5 Reptiles I Regret Getting 

I feel like a lot of exotic animal keepers experience mistakes and heartbreak due to their own lack of information and it’s brave to say as much to a large audience. It’s really helpful to see videos like this. Thank you.

I really appreciate this video. This is the side of the hobby that doesn't get talked about as much and is very stigmatized it seems. Personally I got a chameleon when I very first got into reptiles and I didn't give him a good enough home and eventually he passed. Part was due to age but mostly it was my ignorance. I regret that every day but all I can do is learn from it and help people make better decisions than I did.

Your boa was a hypo jungle. There are no problems with that morph, or morph combo. There are not many boa morphs WITH problems. I have kept and bred boas for 20+ years, so I am speaking from experience. Boa morphs that DO have problems, are Scoria boas…they have a neurological issue, similar to spider ball pythons and jaguar carpet pythons. If you breed a jungle to a jungle, the super jungles you get, usually WILL have problems and don’t usually survive. Your boa was definitely NOT a super jungle. It was a hypo, probably a jungle, maybe pastel, and it possibly could have been a super hypo, if both parents were hypo…but super hypos are healthy, as far as the the actual gene goes. Your snake Gould have had IBD…which is a sickness, but not related to morphs. Boa morphs usually have very few problems related to the actual mutation. If a new gene pops up, and people inbreed them too tightly, to reproduce the gene quicker and more often, it will eventually cause problems. Like the albino boas when they were first offered into the market. They were so tightly inbred at first…:there was problems. But that was due more to inbreeding than genetic issues. You almost never see albinos with issues now, because they are so far outcrossed…the issues have been bred out. There are absolutely a couple genes that cause issues, as I mentioned above…but not many. Most issues are due to parasites, bad food, bad or lack of water, and disease, NOT genetics(other then the two I mentioned). Boas are VERY robust, very forgiving to keeper errors, and eat great(unlike the ever popular ball python)[THE most over rated snake in the hobby in my opinion]…boas are AWESOME pet snakes, and are usually always very calm with a somewhat normal handling schedule. I have had literally hundreds of boas. They have ALL been extremely calm, ate 100% of the time, made great display animals, and were spectacular animals to handle. So I think if you have room for a 6’ adult(some get bigger but 6’ is the average adult size for common/Colombian boas….and are prepared to provide them with proper temps, humidity, and always have fresh water….I don’t think there is a better pet snake, as far as medium/medium large snakes go.

Thank you for posting this. The timing is crazy. I just lost my juvelile african file snake 2 days ago. I'm devestated and going over my care for her in my head a million times, wondering what I did wrong. Friends in the hobby I've reached out to said it literally just happens. It sucks, but often reptiles don't show signs of stress or maltreatment as a survival response until it's too late. It could have been in her genetics, it could have been a combination of things. I'm still fully bummed and will remember her always. But I'm greatful for those experiences, will learn from them, and move forward. R.I.P. Aether

As much as you may have dreaded this video, I think it was super helpful information that you shared. Now everyone who watches can benefit from your experience and maybe save some heartache or struggles. Also, it takes strong character to be able to make a video admitting past mistakes or even just past didn't know info, so you should be proud of yourself!!

I started a reptile rescue about a year ago in Virginia, and since being exposed to what goes along with that, I definitely have regrets with certain parts of my reptile keeping in the past, but we live we learn, and do better for the future. I have a couple of old wild caught animals that I would never buy wild caught ever again. And I have bought an animal from the big box stores before long ago, I would never do that again either.

Regrets are a sign of maturity and growth. They show the ability to recognize mistakes. I cringe at every older person who says something to the effect of "I don't regret a thing" or "I wouldn't change a thing". Of course you would change things: Just because a self caused hardship brought good out of it, doesn't mean the decision was good. Regarding the list...tokay Geckos are awesome if CBB and you have a big enough enclosure and don't plan to handle them...if any of those is different, you are setting yourself up for disappointment(although some tokay's can be tamed down)

Thank you for opening up and talking about this! I've either made these mistakes myself or come across them in bad ways volunteering at a small reptile shelter. It's so important to be aware of these things. I'm so sorry about your boa, I know the feeling. Take your time and take care!

