For the purposes of this article, I'll be discussing non-venomous, constriction snakes.
Why Keep SnakesSnakes are amazing creatures, with some interesting behaviours and come in striking colour patterning. They also all have distinct personalities and will react differently to different situations and are capable of learning to a certain extent, but they won't learn their own names
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Further to this, snakes are more widely accepted as "pets" then scorpions.
ConstrictionAs mentioned above, this article only discusses constriction snakes, like corn snakes. These kill prey by tightening their bodies around their prey until they expire and then devour them, whole. Watching a snake eat something in front of you is quite an experience in of itself.
Buying The SnakeBefore you make the commitment to the snake, it is vitally important that you do your research. A couple of questions should be asked before you think of committing.
- Do you want a snake because you find them fascinating to watch?
- Do I have the time in the long term to properly care for the pet?
- Am I willing to put up with handling the food items?
- Do you have enough room to properly care for your snake?
- Is the food readily available and affordable?
If the answer to all of the above questions is a yes, then you should able be to keep a snake properly.
Some good species to keep as a beginner are list below, along with a images of them:
It is important that whichever you collect as your first snake, do your research. You can find the care sheets for the above animals online, and you may want to ask the shop clerk/owner how much he knows about the snakes he's selling. If he is quite knowledgable, then your in good hands, if not then you'll have to go with the flow so to speak.
When you go to buy a snake, you'll see what sort of set up will be required to house a snake, although this isn't always a good indication. Some shops sell more then they can keep confortably in their ideal conditions (usually in smaller tanks so they can store more pets in the space available).
It is always a good idea when buying a pet snake to handle them before hand. This not only helps with your peace of mind (so that you know you can handle them safely and securely) but also helps you get an idea about the perspective snakes' personality.
The TankThe tank is crucial to your snake's happiness. A good tank will have the following:
- Escape proof lid/entrance is essential
- Heat source (usually at one end of the tank to create a "temperature gradient" - basically means it's hotter at one end and allows the snake to choose it's own temperature)
- Some where for the snake to hide
- If the snake is aborial, somewhere to climb up is a good idea
- Water dish
Most of this equipment can be purchased at the pet store or improvised (water dish could be just a small plastic dish/hides can be made from boxes etc).
One note though, a snake will escape if the lid isn't always secured (we have to keep several weighty items on our tank just to stop Riddick getting out).
The size of the tank will also play an important part of your decision. A corn snake will require a 3ft by 2ft tank when fully grown to be happy in, therefore if you don't have the space for that, but you still want a snake, then you'll have to go with a small species, like a grass snake.
Feeding SnakesSnakes usually feed on mice. The size of the mouse is dependent upon the size of the snake your feeding. Usually you want to give the snake food which is 1.5 times the girth (aka thickness) of the snake as a good guide.
It is also important to note that it may be illegal to feed your snake live mice as it is often seen as inhumane towards the mice. If in doubt, buy frozen, pre-killed mice for your snake and be sure to thaw them out completely before giving them to your snakes. Most snake species will accept food twice a week (I feed mine on a Saturday and a Wednesday) and any uneaten food is removed form the tank the day after.
Some snakes (notably the Grass snake above) doesn't eat mice, but rather insects. Please consult your dealer/caresheets for such information.
Another thing is that it is completely normal for a snake to stop eating for a while. This is due to seasonal changes in the snake's body chemicals, stress, improper care/houseing or just because the snake doesn't feel like eating. This shouldn't pose much of a health risk as long as the snake remains active and not excessively underweight.Feeding StrategiesMany breeders have different methods of feeding snakes, and although most work some of the time, some snakes prefer one method over another. For example, Kharn (who passed away after escaping :'() would only eat food that had it's head cut off (very disgusting but when it's the only way to get him to eat, you'll be amazed at what you'll do
). A small list of breeding stategies are shown below.
Show it to them: Sometimes you'll get a snake that is amazingly easy to feed. Just stick a food item in front and they'll dart at it and eat.
Slow and purposeful: Steth, the snake I've had the longest only eats if left to herself and she'll lick around the dead mouse for up to half an hour before deciding to eat... Just leave them to and they'll eat (hopefully).
The bloodening: Sometimes a snake will only eat if it can smell blood. Cut a small nick in the mouse and allow the snake to smell the mouse. Always worth trying if your snake hasn't eaten in a while.
The "encounter": Some snakes like to "encounter" their food in their travels. Usually means you allow your snake to wander and placing the mouse in a place where the snake will come upon it and find it itself.
Harassment: This has worked a few times, but is rather risky. It's worked with Dangerous Danny in the past. This basically means you keep nudging the snake with the mouse until the snake turns around to bite whatever is annoying it. Feeding may insue or you may get bit.
Handling SnakesSnakes are fun to handle and depending upon their size and temperament, can be easy to handle. It is important to note that snakes had different personalities and this must be taken into account until you fully understand your snake's temperament.
Picking them up is pretty easy, since all you have to do is reach down (slowly otherwise you might spook the snake and trigger a reaction) and pick up your snake. This may trigger a reaction such as flight, or might make the snake turn around to see what's touching it. If it does the latter, then allow the snake to smell you with it's tongue. It'll calm down hopefully.
When holding them, be sure to support their bodies and allow them to wrap around you and you can't go far wrong. Although eventually, you may have to put them down. If this happens, keep an eye on them, otherwise they'll scarper and go hide somewhere.
For the purposes of this bit, I'll be talking about Corn snakes specifically. If the snake starts rattling it's tail, it means the snake is about to strike at you. If you find yourself in this situation, just stay calm as the snake will only draw some blood should it strike and nothing more. Slowly move towards your snake and hook underneath it slowly. The pick up the snake slowly and it should hopefully calm down after a short while. This rattling reaction may also occur when you first wake a snake up as in the case of Dangerous Danny.
If the snake does strike at you, this is a purely psychological thing telling you to leave it alone. If you react and jump back, the snake has achieved it's goal in getting you to leave it alone. A snake may draw blood when it bites, but just treat the bite wound as you would a cut (ie. clean it antiseptic and put on a small dressing).
CommunitiesSome snakes will accept house mates in their tank. As a rule of thumb, you can't keep snakes of different species in the same tank and for heaven's sake, don't attempt to keep two "king" snakes together. King snakes are cannibalistic and one will eat the other if you attempt this.
There are a number of issues with snake communities. Chief amongst these is canibalism. Although rare in non-king snake species, it can happen, especially if there isn't enough food for them to eat. To further minimize this chance besides giving them food reguarly, you should keep snakes of the same size in the same tank (so it's harder for one snake to overpower another
).
Feeding should be conducted seperately to prevent more aggressive snakes from attacking others who are attempting to feed. We take our snakes out each feeding day, and give each snake a chance to eat before putting them back along with their food in the tank. We then watch them until they all get back to sleep to ensure any late feeders don't get attacked.
Legal Concerns/Responsibilties/Other NotesSome rented housing may place a restriction on the types and numbers of animals that you are allowed to keep, this may play a part in your decision. Also food concerns may be a part, especially if your planning on having a large collection and hence will be needing to breed food.
Also your family situation will play an important part in this as parents may have a dim view on snakes (or be down right scared of them). The best remedy for this is perhaps to confront the beast and take them to the pet shop. They may even see a baby snake and decide their too cute to be scared of any more.
Good luck with your new friend
And if you have any questions or want more information, please PM me or ask here
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Topic: Everything you ever wanted to know about Snakes - but were too kind to ask! (Read 1457 times)