In the Pet Shop (Warning: Snakes and Spiders!)

[LaFoto]

My daughter so wants to start having a terrarium and a snake.
So she browsed the internet a bit to find where there would be pet shops in the nearer surroundings that are specialised on reptiles. She found one in Lüneburg. That is about 80kms far from where we live, an hour drive.
Since the school-children were all off school yesterday, we took that trip for her to get the first bits of information on what is needed to keep a snake and how much it would cost. The shop owner gave us more than 2 hours (!) to show us the snakes he has, explain their differences to us etc. It was really worth the trip and time spent on it, we got some very valuable information.

At the end, I could take a couple of photos of a) the snake that Sabine liked very, very much (€ 135.- for the snake alone ... she had to swallow big time when she heard how much her new hobby is going to cost her!) and of b) a very nice spider that the shop owner, however, was not going to put on Sabine's hand, although she would have loved to hold it.

These other two did not come out as well, so after having taken this one photo of the baby turtle (2 inches across) I even more admire all those who take good aquarium pics - and the other spider was not sitting at an equally favourable spot in her terrarium as the first:

 

[Antarctican]

(*shudder*)

Nice pictures, Lafoto. The snake does look rather 'pretty' (did I just say that...'snake' and 'pretty' in the same sentence???) And that first spider shot is excellent. As one who has tried many times to take pictures through a terrarium, I know how difficult it can be, and I think you did an excellent job.

 

[doenoe]

nice shots Corinna. And thats a really groovy looking snake . Love the spiders too.

 

[cherrymoose]

Nice shots. I was actually thinking of going down to this place called the "Berkeley East Bay Vivarium" today to photograph. They have a lot of cool snakes and stuff. This inspired me, so now I might go tomorrow.

 

[SpaceNut]

Nice work (as usual). I,too, know how difficult it is to shoot thru aquarium glass. Found that out when I took pictures & posted "Yellow Tang". It's not easy, but fun! Thanks for sharing.

 

[LaFoto]

Thank you for the replies. Actually, these were only some quick snaps with the Powershot which I had put into the pocket of my anorak before we set out, but I could not be bothered to bring all my camera gear. It would not have fit into that tiny shop (specialised, though, as it was), anyway ... and the photo of the snake was not taken through glass, the shop owner opened the terrarium again for me (after Sabine had been allowed to handle this very snake for quite some time earlier during our stay).

I mailed him the first two photos, thanking him for the time he gave us, and he replied and said thanks and hopes to see us again one day (then purchasing the necessary equipment and a snake from him, of course ).

 

[tpe]

So are you going to get her a snake? And if so cant you start with something local that doesnt need heating and doesnt cost too much? We had a grass snake when i was a child, green with a black and yellow striped colar, it gives off a nasty smell when scared, so that makes it not as nice, but it does teach you to treat it properly. My daughter still likes the insects, and in a way they are more responsive than snakes just because they are so easy to handle, and not being so scared they are quite happy to sit in your hand and feed. Have you thought about starting with a giant stick insect or preying mantis, some of them are very happy at room tempreature, the terrariums cost much less and they are really easy to feed, and you can buy them for a couple of euros mail order, they are great for learning to look after a pet, as sad as it is, they are not quite as big a financial loss if they die, and quite photogenic . Not as a replacment for a snake, but an introduction to keeping animals, that doesnt cost so much if it goes wrong and is good training.

 

[el_shorty]

Nice pics, what kind of snake is it? I'm not too familiar with colubrids, I'm more into boids, I've been keeping boa constrictors and pythons for almost nine years, and tarantulas and scorpions for 12. I just have to warn you, the are very addictive, once you get one, you'll want more.

 

[zhp-ly]

i am afraid of snake.

 

[LaFoto]

The snake is a (and now I must quote from the e-mail of the pet shop owner, for I myself would long have forgotten its Latin name):

Lampropeltis getula californiae

I would not know what that one is in English.
It was very friendly and there was absolutely no reason to be afraid of it.

 

[eraserhead]

The snake is a (and now I must quote from the e-mail of the pet shop owner, for I myself would long have forgotten its Latin name):



I would not know what that one is in English.
It was very friendly and there was absolutely no reason to be afraid of it.

that albino is awsome!!! nice pics man!

 

[LaFoto]

Could you tell me its English name then, too? Please.
All I know that in German it is a "Kalifornische Kettennatter", but what would THAT be in English? Variation is called "snow".

 

[tpe]

Californian king snake
Lampropeltis g. californiae



tim

 

[LaFoto]

Ah thanks, Tim. That was easier than I thought. Thanks also for the link to that site. Their variation also is a "snow", as I can see! Cool.

It's not that this snake is OURS!
We are still FAR away from this.
Sabine is still a bit shocked about the prices ... but I am sure she is not to be persuaded to switch to the insects (me neither, I'm afraid). Sabine sets her mind to something and PURSUES. And her mind is set to getting herself a snake and no other. So there.... ... with Sabine I've had to say from the day she was born: "What can I do? She knows what she wants and she will get it!" Yes, I realised that on her first day in life!

 

[tpe]

I look forward to seeing the results, king snakes are supposed to have a very good tempermant, something crucial about pet snakes, and be easy to look after. I used to have some bad tempered snakes and they were just the worst. Well as long as she dosent start on something like the constictors in eraserheads thread, yieks. .

tim

tim