Pets Chat

And the nice trick where she makes a rabbit disappear...

jeez do you dare say things like that. some okes will slap with a animal activsts bann. he he he

I did not say she eats them

maybe she overtakes her other pet friends and run (sail) the rabit over and get a 27k fine

Hi guys I'm seriously concidering getting a red tail boa, iv heard they are a good beginners boa. Would like to find out some ins and outs of starting to keep a snake. What costs will be to start for cage lights heating and average price for a red tail boa. I'd like to start with a small one, like 30cm ±

Hi waldu, nice thread buddy

I highly recommend speaking to a pro on keeping snakes etc.

My friend has a few snakes and maybe Ill get some advice from him for you. I do know that its a big commitment and you have to have the cash for lights and stuff.

He breeds bunnies for food so maybe you can try that, bit evil, but I eat meat thats not much a difference.

Hope you do get the snake, they are beautiful

Platinum

Waldu wrote: Hi guys I'm seriously concidering getting a red tail boa, iv heard they are a good beginners boa. Would like to find out some ins and outs of starting to keep a snake. What costs will be to start for cage lights heating and average price for a red tail boa. I'd like to start with a small one, like 30cm ±

Waldu the redtail is a good starter snake to start with, very docile and calm.
Although you must remember that they can live for a good 30 odd years and reach lengths of 2meters plus. and a big snake eats alot costs me like 80 bucks a week to feed mine.

You could look at a ball python they grow to about 1.5m so its still a nice size snake, I personally hate corn snakes to quick to bite, same as anaconda's.

Your initial setup costs could range between 1500 to two thousand. but after that its mostly just food and replacing the lights every couple of months.
Its better to start off with a medium small tank for a small snake this will make it easier for the snake to find food and for you to see it.
But remember you will have to eventually buy a large tank of about two meters and a meter wide and tall.
Cages vary in price I suggest building your own and setting up day night timers for your tank.

When feeding the snake also feed it prekilled or stunned prey, its more humane for the prey and keeps the snake safe from bites from a rat etc

If you looking for aquariums and snake cages plus pretty much anything else to do with reptiles and that this is a good site to visit. www.reptilecity.co.za

Waldu wrote: Hi guys I'm seriously concidering getting a red tail boa, iv heard they are a good beginners boa. Would like to find out some ins and outs of starting to keep a snake. What costs will be to start for cage lights heating and average price for a red tail boa. I'd like to start with a small one, like 30cm ±

I used to have a couple of Boa Constrictors and my personal opinion is that they don't make good beginner pets (Unless you are lucky like Kkkyle for buying a friendly one). They can be pretty aggressive when young or if they are not handled frequently. The males also have the tendency to stop eating for long periods during the breeding season... most male reptiles do that but I really had a hard time with the male Boas. They can also become pretty large, so space is really important.

If you want a better beginner python I will recommend you get a Ball Python (Also called Royal Python). See if you can get one that is at least 45-50cm, because then you know it will eat. Also ask for a female. Ball Pythons don't get very big and they are rather docile compared to Boa Constrictors.

What ever you buy, don't get an Anaconda (Green or Yellow) or Reticulated python. I had Anacondas and they are awful snakes. They bite you every time they see you, they also shit in their water bowl and since they are mainly water snakes will stay in the water and wait for you to come and clean them so that they can bite you again. You can usually smell an anaconda and his owner a mile away and it's not pleasant.

yea iv had my run ins with anacondas haha terrible things

Kkkyle wrote: yea iv had my run ins with anacondas haha terrible things

I gave mine away, because no-one were willing to pay me anything for them. They are like adult mole snakes, they bite you for fun and enjoy watching you bleed to death or die from gangrene.

I used to hate working with my anacondas and cleaning the cages were terrible. The water would turn into a green smelly mess and then they will submerge into the sludge so that only their eyes would be visible and as soon as you get near them they will strike at you like a possessed nile crocodile and even if they missed you, you will still be covered in that reeking water.

