Snakes as Pets

Are you considering one of our slithery, legless friends as a pet? Well, you're not alone. The everglades are populated with discarded pet snakes that got too big, or too inconvenient for their owners to take care of but before you decide to take the plunge and buy yourself a new little buddy, you should consider a few things.

1. They won't know who you are
Dogs and cats will always know you as their owner and will interact with you. Unfortunately, snakes do not have the capacity to know you as anything other than a source of warmth. They are much more driven by instinct than other traditional pets. They're pretty low-interaction except when they're ready to be fed so if you want a pet to be your companion, a snake probably won't be it. In this sense, it's not unlike having a pet fish. Snakes are also well known escape artists, and when they leave they won't "come home" the way lassie does.

2. Food source
Some snakes get very, very big. It might not be a big deal to feed them a feeder mouse once in awhile, but as snakes grow and develop there's a chance that you'll need bigger feeders! Can you imagine feeding your pet a bunny rabbit?

3. The novelty wears off
After awhile, the cool factor of having a pet snake wears off. Without the loving interaction of a dog or cat, they basically turn into a piece of decoration that needs to be fed once in awhile. Most people get pet snakes because it's different, it's cool, and it's even a little freaky. Then, after awhile, one of your friends with a phobia might suddenly stop hanging out with you and the inconvenience of having that slithery thing will outweigh the benefits.

What are the benefits of having snakes? Well, the aforementioned coolness factor is a big one. How many people have pet snakes? Not many. They are also low-maintenance. Very low maintenance! You can also choose the type of snake carefully to make sure that your cute little buddy doesn't grow into a behemoth! It would be cool to have a twenty foot snake, but it also gets a little tricky if they escape and also a little scary. Remember, snakes are strong little things - they have to be because of how they move! - and the bigger the snake, the more you will have to deal with.