Interested in getting a snake....

So I'm in the process of getting rid of the fish I have so I can convert the aquarium to a vivarium. I've had fish for years, and in all honesty, they're boring. I love 'em, and I'm working on finding them good homes though.

So I've been reading up on corn snakes quite extensively and have decided that's the way to go. My aquarium is a 10 gallon tank, which should be decent, though I'd like to get a 20 gallon one at some point. Interested in a corn snake because they don;t get toio big and are supposedly pretty dosile and can be handled well. This is an imporant aspect. I'd like to handle the snake at least a few times week.

From what I've read, care doesn't seem all too difficult. I've had animals all my life (hamsters, gerbils, fish, turtles, shrimp, crabs) but aside from the turtles, never one I could 'play with'.

My main question is if anyone knows what the laws regarding snake keeping are in New Jersey. I'm not having the greatest of ease with finding the laws. I know turles require some sort of permit, right? (I got red-eared sliders in NYC, illegally, they were just selling them, I couldn't resist, they were cute =P). I think all reptiles need some sort of permit. I'm not seeing anything regarding pets on the Fish & Game site of my state.

Also, do they sell snakes at pet stores? Is that a good idea, buying it from a pet store? There are several in my area.

Any pointers anyone might have are appreciated as well.

 

I doubt that any common snakes needs a permits in NJ. Ive had Boas and Pythons.
They are cool pets as long as you have heat and electricity.. They must be kept warm. Lizards too.. They become really inactive under 55F..
Maybe a city ordinance, that makes you get a licence for $15.00 like a dog or cat..
-if the pet can reach a certain length?
Anything extreamly exotic like rattlers, I think you need to have a licence for them.

yes sometime.

And some snakes can get sick and need antibiotic if bit by live rats.. Try to feed them fresh dead ones warmed in a pot of water..

 

Ah yes, I know a lot more than I led to in my post. I'm aware of the lighting/heating requirements, how they drink after eating, how it's dangerous to put live food in the enclosure with the snake, etc.

Thanks though. I was always under the impression that all reptiles needed permits, but when I think back to when I had lizards, I'm pretty sure I didn't have a permit.

 

I am not so sure about a permit or not. But please do not get a snake from a pet store. That does include petsmart and petco. Pet stores are the worst when it comes to that stuff. All of those animals that come from pet stores are bought from places that are just like puppy mills. But instead are snake mills. If you are buying from a pet store you are supporting the cruelty of it. Before they are brought to the pet store they are in overcrowded cages while ignoring species specific needs such as diet, lighting, and heating. And then even when they are at the petstore it is not much better. In some stores, you can find dead and dying animals in filthy cages. Even the most spotless and clean looking pet store can have dead/dying animals from the neglectful treatment it has been receiving from the petstore(They are using a life as profit). While other ones are actually wild caught! that have been imported from South America or Africa. These animals go through a long, complicated ordeal that leaves up to eighty percent of them dead by the time they reach stores. The survivors almost always have a long list of health problems that dramatically shorten their lifespans. Many of these animals are already being captive bred here in the US. And they are still doing this because it is cheaper and easier to get. If you are going to get a snake,then please take care of it well. I think all reptiles should belong in the wild. Reptiles are wild animals, they are not cats and dogs. There lifes should be in the wild where they can be free, instead of in some sort of cage for all there life. And again these are lifes, not profit. But if you honstley want a snake that bad. I would look up a local breeder in your area or a rescue. The breeder will not breed any sick snakes and they are domesticated from birth, so they dont even know what living in the wild is. Also it is not some mindless corporation. The people who do breed snakes honstley do care and love snakes. So if you are to get one, go with a breeder not a pet shop. And please treat a snake with love and care. They actually do have a personality and will even crawl into your hand when they want to be held. They are very awesome animals.

 

Yeah, that's why I was asking about the pet stores. Thanks for enlightening me.

I realize that snakes aren't really a domesticated animal. I have thought a lot about how it would feel to be kept in a cage. I feel a wild caught snaked kept in a cage is simply animal cruelty. I agree that I should find ones that have been domesticated for maybe a few generations, so they're more inclined for small spaces.

I'm getting the snake because I do plan on taking it out of the cage a lot and letting it hang out with me. Probably daily. Who wants to sit in a cage their whole life? I plan to make the snakes life as lavish as possible. I love animals, even insects. I would never hurt one or intentionally put it through misery. =)

 

man this one time we had this snake, And My girlfriend and I are making out.. HAHA, Umm no thats not where this is going.. Anyways we's a making out, and I had the tank near the wall. Just below a light switch that was being remodeled on the wall. The switch was not there.. just a open hole.. I dont know what made us think about the snake but when we looked he was gone, there was only his tail left from the wall socket..
My gF was in panic mood cause it was her pet.. I was afraid to grab it and yank it out, I pulled on it some but I wasnt sure if it was stuck. I did get it out after she got a ice cold rag and I put it up on the hole and it relaxed.. It was dirty with plaster.
But it was fine.. Albino python. That was really funny later on..

but uhh yeah it was cool chilling with snake and girlfreind.. She'd lay em on her body.. I like having him around.. Sexy.

 

mmmm

 

I know, I know.. it just reads that ways anyhows.. :leaving:

 

Ahahah It really does.

Do you have an AIM SN?

 

yeah, I just store pics theres... silly profile.. Why u ask?

 

Because I want to talk to you on AIM, ahaha.

=(

 

oh. Im sorry I dont use it.. Sorry.. the only Im I use is here.. No lie..

 

Personally, I wouldn't reccommend a corn as a first snake. I have 6 snakes, one being a jungle carpet python (which is considered a medium to advance snake to keep) and we recieve more injuries from our corn then of our other 5 put together. Everything that I've read about them says that they are not great as first snakes, they are very territorial. She will bite and grab on when you try to remove her from her tank, and let me tell you my fiancee and I are not beginners in snakes, together we have over 8 years expierence handling them, and we more or less work at our local exotic store.


I would say hand down, for easiest care and tempermant go for a BALL PYTHON. SUPER snakes, very nice. Currently my mum owns one and they are so sweet. I wouldn't start with a corn.

PM me if you want more info.

 

Actualy corns are perhaps the best starter snakes in the hobby. Their care is easy, often showing little or no adverse reactions to small husbandry mistakes. They tend to stay smaller, are not overly aggressive, and come in a variety of morphs. If you wish to get a good first snake, a corn snake is it. Personaly I would recomend going through a good breeder and doing a bit of research. A twenty gallon tank makes a perfect home for a corn with an under tank heater, some form of substrate, a water bowl. Personaly I don't use lights, and I suggest "big cheese rodent factory" for food items as corns do very well on defrosted rodents. As for being wild. That's another great thing about keeping snakes. They make wonderfull captives and don't miss the wild. They tend to live much longer in captivity and do very well in fairly small enclosures, handling of corns is an option, but not so with some other species. I have snakes that I've not put a hand on in four or five years and they do very well. If you need any help, let me know, reptiles is a huge hobby of mine.