jaja
New member
Hello im new on here!
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Responding to email notices you receive.
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Posted 08/15/2025
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Addendum: 01/10/2026
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Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....
Hey
- Thread starter jaja
- Start date
hotlips
New member
Hello & welcome! Are you already keeping reptiles, or just doing research ahead of time?
Randall Turner
Well-known member
Welcome to the forum.
jaja
New member
I want to buy some so i am looking for ideas and how to care for them
jaja
New member
Yes they do
hotlips
New member
Awesome, what appeals to you? With or without legs?
Some are much harder than others to care for, & it's usually better to start with something "easy" to learn from...but if your heart is set on a certain thing that's more difficult (or pricey), sincere motivation & advanced knowledge will help a lot.Do give careful thought as to costs, not just initial set-up, maintenance and the animal, but also vet care (it can be pricey for exotics, and in many areas is unavailable). Think realistically about how much time you really have or want to spend for care & interaction...some need way more than others (as in "daily").
And consider where you live: if you rent, are you allowed pets & pets of this type? Don't assume, be certain on legalities too, as both cities & states can make their own restrictions. If you are likely to move, how hard will it be with this pet? And what about others in your household, if any? Their safety & ability is a consideration too.
jaja
New member
Thank you for telling me all of that. That really helps. I want a couple of tarantulas and a few snakes
hotlips
New member
You're most welcome. The "right pet" for one person isn't always the "right pet" for another. There's so much variety, but when you go into pet stores, you tend to see the same things over & over. There are 'marketing' reasons for that: stores make more money if what you buy eats a lot & often, if it outgrows it's cage & needs bigger expensive replacements & accessories, & if they are readily available from captive breeding.
Boa constrictors for example: they have many offspring, they grow fast (eat a lot) and need large (expensive) caging with proper (thermostatically-controlled) heat. They also get bigger & stronger than many people enjoy dealing with eventually, and can live a long time (like 30 years, with good health luck, good genes & good care). When they are large, you should not be handling them alone (for safety reasons), so all of that takes planning. While I like boas & had one (a rescue) for 12 years, I don't recommend them. (zoos turn down calls daily from people wanting to give away their huge snakes & sadly they often have nowhere to go)
Pet stores also sell many ball pythons: they're pretty, docile & don't get too big, so they are "recommended for beginners". I disagree for these reasons: they need VERY warm cages w/ proper humidity to stay healthy (not easy for beginners), and especially once they reach adulthood, can be VERY fussy eaters. If you have to go to the store & buy a rodent to feed a snake that turns it down, you end up throwing away food (and $) all the time, plus the hassle of coaxing a pet to eat. That's not "fun" to most people. I've kept a number of BP's in the past (many rescues, no longer wanted), they require patience & rarely, they have been known to live as long as 47 years!
Corn snakes are everywhere too: I highly recommend them. They are easier to care for, feed readily (on pre-killed) rodents, and stay a nice size to handle easily (or to house). They are beautiful snakes that come in many colors. The temperatures they need in their cage are more in line with normal house temperatures (about 72*), though they do need some UTH (under tank heat) in part of the cage so they can digest properly. They also like to climb & they are more active than BPs/boas which makes them interesting. I'm perhaps biased, I'm especially into rat snakes, & there's many others besides 'corn' snakes that make great (docile) pets.
These 3 are what you see most often, but just a "tip of the iceberg". Pet stores aren't necessarily the best place to buy snake either, as they are exposed to many others that aren't healthy or have mites in the 'commercial' process. Starting off with a sick snake or one with mites is no bargain. Also, some stores sell wild-caught snakes...I sure wish they didn't. Stress makes snakes more likely to have health problems (just like people).
Tarantulas are cool, I've kept one before in California. (it was a native species) I like & enjoy all sorts of animals, but getting the right pet you can live with & afford and enjoy is important. Just like breeds of dogs, so much variety.
Boa constrictors for example: they have many offspring, they grow fast (eat a lot) and need large (expensive) caging with proper (thermostatically-controlled) heat. They also get bigger & stronger than many people enjoy dealing with eventually, and can live a long time (like 30 years, with good health luck, good genes & good care). When they are large, you should not be handling them alone (for safety reasons), so all of that takes planning. While I like boas & had one (a rescue) for 12 years, I don't recommend them. (zoos turn down calls daily from people wanting to give away their huge snakes & sadly they often have nowhere to go)
Pet stores also sell many ball pythons: they're pretty, docile & don't get too big, so they are "recommended for beginners". I disagree for these reasons: they need VERY warm cages w/ proper humidity to stay healthy (not easy for beginners), and especially once they reach adulthood, can be VERY fussy eaters. If you have to go to the store & buy a rodent to feed a snake that turns it down, you end up throwing away food (and $) all the time, plus the hassle of coaxing a pet to eat. That's not "fun" to most people. I've kept a number of BP's in the past (many rescues, no longer wanted), they require patience & rarely, they have been known to live as long as 47 years!
Corn snakes are everywhere too: I highly recommend them. They are easier to care for, feed readily (on pre-killed) rodents, and stay a nice size to handle easily (or to house). They are beautiful snakes that come in many colors. The temperatures they need in their cage are more in line with normal house temperatures (about 72*), though they do need some UTH (under tank heat) in part of the cage so they can digest properly. They also like to climb & they are more active than BPs/boas which makes them interesting. I'm perhaps biased, I'm especially into rat snakes, & there's many others besides 'corn' snakes that make great (docile) pets.
These 3 are what you see most often, but just a "tip of the iceberg". Pet stores aren't necessarily the best place to buy snake either, as they are exposed to many others that aren't healthy or have mites in the 'commercial' process. Starting off with a sick snake or one with mites is no bargain. Also, some stores sell wild-caught snakes...I sure wish they didn't. Stress makes snakes more likely to have health problems (just like people).
Tarantulas are cool, I've kept one before in California. (it was a native species) I like & enjoy all sorts of animals, but getting the right pet you can live with & afford and enjoy is important. Just like breeds of dogs, so much variety.