If you’re thinking about getting a snake as a pet, then know what it takes to care for them, and what the best type of snake is for the first time owner. Lots of people have started to keep snakes as pets after serious consideration of the responsibility of purchasing one, and that’s the best way to begin, knowing the facts about picking the right type of snake and caring for one.
The best way to get your first snake is by talking with and then purchasing one from a reputable breeder of snakes. They know what it takes to capture and then breed the snakes, and can tell you the correct way to handle and feed them. Some people try to go out and capture wild snakes and then breed them. This is very dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing; so don’t try this at home! Wild snakes do have a nasty temper, and will bring into your house diseases and certain parasites that live underneath their scales before they shed their skin. Because they’ve lived in the wild, they aren’t used to humans interacting with them, and the snakes will bite.
Several different kinds of snakes are good to have as a first time owner. Small garters to massive pythons can be kept in captivity, but pythons are certainly not for the first time snake owner. Ball pythons and Corn snakes are two of the best types for you to have as a first time snake owner, but remember to buy it from a snake handler. Their size depends on the age, but typically they range from four feet for the Corn snake to about 21 feet for the Ball pythons. You might find when feeding a captive or trained Ball python that they’re finicky eaters. When they’re stressed or just stubborn they will not eat for months at a time. A Corn snake on the other hand will eat on a regular basis that is if it’s not sick. Both of these snakes usually have a good nature and overall feeding them in a captive environment is easily done.
Of course, all snakes in the wild kill their own food, but if you want a trained or captive bred snake you’ll have to provide its food for them. You want to feed them already killed food because they types of rodents they kill can inflict some nasty cuts and punctures. The last thing you want is to loose your snake after you’ve made a nice home, and have gotten emotionally attached to it, so feed it with dead bait. Also, you’ll find that it’s much cheaper to buy dead food than to pay for live mice or rats, and it’s a lot more convenient too. Just pop a supply into a freezer that’s kept from your food and you’re ready to feed the snake. A large local pet supply store might carry what you need, and if they don’t you can order it from them, the handler you bout your snake from, or on the Internet.
There are certain snakes to stay away from if you’re a first time owner and handler. This is very true if you’ve got small children in the home. A large Burmese python can take down any small person, or child. They’ve even been known to kill other household family pets like dogs and cats. A Burmese python can grow to over 20 feet, and weigh up toward 250 pounds. A boa constrictor is dangerous too if you don’t know how to handle them because they have massive constricting power for a smaller snake than the Burmese. Snake handlers state that having either type of snake should have two people when working with them.
Finally, there are other types of snakes that you should stay away from like any that is poisonous. Not only could someone else be fatally injured, but you could find that you’re sued in court for damages. Having a snake could be a life long commitment of time and money, so make sure you’re ready for the challenge. Read and learn what it takes to care for your new snake before you ever purchase it, and you’ll be ready for snake ownership for years to come.
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