Things you need to know before becoming a pet snake owner
Choosing one of those reptiles for sale like a snake as a pet can be a difficult process, especially if you haven’t done your homework beforehand. That’s why we recommend taking a bit of time and reading as much as you can before going for a specific breed. Besides, you should understand that your snake is a living and breathing being and that you are likely to take care of it for about twenty years, the approximate lifespan of most home snakes.
Another aspect you should bear in mind is that snakes prey on other animals. If you are feeling skittish about feeding your snake baby mice that are alive, you can get pre-killed prey or that which has been previously frozen.
Something else that we have to note is that snakes like to play with their prey, or at least that’s how it can look in the eyes of the owner.
Depending on whether they are constrictors or not, they can wrap their body around the victim and suffocate it to death, or typically use their venom in order to kill it. Most of the snakes you will find in pet shops, however, have had their venom glands removed so as to not pose a safety risk to their owners.
Because they are amazing escape artists, you should consider getting one of the most secure snake enclosures that you can afford. If there’s a small gap in their terrarium or cage, they are going to find it and use it to explore the parts of your home you might not want your snake into.
Probably the most challenging thing about deciding for a snake as a pet is getting it from a reputable breeder. While some pet shops sell snakes, as well, their needs are often ignored in such places due to crowding and sometimes, even lack of proper hygiene. If you want to make sure that the snake you are getting is entirely healthy, we recommend contacting a reputable breeder.
Of course, if you have little to no experience in this field, you might feel like all of the information you’ll read on snakes is baffling. One way of ensuring that you make the right decision is to go online and look for several specialized forums.
Pet snake owners are friendly and will surely help you if you want to find out what the best breeder in your area is, for instance. These people might even let you know precious info about keeping your snake in top shape.
Some of the highly recommended beginner snakes out there are corn snakes, ball pythons, and king and milk snakes. It is not a good idea to choose a Boa constrictor right off the bat, or even adopt a tree boa or water snake if you’ve found one. Reticulated pythons and anacondas can be downright dangerous.
Once you’ve made up your mind about the type of snake you want to get and where you’re supposed to get it from, it is time to move on to making a budget. You have to get a proper enclosure, a thermal ingredient and have enough money for food.
It would be great if you had two enclosures, one of which you could use whenever you have to clean the main one. The thermal ingredient is necessary because snakes are cold-blooded, so they need a basking area much as some turtles would.