3 Myth Busting Facts About Keeping Pet Snakes

Perhaps no other type of pet on the planet has more of a bad rap than the snake. If you keep a pet snake, it seems you are automatically labeled as crazy, or massively misinformed about the true nature of snakes. The truth of the matter is that pet snakes are a safe and rewarding pet choice, assuming that you pick the right kind. Just as some dogs are more aggressive and dangerous, so too are some breeds of pet snakes. Here are five myth busting facts about keeping pet snakes that you might not know, and that may open your eyes to a brand new pet choice:

Myth Buster Number One - Most Pet Snakes are Harmless

The vast majority of pet snakes that people keep are completely safe, and could not hurt you even if they chose to try. People automatically assume that all snakes are dangerous, when in reality there are few that really pose a risk. Only the larger snakes and those that are venomous are truly dangerous, and those should not be kept as pets by beginners anyway. Garter snakes, ball pythons, corn snakes and many other species of pet snakes are completely harmless as pets go.

Myth Buster Number Two - Pet Snakes Are Easy to Keep

While there are certain species of snakes that are challenging to keep, most snakes are very easy. A simple, secure enclosure, a water source, a heat lamp, some places to hide, and occasional feedings are about all that a pet snake requires most of the time. Even feedings are rather easy as most snakes eat very little. Keep the cage clean, and the snake fed and watered, and you will have a happy snake.

Myth Buster Number Three - Snakes Do Not Want To Bite You

Snakes and biting seem to be forever linked, and it could not be more unfair to the snake. Snakes do not want to bite you, no matter what you might have heard. Even the most venomous of snakes do not want to bite. Snakes bite for two reasons; self defense and food. If your pet snake is biting you in self defense, then you are begging for it. You are either messing around with it and trying to antagonize it, or you surprised it. Snakes do not view humans as a food source, except for the reticulated python or the anaconda. Those two snakes should never be kept as pets, so that should not be an issue. Many would argue that even those two breeds will not attempt to eat humans, but that is another argument. Venomous snakes most certainly do not want to bite us, as it is a waste of their venom. They need that venom to eat and defend themselves in the wild, so biting humans makes no sense.

These three myths are the primary reasons that people avoid snakes for pets, and it is interesting that so many people are misinformed. The truth is, pet snakes are far less dangerous than even a pet dog or cat, yet people still vilify them out of ignorance. Hopefully these three myth busting facts will help to explain those fears away.