I absolutely love you sharing your open and honest experiences. There needs to be more of this in the hobby. Too many times we see people sugar coating things like breeding, and it's really refreshing to have a raw take on what it can put you through and what it contributes or doesn't contribute to the hobby as a whole. Thank you.

It’s so brave of you to come out and admit to your past mistakes, especially when they involve animals

Thank you for sharing these stories. This is what we need to hear more about in the hobby, the reality of owning these amazing creatures. It definitely comes at a cost at times. So sorry for your losses but these are the times that help us grow as a person and a keeper.

I have so much respect for you doing this video. You've earned yourself a new subscriber! @14:10 when you were sad, I thought it was sweet that your doggo came in and lay down near you to keep you company.

Love how honest you are! We’re all human and all make mistakes. I have so much respect for you!

I am very grateful for such videos and those who are brave and honest enough to keep things real, and share real experiences from which l can learn - many thanks!! 🙏

i feel like this video is very important and im so glad you made it. especially in this hobby people get more and more animals and then they realize their mistakes and it can sometimes be very stressful and hard to find new homes for the animals. thank you for raising awareness

I love the transparency and honesty!!

You are, clearly, a very sensitive person. Keep posting because we love it. 💕

Boas are generally extremely hardy, very few genetic issues, very forgiving with husbandry and fantastic eaters. I cannot recommend enough trying again, even with a normal. Even a normal boa has lots of variation with hue and saddle patterns that never cease to impress. Just the most absolutely perfect personality there is. Downside of course is size, for most folks. Sourcing and paying for good sized enclosures, hides, perches, hardy live plants (if you opt for bioactive, I personally do and recommend), heating large enclosures, sourcing larger prey items, etc can add some unique challenges. But they're not so big that you can't handle safely on your own (usually, depends on the individual) and so they're a great big snake that's not a massive snake. They're an absolute pleasure to raise. I wanted one for YEARS before I felt ready to take the plunge, and Vesuvius is the reptile love of my life. I also have a few plains hognose that I adore simply because I can house them so much more simply and breed their food easily and humanely. But it's hard to find a better temperament across a species than with boas and red tail boas.

this rlly resonates w me. im an arachnid mom and ive had my fair share of mistakes and unfortunate passings too but i always came out wiser and better than i was before. Im in college to be an arachnologist and get answers to the questions keepers have and save species that are endangered, etc. there is def. hope out there it just takes patient and caring people :)

This is such an important video! Thank you for sharing.

I got a ball python and a Columbian rainbow boa. Was told that they were both super chill snakes. And the boa may have been a chill guy in his tub. At my house I had him in an actual enclosure where he could see out all the time. I guess he wasn't comfortable in it cuz he started to bite everyone. I had to rehome him after about 2 years. So I understand your dilemma with the personality change after rehoming.

Trisha, I purchased a crested gecko at Curious Creatures which they said was one of your babies. It was born Jan 12 of 2021 I believe. On her second birthday I saw a tiny gecko in the enclosure with her. Turns out she is parthenogenic. I am looking at a second egg in the enclosure now and baby 1 is doing fine. I was unaware crested could lay fertilized eggs without a male.

