How to Choose Your First Pet Snake: 14 Steps

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 10:50

Choosing your first pet snake can be a stressful process. Buying the right pet snake and gear is the easiest way to ensure your relationship with your reptile friend is long-lasting and happy!

Step

Part 1 of 4: Choosing the Right Kind

Step 1. Know what kind of snake you want

Below are some options to consider:

• Snakes vary in size from small to large. The length of a large snake can reach 10 m, therefore most people prefer a small snake. Small snakes need a smaller cage and less food than large snakes.

  

• Many snakes prefer to eat mice, but choose a snake that prefers fish, snails, etc. It is easier to feed snakes with food that can be stored in the refrigerator than to feed live animals.

  

• Some snakes are very easy to care for, while others are not. Think about how much you want to play with your pet snake.

  

• Some types of snakes have venom. Most people will not buy a rattlesnake or cobra.

  

Step 2. Choose a type of snake that is easier to care for

There are several types of tame snakes that you should consider when choosing your first pet snake. There are types of snakes that are calm and quite easy to care for.

• The corn snake is probably the easiest type of snake to care for because it can be touched and tamed easily. There is an active and curious species of snake that is very fond of crawling on your belongings.

  

• You can also keep ribbon snakes, pigs, king snakes, and milk snakes, which share the same characteristics as other snakes in the Colubrid family.

  

• If you want a snake that is less active and moves slowly, the ball python or ball python is the best choice. This type of snake is not very large and likes to roll in the palm of your hand or crawl around your neck.

  

Step 3. Choose the type of snake based on the presence or absence of small children in your home

Children will play with pet snakes more often than adults. The minimum age for children to keep snakes is 5 years.

Corn snakes and ball pythons are great choices for children because they are very friendly, move slowly, won't grow too big, and won't die quickly

Step 4. Know the type of snake you will keep

If you don't buy your pet snake from a trusted source, you can find snakes that look similar and it can be very difficult to know which species of snake to buy without the help of an expert.

Step 5. Identify the type of snake that is not suitable for someone who is new to snakes

Anacondas, reticulated pythons, rattlesnakes, and Burmese pythons can be very dangerous if their owners can't take care of them and don't have locked cages. It is better for these species to be cared for by someone more skilled. These types of snakes also require special care. That is, the slightest mistake can lead to a fatal accident!

Part 2 of 4: Making sure to choose the type of snake you want

Step 1. Check the lifespan of the type of snake you choose

Before you're sure you want to keep a snake, keep in mind that some species can live for more than 30 years. This means that you have a long-term commitment to caring for them and you must be one hundred percent sure of your decision.

Step 2. Make sure you can take care of it

Each type of snake has different needs, both in terms of equipment and food. The more difficult types of snakes to care for require extra supervision to maintain room temperature, humidity and type of food. Doing research first is very important and is your first step before raising a snake.

• Corn snakes and ball pythons are both docile, but ball pythons can't tolerate room temperatures below 24° C. If it gets cold in your home, you'll need to warm up your reticulated python cage.

  

• The shoot snake is a very attractive type of snake – it only eats lizards. You will have to go the extra mile to feed these snakes if you buy them.

  

Part 3 of 4: Choosing the Right Place to Buy Snakes

Step 1. Check wild caught snakes with the authorities before keeping them

Sometimes, children bring wild snakes caught in the wild, and these types of snakes turn out to be very dangerous! If you are a citizen of the United States, you can check the type of snake with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) or the United States Department of the Interior.to check.

Step 2. Choose an authorized breeder or pet store

The smuggling of exotic animals is a big business that can lead to the extinction of rare species.

Step 3. Pay attention to the behavioral problems that contraband animals commonly suffer from

Animals caught from the wild and smuggled to different continents have the following problems:

• Increased aggressiveness. Captured wild snakes will appear stressed and confused when placed in a smaller environment. This can make the snake savage and more aggressive.

  

• You will have a hard time feeding contraband because of their high stress levels. Second, the snake will not want to eat until it adjusts to its cage.

  

• You may find parasites in snakes that live in the wild and require expensive veterinary care.

  

Step 4. Know that it is best to keep snakes bred by a trusted breeder

Even if you get a snake from a distant friend and you don't know whether the snake was well cared for or not, make long-term implications for caring for the snake in the future.

• The Craigslist site (a classifieds site that advertises a variety of things) is full of people looking to get rid of their pet snake, but it's a bad place to keep snakes for the reasons above. However, you can get a snake for free from there.

  

• The reptile fair is a fun place to get your snake, and exhibitors there will be more knowledgeable than the pet shop staff. However, it is very difficult to determine which breeding sites are trusted and which are not.

  

Part 4 of 4: Taking Care of Your New Pet Snake

Step 1. Read on how to care for and feed your pet snake

There are plenty of wikiHow articles covering all kinds of snakes you can read. Talking to fellow snake owners and learning from them is also a good thing to do.

Step 2. Watch videos online on how to care for snakes

Step 3. Take good care of the snake

Snakes are amazing animals if you take care of them and feed them properly, give them a home and hold them in the right way. Research has confirmed that: “the more you know, the better chance you have of doing something right and the happier your relationship will be.”

Tips

• Gentle snakes such as the garter snake, corn snake, and ball python are suitable as first pets for both children and adults.
• Ask other snake owners about their snake, how to care for it, and any problems they have.
• If you like snakes, research the breed first and make a wise choice. Keeping snakes is a big responsibility. Do not forget that many people are afraid of snakes. Practice tolerance and respect for them.
• Use sources such as journals, websites, and forums to research different species of snakes and to find trusted snake breeders in your area.

Warning

• Remember, any animal with a mouth can bite. Although there are some types of snakes that are docile and almost never bite, there is always the possibility of an accident when feeding them. Use tongs when feeding your snake to keep your hands away from the snake's mouth. Always wash your hands after touching a rodent or bird before handling your snake so you don't smell like food. It's possible that your snake can smell the animals they used to feed on you, and decide to "taste" you first.
• Keeping a snake is a long term commitment and if you can't commit to caring for a snake for at least 30 years, don't!