The 3 Most Popular Pet Boas

August 15, 2016August 14, 2016 ~ BackwaterReptiles

Of all the snake species commonly kept as pets, boas are one of the most reputable among hobbyists. These constrictor snakes can attain considerable sizes and are very well-known for being interactive pet snakes.

In this article, we will list our most popular pet boas and touch upon what makes each species unique and special.

Most Popular Pet Boas

Boa Constrictor (Boa c. imperator & Boa c.constrictor)

For the purposes of this list, we have lumped together two very closely related species of boas into a single category since they have exactly the same care requirements and are very similar in appearance as well. If you wish to know all the differences between these two boa constrictor species, we did devote an entire blog article to it that you can find here.

Herp enthusiasts know that when people think of a boa constrictor snake, these two species are the animal they picture. In other words, these boas are what we would think of as a “classic” boa.

most popular pet boas — This is a Central American Boa Constrictor (*Boa c. constrictor*).

Boa constrictors have been captive bred for many generations. This means that they are very healthy animals free of parasites, are fairly used to human handling, and also come in a variety of color morphs. All of these factors play into this snake’s popularity within the world of pet reptiles.

A typical boa constrictor will grow to be anywhere from five to seven feet long. Females are generally larger than males. You can expect your pet boa to live anywhere from twenty to thirty years, although there have been recorded cases of boas living to beyond forty years old!

It’s common to keep a boa constrictor in a glass tank with a screen top lid. Be sure that the cage is appropriately-sized for the animal. Young snakes do not require a large enclosure, but full-grown animals should have homes that are at least four feet long and two feet wide.

Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Epicrates cenchria)

The Brazilian rainbow boa is very aptly named. It has often times been dubbed “the most beautiful snake in the world” due to its unique color scheme. These boas tend to be a rusty orange or red color with dark black accent rings and spots. But what really turns heads and gives this snake so many admirers is its iridescent, rainbow sheen. Brazilian rainbow boas are just gorgeous to look at, especially if you take one outside and allow the sun to reflect off its scales.

Brazilian rainbow boas are moderately-sized animals. Babies start out around eight to twelve inches long. Adult snakes will grow to be anywhere between five and six feet long. Females tend to be larger than males. You can expect your pet Brazilian rainbow boa to live between ten and twenty years.

Rainbow boas are primarily nocturnal animals, so it’s important to provide a day/night cycle. And in order to get your boa’s iridescence to really shine through, we recommend placing a low-wattage incandescent light on one side of the cage. This will really bring out the shine in its scales.

Kenyan Sand Boa (Eryx c. loveridgei)

Kenyan sand boas are the smallest of the boa species on this list. They will only attain lengths of approximately two feet at most. As is the case with most boa species, the females tend to be larger than the males, who rarely surpass twenty inches in length.

This species of boa is a burrower and is known for being shy and secretive. However, we’d like to mention that although they prefer to hide, they are overall a very docile species that takes well to human interaction.

When considering a Kenyan sand boa as a pet, you need to think long term. Although this is a fairly small species with minimal care requirements, they do live for a very long time. With proper care and husbandry, a typical sand boa will live for around twenty years, although there have been reports of snakes living well into their thirties!

Conclusion – Most Popular Pet Boas

Any of the three species of boas listed in this article would make a great addition to any snake fan’s collection. They are all very interactive snakes with generally good dispositions. We would recommend them for both beginners and experienced herpers alike.

If you are interested in a pet boa constrictor, Brazilian rainbow boa, or Kenyan sand boa, Backwater Reptiles has got you covered! We hope you are more informed about the most popular pet boas in the world, and feel confident making a decision upon which species is right for you.

Western Hognose Snake Care (Heterodon nasicus)

August 13, 2016August 14, 2016 ~ BackwaterReptiles

If you’re looking for more information on Western Hognose snake care, you’ve come to the right place. A snake that is quickly growing in popularity among reptile enthusiasts is the Western Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus).

These small colubrids are not only cute, but they are well-suited to captivity and make great pets for families and classrooms. In this article, we’ll go over the care requirements for this quirky little snake.

