# Need advice, SNAKE people!



## christinaland128 (Jul 25, 2015)

My daughter has recently become interested in a rosy boa. 

She's been asking for a snake for a few years now and I thought maybe it was a phase she'd outgrow but she's still very keen on the idea.

Her dedication to the torts have really impressed me, so I'm considering allowing her to get a snake.

So I have some questions. Are rosy boas a good choice for a beginner? Are they a smaller species? What would be the best option for us if we were looking for a smaller species? 

We have a pretty nice setup for our redfoots so we are more than willing to setup an exceptional setup for a snake. 

Any suggestions would be great!


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## lisa127 (Jul 25, 2015)

Rosy boas, from what I hear, are great snakes. I've never had one myself, but have learned that they are small and gentle and easy to care for. I imagine it would be a great choice.


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## christinaland128 (Jul 26, 2015)

@Tom What do you think? @ZEROPILOT PILOT snakes?


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## mike taylor (Jul 26, 2015)

They are a great snake . They stay on the smaller side . As adults they only get to 36"/48 " . It is rare to see one 48" most stay around 36" . My favorite snake is the ball python .


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## christinaland128 (Jul 26, 2015)

Thank you guys! . I need to find a breeder. Any suggestions?


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## Angel Carrion (Jul 26, 2015)

I'm partial to ball pythons and Burmese pythons, but rosy boas are great, too. Some things I would suggest are finding a vet that knows snakes very well (I'm assuming you have a tort vet, most likely they know snakes as well), and do a bunch of research on them. I've heard people say that snakes don't need UVB/UVA bulbs like turtles and torts do, but I've always been cautious and gone with a UV bulb anyway. Have you heard about the mercury vapor bulbs? They produce both UVA and UVB plus basking heat. I would suggest one of those. Also, make sure you and/or your daughter are okay feeding mice/rats to your possible future snake. Some smaller species do eat bugs and fish, but boas eat mammals and smaller-than-them snakes and amphibians. It's one thing to feed worms and bugs, quite another to feed a soft fluffy cutie-pie. Sometimes people don't really 'understand' that completely until their first feeding time.
I always promote and suggest feeding frozen/thawed over live food. Live mice can hurt your snake while fighting for their life, and rats are even more dangerous and have a good chance of hurting your snake. If your snake gets bit, rat bite fever is a possibility, infection, scars, the snake could even loose an eye and/or a nice chunk of flesh. Plus, watching your snake slowly crush their prey can be pretty....traumatizing to some. So I always promote frozen/thaw food over live.


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## christinaland128 (Jul 26, 2015)

Oh good I already have a bulb like that @Angel Carrion. Yes we're quite all right with feeding mice.


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## keepergale (Jul 26, 2015)

I have in the past raised Rosy Boas.
They grew up and reproduced producing young that grew up with no UVA/UVB lighting. They are a good first snake IMHO. There are albinos if that grabs you. Not for thanks. I like the Mexican ones.(trivirgata)


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## Tom (Jul 26, 2015)

Rosy Boas are a great starter snake. Very mild mannered. Make sure you get a an older one and not a newborn. They can sometimes be tough to get started eating. I like corn and king snakes for beginners too.


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## christinaland128 (Jul 26, 2015)

Thank you @Tom, yes, my daughters other choice was a High White California King Snake. I'm trying to set up an enclosure and I'm reading paper towel, and pine chips for substrate? I want to create something more natural, would dry coir and orchid bark mix be suitable?


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## Angel Carrion (Jul 26, 2015)

http://www.vmsherp.com/CarePages/CareRosyBoa.htm
This says newspaper, CareFresh bedding, and aspen bedding are all popular choices and are safe. Also has other information


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## Angel Carrion (Jul 26, 2015)

This link seems to be more informed. 
http://www.anapsid.org/rosyboa.html


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## christinaland128 (Jul 26, 2015)

Thank you @Angel Carrion


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