*One* of my other hobbies (I have way too many)

[BlueFang]

Bluefang: How about an earlier picture of Meanie when she was yellow?

Adam

here ya go:


Photo from breeder


Unboxing photos:




pre-molt - "leave me alone I am sleeping"

Gee...something else in common. While not as exotic as some of yours, I've had several snakes. Black Rat, Eastern King, Ball Python, several ribbon and garter snakes. The first one I ever played with was a 14' Indian Python at a friends house in Michigan when I was 11 and was hooked.

My parents said I couldn't have a cat or a dog because "I wouldn't take care of my pets." I think it's more that they didn't want to be hindered with dealing with something they couldn't leave for more than 8 hours so, I had turtles, snakes, lizards, fish, birds and I guess they loosened up some about the idea because my dad bought my mom a pet skunk for her 43rd birthday that we had a for a few years. (Normal pets waited until I was on my own and included two collies and about 4-5 cats.)

I use to have two cats... I then moved to snakes because I travel a lot with my current job, and wanted something that was a bit more low maintenance - something I could leave alone for weeks at a time.

Here is one of my Ball Pythons that I got last summer... awesome little dude...

[buffo]

Beautiful pictures! Thanks!

Adam

[DrEvil]

I've been wanting a snake for quite some time. The main reason I never got one is due to the pain of moving it while in the military. The green one looks better but I'd rather have a smaller one such as a ball.

[hakzaw1]

My Newest 'pet'

Both Texas and Florida record is ~48 inches --mine is ~36inches and the largest I have EVER seen.
I kept an 18 inch one here in Texas for 18 months--

drop for drop The Coral is #2 in killing power- but not really a dangerous snake if you know what you are doing.

)))))))))))))))

I have kept herps for most of my adult life-While working a zoo keeper in Florida my 'collection' peaked at 28 snakes which included several breeding pairs.(rat snakes)

At work we had most of the snakes found in Florida including Corals-being NOT easy to feed we watched them closely and tried to release before starving..
Other 'Hots' I have kept have been ' northern' copperhead and cotton mouth- a Canebrake rattlesnake-diamond back and pygmy rattlesnakes- a Maylasian flying snake-(rear fanged mildy venomous)
I lived in an one-room house at the Zoo (Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs)and got very few visitors--during that time.
'others' include all the Florida Rat snakes including the very rare Key West Red Ratsnake.
Coachwhips and racers.one 7 foot Indigo (my FAV!!!)-- garter, ribbon and glass and grass snakes (food for Corals) Northern Black and Grey Rat Snakes (proven breeders)
An African burrowing snake and a sick puff adder (mouth rot)-that died shortly after it was given to me.(free)--Florida Kings-- Hognosed snake- red belly mud snake-common water snakes of Florida.
boas- balls- and a few I cant remember ATM.

I have had a few close calls and took a bite on my finger from a week-old pygmy rattlesnake--
the effect was hardly noticable- not a whole lot of venom in a snake THAT tiny(6 inches).
I lost for 3 years a boa I bought as a tiny baby (I had a wholesale permit and then they cost me $10 each)- She turned up one day in a tree at the zoo- grown some2.5 feet and had lots of scars from rat bites ( I never feed rats or mice who still have their teeth)

Snakes are escape experts and no less than 100% careful keeping will work. This Coral I just got was able to crawl thru the overhand knot I had on the pillowcase(without untieing the knot) she was in and was loose for 7 hours in my house--I would have been VERY sad had I not found 'her' as unless she found a way outside she would have eventually died. 'she' was under the frig.

I was, however, at no time worried about anyone getting bitten--death/bites from Coral snake is(almost) always the fault of the human involved--BUT some people MAY have died and the death was miss-diagnosed as a heart attack. AND that could happen also the other way around.
Last recorded death 2007 iirc and happened to a homeless guy who was trying to kill it in Bonita Springs Fl. SAME city where my zoo keeping years happened.

By the time he sought help it was too late (24 hrs)

more pics of 'Cora-Lee' when I can..

