Fellow reptile lovers??

[Bloke]

Ah, hahaha! You’re an egg! :)

[Bloke]

I only have dogs and chickens

[James Y]

We have snakes in my immediate area, but I just don’t see them. AFAIK, no rattlers, though. Mainly, the reptiles I do see, when I see them, are alligator lizards, which I’ve always liked a lot. They look kinda like snakes with legs, and when I do see them, I let them do whatever they do in the food chain; I’m certain it’s only beneficial for us. When I spot one, I always make sure nobody’s cats are around my yard (people’s cats wander in and out of the yards around here).

Jim

I'm kind of surprised to hear that Jim. Because I've seen a lot of TV Shows about the reptiles of Southern California. The Mohave Rattlesnake is all over Southern California from what a couple of experts have told me. The bad thing about the Mohave Rattlesnake is that their venom has both "hemotoxic" and neurotoxic properties in their venom making them one of the more dangerous snakes in the North American Continent.

Hey Jim just for the heck of it try contacting your local game warden or conservation agent and ask them for information on reptiles in your area. I think you might be surprised at how many venomous snakes you do have in your region. When I was spending some time in the San Diego area about 10 years ago in the town of Poway we most definitely had those Mohave Rattlers there for sure. Also one of the neighbors told me they killed a "Sidewinder' in their yard back then too.

Joe, there definitely are rattlers in SD, I just haven’t seen or heard of any in my immediate neighborhood. I actually saw a huge rattler one day about a mile from my house, near the mouth of the San Diego River, right by the beach. Had it been stretched out in a straight line, it could have been at least 7 feet or so. And a couple years back, in that exact same area, some guy found a baby rattler and was trying to be funny and grab it, and it bit him. Anybody should know, you don’t play with a rattler, especially a baby rattler. Also, during one particularly heavy rainstorm, it was reported that rattlers had somehow been washed down onto the beach in an area called Del Mar to the north, and people were coming across them in the sand there. So yes, they are definitely here locally, but I’ve never come across any around my house or in my neighborhood. They very well could be; I simply haven’t seen them, nor ever heard of any from any of my neighbors, either.

Jim

[JuPaul]

We have snakes in my immediate area, but I just don’t see them. AFAIK, no rattlers, though. Mainly, the reptiles I do see, when I see them, are alligator lizards, which I’ve always liked a lot. They look kinda like snakes with legs, and when I do see them, I let them do whatever they do in the food chain; I’m certain it’s only beneficial for us. When I spot one, I always make sure nobody’s cats are around my yard (people’s cats wander in and out of the yards around here).

Jim

I'm kind of surprised to hear that Jim. Because I've seen a lot of TV Shows about the reptiles of Southern California. The Mohave Rattlesnake is all over Southern California from what a couple of experts have told me. The bad thing about the Mohave Rattlesnake is that their venom has both "hemotoxic" and neurotoxic properties in their venom making them one of the more dangerous snakes in the North American Continent.

Hey Jim just for the heck of it try contacting your local game warden or conservation agent and ask them for information on reptiles in your area. I think you might be surprised at how many venomous snakes you do have in your region. When I was spending some time in the San Diego area about 10 years ago in the town of Poway we most definitely had those Mohave Rattlers there for sure. Also one of the neighbors told me they killed a "Sidewinder' in their yard back then too.

Joe, there definitely are rattlers in SD, I just haven’t seen or heard of any in my immediate neighborhood. I actually saw a huge rattler one day about a mile from my house, near the mouth of the San Diego River, right by the beach. Had it been stretched out in a straight line, it could have been at least 7 feet or so. And a couple years back, in that exact same area, some guy found a baby rattler and was trying to be funny and grab it, and it bit him. Anybody should know, you don’t play with a rattler, especially a baby rattler. Also, during one particularly heavy rainstorm, it was reported that rattlers had somehow been washed down onto the beach in an area called Del Mar to the north, and people were coming across them in the sand there. So yes, they are definitely here locally, but I’ve never come across any around my house or in my neighborhood. They very well could be; I simply haven’t seen them, nor ever heard of any from any of my neighbors, either.

