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Friendly Arboreal Snakes??

A

abbccjns

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I have been considering getting an arboreal snake for quite some time and have come to acquire a 72" tall x 28" wide x 14" deep cage the other month that I was thinking of getting a Rhacodactylus Leachianus, but am now thinking this might be a good opportunity for an arboreal snake. I have heard of different types of arboreal snakes, but am always hearing people go back and forth about how they think all arboreal snakes are mean and then people disagreeing and I've heard of some that are supposedly "dog tame".

So I've been wondering, is there a more friendly arboreal snake that I could keep in a cage this size? (also for a reasonably cheap price, around $200 or less) The size doesn't matter as long as it will be comfortable in this cage size.
 
The only "arboreal" snake I am familiar with are the carpet pythons. They are semi arboreal and some can be nippy/cage aggressive and some can be on the calm side. The cage size would be fine for the carpets. 6 feet tall is plenty tall enough for any carpet and a little of 2 feet wide isn't bad either.

I have no experience with GTP's or ETB's so I can't comment on if they are friendly or not but I have read that the ETB's can be pretty aggressive though.

As for the price of the snake, it depends. If you want a nice classic Jungle carpet then those can go for any where from $350 to $500. If you want a Coastal Carpet which is the largest of the species, then they can go from anywhere from $100 to $250 or so depending on size and bloodline. If you want a carpet that doesn't get that big and isn't that expensive, then I would go with the Irian Jaya. They are the smallest of the carpets and you can probably pick up a baby for around $100 or so. When the carpets are younger they can be nippy/cage aggressive but they usually do grow out of it.

I hope this helps. Justin
 
Yea I have been looking at Carpet Pythons and the Irian Jayas a lot actually! but have also heard about how they are semi-arboreal and can be nippy so I wasn't sure. I don't really want a snake that will always hate me if there is a very good chance of that and being semi-arboreal I could put different ledges in the cage but wasn't sure that would be a large enough floor space?

Thanks that actually helps to see I'm looking on the right track. I just am still a bit worried about how tame the majority can be. I know that every snake, and every animal for that matter has their own personality, but if anyone else with experience with them can give me their input that would be wonderful. :]
 
Ive had a captive bred male green tree that was pretty tame, i think the whole gtp are aggressive comes from owners who have wild caughts or hatchlings, all in all id say go with a carpet or a cbb green tree.
 
hadenglock said:
Ive had a captive bred male green tree that was pretty tame, i think the whole gtp are aggressive comes from owners who have wild caughts or hatchlings, all in all id say go with a carpet or a cbb green tree.
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See I wanted a GTP, but when I looked into them everything I read said they are strictly "look but don't touch" due to their temperament. Maybe you just got lucky with yours, I don't know.
 
Info on GTP's and ETB's is really outdated. A GTP can be held. So can an emerald. A NEONATE shouldn't be held, but once it starts its ontogenesis, it can be handled.
 
Yea I was kind of turned away from the GTB which I liked because of what I had heard, but have seen people holding ones that seemed pretty calm. I'm considering perhaps getting a non-arboreal like 6 foot python or boa instead. I feel like the 72"tallx28"x14" cage doesn't have enough floor space even for "arboreal" snakes. I'm sure I could keep one in there, but I'd rather give one more floor space and just make or buy a different cage. I'm definitely not just going to buy any snake that seems cool, I'm just trying to think of ideas and take my time. I love arboreal snakes and terrestrial snakes just as much and it seems like I might have friendlier options with some more terrestrial ones with how there are a good number of options with different species.

Anyway, while on the subject of pythons and boas, what would anyone recommend as a friendly about 6 foot species? I love red tails, but not sure I want one that might be around 8-12 feet max and need about an 8 foot + cage which I don't have the room for with how I could fit another cage on my 7x3x3' tegu cage and would prefer something that needs that size or smaller. I've always liked Brazilian Rainbows too, but need to look more into their temperament. I've always seen nice ones though.
 
My emeralds are calm calm. Even at night when they're in "food mode" You can go in bare handed if need be. I know GTP's like that too. Simple truth is, you'll eventually take a bite. just get in the mindset that it's ok, you're not going to bleed to death. It happens. Relax. :p

As for terrestrial species, pick what you like. The general "rule" for caging, is about half the snake. so for an 8ft boa, you'll only need a 4ft cage or so. BHS(Bleeding Heart Syndrome) is the biggest spender in this industry. Just because the boa is 8ft, doesn't mean it's going to use all 8ft, or even be comfortable in an enclosure that large. I have a 7-8ft female boa who doesn't like being in anything other than *HER* 3ft boaphile.
 
Utta said:
My emeralds are calm calm. Even at night when they're in "food mode" You can go in bare handed if need be. I know GTP's like that too. Simple truth is, you'll eventually take a bite. just get in the mindset that it's ok, you're not going to bleed to death. It happens. Relax. :p

As for terrestrial species, pick what you like. The general "rule" for caging, is about half the snake. so for an 8ft boa, you'll only need a 4ft cage or so. BHS(Bleeding Heart Syndrome) is the biggest spender in this industry. Just because the boa is 8ft, doesn't mean it's going to use all 8ft, or even be comfortable in an enclosure that large. I have a 7-8ft female boa who doesn't like being in anything other than *HER* 3ft boaphile.
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Hm I do know they don't need large spaces although that's really interesting how they are fine in something less than half their size. Also, I'm not worried about the off-chance I get bit, I've had chunks taken out by macaws before and whatnot lol, but just definitely see a difference between an animals off days and a constantly aggressive or very stressed when handled snake.
 
Also, the length isn't what really matters to me, it's more of how an 8-12 foot snake can weigh around 100 pounds. I'm a girl who only weighs like 110lb so I'm not sure how well I'd be able to lug a snake around that's literally like bigger and as heavy as I am lol! I'd like to have a snake I could carry around which is why I think maybe 6-7 feet range, depending on the snake, would maybe be good.
 
abbccjns said:
Also, the length isn't what really matters to me, it's more of how an 8-12 foot snake can weigh around 100 pounds. I'm a girl who only weighs like 110lb so I'm not sure how well I'd be able to lug a snake around that's literally like bigger and as heavy as I am lol! I'd like to have a snake I could carry around which is why I think maybe 6-7 feet range, depending on the snake, would maybe be good.
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Unless you're carrying around an 8-12ft 'gator without legs, it's not going to be 100lbs. ;) A healthy female boa, in the 8-12ft range, will weight 20-30lbs and that's about as heavy as you'll get without getting into the big constrictors.
 
Weight and length are very often exaggerated. Go to a gym and just feel how heavy 20lbs is with an outstretched arm like you'd hold a snake. Should give you a good idea from then on.
 
Oh yea I know. I do lift weights lol, and a 100 pound snake did seem QUITE excessive. Apparently it is quite exaggerated! That's why I was figuring something around 30-50 pounds seemed more normal lol. I've always loved red tailed boas and wanted one for a while, this is really making me reconsider not thinking I'd be able to have one. :]
 
There are some dwarf locality boa's out there. Hog Isle, Cay Calker, and one or two more, I forget what they're called. Check in the boa section for pictures/info on some of the dwarf boas.
 
I like the idea of a male red tail. Also, now that I see cage size can be much smaller than I thought, what size would you recommend for an adult red tail?
 
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