This video is definitely relatable, thank you for the content! Sharing my own experiences below: Item 1 - As a savannah monitor parent, personality change in the animal is something almost everyone experiences. Whether it's a new baby that seems placid at the store/expo and becomes a hyper-defensive gremlin when they get into a new habitat, or an established animal that regresses behavior-wise when habitats are upgraded or they hit that puberty stage; a lot of savannah keepers suddenly feel out of their depth and look to rehome their animals as a result. The FB group I'm in tries to help people through these periods and keep life stable for the animal but sometimes it just doesn't work out :/ For 2, my fascination for a BRB got the better of me. I didn't realize how wide the captive program was for them until after I got mine from an expo. As typical with wild caught, he had parasites and required some care but my biggest 'regret' is just that I feel bad for him having been taken from the wild *as an adult* and even though his life and lifestyle is comfortable now I feel he got robbed of the life he was used to. WC issues also tie back to Savannahs (which I love dearly) because I didn't realize everything that status meant until after I was in the reptile hobby and already had my BRB, adopted my first Savannah as a rescue, and then learned so much more about them (I had other captive bred animals at that point, which were fabulous). I've been dedicated to the species ever since, trying to be a source of keeper help and Savannah advocacy - the import pipeline for these guys will never really go away, the best thing I can do is try to help once they get here. With 3, I just recently bred two of my BP's. I've always been fascinated by the amazing diversity of morphs and the genetics seem really well documented. I'd love to get a particular one but it's ridiculously high priced (which connects to point 4 below and volume breeders), so I gathered the genetics I would need to try and 'grow my own'. I am trying to create something, and there will be animals I adopt off to others, but I don't want to 'be a breeder' if that makes sense. It's very possible that with the odds for the morph I want in any given pairing I may never see my goal come out, and I am choosing to be OK with that. I'll either get what I'm after and stop, or I'll be happy with the lives I brought into the world along the way and stop. On 4, I don't think that one is necessarily all on you. Yes, the mantra in the hobby is always 'do your research before you buy', a BP is one of those species that *generally* are incredibly safe and accepting of human contact if they have any socialization done with them at all by their breeders. That leads me over to where I feel the true blame lies: volume breeders. When you produce so many animals that you can't spend at least a foundation of time getting them used to being handled or prepared for where they're going after they leave the breeder's care then I feel that breeder is missing the point of the hobby and focusing only on their bottom line. This kind of issue ties into incredibly densely packed racks that are nothing more than a tiny tub with a bowl of water where they toss in a rodent on a schedule, cull neonates that have any sort of abnormality, etc. It's just not right, IMO. These are living animals, not machines or toys. Re 5 - I am so sorry for your loss :( 💔This issue is new to me, I had not known that about Boas 😧 I've always loved the look of a classic true red-tail, not sure I'll have the chance to get one but if I do I'll keep this in mind!

Love how accountable you are with your learning journey. If only all people were like that. It's the most beautiful quality in a human. Love your info. Thank you.

My blue tongue. Still have her, still hates me. Since the move always hides and rarely eats. During weekly cleanings I dig her out to make sure she drinks water and she will sometimes eat. Took her to the vet, nothing. Just a little hate potato. So many videos about how friendly they are. Then when you get one like mine people just tell you "thats how some of them are."

Thanks for sharing your regrets. We learn from each other and our own mistakes. I appreciate your honesty., I've been there!

I just found your channel and absolutely love your videos!! Now it’s time to continue binging your videos!! Hehe 😂

Thanks for this video! It’s part of why this is one of my favorite channels both here and on Insta. This sort of thing helps us all reflect on why we love the animals we have and what we wouldn’t get. Admitting to mistakes is inspiring and incredibly helpful. Funny part of this- my tokay Cooper is the most gentle baby ever. Took a ton of work. However- he does not like change at all lol 😊

Thank you for sharing. It takes a lot to talk about mistakes.

Hey Trish I find watching your videos so relaxing and informative plus your honest and I think thats amazing your animals are adorable 🥰🐍

Your tokay story reminds me of the time I bought a ball python because my sister's was so chill only to get a spicey female that doesn't really enjoy being held. She's a lot calmer now, but I understand that she is an individual and not all snakes enjoy being touched and held.

Thank you for sharing. I’m glad to hear someone tell their stories that include pitfalls so other can avoid them. Sorry you learned some things the hard way, we all do sometimes. Good on your for sticking to it and growing. I have to say, I just got my first boa. Have you considered a locality boa? I’ve got no reason to think she won’t live a long happy life. She’s a Boa Longicauda. Semi-dwarf boa, only gets 5’-6’. My opinion why you don’t see grown boas as often is because most boas look better as babies. They tend turn brown or yellow as they age. They get darker. I like IMG boas, Boa Longicauda, and BCO because they look better as they age. Thanks again for the video! I look forward to when you get a boa again. Sometimes things happen and we don’t know why, I think you will have a better experience the next time. Kudos!

I relate to the not knowing if the animal is wild caught, last year I got a whites tree frog and I assumed that since it had a lot of information about the species on the box, that it would be captive bred… it was not and sadly passed away a couple months later. Thank you for mentioning it, I felt like such a bad exotic pet owner, even though it was my first ever amphibian, and I have since learned. I actually recently got a baby crestie and theyre doing great, I’m glad I made sure they were captive bred before I bought them.