Jim

I get pretty paranoid about rattlesnakes around our cabin, especially since there was one so close just a few months ago. The copperheads don't bother me as much. My dogs get bit, like clockwork, every single may/june. I give them a big dose of benadryl, a shot of penicillin, and some rimadyl for pain/swelling. If I catch the bite right away, they're usually fine by the next day. Rattlesnake bites would be another story, though.

[JD Spydo]

Never ever had the desire to own a snake even though I've always been fascinated by them! I know you probably won't like this.....as far as snakes on my property (close to the house), poisonous snakes die, and non-poisonous snakes live! Those are some fantastic pics btw!

It's a sad reality, but you do what you have to do to protect your family. We have quite a few copperheads and timber rattlesnakes on our property as well, and when we're on their turf (i.e. in the woods) we leave them be. When they come to the cabin, though, it's a different story. A few months ago my husband almost stepped on a Timber right under our kids tire swing by the cabin. Not cool. My husband loves snakes even more than I do, but still that unlucky little guy had to go.

I just did an internet search on those Ball Pythons. I just couldn't hardly believe how many "morphs" along with different varieties, colors, patterns that are in that breed and/or species of snake. I can see why some people would find it intriguing to make pets out of them. Are the Ball Pythons native to South America, Africa or Asia. Also how did so many different variants of that species come about? The 4 you showed are so different looking it's kind of hard to believe they are all the same species. It's definitely an interesting species of snake.

Oh and by the way what do you feed those bad boys. As big as they are I'm sure they need a lot of calories :D

[JuPaul]

Never ever had the desire to own a snake even though I've always been fascinated by them! I know you probably won't like this.....as far as snakes on my property (close to the house), poisonous snakes die, and non-poisonous snakes live! Those are some fantastic pics btw!

It's a sad reality, but you do what you have to do to protect your family. We have quite a few copperheads and timber rattlesnakes on our property as well, and when we're on their turf (i.e. in the woods) we leave them be. When they come to the cabin, though, it's a different story. A few months ago my husband almost stepped on a Timber right under our kids tire swing by the cabin. Not cool. My husband loves snakes even more than I do, but still that unlucky little guy had to go.

I just did an internet search on those Ball Pythons. I just couldn't hardly believe how many "morphs" along with different varieties, colors, patterns that are in that breed and/or species of snake. I can see why some people would find it intriguing to make pets out of them. Are the Ball Pythons native to South America, Africa or Asia. Also how did so many different variants of that species come about? The 4 you showed are so different looking it's kind of hard to believe they are all the same species. It's definitely an interesting species of snake.

Oh and by the way what do you feed those bad boys. As big as they are I'm sure they need a lot of calories :D

They eat rats primarily. We have two stubborn males that will only eat mice. They're native to Africa. All that variety in morphs you mentioned, plus their smaller size and good temperaments, make them a ton of fun to breed and keep as pets. As far as how the morphs develop...basically, people in Africa specifically looked for any wild ball pythons with unusual markings, patterns, coloration, etc. Then they bred them together and saw what happened. In many cases, those variations proved out to be linked to an actual inheritable gene mutation. People in the U.S. got serious about breeding for these mutations (and figuring out the genetics behind them) maybe 4 decades ago, and now there are literally hundreds of awesome color and pattern morphs and combos. When a cool new morph gene or gene combo is discovered, those initial snakes can sell for $25,000 or more. It's crazy.

[RustyIron]

there are literally hundreds of awesome color and pattern morphs and combos. When a cool new morph gene or gene combo is discovered,

Yours with the white sections is really neat the way the sections line up when he lies.

[JuPaul]

there are literally hundreds of awesome color and pattern morphs and combos. When a cool new morph gene or gene combo is discovered,

Yours with the white sections is really neat the way the sections line up when he lies.

That's the piebald morph: it's caused by a recessive gene, and it's one of my favorites. The orange-yellow snake in the last picture is a carrier for that gene as well. Next year when she's a little bigger, we'll breed the two of them together and hopefully get "banana piebald" babies with her coloration and his white non-pigmented patches.

