Reptile lovers are a whole different category among those who love to have dogs, cats, or furry rodents as pets. It is a unique experience to take care of any reptiles; from turtles to geckos and lizards to snakes. Snakes are a popular choice among people who love to own reptiles as they are fascinating animals and most of them can tame pets with regular handling. If you wish to have a snake as a pet you should know certain things that don’t make them the right pet for everyone.
Snakes as a pet require special care from those who have the commitment and understanding to meet their needs. Those who are new to pet snakes, you should consider for a species that is best for beginners. Snakes are commonly misunderstood and are often associated with deadly incidents or even horror stories, but they make fascinating companion pets. Snakes will make a great pet for your company and stress relief, and unlike many other pets, they do not need daily walks in the park and are quiet all day and night. It is also easy to clean-up a pet snake habitat, with infrequent defecation.
There are many factors to consider before you make the decision of having a pet snake. You should do some research on different pet snake breeds, their life-span, and health requirements so that you will have a clear idea of which snake is ideal for you. While Ball Pythons, King Snakes, and Corn Snakes make a great pet, large boas and pythons aren’t suitable for most people due to their large size.
Things to consider when having a snake pet
The most important realization that you should make when making the decision of having a snake pet is that you are making it long-term. Many species live for over 20 years. The snake needs to be fed with prey animals, though previously frozen or pre-killed prey is the safest choice. You should always have some freezer space devoted to keeping frozen prey items such as rodents. A proper escape-proof enclosure should be set to prevent the snakes from escaping. Snakes are very good at escaping and are persistent about finding and squeezing through any small gaps.
As large constricting snakes are equally venomous, thus we wont recommend them as pets due to safety concerns. Wild snakes tend to be more stressed and prone to parasites and diseases so it is important to get a captive bred snake from a reputable breeder. Wild snakes will also be more difficult to tame and adapt to a new habitat.
Get a Healthy Snake
While getting a snake as a pet, you should be taking it for a cursory exam to check for any signs of illness like bubbles coming out of the nose, rotting mouth closed eyes, or retained skin. You should ask the breeder to demonstrate the feeding to make sure that the snake, especially species like Ball python is adapted to eating pre-killed prey.
Things that beginner should consider
If you are a beginner to having a snake as a pet, consider snakes such as corn snakes, king, and milk snakes and ball pythons that are a reasonable size and quite docile so that it will be easy to care for as pets. As these snakes are so popular, you easily find them from a breeder or a reptile show. Beginners should avoid petting snake species that are constricting, venomous, or more difficult to care for such as boa constrictors, Burmese pythons, tree boas or pythons, water snakes, or green snakes. Snakes like reticulated pythons, anacondas, and any venomous snakes shouldn’t be kept as a pet by anyone, as they are potentially very dangerous to owners and others around them.
Where to get the snake from?
While getting a snake as a pet, you should ensure that they are not stolen from their natural habitats for a lucrative industry that treats them badly. You should be getting the snake only from ethical breeders. When having a snake pet you should ensure them with the two most important things – spectrum lighting and precise lights. They dislike contact with humans and holding, touching, petting, or passing them around makes them stressed and prone to illness and injury. It is more likely that injuries on your snakes go unnoticed and untreated as they are not able to whine, yelp, or flinch.
Many owners who have once considered snakes as “must-have pets” have quickly turned out to find them as an inconvenient burden.
Therefore, choose wisely before you decide to get snakes as pets! If you like this article, do check out other articles are YoDoozy such as Snakes that kill in a wink, Labrador Retrievers are the best pets!
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