Some dude was bitten by a rattlesnake in Walmart (of all places) he saw it lying in one of the aisles and thought it was a stick, do he tried to pick it up and that bitch zapped him on the hand. He went to the doc and the doc said everything's fine because the snake never injected any venom. So he went home and a couple of hours later his hand swelled up to 5 times it's normal size. I think they eventually had to amputate his hand. Crazy story

Thanx guys, I ended up getting red tail boa, about 60cm so also eats already very calm. Very light colourd and dark tail.

My new baby

Nice.. pet..

Looks insane! What do they cost??

Wouldnt touch it though..

haha 600 bucks usually but I traded a smaller spider for it and paid 200.

This one is friendly if you want to see a nasty grumpy bastard go look up the feather leg baboon tarantula. Its the baddest of the bad tarantulas. It has probably the most dangerous bite a tarantula could give, not fatal but you would probably have to go to hospital.

Kkkyle wrote: My new baby

Dude! That is so AWESOME! Have some karma +1

i want to get me one, but if its gonna bite me ill probably throw it or something...600 bucks aint too bad...

Which ones are the friendliest?

Gorilla have a read of this: tarantulakeeper.blogspot.com/2009/01/beginners-avoid-list.html?m=1

My favourite quote is: " Of course, aggressiveness is a big no-no. Defensiveness means a T will react negatively to disturbance but will not chase after it - it only defends its territory.
Aggressiveness means a T will react negatively to disturbance and will chase after the disturbance to a certain extent - it wants to attack the disturbance.
There are 2 species that I consider aggressive. Make no mistake, they are likely to chase you around the room! Stromatopelma calceatum (Feather Leg Baboon Tarantula) Haplopelma hainanum (Chinese Black Earth Tiger)"

Such interesting creatures but I am not into Tarantulas chasing me in my own house! :Dazed:

gorilla wrote: i want to get me one, but if its gonna bite me ill probably throw it or something...600 bucks aint too bad...

Which ones are the friendliest?

Look at either getting the following
Chaco golden knee ( One of the biggest tarantulas. Grows between 18 - 22cm) I have one of these to.
Chilean Rose
Curly Hair

They are some of the most docile or calm T's you get. Of course you get some badasses in the family that go against the norm but in general they wont bite or kick hairs at you.

The one in my picture is a Fireleg tarantula. also pretty calm but will kick hairs a bit easier than the three I listed.

Here is some pics of feather leg baboon tarantulas. Nice to look at but that's where it stops



Feather leg in a defensive pose

With all due respect guys, I really cannot see what would drive a sane human being to get a spider as a pet Maybe it's because I'm so Arachnophobic that jumping spiders seem to creep the shit out of me, but there is no way in hell I would EVER consider letting one of those things past my front gate if I could help it.

Respect to you okes for understanding their beauty and for looking after them the way you all do, but I would WAY rather have something like a Terrier (you have to find the right ones), Staffie, Rottweiler or something like that. Man's best friend

Ive got a little bullterrier girl! Too cute! :lol:

Thanks alot kyle, what does shoot hairs mean?? :dry: Sounds uncool....

Morning guys, hope you all are well. I guess I'm posting this because it may just help me come to terms with everything.

Yesterday, I had to make the most difficult decision ever. Ozzy, my 12-year old Labrador cross German Shepherd fell very ill last week, and I had to decide whether to let them operate or to put him down. Chances were very high that it was cancer, and I didn't want to put him through the pain and stress of surgery with no guarantee that it would be successful. So I opted to end it instead of prolonging the process. I held his head and he looked into my eyes as the drugs took effect. He just slipped into unconsciousness and never woke up.

It's tough, I still expect to see him running around the house every time I turn around, and I know it will be a long time before I fully come to terms with this. I'm hoping that I made the right decision for him. I gave him a great life, and he gave me his best for 12 years in return.

R.I.P. Ozzy (June 2000 - 30 July 2012)

Sorry to hear that Vin, but you made the right decision to prevent further suffering. Good luck.