I think talking about the things you regret is really useful! I also bought a wild-caught animal and I wish I had known better at the time.

Fantastic video. I like your honesty and appreciate it. Ty

My major regret was my very first snake. I'd had leopard geckos for years, but finally was at a place I could get a snake. While doing research to find what species of snake I wanted was how I discovered reptile youtubers, and I fell in love with bullsnakes thanks to Snake Discovery and Dav Kaufman. But all the nay-sayers in reptile groups said they'd be a bad beginner snake and thst my only options were a cornsnake or a ball python. And like a dummy, I listened to them. So at the next local reptile show I went and the very first ball python I saw I fell in love with. It was an enchi Desert Ghost. But I told myself to look around and see what all else there was. So after circling the whole show 3x and ear marking a fee snakes I was interested in, I ended up going to that first snake. He was super curious, which suprised me for a BP, and so I bought him. At first it was okay. He settled into his new environment. He ate good. He was handlable. Then out of nowhere I switch got flipped. He stopped eating. He only hid in his cave and didn't want to come out, no matter how cluttered his enclosure was. And he started to get bad sheds. Any time I tried to get him out he'd either huff from his ball of coils, or strike at me. After a year of dealing with the stress and frustration I rehomed him and got a bullsnake. I was kicking myself with how much easier it was. I'd gotten a hatchling, so he was super sassy. But he tamed down very quickly and became very handlable. He ate each week without fail, and explored every inch of his enclosure. I still have him, along with 50 other reptiles, including ball pythons. But none of them have held a candle to the frustration I felt with that first snake.

Thank you for sharing these mistakes so we can learn from them!

This is really educational. And proves even people who are like you that try their best can still go through this, ofc it sucks bc you feel like you did something wrong when you are doing the best as you can. But even that it gets really overwhelmed by the end. Which is understandable and really accurate if you are a beginner sence if sounds fun I got my Garter snake in 2021, they're beautiful, but I could not hold them as I would wish. I knew from the start I didn't want to really handle them, but I guess that went out the window 😅 Pythons are more my types of snakes and they're adorable Those who are looking and waitingfor you to fail are really immature people, and they themselves does things wrong but are to hurt or egotistical about it all.

I hope you try another boa someday, they are so rewarding. The handful of morphs that are thought to have issues aren’t so common that you easily risk picking one up unknowingly. Just research the breeder beforehand. I think researching breeders is just as important as researching the pet itself. ❤

LLL Reptiles is all over California and Las Vegas and yes, lots of WC. They also buy animals that keepers need to re-home so further mystery backgrounds. (Which would be fine if that was always made transparent)

So true about how animals can change attitudes … I bought a hognose from someone who said they were super feisty and struck all the time, so far she’s been an absolute dream for me and has never tried to strike

The best with boas constrictor or imperator is that there are so many localities and subspecies that are amazing enough not to consider morphs ;)

Unrelated topic but I'm raising salamander pollywogs and grass frog tadpoles and they are both early stage development so they get along really well and I made my 5 gallon tank into a naturalistic environment for the salamanders so it turns out it's great for both bc I'm implementing native snails ramshorn snails as well as bladder snails with native plants floater plants bits of bark and some of my aunt's big vine plant that grows in water and soil🙂

I really hope you get another boa- I love all boas (new and old world) Imperators are pretty hardy snakes and their temperaments are great. Morph or not they're all beautiful.

Great vid ,,,, thanks for the genetic heads up on getting a boa and what to research for to see if a certain gene genetic will cause future harm ,,, huggs '

You should get locality boas like a Dumerils. You would love them. Also the Hog island or Tarahumara mountain boa. I think you should get the Dumerils though, hands down! All calm and amazing. I used to be terrified of snakes, as well!

Wow Tricia this is such an awesome video I love it.😃👍❤️

I always wondered why someone would want a tokay. Why would you want something that would bite the shit out of you? Then I remembered I have a cat who craves violence and can't judge.

