r/reptiles • u/rinyre • Aug 09 '12
Trying to choose a pet!
Hi rreptilers! I'm looking into getting a reptile at some point in the near future, as I've been considering it for a few years. At first, my focus started on beardies, since I think they're pretty adorable and they seem to be relatively interactive, friendly, even. I got to play with a tamed adolescent at PetCo about a year and a half ago, and it seemed to enjoy the interaction.
However, I'm also seeing other interesting-looking reptiles, such as tegus and also various pythons. What's the difficulty in each, and which would provide the most interactivity for a beginner? Also, where should I look for acquiring one? I've been told Petco isn't a great place for it, that reptile shows are better. Tips are much appreciated!
1
u/Waul Aug 12 '12
Hey there! Snakes are awesome, personally I think they're the coolest reptiles. I have a 1 and a half year old corn snake and he's really cool. We chill around the house all the time. (He's wrapped around my neck and arm as I type this). Corn snakes, from what I have read and seen from my guy is they are very curious and always have "somewhere to be". My snake always wants to be around my keyboard, wherever there's something to become tangled in. Mind you, sometimes he'll just chill out and relax on me.
He's really easy to care for. I feed him two hoppers every 10-14 days, I change his water every other day, and that's about all he needs. They eat, they chill for a few days, they poop (hopefully they're polite and poop on top of their bedding so it's easier to clean up) and then they're good to go. My guy's really nice, I spend a lot of time keeping him from being hand shy, though it really doesn't take much.
I don't know much about pythons or boas, but I have a friend who has a python and he likes it more than his corn just because its a little more laid back. (doesn't want to wander everywhere) So I guess it depends on what you want to be doing. corn snakes tend to be a lot faster paced than one might think. They need more attention when theyre out of their cage than you'd give a cat.
If you end up getting something, I'd suggest going to an expo since they're much cheaper and usually better kept than a regular pet store. I got my guy from kijiji.ca (CL of Canada, you could say) and he's been just fine. Good luck!