How do I choose the right snake for me? Are there aspects I should consider? Well, this post has all your answers.
Snakes are fascinating creatures, and with proper care and handling, many species may become docile companions.
Not everyone should have a snake as a pet. They have specific demands and have to be looked for by someone ready to put in the time and effort to accommodate those requirements.
Here’s How to Choose the Right Snake
1. Check for Lifespan
Some snake species can live for over 30 years, so keeping one as a pet is a long-term commitment, meaning you should carefully consider it.
2. Cost
The price of a snake can change based on many aspects, including the snake’s age, color, gender, and species.
While you should expect to pay from £10 to £100 for an ordinary snake, the price of a rare snake can cost above that range. The cost of the snake alone doesn’t reflect the total investment required.
3. Pick Low- Maintenance Snakes
If this is your first time keeping a snake as a pet, there are a few species you might want to consider. These snakes have a mild demeanor and don’t require much attention.
Corn snakes are incredibly calm and easy to handle, making them a great pet. Active and curious, this species will crawl about and inspect its surroundings.
4. Living Conditions
Bubbles flowing from the nostrils, mouth rot, closed eyes, and retained skin are just some of the disease symptoms you should look for during a quick examination of your snake.
Request a feeding lesson to ensure your snake is thriving on pre-killed food. Since ball pythons are known to have trouble eating, this is a fantastic idea for them.
It would help if you thought about whether or not you have kids when selecting snakes.
For this reason, children may benefit from snakes that adults would find repulsive. A kid must be at least five years old before they are allowed to own a snake.
5. Size
Some snakes don’t become any longer than a ruler, while others can get up to roughly five feet in length at most.
If you want a giant snake, get a boa or a python. On the other hand, if you wish for a little snake, look into getting a milk snake or a corn snake.
6. Food
Mice and rats are an everyday staple in the diets of snakes, and both frozen and live versions of these rodents are widely available at pet stores.
Frozen prey is preferable to live rodents because the latter might cause serious harm to your snake if fed to it.
Sometimes, snakes become picky eaters and will only consume live prey. If you’re in this predicament, you could try covering the rodent with a mixture of toad and egg yolk odors.
If you use live prey, keep an eye on the snake while it eats to determine if it needs to be removed. Garter snakes, for example, occasionally consume worms and tiny fish.
Some snakes occasionally consume finch or quail eggs, and some live entirely on eggs.
7. Place of Buying
Most animals sold in pet stores typically come from unreliable suppliers or reptile mills, and many of these species quickly become ill and die.
You can also find a wide variety of websites offering to mail you a pet snake. However, you should exercise extreme caution since not every company will guarantee the safe arrival of your snake.
A reliable breeder is the best option when looking to buy a reptile. Reptile exhibitions in your area may be the best place to find a variety of snakes for sale, and you may even get to meet the breeder.
8. Space
It would help if you also considered how much room your snake will need. If you have a giant snake, you’ll need a more spacious vivarium and possibly additional lighting.
Before purchasing one of these, you should consider the space and funds available, as snakes can become rather large.
9. Snake Care
There is a wide variety of snakes, each with its requirements for housing, feeding, and other supplies.
When caring for a more complex snake species, you’ll need to keep track of environmental factors like temperature and humidity and provide them with elaborate meals. The very first thing you need to do is do some research.
There’s no denying the uniqueness of Asia’s vine snakes, but sadly they solely eat lizards. Feeding one would be a significant hassle if you were to purchase one.
Ball Pythons and corn snakes are good pets. However, the former can survive at temperatures under 75 degrees Fahrenheit, while the latter can’t.
10. Colors
The way your snake looks is crucial, but you need to determine where to seek particular colors and patterns.
Corn snakes and ball pythons, for instance, are more likely to have a rainbow of colors than garters and mountain kings.
Final Word
Buying a snake is not as simple as picking one you like. Whether or not you find your scaly companion attractive is crucial, but there are many other factors to consider, such as temperament, size, and more.
Therefore, if you were asking yourself, “how do I choose the right snake for me?” You have everything you need.