It’s definitely very weird that your boa passed away so quickly. I unfortunately don’t have enough experience to know what could’ve happened and I’m very sorry for your loss. I have two boa imperators, I’ve only had snakes for about two years , but they’re definitely by far my favourite species because of how easy they are to care for and how easy they are to feed, which really isn’t the case for all snakes. My ball Python for example, which I’ve had for only 3 months and is my first one ever, has proven difficult to feed, I’m still figuring things out, but I’m getting there. I think the fact we don’t see that many adults of snakes species that have a lot of morphs, because what you said for boas also applies to ball pythons, is probably because it is still fairly recent. You can totally find pictures of adult motley, hypo or even Aztec boas on Google but some morphs just don’t have existing adults yet, or can only be found on certain RU-vid breeder’s channels. Honestly I’d just say that for future reference, make sure to ask the breeders the right questions, like what are the genetics, how are the parents,etc. Just to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into, because honestly, and this is just my personal opinion, if it weren’t for the size most of their localities get, boas are one of the best pet snakes you can get : awesome personality, perfect feeding response, many morphs, plenty of localities that come in various sizes, and with the proper care can live up to 30 years, possibly even more.

Thanks for sharing! I think these videos are good for people like me who are thinking of getting animals and need to know the cons of these creatures too so I know if they would be right for me.

Underground reptiles also does tons of wild caught animals, not even to breed or anything, things in high numbers with high captive populations for pets.

i want a bearded dragon how do you feel about them is there alot of cost

You bought that amazing rainbow boa at pet store? Nice.

Great video :) I am researching thoroughly before I get my first reptile (so excited), I also prefer slow moving reptiles. Do you think that you would ever want to go to school for a subject like zoology or do you prefer to be self taught? I am really enjoying your content

One of my biggest regrets was my first leopard gecko, he was also my first ever gecko. I got him from pet smart without any idea about his age, health, diet, et cetera. He ended up passing on after two years and I felt so bad. I realized that well I was upgrading his substrate they sold me a terrible reptile carpet substrate that may have contributed to his death. I loved him so much but just regret how I got him.

Great video! 😊

That is what happened (I went in to check on him, and he was just gone) happened with my Brazilian Rainbow Boa. She was my best friend. She was growing SO FAST.. What the Vet said was that it was probably her heart, because she was growing so quickly. Definitely do your research, however, if they grow very quickly, it might be because they're growing too fast for their heart to keep up.

Hello! Unrelated to the content in this video, but I noticed something and had to come back and ask. I see you have Zen Habitat enclosures. How are you able to hold so much humidity in them? I use the extra plexiglass that was provided when I bought mine, but I can't get mine to stay nearly as humid as yours is.

I miss vendetta to. Boa constrictors are also my dream snake.

I had the exact same experience with LLC reptiles. They said this blue tongue skink was "farm bred" so I assumed it wouldn't act wild. For all intensive purposes I might as well have had a wild skink, there was zero chance of it every calming down and eventually I just found it another home. The entire point of buying it was to get a friendly lizard I could handle.

There are calm tokays in the world. Maybe 1 or 2 😂 if you’re looking for very cool but calm geckos I can thoroughly recommend chahoua geckos. Uroplatus gecko’s are awesome. They are easily stressed though so its unsurprising a wc specimen of satanic leaf tail died fairly quickly. If they still interest you then get a cb phant. They are fine if they’re kept properly which I’m in no doubt you would.

That’s so true about reptiles acting differently when you first get them

It’s so frustrating when you buy an animal and it’s not healthy. I got my albino hognose snake from a reptile store on Morphmarket, all their reviews seemed good and they looked like a reputable seller so I went ahead and bought her. Unfortunately, she was a weak snake from the off. I worked with her for over a year and she seemed to be improving finally and started looking like a healthy snake. But after a freak cold snap down to the minus degrees at the exact same time as my central heating crapped out I guess after everything her immune system just couldn’t take it..she developed mouth rot from the high humidity and temperature drop and despite veterinary care, me giving her betadine rinses of her mouth and antibiotic injections (given to me by the vet) she became severely septic and there was nothing I could do for her, she died in my hands a month ago. She was such a huge part of my life and I miss her so much. I don’t regret having her one bit, I was blessed to have her for the time I did and we had a great relationship. I just wish I’d been sold a healthy snake to begin with.