Western Hognose Snake Description

The first thing most people notice about the hognose snake is its trademark pointy nose. This little upturned nose is used to assist the hognose when it burrows and digs in lose, sandy soil.

Hognose snakes are stout in build with keeled scales. They can be a variety of colors, but they tend to be a light brown or cream color with darker brown, beige, black, orange or olive patterns.

Hognose snakes are also known for their peculiar defense mechanisms. First of all, these snakes will sometimes roll over and play dead when they feel threatened. They even open their mouth and allow their tongue to loll out! However, we would like to mention that if they feel too threatened, they will also release a foul-smelling musk to accompany this playing dead behavior, which is less amusing than the act of playing dead.

Another harmless hognose defense is to puff up and push air through its skull and rostral bone creating a unique hissing noise. They will also flatten out and attempt to appear much larger than they are in reality. This might be accompanied by some feigned aggression. Hognoses might strike out, but they won’t bite. Instead, they’ll essentially headbutt any enemy with their nose! When it comes down to it, hognose snakes are all bark and no bite.

As we’ve already established, Western hognose snakes stay relatively small. Males tend to max out around twenty-four inches long (two feet), while females can grow to be just shy of three feet long. They have been known to live between ten and eighteen years in captivity.

Western Hognose Snake Care

Due to its small size, you will not need a large home for your hognose snake. Hatchlings will thrive in a five-gallon size enclosure and an adult will do great in a twenty gallon tank. Because they are a ground-dwelling species with burrowing and digging habits, vertical space is not as important as floor space. We also recommend that whatever type of cage/enclosure you opt for have a secure lid since all snakes tend to be escape artists, no matter what species they are.

You need not supply many cage furnishings for a hognose. They prefer to burrow and hide, so vegetation is not needed unless you want to decorate the enclosure. All a hognose really needs in its enclosure as far as “furniture” is concerned is a sturdy water dish and a few hiding spaces.

There are a lot of choices when it comes to substrate for a hognose. Hatchlings do best in newspaper since it is inexpensive, easy to clean, and also helps prevent bacterial growth. For an adult, you can provide aspen snake bedding, newspaper, paper towels, or sand. But please keep in mind that housing any snake in sand can cause impaction. If you do use sand as a substrate, we highly recommend feeding your snake in a separate, clean container so that no accidental ingestion of the sand occurs.

Hognoses are diurnal snakes and will require a full-spectrum UV lighting set up in order to stay healthy. You can manually turn your snake’s lights on and off each day, or you can buy lights that are on timers at nearly every pet store.

Your hognose’s basking spot needs to stay around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooler end of the tank is usually fine at room temperature. This means anywhere from 72 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Just be sure it doesn’t get too cold at night or too warm during the day and that the enclosure has a hot side and a cooler side (i.e. that there is a temperature gradient).

handling your western hognose snake — Western hognose snakes are friendly little snakes that interact well with humans.

Western Hognose Snake Care: Feeding

Hognose snakes are little piggies when it comes to meal time. They’re also not too concerned with accuracy when it comes to striking at their food. This means that even though they aren’t trying to intentionally hurt you, they might accidentally bite you when you attempt to feed them. All you need to do to avoid this is feed your snake using tongs or tweezers.

At Backwater Reptiles, we feed our hognose snakes appropriately sized frozen/thawed mice. Adults can be fed once per week, but growing hatchlings should be offered food at least twice per week.

Conclusion – Western Hognose Snake Care

We recommend Western hognose snakes for reptile lovers of all experience levels. These compact and humorous little snakes are not only easy to care for, they’re easy to fall in love with!

Ready for a Western hognose snake of your own? Backwater Reptiles has several morphs available for sale.

Most Common Wild California Reptiles

August 2, 2016August 1, 2016 ~ BackwaterReptiles

Backwater Reptiles is based out of California and we experience many climates. We’ve got dry deserts, brisk coasts, and even mountains. This means that we’re lucky enough to have many different species of reptiles thriving in our own backyards!

In this blog article, we’ll tell you a little about some of the most commonly found wild reptiles we see in the Golden State.

California King Snake (Lampropeltis g. californiae)

In addition to being widespread in the wild throughout the state of California as their name suggests, California king snakes are also extremely popular pets in captivity.

