A snake can be a really great pet, especially for a person with allergies. Snakes are attractive and decorating their enclosures can be a lot of fun. If gotten young and handled frequently, they are usually easy to handle and, like all reptiles and amphibians have no fur or dander, which means no sneezing, watery eyes or dust-busting stray hairs off the furniture. Snakes are generally low maintenance. It is not uncommon for constrictors to eat only two or three times in a month. A snake’s enclosure has to be cleaned much less frequently than a litter box, although enclosure maintenance will vary significantly from one species to another. Some snakes will live in enclosures that need attention as little as once a week or so, while others may need a quick once over two or three times a week.
Playing with Your Pet Snake
The big down side for a lot of pet owners is that snakes are really not much for playing around. A snake raised in captivity and handled frequently may be relatively docile, but there is no such thing as a tame snake. Snakes are not social creatures and have tiny, reptile brains. They will never really be a family pet in any traditional sense. To a snake, the only thing that separates the snake’s owner from the snake’s food is that the one keeps it full of the other. If a snake is not fed enough there is a very good chance that snake will try to eat its owner.
In cases in which the snake is only three or four feet long, this can be shocking and, sometimes, amusing, but still a terrible way to build a pet/owner relationship. If the snake is a ten foot Columbian Boa, this can be very dangerous. So that is the first thing to keep in mind when purchasing a snake; it is a commitment to keep the snake fed, watered and provided for. Even if the snake’s every need is provided for, it is also important to keep in mind that snakes often live fifteen to twenty years. In that amount of time, there is every possibility that the pet owner is going to make a mistake, or the snake will just be in a foul mood, and the owner is going to get bitten. For these reasons, it is very important that first time snake owners consider getting smaller and more docile snakes.
Here is a very useful list for beginners, to which should be added the North American Rosy Boa. Because they are native to North America, rosy boas are generally comfortable in the temperatures of the average North American home. They will need a heat source on one end of the enclosure, as well as a place to bask, but room temperature is fine at night and on the cool end of the enclosure. The rosy boa is also a docile and relatively small constrictor; they rarely exceed three and a half feet in length. Also, because they are native to the North American desert, rosy boas are low maintenance, even for a snake. They need water provided for a couple of days each week. If a rosy boa’s owner needs to go out of town, it is no big deal to make sure the snake is fed, provide a bowl of water, set the heat lamp or pad on a timer and take off.
Care and Feeding
Snakes generally eat live food, or at least food that was once alive and running about. Certain feeding practices can promote docile behavior in a pet snake. For smaller snakes that eat bugs, this is not really an issue. Live bugs can usually just be placed in the snake's enclosure, and the snake will eat at its leisure. For larger snakes, especially constrictors, it is a good idea to remove the snake from its enclosure during feeding time and place it in a separate container that is used exclusively for feeding. The snake will not be living in this enclosure, so it can be as simple as a large, easy to clean Tupperware type container with small air holes in the lid. This will help the snake learn not to strike at everything that enters its enclosure. For unusually aggressive snakes, or sometimes just for ease of storage and the snake's safety, it is a good idea to feed the snake frozen mice that have been thawed by sitting out at room temperature.
Concerning a snake's enclosure, there are a lot of products on the market that a snake does not need. Some products are even bad for a snake. Before purchasing substrate for a snake's enclosure, it is a good idea to know what the snake's natural environment is like. The wrong substrate can be harmful, for instance reptile sand for a snake that needs a naturally humid environment could dry the snake out and irritate its skin. Another big mistake made by new snake owners is purchasing hot rocks. Most snakes can handle a hot rock, but most also do not need one. The heat from a lamp or undertank heater is plenty, and for some snakes hot rocks can be dangerously hot.
A Quick Review
Snakes are clean, affordable and attractive pets. They are also non-allergenic, quiet and generally will not stink up a house. While they are good pets, they are not, necessarily, pets the whole family can play with and may bite if startled, mishandled, mistreated or underfed. When purchasing one and building and decorating its enclosure, research the snake's natural environment and try to recreate it as thoroughly as time and budget allow. Finally, keep in mind that not every product marketed to snake owners is needed or even good for the snake. The makers of a lot of pet products are more interested in the consumer's money than they are in a pet's well being.
Beau Harmon - Beau is a Mensan and graduate of Oklahoma State University. His interests range from balloon animals and robots to the depths of ...
