Pets » Amphibians and Reptiles
Five Snake Care Tips for Beginners
If you're looking for an unusual, eye-catching pet, it's hard to
go wrong with a snake. They're exotic enough to catch people's
interest, yet hardy enough to require minimal care. Nevertheless,
uninformed first-time owners tend to make some basic mistakes,
some of which can be quite costly. Here are some simple tips that
can help ensure the health of the snake and prevent a lot of
aggravation as well.
1. First, take note of how large your snake can grow to be. Most
North American varieties only grown to be about four feet long,
which is a reasonable size. Don't let a pet store employee talk
you into buying a Burmese python, since these critters can grow
to be over thirty feet long, and will require huge cages and
tremendous amounts of food. (And before you ask... No, most zoos
will not accept these as donations.)
2. Don't scrimp on cage size. A cage that is too small can be
very stressful and unhealthy to your pet. Pet store clerks will
sometimes try to sell you caging that is inadequate in size, so
don't fall into this trap. For adequate comfort, the combined
length and width of the cage should at least match the snake's
length. Snakes can grow fairly quickly, so don't forget to take
that into account as well!
3. Do find out how docile that particular specimen is. Most
non-venomous North American snakes are fairly docile, but if
you're a first-time keeper, you should probably make sure that
your prospective pet can be handled easily.
4. Make sure that you select a pet with a hearty appetite. Ball
pythons, for example, make great pets-but they are notoriously
finicky eaters. Corn snakes make great starter pets because they
are exceedingly docile and aren't picky about what they eat.
5. Snakes-indeed, any reptile-can potentially spread salmonella.
The risk involved is very small, but one should still play safe.
This is especially true when young children or people with
compromised immune systems are involved. Do read up on reptile
hygiene and salmonella before purchasing your pet.
Obviously, these tips only constitute some basic advice. I
recommend that all prospective owners should read up on snake
care in general, as well as the specific needs of the species
that they plan to purchase. A little bit of basic research can
prevent a great deal of aggravation in the future.
Author: V. Berba Velasco Jr. Ph. D