they just keep coming

Hotchkiss · 01-21-14, 04:52 PM

Since I started keeping snake back in october I've gotten them at a rate of 1/month... And there's an expo next month! how fast do you guys acquire animals?

Starbuck · 01-21-14, 04:56 PM

i had one snake only for a year and a bit, then i got a second; then i got 4 two months after that (it was unintended, i wanted to purchase one from a guys collection, but came home with all of them instead). I got my 7th in april, and then my 8th this fall... and now i am DONE!! no more till I'm done with school and working again :/

Terranaut · 01-21-14, 05:03 PM

My suggestion is to stop. Seriously. Enhoy what you have now and get what you must have later. People who aquire a ton of snakes in a short time tend to peek then end up selling most anyway.
Been here a while....seen it happen a lot.

**EL Ziggy** · 01-21-14, 05:04 PM

I purchased my first snake in Feb 2013, my second in June 2013, and my third last week. So I've acquired (3) snakes within the last year. Only one more to go but that will be later this fall or early 2015.

mrderson · 01-21-14, 05:09 PM

I got my first Hognose a little less than two years ago. Last spring I got two more snakes within a month. I would probably already have more but I am finishing up my masters next year and I am trying to wait until I know where I will be living in the future.
And I agree its very difficult to stay away from expos, I am trying to convince myself that I don't need to go to the New England expo this weekend but it is so tempting

CosmicOwl · 01-21-14, 05:22 PM

I had a few snakes for a while, but ran into some issues and ended up sticking with 1 snake for the last 4 years. Recently, I decided that I wanted to own a few more snakes, and acquired two since November. I'm just going to stick with this three for now, because I know I can effectively care for them

If I were to give one piece of advice to new owners, it would be to focus on one snake for a while. Don't treat them like baubles or ornaments that you need to collect in bulk. This is a deeply rooted epidemic in the reptile community. Try to provide each snake with the biggest enclosures possible, and with the right care. Appreciate them all individually and enjoy their quirks and behavior. Some people have to learn the hard way, though.

Shann · 01-21-14, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

If I were to give one piece of advice to new owners, it would be to focus on one snake for a while. Don't treat them like baubles or ornaments that you need to collect in bulk. This is a deeply rooted epidemic in the reptile community. Try to provide each snake with the biggest enclosures possible, and with the right care. Appreciate them all individually and enjoy their quirks and behavior. Some people have to learn the hard way, though.

I agree with this completely. I got my first snake, a boa, three years ago. She is still my only snake. I keep a word document of all my favorite boas, and who is currently breeding "the best" (in my opinion) of that kind, but I'm going to take it slow and enjoy every minute along the way. I'm not saying everyone should go as slowly as I am, I think I am an extreme for sure, but I think newer keepers should try to not get too caught up in 'collecting' them. There are a lot of pretty eye catching snakes out there, but there's lots of time to learn first. I've kept reptiles for almost twenty years, but I've learned so much from these three years with my first snake. It's a great learning experience, and I feel it's better spent paying extra attention to an individual. You'll notice things you may otherwise miss.

I've just seen so many new keepers get caught up in it, acquire a dozen animals, and then sell off all the animals. Not saying every new keeper is this way, but it makes me a little wary every time I see someone new to snakes getting multiple animals in a short period of time.

CK SandBoas · 01-21-14, 05:49 PM

I got my first Snake, my Male Ball Python, back in the summer of 2004. About 4-5 months later, I got my BRB. Maybe a year after that I got My BCI and Tangerine Honduran Milksnake, both which I no longer own. I actually sold those two probably 5-6 months later, and it took me two years before I inherited my Grey Banded King from my dad. 5 months after I got my grey banded king, I got my Paradox Albino female. This was back in 2008.

Took me about 4 years before I added new blood to my sand boa collection....from various breeders......

CosmicOwl · 01-21-14, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shann

I agree with this completely. I got my first snake, a boa, three years ago. She is still my only snake. I keep a word document of all my favorite boas, and who is currently breeding "the best" (in my opinion) of that kind, but I'm going to take it slow and enjoy every minute along the way. I'm not saying everyone should go as slowly as I am, I think I am an extreme for sure, but I think newer keepers should try to not get too caught up in 'collecting' them. There are a lot of pretty eye catching snakes out there, but there's lots of time to learn first. I've kept reptiles for almost twenty years, but I've learned so much from these three years with my first snake. It's a great learning experience, and I feel it's better spent paying extra attention to an individual. You'll notice things you may otherwise miss.

