Gifts for snake collector?
December 8, 2009 10:58 AM
Help me find a gift for a snake fancier or amateur herpetologist.
I need a gift for an experienced keeper of pet snakes, or amateur herpetologist. Recipient collects snakes, probably has most of the common tools for doing so, so I want something that is not essential but will add to his joy. Perhaps a basking rock (???) for a snake? A nice terrarium/aquarium?
No kitsch please: no snake mugs, or "Snake Master" aprons. And nothing live; I don't know what he has now.
Gifts in $50-$100 range would be best.
Thanks!
I need a gift for an experienced keeper of pet snakes, or amateur herpetologist. Recipient collects snakes, probably has most of the common tools for doing so, so I want something that is not essential but will add to his joy. Perhaps a basking rock (???) for a snake? A nice terrarium/aquarium?
No kitsch please: no snake mugs, or "Snake Master" aprons. And nothing live; I don't know what he has now.
Gifts in $50-$100 range would be best.
Thanks!
If he catches snakes in the wild a book like this might be good. A little less money than you want to spend but you could get additional books or other gifts if you want to. The tongs and hooks on this page look nice and are the sort of thing that even a dedicated amateur herpetologist might not have, preferring to save money by going with a homemade version.
posted by TedW at 11:20 AM on December 8, 2009
posted by TedW at 11:20 AM on December 8, 2009
How about a gift certificate from wherever he gets his frozen or live mice and rats? You could also pick up a copy of Reptile magazine at the pet store and thumb through it for ideas.
- Son has King snake in his room - I've come to appreciate snakes after having one in the house for a few years.
posted by COD at 12:23 PM on December 8, 2009
- Son has King snake in his room - I've come to appreciate snakes after having one in the house for a few years.
posted by COD at 12:23 PM on December 8, 2009
Crap, I never check my MefiMail; iconomy summoned me to this thread when it was still relevant. And while it's too late for orthogonality, I can add my two cents for future reference purposes.
Best idea would be a book he doesn't already have. An experienced snake keeper will likely already have, or no longer need, pet-care manuals from Barron's or TFN, but there are an awful lot of semi- to hella-expensive field guides and monograph-style books about snakes from all over the world. Zoo Book Sales keeps an excellent inventory of such books; their catalogue is worth browsing just for ideas, even if you end up buying it on Amazon or suchlike.
The trick is knowing what books he already has, and what species he's interested in (though, honestly, even though I specialize in North American non-venomous species, I'd still appreciate a book on African venomous species).
posted by mcwetboy at 9:04 AM on January 13, 2010
Best idea would be a book he doesn't already have. An experienced snake keeper will likely already have, or no longer need, pet-care manuals from Barron's or TFN, but there are an awful lot of semi- to hella-expensive field guides and monograph-style books about snakes from all over the world. Zoo Book Sales keeps an excellent inventory of such books; their catalogue is worth browsing just for ideas, even if you end up buying it on Amazon or suchlike.
The trick is knowing what books he already has, and what species he's interested in (though, honestly, even though I specialize in North American non-venomous species, I'd still appreciate a book on African venomous species).
posted by mcwetboy at 9:04 AM on January 13, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Madamina at 11:15 AM on December 8, 2009