Snakes as Pets: Not for Everyone

By Leslie Brown

Snakes have a long history of being scary creatures. Many people believe that all snakes are dangerous, slimy creatures. Some people are drawn to them, while others back away in fear. Not many people think of them as pets, and they are certainly not right for everyone. Snakes should be kept only by those who are committed to understanding and meeting their unique needs.

Throughout history, snakes have represented both good and evil. Some of the fascination with them comes from the fact that they have no legs, which makes them sort of mysterious.

With the proper care and handling, snakes can actually be quite tame, but it depends on the type of snake you get. When choosing a snake, you are making a long-term commitment, as many can be expected to live longer than 20 years.

Large constrictor snakes or venomous snakes do not make good pets. These snakes should only be handled by professionals. Snakes to avoid are Boa constrictors, Burmese pythons, Tree boas or pythons, water snakes, and green snakes. Snakes that are not recommended at all as pets are snakes that are potentially very dangerous to their owners or others around them, including Reticulated pythons and Anacondas.

If large constrictor snakes escape or are released into the environment, they can multiply rapidly and prey on native wildlife, depleting vulnerable species. Recently, The U.S. government proposed new rules that would help end the dangerous trade in large constrictor snakes, such as Burmese pythons, as pets.

If you are new to pet snakes, be aware of which species are the best snakes for beginners. If possible, get a captive-bred snake from a reputable breeder. Wild caught snakes tend to be more stressed and prone to parasites and disease, and are more difficult to tame.

It is often less expensive to buy a wild caught snake over a captive bred one. However, when you consider the rate of illness and parasitism in wild caught snakes, as well as the rate of mortality, it is often much less expensive in the long run to purchase captive bred than to treat or replace a sick, wild caught snake.

Snakes are amazingly strong. Consider the fact that virtually every muscle in their body can be used for constricting when they decide to.

Whichever type of snake you choose, new owners should be familiar with the appropriate care and feeding, the behavioral characteristics, and the commitment required to keep the snake. When getting any snake, you should try and observe a feeding demonstration to make sure that it eats pre-killed prey. You must be willing to feed prey animals to your snake--frozen, pre-killed prey, such as rodents, are the best choice. Most snakes eat rodents, frogs, insects, or other snakes. Make sure that you will be comfortable with this.

For a beginner snake, Corn snakes, King and Milk snakes, and Bally pythons are some of the more docile, reasonably sized, and fairly easy to care for as pets.

Despite your best efforts and intentions, you will encounter people who fear snakes, and will not or cannot overcome this fear.

A snake won't come when you call it, or fetch a ball for you, but watching it explore, eat, and sleep can have a strange, soothing effect. Snakes can teach you that there is value in a patient, unhurried approach to life, and that you need only to jump into action when necessary.

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