Cal Kings can actually be found all along the west coast of North America. They are very adaptable and live in all types of habitats – woodland chaparral, grassland, deserts, marshes, and even developed suburban areas.

most common reptiles in California — This is a normal morph California king snake, although king snakes have been bred to express many different types of markings and colorations.

They have a habit of rattling their tail, coiling their bodies, and hissing when they feel threatened in an attempt to mimic their much more dangerous cousin, the rattlesnake. However, it should be noted that if you find a Cal King in the wild and are able to pick it up and handle it, these snakes are not venomous or dangerous to people. The worst that could happen to you is the snake might defecate on you or you could get a small bite.

Side Blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana)

The common side blotched lizard is found all along the Pacific coast of North America. They are small lizards that typically don’t surpass two and half inches long. Males are larger than females.

This is a female side blotched lizard. Females are less colorful than males who often times have blue spots and stripes.

There are three distinct wild morphs of side blotched lizards. Each lizard has a different color throat (yellow, orange, or blue) and actually behaves differently when it comes to mating strategies. But one thing all three morphs have in common is a mark, blotch, or dot on their torso behind their forearms. This mark is what gives the lizard its common name and also helps identify it in the wild.

Side blotched lizards are really interesting to observe in the wild and do make good pets. However, be warned that they are small lizards and have relatively short life spans. They also don’t enjoy being held as they are prey for many predators in the wild, so it may take lots of handling to tame one as a pet.

Red Eared Slider Turtle (Trachemys s. elegans)

Let us preface this section by stating that although red eared slider turtles are now commonly seen in ponds and lakes throughout California, they are not endemic to the state. In fact, they are actually considered invasive as they compete with native turtles for food and basking spots.

Red eared sliders are very adaptive and can thrive in any body of water ranging from a river to a pond in your backyard. They are opportunistic omnivores and will eat decaying organic matter whether it’s protein-based or plant-based.

red eared slider turtle hatchlings — Red eared sliders are popular pets, but because they are invasive to the state of California, please re-home your turtle responsibly if you can no longer care for it.

While they make fantastic pets, many of the sliders found in the wild in California are actually pets that have been released into local ponds, canals, or estuaries when they are no longer wanted. If you own a red eared slider, please be a responsible pet owner and re-home your turtle appropriately if you can no longer care for it.

Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)

Western fence lizards are extremely common not only in California, but also in Nevada, Oregon, Arizona, Idaho, Utah, Washington, and Northern Mexico. Many people refer to them as “blue bellies” due to the bold blue coloring on their throats and tummies.

Western fence lizards are very common throughout all areas of California. They inhabit chaparral, grasslands, sage brush, woodland, forests, farmland, and surprisingly, even suburban areas. In fact, if you live in a sunny area of California, it’s not uncommon to find a blue belly basking in your yard or scuttling underfoot if you cross their path.

Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer)

Gopher snakes are very commonly found throughout much of North America and any California herp enthusiast has probably caught or encountered a wild one at some point in his or her life. This snake’s broad range is a testament to its adaptability, hardiness, and overall survival skills.

Although most California natives can probably find a gopher snake in their backyard or within an hour’s distance of their backyard, if you want one for a pet, we always recommend purchasing a captive bred animal. They generally don’t have any parasites, are more docile, and have grown accustomed to a captive life style.

Gophers have simple care requirements. Virtually any type of substrate will suit them, although we prefer aspen snake bedding. Provide more horizontal floor space than vertical climbing space, a few hiding spots, and a water dish, and your gopher snake should thrive. It’s not even necessary to provide any special UV lighting, although we always use one just to help regulate the temperature and provide day/night cycles.

Conclusion

All of the species listed above are very commonly found throughout the state of California. We’d even wager that most California natives will or have already come in contact with three out of the five species listed.

How to Pick Up Your Pet Snake

July 18, 2016July 23, 2016 ~ BackwaterReptiles

If you’d like to learn how to pick up your pet snake, you’ve come to the right place. In truth, many pet reptiles and amphibians are better off as observational pets–in other words, it’s better for the animal’s health if you keep the human interaction to a minimum.