[Crazy]

Wow, those are all stunning...I always wanted a chameleon, but never was able to find a place to buy one. A friend of mine growing up had a beautiful tree python, and that was the first time I had really seen any snake close up (minus the occasional garter slinking around in the yard).
I would love to get a bush viper, but the whole venom thing, and once again not knowing where to get one. Anyone here have a viper of any sort/ know anyone who does? IMO they are the most stunningly beautiful/deadly looking/terrifying snakes. Mesmerizing, almost.

You can't tell me that doesn't simultaneously look terrifying and amazing

[hakzaw1]

There are an occasional reptile expo things where breeders/sellers/buyers meet - and you can join reptile forums to get with many sellers.. beside you don't really want to ship them. True Chameleons are awesome but not easy to keep nor cheap--Bearded Dragons and a good choice. Personally I would NOT be comfy with a bush viper in the house--
I keep this coral I its enclosure I my carport.. So if 'she' does escape, (again) she will be outside NOT in my house.

[BlueFang]

There are an occasional reptile expo things where breeders/sellers/buyers meet - and you can join reptile forums to get with many sellers.. beside you don't really want to ship them. True Chameleons are awesome but not easy to keep nor cheap--Bearded Dragons and a good choice. Personally I would NOT be comfy with a bush viper in the house--
I keep this coral I its enclosure I my carport.. So if 'she' does escape, (again) she will be outside NOT in my house.

Yup... pretty much every medium sized city usually has a reptile show come around during the summer/spring/fall. For hots (venomous) snakes though, you are gonna have to travel to the states that allow venomous reptiles to be sold. You will have to search around a bit for this info. I believe that South Carolina still has a show that sells hots.

Bush Vipers are known to do quite poorly in captivity - especially the hairy bush viper. Quite a few folks are trying really hard to figure out what it takes to make them happy, but they are not an easy snake to keep. If you are interested in keeping hots, you really need to go through some training from someone who has experience. There is an entire set of protocols that you have to follow when keeping hots, as well as navigating state and county laws.

About chameleons... they are not quite as difficult as rumored. They need 12 hours/day of UV radiation - so you will need to get a reptile light and have it on a timer. The most difficult part is they need both high humidity and decent ventilation. So daily squirts from a mister/water bottle are required. I do it manually. Some people have fancy auto mister thingies. I don't. They also eat a lot. But so do Bearded dragons. So you would need to set up a home delivery system for crickets, or breed your own. Chameleon prices are not what they use to be. Breeders have figured out how to breed chameleons. One of the secrets for finding good deals, as with any reptile, is to hang around a reptile show during the last couple of hours on a Sunday. Vendors want to get rid of whatever they have. I got a baby veiled chameleon for $20 by simply asking: "that is the cutest damn thing I have ever seen - will you take $20?". Some of the more exotic species of chameleon are still quite pricy - but Jack is a veiled chameleon, which is pretty much the standard.

There are several GIGANTIC reptile shows every year - the infamous ones are the Daytona show (National Reptile Breeders Expo), and the NARBC show in Tinley Park, IL. NARBC also has shows in Anaheim, CA and Arlington, TX, but the Tinley Park show is the one to go to if you can.

[DrEvil]

I believe that South Carolina still has a show that sells hots.

It looks like the Repticon shows do depending on county/city laws. Columbia is good to go but Mt. Pleasant isn't. Vendors at the Greenville show can sell them but those living in the county have to get a permit to own them. http://www.repticon.com/columbia.html http://www.repticon.com/southcarolina.html

I found this for state laws. http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess118_...bills/4218.htm

[hakzaw1]

nice info post BF

thanks

[Draco]

I got one of my beardies by basically using the "how cute that is" an in this case was 30 bucks for a sand fire, I never thought i could get a sand fire for that cost, beardies will just about eat anything they can fit in there mouth, i used to raise dubia type roaches and by crickets in bulk. mine are adults now so i don't feed them as much meaty stuff and more greens. Right now i would not be able to get crickets if i wanted to because of the 0f temps so i need to use more thawed baby mice. reptile shows a massive wealth of knowledge, one if my dragons turned out to be a female, the person i got her from had no clue.