[kitschyduck]

I'm just getting into pine snakes and was wondering what the difference between pines, bulls and gophers are. I worked out from Wikipedia that they're all pits/Pituophis, but now I'm wondering which ones are best for me if I were to buy a snake in the future.

 

[PESKY]

pitouphis are a fantastic group of snakes brilliant to hear you've got into pines. to be honest theres not a massive amount of difference they all have the same habitat and husbandry requirements and they are often all vocal, by that i mean threatening behaviour like hissing and tail rattling, however this is 99% of the time a bluff and once out their viv they are much calmer. i guess the only real difference is size, if your wanting something small and corn sized go for a san diego gopher, Al Stotton on here breeds some fantastic examples, and also some nice little pines. if your wanting something big get a bull or a sonoran gopher or as you sound like you have done a nice pine. there loads of morphs and a fair few localities of all gopher pines and bulls so theres plenty of choice. Their very inquisitive and IMO inteligent snakes, most of mine watch me with a very unique 'pit' look whilst im in my reptile room. great snakes that look stunning and 9 times out of ten feed no problem. great choice of snake and i hope you have as much enjoyment as me working with these snakes: victory:

p.s if you want to ask anything else about pits feel free to pm me

 

[Snakey Josh]

To be honest they are all very similar in size etc, I would go mainly on what you like the look of - I personally like northern pine snakes over the mexican pines etc, but I could never work out anything after that! I found a bloke a while ago selling a few morphs of bull snakes - albino, white sides, ghosts etc, and I got myself a ghost white sided - best decision ever, he's an absolutely lovely snake, growing like a weed!

I've worked with a fairly grumpy bull, but even then if you handled her right, she'd tolerate you.. ha ha, but from my personal bull snake, they are a pleasure to own! And yeah, I'd just go with the colour/pattern you like if your not sure between all the different pits, here's a little pic of my guy:

Hope this helps!

Josh

 

[Snakey Josh]

PESKY is definitely more knowledgeable than me on pits :2thumb: I'd agree with the feeding bit completely, fantastic eaters!

Josh

 

[kitschyduck]

Thanks so much for the replies! I don't know what it is about the snake section, but you guys are so helpful and friendly .

Good eaters? That's good to hear! Seth, my milk snake has been a problem eater ever since I got him seven years ago. He's always been underweight and has wasted many a mouse!

From all the care sheets I've read it sounds like these pits are pretty feisty, but I'm up for the challenge of taming and would love a snake with more personality (no offence to Seth!).

I was going to wait a few years for a pine, but the more I read up on these snakes, the more I want one nowwww. (or maybe a young male and female to breed in the future). I didn't even have the room for more vivariums, but I've found a way I can move around all the vivariums to make it work lol.

I think I like the Northern pines best from what I've seen so far. I think I'm drawn to medium-sized snakes with round pupils. Black pines are especially gorgeous, although the normal colouration is really nice too. I think I'll aim to get a species that grows 6ft-7ft as my milk snake looks like a shoe laces to me nowadays (though I still love him to bits! lol)

 

[PESKY]

Thanks so much for the replies! I don't know what it is about the snake section, but you guys are so helpful and friendly .

Good eaters? That's good to hear! Seth, my milk snake has been a problem eater ever since I got him seven years ago. He's always been underweight and has wasted many a mouse!

From all the care sheets I've read it sounds like these pits are pretty feisty, but I'm up for the challenge of taming and would love a snake with more personality (no offence to Seth!).

I was going to wait a few years for a pine, but the more I read up on these snakes, the more I want one nowwww. (or maybe a young male and female to breed in the future). I didn't even have the room for more vivariums, but I've found a way I can move around all the vivariums to make it work lol.

I think I like the Northern pines best from what I've seen so far. I think I'm drawn to medium-sized snakes with round pupils. Black pines are especially gorgeous, although the normal colouration is really nice too. I think I'll aim to get a species that grows 6ft-7ft as my milk snake looks like a shoe laces to me nowadays (though I still love him to bits! lol)

there no where near as bad as people make out, they come from the same area's as a lot of rattle snakes, they try and mimick this with their rattling and hissing, once in hand they are no more aggressive than most other snakes, obviousley you get exceptions but you do with every type of snake.

if you like pines thats great, especially northern as they get to exactly what size you want around 5-7 foot, females being bigger.

i too love black piens but there fairly rare in the hobby, if you find a supplier let me know! ive been after a pair for a while.

 

[PESKY]

To be honest they are all very similar in size etc, I would go mainly on what you like the look of - I personally like northern pine snakes over the mexican pines etc, but I could never work out anything after that! I found a bloke a while ago selling a few morphs of bull snakes - albino, white sides, ghosts etc, and I got myself a ghost white sided - best decision ever, he's an absolutely lovely snake, growing like a weed!

I've worked with a fairly grumpy bull, but even then if you handled her right, she'd tolerate you.. ha ha, but from my personal bull snake, they are a pleasure to own! And yeah, I'd just go with the colour/pattern you like if your not sure between all the different pits, here's a little pic of my guy:

image

Hope this helps!

Josh

lovely little ghost bull josh, if you dont mind me asking could you pm me the details of where you got it from and the price you paid? if you ever want to sell give me a shout would be a great adddition to my breeding group. do you know the gentics of yours? i.e the parents?

 

[Snakey Josh]

I didn't even have the room for more vivariums, but I've found a way I can move around all the vivariums to make it work lol.

Ha ha, I love this, there's always more room to be made for another viv! I have already started eyeing up cupboards and other furniture, weighing up just how useful they are, or whether they need to be replaced with viv's..

Josh

 

[Snakey Josh]

PESKY, I tried sending you a PM, but your inbox is full? Let me know when you have some space and I'll send it again

Josh

 

[kitschyduck]

Ha ha, I love this, there's always more room to be made for another viv! I have already started eyeing up cupboards and other furniture, weighing up just how useful they are, or whether they need to be replaced with viv's..

Josh

I already have a reptile room stocked to the ceiling (not a lot of reptiles in there, just massive vivs for them!), so any new snakes will have to stack up in the living room!

Just a small question though, am I right in thinking that if I find hatchlings, they'll be alright in RUBs with a heatmat under half of them until they're big enough/I can afford 4x2x2 vivs?
Seth was 3 years old when got him and went straight into a 3ft viv, so I've never had a baby snake before.

 

[Snakey Josh]

Yeah, I keep hatchlings and smaller snakes in rubs! I prefer viv's, but rubs do the job just fine!

Josh

 

[PESKY]

a rub ias fine but they are very active snakes somake sure whilst its a baby and in a rub its got a fair bit of room, they dont tend to be scared of big spaces like some snakes.

josh ive free'd up some space if you want to pm me again

 

[Paul F]

Both mine went straight into 4ft viv's with no problems at all, the gopher at 14" :whistling2:
The pine is more shy, so uses her cover if she spooks, until she decides it's time to start doing laps, and the gopher is bold as brass and never uses his hides until he starts to blue up : victory:
The gopher will probably stay in that viv (he is usually out and about for longer than my other snakes) and the pine will probably go in a 6ft'er as she matures.

 

[kitschyduck]

I just called all the reptile shops in norwich and it seems all I could find were albino gophers.

Funny to hear they're not spooked by big spaces! Awh, I can't wait to find some!!!

 

[Snakey Josh]

a rub ias fine but they are very active snakes somake sure whilst its a baby and in a rub its got a fair bit of room, they dont tend to be scared of big spaces like some snakes.

josh ive free'd up some space if you want to pm me again

Done :2thumb:

Josh