Is Owning a Snake Right for You?

Snakes are a growing fad pet to own, but do you understand the responsibilities involved in keeping one of these beautiful creatures? Many people fail to think many things through before making such a purchase.

Snakes are a species like no other, and when left to human care, often suffer due to neglect, lack of time, and lack of education. The first thing you will need to take into consideration is the cost of the things you must have to keep a snake successfully. Depending on the size of your snake you will need an adequate enclosure with proper ventilation. You will need a security measure to prevent your snake from an escape or release by a small child. You will need heat lamps with both day and night bulbs as well as an under tank heating pad. As far as bedding inside the enclosure, I prefer natural bark or pine. Some snakes like to burrow, so you will want to allow for that when filling. they will need a water container large enough for them to curl up and soak in, as this is essential to successful shedding of the skin. And depending on your personal preferences, you will need to have readily available, once a week, a live or dead mouse or rat. Another item that snakes love, while optional, is a cave of some sort they can hide in. Most snakes like to have their privacy. Other species will need a branch of some sort to drape over as they would in nature. Tanks can range in price, from around $30 for a 10 gallon to several hundred for a 100 gallon or larger. Heating lamps are about $20 and under tank heaters about $40 to $60. Bedding, which will need to be changed at least bi-weekly, runs between $7 to $20 a bag. Water dishes come in many styles, a basic plastic dish is relatively inexpensive, while the more ornate natural stone varieties can be more costly. Mice and rat prices depend on the time of year, breeder availability, and size. generally speaking, a mouse will cost about $2 to $3, a smaller rat about $5, and large rats about $8 to $10. Owning a snake is not an investment to be taken lightly.

If you have a young children in your home, you might be curious about the safety of owning a snake. Speaking from experience I think introducing young children to snakes is a wonderful idea. Teaching them from a young age to respect and understand these creatures can be a very rewarding experience. I live with a 2 year old and she absolutely adores my snakes. While one of them is too large for her to handle, she often gets to hold and enjoy my small Ball Python. If a child is introduced to a snake at a young age, it is much less likely that they will fear or mistreat a snake in the future.

Owning a snake is not for the feint of heart. If you cannot handle allowing your pet to consume another live/dead animal, then it is likely that a snake is not for you. It is very important to keep them fed as closely as nature will allow. Unfortunately, unlike many animals, alternatives such as dry and canned foods simply are not an option.

Once you have carefully reviewed all the costs and responsibilities of owning and caring for a snake, you will likely want to know, which snake should you purchase? There are a couple of excellent choices for beginners. One, is the Ball Python, which is my personal favorite. These are the most laid back and gentle snakes I have ever encountered. They only get an average of 4 to 6 feet in length, which makes them an excellent choice if you have limited space. Another great beginner snake is the Corn Snake, also a very docile species. They come in vibrant bright colors and grow from 3 to 5 feet in length. if you are interested in a snake that will grow much larger and are ready for a huge responsibility, you might consider owning a Burmese Python. One of the larger species of snakes in the world, they can grow from 15 to 20 feet in length! While they do get massive in size, these snakes are usually relatively easy to handle. I do not recommend starting off with most species of boa, however, if you do choose a boa, a Columbian Red Tail Boa, commonly referred to as a Boa Constrictor, is a great choice. These snakes also get fairly large, growing from 8 to 14 feet. While they are a little more unpredictable, they can be an excellent addition to your family with proper handling and taming.

Hopefully, this will help you in making a well-informed decision about purchasing a snake. I must warn you though, that once you have one, there is no turning back. Snakes are an addiction like no other!