1st time having pet snake not so good :( *Update new snake with pic :)

[Teach97]

Quote:
How big?
The biggest I've ever seen was a boa in a pet store in Tucson in the early 1980's. 19 1/2 feet long. It was for sale for $2000, & the skin was worth $3000, but it was illegal to own the skin without the live snake in it. Go figure!

mine was just a baby....8 ft...it came with mites and i fought and fought and fought and lost

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Froggie,

There are a bunch of reptile shows going on around here this spring. Some are a bit of a drive, but you might want to check them out! I went to one in Harrisburg at the end of January and bought myself a crested gecko baby. They had tons of snakes though, and very reasonable prices on baby, juvenile, and adult corns. They also had tons of other good starter snakes for sale (One snake breeder suggested kenyan sand boas as a good starter snake). Sounds like a juvenile corn snake would be a good option for your son though. They come in all sorts of colors, aren't too small or too large, and they are very easy to care for.

Let me know if you want some dates of reptile shows and locations in our area. I will look them up for you. Neat thing to go to, even if you just want to look, talk to breeders, or get supplies. Dangerous though, because most people end up buying something live! They make great day trips though.

 

[Zoomom]

I also vote for corn snakes. I have 2, had a 3rd one, but he was older and died recently.
They always eat well, 2 very friendly, the other one handleable but not as friendly. It's better to get from a breeder or hobbyist. The two I got from a breeder who sells to pet stores, I had them since they were 2 months old and 12 inches long, and they always have eaten well. The third was from a friend, he escaped in the house when he was a year old (not my house, the original owner's) and hibernated/ate wild mice for the winter before coming out again. That was the friendliest snake ever.
My two remaining girls are now 9 yrs old and still doing great.
Also love the colour and pattern range....check out Cathy Love's Corn Snake Manual, and website.

I know a friend with a Ball Python, the thing wouldn't eat for 3 months after they bought it from a reptile show. They tried mice of all sizes, baby rats, hamsters and gerbils....finally took a rat pup and has been doing ok since, but very tempermental and doesn't like to be handled too soon before eating (like a few days) or it goes off it's food. A sensitive snake.

 

[gypsy2621]

Quote:
Here is a couple that I just recieved an email for for our area.
The Spring Long Island Reptile Expo will take place on Sunday, March 21 from 9am to 3pm at the Hilton Long Island in Melville NY.

The expo will feature more than 110 vendor tables, with great buys on thousands of quality reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, cages, herp food, and more.

The Hilton is located at 598 Broad Hollow Rd. (Rt. 110) in Melville. This is at the traffic light intersection with Spagnoli Rd., approximately 1 one mile south of the Long Island Expressway exit 49 south. The expo is held in the main hotel ballroom. There is a separate ballroom entrance and large parking area around the left rear of the hotel. Parking is free. Detailed directions and other show information is available at www.ReptileExpo.com

Admission is $9/adults, and $4/kids 7-12. Bring this email and receive $1 off adult admission.

Hope you can make the expo!

Bruce Lowder
NY Reptile Expo

PS: If you cannot make this show, our next expo will be in White Plains on April 18. We also have our New England Reptile Expo in Manchester, NH on April 11.


If any one wants the email for the dollar off pm and I will forward it to you.

 

[froggie71]

Well today DS picked up an albino corn snake. Really pretty. It's definitely older and we have a record of it's eating and shedding since the pet store aquired it in June 2009. I want to thank everyone for their input. I'm learning as much about snakes as I have about chickens, ducks and guineas

I don't think we will be making any reptile shows unless they are a bit closer, but thanks for the info. Hopefully all goes well with this snake and who knows maybe we will get to a reptile show one of these days. In the future we will be sure to go with a breeder. DS was supposed to be doing a project book for 4-H and showing for 4-H, but just got word our county is trying to do away with the program

Hopefully that won't happen. I'll post a pic of the new snake soon.

 

[froggie71]

DS had to show off his new snake to his friend. I happened to have the camera out and took this pic. Then told DS to get the snake back inside where it was warm. It was a beautiful day and about 61 degrees, but you'd think he'd have more common sense.

 

[froggie71]

Well this snake has no problem eating! *Phew* Just finished off a rat pup.

Youngest DS took this pic. while watching.

 

[Kanchii]

Thats a beautiful amel corn! Congrats! And I'm happy it's feeding for you. The first feeding is always nerve wracking!

 

[froggie71]

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Thank you! This was actually the 3rd feeding for us. 1st one didn't go well, but thankfully that was because the snake was getting ready to shed. So we've had 1 shedding and 2 successful feeds. I think we can relax now

 

[TriciaHowe]

Quote:
Made me think of our "barn snake"

They are also always sleeping on top of my brower brooder in the feed room. Dh had to make special adustments to it to keep them out of it and eating my chicks (happened last year

)