I've just seen so many new keepers get caught up in it, acquire a dozen animals, and then sell off all the animals. Not saying every new keeper is this way, but it makes me a little wary every time I see someone new to snakes getting multiple animals in a short period of time.

The problem a lot of new keepers run into is that they make purchases on a whim. They get the snake home, or the unbox their newly mailed critter and they're high for a day or two. Then they start to have buyers remorse and being thinking what snake they should've bought instead. Rather than waiting a few months and getting adjusted to the snake, they start thinking about next one. In a month, they repeat the whole process again.

They're never really happy with any of their snakes, nor do they build up any attachment to them. Eventually they either get rid of them or let their care slide and the snakes suffer.

Kera · 01-21-14, 06:20 PM

I fell in love with my IJ while I had her. I did want more snakes but I didn't go through with it. Now I'm going to focus on one at a time for a while.

sharthun · 01-21-14, 07:18 PM

I agree! I only have 4 and I set my limit there. I'm enjoying the heck out them.

Will0W783 · 01-21-14, 07:33 PM

I agree with the others; when you start keeping snakes, you really should only keep one or two for several months to years, until you have ironed out all the kinks in your husbandry, dealt with a few problems and learned how to handle them, etc.

If you've only been keeping snakes since October, and you've been getting them 1/month, how could you possibly be doing the proper research on each species prior to acquiring them? Are you only keeping one species, but multiples of it? I seriously doubt that.

I kept one snake for 2 years, before I bought my second. I bought a third 6 months after that. Two years after that, I decided to get into breeding and did the research to start a larger collection. I've been keeping snakes for 9 years at this point, and I did at times get myself overwhelmed when I started building up my collection. It takes time, experience and money to keep many snakes. You absolutely NEED to know how to properly care for each species, be able to provide ideal microenvironments and have enough in savings to afford veterinary care. The more animals you have, the more likely illness/injury becomes.

I suggest you don't go to this upcoming expo-it will be too much temptation. Do extensive research on the species you keep; the internet is your friend. And then, and only then, make a list of which other species you'd like to eventually own, and begin research on them. Save up, take it slowly and make sure you're prepared for each new addition. Best of luck!

Skits · 01-21-14, 07:41 PM

I got my first snake back in 2010 or so, a cornsnake. I got my boa a couple of months after that, and then a royal python..I then got a carpet python, a rat snake..milk snake, another royal python, a few other snakes..

I rehomed the cornsnake because I didn't have the space for a larger enclosure at the time, and he needed one..I still regret giving him away but it was for the best at the time and I found him a great home. I rehomed my BP to a friend as she wanted her first snake and she liked my BP a lot. I rehomed my second BP to someone who was looking for one and who'd take good care of it.

Since then, all the snakes I've gotten have been rescues so rehomed. I have my 5 (now 7 with the two new rescues) and I'm happy with them. I'll be getting a BRB soon and then enough until I move out. I usually just take one in when I have the space, money, and time for one or when one pops up, sometimes it's months between getting a new snake.

I think as long as you can provide everything without any exceptions, it's not a problem getting new additions. Just be sure you want to keep them for life and it isn't just a few week "oh thats a pretty snake, i want one" phase.

**EL Ziggy** · 01-21-14, 08:03 PM

I have 3 snakes and only want 4. I know myself and my limits fairly well. My first snake was the only impulsive purchase I made. We were supposed to be looking for a blue lizard for my son, the snakes were in the next tank and the rest is history. I used to have ball pythons when I was younger and a passion was reignited that day. The next 2 snakes were well thought out and planned for, same applies for my next critter.

drumcrush · 01-21-14, 08:32 PM

I get one new animal a year. First it was a painted turtle, next year I gave that turtle to a little kid and got a leopard gecko, year after that I get my king, then my AC garter snake. Now I will be getting another Leo in place of the WC garter I found and kept over winter.