Luckily, this is not true for most species of snakes that are commonly kept as pets. In this article, we’ll answer some commonly asked questions about how to handle your pet snake.

How to pick up your pet snake

How should I pick up my snake?

We’d like to start off by stating that even docile snakes can be slightly skittish or nervous when you are in the process of removing them from their enclosure. Sometimes this is due to the temperament of the species, sometimes it is because you are waking up a sleepy snake, and other times, you might unintentionally frighten your snake.

The bottom line is that even the best pet snakes do strike out from time to time, and it is usually when they are in the process of being taken out of the cage to be held.

how to handle your pet snake — This is a gopher snake being held. Gophers aren’t traditionally “friendly” snakes, although they’re also not typically aggressive. But as you can see, most snakes are friendly once you let them grow accustomed to you.

We also recommend transferring your snake to a separate container for meals. If you feed your snake in its normal enclosure, it could begin to associate the cage opening and therefore seeing you with food. This will lead to unintentional striking and biting at you as the snake will think that every time the cage opens, it’s dinner time.

Getting your pet snake out of its cage is not as simple as grabbing it and lifting it out. There are certain things you should do and things you should also avoid.

Here are some DO’s for picking up your pet snake:

-Do grab the snake around the middle section of its body.

-Do support as much of the snake’s body as much as you can. Try letting it wrap around your fingers, arm, and wrist so that it feels secure.

-Do be confident and consistent in your mannerisms when you pick up your snake. Try not to be timid, shy, or nervous as this will translate in your body language. Consistency will teach the snake that no harm will come to it when you pick it up and it will get used to interacting with you.

sunbeam snake — When your pet snake is relatively small, it will enjoy wrapping itself around your fingers and wrist. Just make sure most of the snake is supported, and it should be a pleasant experience for both the snake and the owner.

And on the other side of things, here are some definite things you want to avoid when picking up your pet snake:

-Don’t grab the snake by the tail. Many snakes will spin or thrash around if you grab their tail, and this behavior can cause the snake bodily harm.

-Don’t pick up your snake by its head. Many snakes are “head-shy,” which means that anything suddenly touching the animal’s head will scare it and could result in biting.

-Don’t let your snake flail around in your grip. You want the animal to be relaxed and calm, which will happen if you support its body and allow it to feel safe.

What snakes react best to being handled?

Corn snakes, king snakes, boas, pythons, and milk snakes are all good snakes for people that enjoy holding and connecting with their pet through physical contact.

All of these species adapt very well to captivity and many are even captive bred so they have no parasites and are in overall peak health.

Another good thing about many of these species is that they have relatively calm temperaments and with the exception of a few species of constrictors, they also don’t usually grow overly large. Smaller snake = smaller and less harmful bite if the snake does happen to strike at you for some reason.

Pictured is a rubber boa. These are very calm, docile snakes and will take to being held very well.

I own a venomous pet snake. How should I pick it up?

We highly recommend that you keep the handling and interaction with venomous snake species to an absolute minimum.

Unless you are an expert, playing with, holding, and otherwise having contact with a venomous snake can spell disaster.

However, if you feel ready to own a venomous pet snake and you want to remove it from its enclosure, we highly recommend using a snake hook, which we will talk about more below.

Should I use a snake hook to pick up my snake?

If you are unfamiliar with what a snake hook is, it’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a metal tool with a handle on one end and a hook on the other end. They are used to handle venomous, aggressive, or nervous snakes.

Generally, once you get to know your pet snake and its own individual disposition, you’ll be able to read its body language. If your snake is in a defensive posture and you need to pick it up, we recommend using a snake hood to avoid being bitten.

Once you have removed the snake from the enclosure using the hook, it is usually safe to transfer it to your hands. Again, as we’ve previously mentioned, snakes tend to be at their most nervous at the initial time you are taking them out of the cage.

Conclusion – How to pick up my pet snake

Many species of snakes do well when interacting with people. Most are content to sit in the palm of your hand, but others develop habits of wrapping around your arm, shoulder, or neck.

No matter where your snake likes to sit, if you follow our tips and tricks, you’ll have a calmer, more pleasant experience each time you hold your snake.