Feel the same about tokays, always wanted one but know what they are like. If I ever got one I would probably just release it in my greenhouse and let it eat palmetto bugs and such. The two vendors you mentioned, had a similar experience with one not being forward about wild caughts, had some issues, won’t buy from them again. The other has such a bad reputation I would never buy from them. One animal I initially regretted keeping was a sand boa we purchased from someone we trusted. The photo of it looked good, but was old. While we received the same snake it’s health had clearly declined since the photo. It was emaciated and had a minor respiratory. It was eating fine but was a food dropper, so took 3-5 attempts to get it to take food down. The respiratory was early stage so we had to keep it in a very dry room with a dehumidifier running and if it got worse we knew a vet trip would be necessary. In a few weeks the early respiratory signs went away, and it was putting on weight. It is still a food dropper so it does need extra attention and sheds like every two weeks as it is now growing like crazy. Thanks for the honest video!

I LOVE my big albino boa constrictor! She’s a giant puppy

Love the info love the truth no one else really goes into the Darkside of keep reptiles but one thing that keep distracting me is the purple line on your forehead lol

The one I loved but was the one I regret was purchasing a Chinese water dragon. Because of the humidity and tank size needed for the animal to live and swim. Also, crested geckos aren't as easy for small children as people claim.

Great video kiddo thanks

Boa keeper here as they are my favorite. I haven't heard any issues with a jungle or hypo morph. Only problem you'll find really is with super morph like motley or jungle not hypo. I only have morph boas no normals never had an issue. And most of my pets are adults.

I have a python who was extremely strikey. Person who owned him offered him to me or the unthinkable would happen.. scared babies are simply scared. I worked with him 2-3 times a week. I'm proud to say my Striker turned two recently and is a big puppy for me. Acts like a fiesty dog to others though. Definitely worth the effort. As for your boa, I'm do sorry about your loss. I have 6, in all sorts of colors. Please do think about another one. They are simply amazing creatures ❤

Really sad news about your Boa :(. I hope your find the right boa someday, had no idea about boa morphs being so hit or miss. I have a few Hog island boas that I absolutely adore.

my two i “regret” is my beardie which was my first reptile i got from petsmart which was a mistake and then with my brb i wish i got a baby, i was just so set on wanting one i got the first one i saw. i love both these animals and i will never give them away but just kinda things i regret

I got quite lucky with mine: got a crested gecko, leopard gecko and bearded dragon and they're all super chill but I'll admit I wish I did more research on the leopard gecko, just because I didn't realise how great they are at escaping O.o she's escaped twice from her cage already so I've had to put in extra measures to stop her from wandering everywhere 😂 and the bearded dragon is just a couch potato. Was thinking of getting a blue tongue skink next since they're meant to be quite tame but I think, all reptiles have their own personalities and knowing my luck the next one I get would hate me 😅

I definitely feel the BCC/BCI one, I bought my BCI Hercules back in august 2017 and he passed away literally a year and a day ago (march 12th 2022). The worst day of my life. Absolutely loved him, my dream snake and had such a beautiful pattern with a little heart on his head. I'm assuming he passed away due to IBD, he did have stargazing and other symptoms of it. I've recovered a lot since and wanna give BCC/BCI's another go, but that'll have to wait a little longer.

Backwater Reptiles now states which animals are captive bred and which are wild caught on their website. They probably still shouldn't bring in wild caught reptiles but at least they put the disclaimer now.

You MUST lose the anxiety no matter the situation. Your future reptiles can feel the difference. Next, lose your fears. FEAR NOT, and your reptiles will eventually no longer fear you! LAST: I repeat, LOSE FEAR! BUT... GAIN RESPECT/ MAKE YOUR FEARS INTO RESPECT. Respect animals and their space plus the weaponry in which they possess. Just don't fear their weapons. For example... Crocodile monitor lizards. They have extreme claws! And, teeth more fierce than that of the mighty, komodo dragon! But, you can actually tame them down into "cuddle buddies." Don't be scared that entering the enclosure could result in an opened up artery upon your body! Just use your Respect for knowing what could happen. And go on ahead and do what you have to and the animals will often remain calm

I feel this so much. 10k in the hole and was 100% ready to start the breeding process. And decided I couldn’t. I was way out of my comfort zone, way underestimated my abilities and the immense work involved. AND it goes against my morals. I have rehomed so many pets because we didn’t vibe, and I wanted them to be in a home with someone that has an affinity for them. It’s almost impossible to rehome let alone sell animals. Idk how some people do it. Rehoming them is allowing yourself to feel grief and relief.