[RustyIron]

Be sure to post pictures of the babies when they arrive. Do snake people concern themselves with inbreeding and the development of undesirable characteristics?

[James Y]

We have snakes in my immediate area, but I just don’t see them. AFAIK, no rattlers, though. Mainly, the reptiles I do see, when I see them, are alligator lizards, which I’ve always liked a lot. They look kinda like snakes with legs, and when I do see them, I let them do whatever they do in the food chain; I’m certain it’s only beneficial for us. When I spot one, I always make sure nobody’s cats are around my yard (people’s cats wander in and out of the yards around here).

Jim

I'm kind of surprised to hear that Jim. Because I've seen a lot of TV Shows about the reptiles of Southern California. The Mohave Rattlesnake is all over Southern California from what a couple of experts have told me. The bad thing about the Mohave Rattlesnake is that their venom has both "hemotoxic" and neurotoxic properties in their venom making them one of the more dangerous snakes in the North American Continent.

Hey Jim just for the heck of it try contacting your local game warden or conservation agent and ask them for information on reptiles in your area. I think you might be surprised at how many venomous snakes you do have in your region. When I was spending some time in the San Diego area about 10 years ago in the town of Poway we most definitely had those Mohave Rattlers there for sure. Also one of the neighbors told me they killed a "Sidewinder' in their yard back then too.

Joe, there definitely are rattlers in SD, I just haven’t seen or heard of any in my immediate neighborhood. I actually saw a huge rattler one day about a mile from my house, near the mouth of the San Diego River, right by the beach. Had it been stretched out in a straight line, it could have been at least 7 feet or so. And a couple years back, in that exact same area, some guy found a baby rattler and was trying to be funny and grab it, and it bit him. Anybody should know, you don’t play with a rattler, especially a baby rattler. Also, during one particularly heavy rainstorm, it was reported that rattlers had somehow been washed down onto the beach in an area called Del Mar to the north, and people were coming across them in the sand there. So yes, they are definitely here locally, but I’ve never come across any around my house or in my neighborhood. They very well could be; I simply haven’t seen them, nor ever heard of any from any of my neighbors, either.

Jim

I get pretty paranoid about rattlesnakes around our cabin, especially since there was one so close just a few months ago. The copperheads don't bother me as much. My dogs get bit, like clockwork, every single may/june. I give them a big dose of benadryl, a shot of penicillin, and some rimadyl for pain/swelling. If I catch the bite right away, they're usually fine by the next day. Rattlesnake bites would be another story, though.

I’m glad that your dogs haven’t suffered any lasting effects from the copperheads.

Although I’ve never seen one near my property or neighborhood, I do think about rattlers around the house, especially when weeding. Though there’s not as many places for them to hide in my yard. I do appreciate that rattlers and other snakes help control the rodent population, especially rats. I hate rats.

Jim

[benben]

Back when I was a early teen, I had a German Shepard, awesome dog, big Shepard, great dog! Me and my dad had just got back from the hardware store (you guys remember those?), anyway Ranger walked up to me, it looked like he had swallowed a softball and it was stuck in his neck, seriously! We threw him in the car and off to the vet we went.

When we showed up, it took the vet about 1.3 seconds to say he'd been bitten by a Copperhead. He took his sleeve and wiped Ranger's nose dry then squeezed his nose and said "look right here, see those two holes?" Sure enough! Filled him up with benadryl and sent us home. He moped around for a few days but was fine, the vet said that huge knot in his throat was where the poison had settled. In case you didn't know, GS are very nosey dogs!

[SF Native]

We frequent the East Bay Vivarium in Berkeley, which is like a reptile zoo. I’ve had bearded dragons, tree frogs and such over the years. My step daughter got the sweetest rosy boa there a few years ago and I’m often back buying food. It’s not uncommon to see really big snakes or monitor lizards at the vivarium. Last time I was there they had 2 albino rattle snakes that are not for sale right at the cash register. Pretty cool. Maybe they are an anti theft device.

