Are constrictors safe? Which snakes are good pets? Diet, cost and maintainence?

i)How come people handle pythons or anacondas or boas or constrictors without fear? Don't they kill by squeezing? Which constrictors are unsafe or untameable?

ii) I love Snakes. Which ones are safe and how to get them as pets especially the big snakes? Please tell about he safety, cost, diet, maintainance, land and water snakes etc.

Please answer as many questions from above and cite other websites.

Are constrictors safe? Which snakes are good pets? Diet, cost and maintainence?-Myspace pets www.myspace.com

It takes a large snake to constrict a human, and most of the world's constrictors are just not big enough. Even the big ones can be handled safely if you know how.

Constriction kills by limiting how much the victim can expand the rib cage. The technique is to get into position around the victim's ribs. Everytime the victim exhales, squeeze a bit tighter. Repeat until victim asphyxiates, then eat.

NO snake can be tamed. Some snakes are naturally calmer than others, taking to being handled more pleasantly. As a rule of thumb, most of the bigger constrictors are not in this category.

Good 'starter' snakes are those that are known to be easy to feed and care for, do not get too big, are low-priced, and are somewhat easy to find.

That is a big part of the equation- what is available to you? Another part is the connection humans make with some animals. As you handle the various choices you find, you'll usually find that something about THIS snake really appeals to you! If THAT snake is generally recognized as a good 'pet', then THAT is the one you should buy.

Some decent snakes include: ball pythons, corn snakes, bullsnakes, South and Central American milksnakes, and many others.

One common snake NOT on my list are boas. Boas tend towards aggressivness and big sizes. Big snakes mean big cages and big diets.

The diet for all of these snakes are rodents- the type and size of rodent depends on the snake. Most of these I listed will take 'pinkies'- baby mice or rats with little fur. Some snakes will do fine on frozen and thawed foods, but most prefer live. A good snake pet shop will also stock a variety of food animals.

The rest of the care depends greatly on your snake. Should the tank be horizontal or vertical? Tropical or desert conditions? Frequency of feeding?

My recommendation is to shop for a snake until you find the one you love. Put a deposit on it, then research and prepare- get the tank ready, lay in some food, get a good caresheet, etc., THEN go back and buy it.

Are constrictors safe? Which snakes are good pets? Diet, cost and maintainence?

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cornsnakes are one of the best starter snakes to have as a pet. maintainence is very simple for any snake really, i mean they only go to the bathroom once a week, and they only eat once a week. make sure you give them fresh water every day. constrictors are not the snake i would recomend to anyone, however, many people will disagree with me on that. i just find that many people also say their temper isnt that great and that they grow to a pretty good size. HINT: papersacks do wonders when it comes to easy cleaning and caring for a snake. i cut down the sides of a paper sack and each side fits perfectly into a 20 gallon cage..very simple which i like. i hope this helps some.

Are constrictors safe? Which snakes are good pets? Diet, cost and maintainence?

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depending on the constrictor most are safe i rasie and sell and breed boas also pythons are constrictors if you are a begginer i would go with a ball pythin or a red tail boa start with babies they are the best bet
Agreed. Ball Pythons and male Red Tail Boa's are the best first snake, especially when you'd like to get into the big stuff.
i agree with some of the previous responses, however i must say that ball pythons are crappy for a beginner. yes they are gentle and cute when they ball up, but they are notoriously known for not being good eaters. a beginner would get the tank and everything setup only to end up with a snake that is not going to eat. and the balling up thing may be cute but why have a snake that is just going to ball up as soon as you pick it up? which snakes are the best to start out with? depends on how much time, money, care, and research youre willing to do to make sure the snake is kept happy and healthy. my first snake was a ball python. my second snake was a blood python. some people think bloods are deadly biters but mine have never struck at me. can you tame a snake? yes. can you remove the natural wild instincts from a snake? if youre dealing with a snake that you went out into the woods and caught, no. if you are dealing with a snake that has had it's entire family born and raised in captivity dating back multiple generations, then yes. most snakes that people own are captive born/bred snakes that have not ever had to go look for food so to introduce them to the wild would produce disastrous results in most cases.

ive never owned a corn snake or a kingsnake as i am not a fan of colubrids, but a lot of people say they make good pets. of course, these same people say that ball pythons are great. i wouldnt own another ball python if you paid me.

diet is easy. feed a snake a mouse/rat/rabbit/etc once every 7-10 days (in most cases). prey should be only as big as the snake is at the snake's widest part (you can feed a prey item a bit larger but no more than about 25% bigger).

a decent sized tank with overhead or undertank heating can be used. most people prefer to use plastic sterilite containers as they are cheap, easy to clean and transport. heating rocks are not advisable. they short out and burn the snake. best thing to do is look around at reptile shows (dont buy from pet shops as most dont have a clue as how to properly care for a snake) and find one you think you would like to own then ask different people their thoughts about your decision. then go home research everything you can about the snake and how to take care of it. get your tank setup then contact the person you were wishing to purchase from and purchase the snake. or if they are frequent in your area just go to the next reptile show and purchase your desired snake. take it home put it in the tank and dont mess with it for about a week. this will let the snake get used to it's surroundings. then you can start taming it and feeding it.

what snakes are not for beginners? blood pythons, anacondas, retics, burmese, tree pythons, african rock pythons, viper boas, and most of all emerald tree boas (these snakes are beautiful but even the most experienced snake handlers/breeders are extremely cautious around etb's).

snakes dont require a lot of tlc like dogs and cats do. they are easy to keep happy and healthy provided you do what you are required and when yuou are required to do it. just remember that while a dog or cat may live to be 10-15 years old in human years, an average boa or python has a lifespan of at least 25 years so think about what kind of commitment youre going to have for the majority of the rest of your life in caring for the snake. if you honestly feel you can take on the responsibility and not just want it cause it looks cool and give up on it a month later, then go ahead get your research done, buy the snake, and start having many years of enjoyment with your new friend.