The Smallest Pet Snakes

July 12, 2016November 15, 2018 ~ BackwaterReptiles

What are the smallest pet snakes? We answer this question with the below list of snake species that remain short in length, and are not heavy-bodied, and can also make excellent terrarium subjects or first pet snakes.

This blog article showcases the smallest species of pet snakes sold at Backwater Reptiles. Small snakes deserve loving homes too and many people are surprised to learn how little space they actually do require to be healthy and happy.

The Smallest Pet Snakes List

Bimini Blind Snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus)

There are many species of blind snakes, but they all have one thing in common – they’re tiny! They’re miniscule! In fact, blind snakes are so little that they’re very often mistaken for earth worms.

In addition to resembling earth worms in physical appearance, blind snakes also behave very similarly to worms. They are burrowers and are most common found in moist soil. They’ve even been known to live in garden flower pots, which is how they received their other common name – Flowerpot Snake.

As you can see from this photo, blind snakes very closely resemble earth worms in appearance and size. Definitely one of the smallest pet snakes.

The Bimini Blind Snake, which is one of the more common blind snake species, has very minimal care requirements. All a tiny blind snake needs for a home is a medium-sized glass jar with moist soil and a hiding place or two.

We’ve actually written a detailed care article on the Bimini blind snake that discusses everything from what these itty bitty reptiles like to eat to how to set up a habitat.

Ringneck Snake (Diadphis sp.)

Ringneck snakes are not all that much larger than some blind snakes, although you can definitely tell that a ringneck snake is not a worm.

Ringnecks are black with a bright orange collar or necklace around their neck, hence their common name.

Many people assume that ringnecks are baby snakes, but the truth is that full grown, mature snakes still only grow to be approximately fifteen inches long, which is still little. They also won’t usually get thicker than a pencil in diameter.

In the wild, ringnecks consume everything from worms to small invertebrates. In captivity, we recommend feeding them night crawlers, but some people have reported success giving them crickets.

Western Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus)

Many people are drawn to hognose snakes because they have cute upturned noses used for shoveling sand when they burrow. They can vary highly in terms of color and markings, but they are all very stout-bodied.

They’re also known to resemble rattlesnakes to the untrained eye, although herp hobbyists know better.

As far as size is concerned, hognose snakes are quite a bit larger than blind snakes and ringneck snakes, but they’re still considered small pet snakes.

They can grow to two to three feet long and have very long life spans for such small critters. With proper care and husbandry, hognose snakes can live to twenty years or longer!

A snake the size of a Western hognose should be given a tank that is around twenty gallons. Unless you have a particularly large specimen, you can usually even house a breeding pair together as well.

Because hognoses are burrowers by nature, we recommend providing a sandy substrate to allow for this burying behavior.

These modest-sized rear-fanged snakes are reluctant biters, but do technically have mild venom that they use to subdue their prey, usually frogs and toads. It’s not considered dangerous to humans.

This species requires little space as far as enclosures are concerned, as a 20-gallon tank is plenty of room, even for an adult.

Ball Python (Python regius)

Not only are ball pythons very reasonably sized as far as snakes are concerned (often considered one of the best small pet snakes), but they are also extremely mild-mannered with pleasant dispositions.

This is what makes them quite possibly the most popular pet snake on the planet!

Ball pythons breed readily in captivity, which means that they’re always available in a multitude of morphs. You can get a ball python that is pure white and everything in between as far as markings and coloration are concerned.

Ball pythons are also the largest of the “small” snake species on this list, although we’d still say that they’re modestly sized for a pet snake.

Males are typically shorter and lighter than females, reaching lengths between two to three feet long. Females will be anywhere from three to five feet long.

They don’t require much space either–a 20-30 gallon terrarium is plenty of room for most adult ball pythons.

Conclusion – The Smallest Pet Snakes

If you’re in the market for a small pet snake and you have limited room in your home for a cage or vivarium, then we think any of the snakes on this list would be a good fit you.

All of them attain very reasonable sizes and are known for placid demeanors and even-tempered personalities. Some smaller-sized snakes are flighty and defensive, but the above list bucks that trend.

Backwater Reptiles Blog

Over 250 Articles for Herp Enthusiasts

Snakes