Should Snakes Be Kept as Pets?

Snakes and other reptilian animals do not generally fall under the category of what most people consider to be "good pets". Yet others who own snakes and alligators and the likes, claim that they make wonderful pets! Who is right in this debate?

Pets in general tend to be warm, loving animals that respond to affection and return it. Snakes are not what you might consider to be cuddly! They might respond to attention, but will never offer the affection and loyalty that a dog would give a pet owner.

Snakes are not able to be trained like other pets and this can lead to problems. Several people in the past few years have let their pets roam loose, under the impression that they were tame. However, snakes are one of those animals that will never be truly tame. This has resulted in injuries from bites as well as the death of other small pets.

Snakes dislike being handled and are likely to become irritable if you are playing with them frequently. This is an obvious danger in the case of a poisonous snake, but even non-venomous ones can bite pretty hard!

Another reason not to have a snake for a pet is that, like all reptiles, they carry the salmonella bacteria on their bodies. In humans, these bacteria can cause severe health problems. If you do decide to keep any reptiles as pets, it is important that you wash your hands thoroughly after handling them.

The fact remains that many people enjoy keeping snakes, but many of the professional snake keepers (known as herpers) will tell you when asked that their animals are not pets. These creatures are fascinating and herpers enjoy studying and raising them, but they are not required to fulfill an emotional need as are regular pets.

The majority of pet-owners who keep snakes (non-herpers) bought them on impulse after seeing a show on snakes or reading about them somewhere. Instead of doing proper research, these people went out and bought their own snakes. This is a very dangerous venture. If you plan to acquire any new animal, especially an exotic one, you must do your investigations beforehand.

Snakes should always be handled correctly and non-herpers need training to learn this. They also need to learn that these creatures are not safe for children and other pets, especially large specimens such as boa constrictors that could potentially crush small children to death. While thrilling to look at and great for impressing friends, it is fair neither to the animal, nor the pet owner to keep such a snake in the house.

In conclusion, while serpents might be fun to observe in the zoo, they are not for home use. Professional herpers are well-equipped and have studied enough to be able to safely handle these creatures and they should be left to do the job. There is a good reason that these animals are kept in zoos, along with other wild animals. A pet snake is not a good idea.