SHOULD YOU HAVE A SNAKE AS A PET?

So you are thinking about getting a snake for a pet? Snakes make wonderful pets if you are careful and you know what type of snake to get. Some snakes are not a good fit for you and your family, while others are wonderful for most any family. This article will explore the things you need to consider before taking on a snake as a pet, along with what types of snakes make good pets.

One of the first things you must consider when you are getting a snake for a pet is the care of the reptile. A snake is not an animal you can just stick in a cage. Snakes have special needs in captivity, and it goes a bit further than just dietary concerns. For example, did you know that you have to provide a heat source for your snake? Also, you have to provide water, and various other things to allow your snake to feel at home like they do in the wild.

Different species have different needs, so you can not treat all snakes the same. Before you own any snake for a pet, you should research the species and learn about any of these special health needs.
Another concern that many people do not realize is that you often have to feed the snake live prey. Some snakes will eat already dead food, but the vast majority like to eat live prey. That means mice, rats, rabbits (for larger snakes), or other similar mammals. This can be a very troubling experience for some people.

Snakes are very good pets if you get the right kind and you know how to care for them. Where many people mess up with snakes as pets is when they try to keep a venomous snake or larger species of snake. These snakes are very dangerous, and should never be kept as pets unless you are a herpetologist or similar reptile expert. Some of the more dangerous snakes in North America are the coral snake, rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths. These snakes are capable of killing a human being, and should never be kept as a pet.

Other snakes are available that are very good pets for most snake owners. Some good examples of types of snakes that are good pets include corn snakes, garter snakes, king snakes, and some of the smaller boas and pythons such as the ball python. Even these smaller pythons and boas can still get fairly large so you should consider this when thinking of owning one as a pet.

Snakes overall make excellent pets. Just be sure that you think it through, and learn your species. Stay away from the larger snakes, as well as the venomous snakes as pets. If you stick to these general principles, you should have a very nice experience owning your new pet snake.