I had no clue about the boa’s I currently have a hog island (possible BCI cross) but the next snake I want is a full bci, hopefully this issue is something there’s more research into before then.

I have a corn snake that is feisty, she has no problems with me cleaning out her enclosure and will crawl all over my hands while i'm cleaning up but as soon as i try to lift her WHAM she will strike, i have tried numerous times to get her used to be handled but she just won't tolerate it. My other reptiles and snakes are fine with being handled its just her, but she 's healthy eats and sheds perfectly so now i just respect her boundaries.

You would love Varanus Panoptes :D

I worked at a job that had tokay geckos roaming around the warehouse they would scare the heck out of me when I would bump into them.

Girl I had like 14 snakes at one point. Mix of Balls and Sumatran short tails and Columbian Boas. I also overwhelmed myself and majority of them were rehomed. I now only have one leopard gecko. And she's about all i can realistically handle reptile wise. XD

I would say with maybe 2+ years experience, I would say I'm a newbie to snakes. I have 5 snakes 3 ball pythons, a corn and a hgnose. All are pretty handle able. My mistake sofar was no one told me corns are squeamish for first few years and will bite. So I accidentally spot trained him by using blue gloves to handle him and now I have to use a blue glove to get him out, after that I can take off the glove and he is easy to handle. All except one was raised from a baby. The one I purchased as a third owner is one with corkscrew wobble, he is about 10 years old and really smart and the biggest baby, he's been around children,he's 4 1/2 ft long and about size of human arm. Keep an eye on their actions this one seems to rub against you before running off to play.

Petco had Mountain horn dragon that would not eat. They took it to vet to treat for parasites, and then I bought it. I later found out that it was wild caught because horns above eyes were clipped. I got it to eat superworms and roaches. It seems fine now but never friendly.

I think there was a fluke with Vendetta. Maybe he had a heart issue. Maybe he ate a bad reaction to a bad rat. Who knows. But I have a hypo jungle motley boa and he is amazing at almost 5 yrs old. Very healthy and alert.

FIRST! Good morning Tricia!❤️

In the 80s, nearly 25% of all reptile imports would arrive dead to several pet stores I worked for 🧐 Don't get me started on the fish trade.

Your ball python was a spider morph and that causes neurological issues. That might be why he was so aggressive and snippy.

Longevity, and the greatest conduits of appreciation to artistic expression.

Really sorry about your Boa! I think that is definitely one of every snake owners worst nightmare.

My ex wife bought a spider ball at a reptile show... I told her that was a bad move and why. The first time she tried to feed him, he kept turning himself upside down and sometimes can't properly strike... He's doing ok but he is definitely an extra work ball python

I got my chameleon from black water reptiles, and he is so stunted, and I guess he will be that way from now on. I'm sad about it couse he will never be what I really wanted.I do love him and care for him the best I can. I wish I would have known.

Man I knew what I was In for to a degree when I got my tokay, and the lizard was totally cool when I held it at the expo. But mine also hates me and attacks regularly upon putting it in a new cage

Well look at it this way sometimes you have to make a mistake in order to learn some thing

Reptiles are definitely never entirely like you had imagined they would be! You get yourself a blue tongue skink and next thing you know you're living with a sassy princess who demands to be let out of her tank early morning so that she take over ''your'' bed!

Actually I have a couple of them running around loose in the house, at least they keep the roach and cricket population down

My chameleon was so calm and sweet now she's in a 6by4 and she thinks she's wild now she hisses at me runs and hides when I try to feed her 😭

Mate. My first reptiles, 30 years ago, were bog standard anoles. Last 3 months. My Tokay was an angel... used to love the warmth of my girlfriends cleavage.. try to remove him from his comfort spot and he would LET YOU KNOW! No regrets dude... its all a learning curve.

My tokay gecko is clam she not Fiesta at all I moved her from petstore to her new cage and to a bigger cage she was totally fine there could of been something around her that could of been stressing her out

We all make mistakes, Is okay