[JuPaul]

Back when I was a early teen, I had a German Shepard, awesome dog, big Shepard, great dog! Me and my dad had just got back from the hardware store (you guys remember those?), anyway Ranger walked up to me, it looked like he had swallowed a softball and it was stuck in his neck, seriously! We threw him in the car and off to the vet we went.

When we showed up, it took the vet about 1.3 seconds to say he'd been bitten by a Copperhead. He took his sleeve and wiped Ranger's nose dry then squeezed his nose and said "look right here, see those two holes?" Sure enough! Filled him up with benadryl and sent us home. He moped around for a few days but was fine, the vet said that huge knot in his throat was where the poison had settled. In case you didn't know, GS are very nosey dogs!

Yep, my dogs have been bitten on the nose and feet both. Copperheads aren't aggressive snakes, given the chance they'll run before they fight. But when the dogs chase them, they'll turn and strike. I've watched it happen!

[JuPaul]

We frequent the East Bay Vivarium in Berkeley, which is like a reptile zoo. I’ve had bearded dragons, tree frogs and such over the years. My step daughter got the sweetest rosy boa there a few years ago and I’m often back buying food. It’s not uncommon to see really big snakes or monitor lizards at the vivarium. Last time I was there they had 2 albino rattle snakes that are not for sale right at the cash register. Pretty cool. Maybe they are an anti theft device.

We had beardies for years - love them. They have great funny personalities and are awesome for kids.

[Wartstein]

I wish I'd gone into zoology! We actually run a high-end remodeling company. I also handle the ball python side business, do freelance editing and grant-writing, and sell my weaving.

.....

All this and dogs and horses (and kids! :) ): Julia, now I understand why you don´t have time for rock climbing anymore...

Beautifull snakes you have! Never had one myself, but I am one of those who really likes snakes (and not one of those who find them fearsome or even disgusting)

Here in Austria we don´t have many snakes, but the one I love to watch the most is the non poisonous "Ringelnatter" (ring snake? water snake? grass snake? Not sure about the English term), especially when it´s swimming... very elegant!

[JuPaul]

I wish I'd gone into zoology! We actually run a high-end remodeling company. I also handle the ball python side business, do freelance editing and grant-writing, and sell my weaving.

.....

Here in Austria we don´t have many snakes, but the one I love to watch the most is the non poisonous "Ringelnatter" (ring snake? water snake? grass snake? Not sure about the English term), especially when it´s swimming... very elegant!

I had to look that snake up - very pretty! We have a ringed-neck snake here in Missouri as well. It's very small, though, and has a bright orange-red belly in my area. Very cute little guys that we like to catch for our kids.

As for being busy...gotta pay for my knife habit somehow! (Today I get a break since there's an ice storm coming through so my kids are home from school.) When I moved back to Missouri from Colorado, I couldn't do as much climbing or snowboarding, so I went back to my first love: the horses. That and hiking and playing in the woods with my family takes up most of my free time now, but I'm still pretty darn happy. :)

[The Meat man]

I cleaned out the terrarium yesterday.

[RustyIron]

I cleaned out the terrarium yesterday.

What a handsome guy.
What kind of snake is he?

[The Meat man]

I cleaned out the terrarium yesterday.

What a handsome guy.
What kind of snake is he?

Thanks! He's a Ball Python. They're popular snakes for pets because they are very calm and docile. I've had mine for a couple years now. He's about 2' right now but will probably grow to about double that.

[Knivesinedc]

I have always loved reptiles. My poor mother on the other hand, cannot stand them. Still, shes allowed me to have some over the years. I had a high yellow leopard gecko named Charlie for 5 or 6 years and he was great. Right after Charlie passed, I got a female creamsicle Crested gecko that I named Chalupa for some reason, and she lived to be about 10 years old. Chalupa had probably the best personality, but charlie definitely had his moments. For a short time I took care of a friends beardie and I began to wonder why everyone always recommends them as a beginner lizard. The routine that lizard had was insane and I never volunteered to care for her again lol. I still want to get a ball python and I'd love to have another Crestie, preferably a halloween morph.