, any day, any time... whenever. Keep a LOT of money aside in case of emergency with your animals and keep putting money in! I've had something happen on a Sunday when vets are closed and the after-hours cost for an emergency run in is not fun! Keep a seperate bank account if you're worrying about spending it away... don't touch that money.

 

[MrShorty8878]

yea well im bad at saving and with all the money i save up to buy my snake ill still probably have some left that i will keep saving and around the time i buy my snake im hoping to have a job so yea more money to save

 

[Mozzooka]

Good advice.

 

[FusionMorelia]

just a quick noob question or 2 here,
1 i have read in a couple of books and been advised by several breeders that feeding in a separate tub is a risky practice
with high risk of stress and regurgitation of handling snakes so soon after a feed ,especially with hatchie/juvies yet
i have read other things that say the complete opposite and have seen people advising this practice to new herp owners, so whats right? in or out of enclosure feeding?

also with compaction from loose substrate how often does this really occur? or is it like the pinhead "myth" and not really even that bad of an issue?

 

[Snakeluvver2]

Up to you Nat.
Theres many factors.
You could have a loose substrate such as coco peat, this wont be a problem unless the food is wet or moist in which case the peat can stick to it.
This could potentially cause impaction. If that was the scenerio then I'd feed in a separate tub.

You could be housing two or more snakes together which, generally isn't recommended anyway, but in any case I wouldn't feed two pythons together.

There's many reasons for and against, what ever you comfortable and you think is wise.
Pin head sydrome i cant say anything.
The loose substrate, Well I kept my coastal, darwin and water python in loose substrate and I haven't had a problem this year. I also feed inside the enclosure.

 

[mrbaggins]

My newbie question (After nearly 12 months of ownership :S)

When should I move up to the next size food? My yearling Stimsons girl is on fuzzies (She refused to eat over winter, go figure). She gets a fair bit of bulge in the middle of her afterwards, which is gone within 2-3 days. She got todays one down in (I would guess) under 2 minutes. Nailed it, wrapped it and sank it.

 

[Snakeluvver2]

When there is no lump

 

[syeph8]

just a quick noob question or 2 here,
1 i have read in a couple of books and been advised by several breeders that feeding in a separate tub is a risky practice
with high risk of stress and regurgitation of handling snakes so soon after a feed ,especially with hatchie/juvies yet
i have read other things that say the complete opposite and have seen people advising this practice to new herp owners, so whats right? in or out of enclosure feeding?

also with compaction from loose substrate how often does this really occur? or is it like the pinhead "myth" and not really even that bad of an issue?

feed them where you like so long as it doesnt stress your snakes out too much, i personally dont see any problems with feeding in or out of enclosures, they all have their positives and negatives. positives are that if your snake is on a loose substrate then there is considerably less risk of impaction from swallowing its substrate and the fact that you have it out and are getting it used to handling (although depending on the temperature outside the enclosure it needs to not be out for too long beforehand or it will cool down and loose its appetite, or afterward because it has just eaten and wants to hide and digest). negatives are that it can stress the snake out, it can cause regurgitation and it it far more time consuming. it all comes down to individual circumstance and choice. i do not believe in the whole "associates tank with food" theory, as if you handle regularly also, then it will associate the tank as where it lives and sometimes when he hunts around enough, a rat suddenly appears. as opposed to feeding out of the enclosure, where surely they would associate being out of the enclosure with feeding time. (this is of course if snakes have the capacity to identify and associate these changes to environment)

i would never feed a snake on tan bark ever as i purchased a snake once that had eaten a piece of tan bark stuck to a goldfish this should have digested, but was obviously a particularly hard piece of wood (probably the nut) and it was only by sheer luck and the determination of the people who sold it to me that i didnt have to pay a large sum of money to get this piece of bark surgically removed. having said that, all my pythons eat on their loose substrates (kitty's crumble) and my colubrids eat off my hands as i often have them out and am petrified that they will get another impaction.

impaction can be a problem with certain loose substrates and i have taken over the thread too much already so i wont go through them, but research these substrates individually before you decide to put them in your enclosure and especially before you feed on them. as stated multiple times on this thread, "research, research, research" and things will travel much smoother for you.