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Pet snakes are the type of animal you either love or hate, with not much room for middle ground. Young boys might thinking owning a pet snake is cool or exciting, without knowing what's involved for taking care of a pet snake. If you're a parent or a child looking for information on pet snakes, this guide will show you how to choose a pet snake and give information about what to expect from the popular types of snakes.
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Introduction
Pythons, cobra, anaconda, rattle snakes, water snakes, garden snakes... snakes either send shivers down your spine or make you perk up at the thought. Snakes can be interesting and fascinating pets, but there are some things to take into consideration to hep choose the right pet snake for you and your family.As a family pet snake, you want to consider several things: size, cost, feeding habits, habitat size and maintenance and safety.
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How to Choose a Pet Snake--Food
As mentioned in this how to choose a pet snake guide, you need to consider the type of food your snake will eat. Bigger snakes will be eating large prey, like rats, rabbit, etc. If you're not able to feed live prey to a snake, you'll need to consider a pet snake that doesn't require the same prey.
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Step 1: Consider Constrictors
The constrictor snakes are often a good choice, because, when not hunting prey, the constrictor is slow moving, easy going, and easy to care for. The boa constrictor, one of the better known constrictor snakes, is a good choice for a pet snakes, but there are some things to consider.- ~~The boa constrictor can get up to enormous sizes, as big around in the center as a dinner plate, and longer than a grown man is tall. They will require a large habitat and should be fed live prey.
- ~~The constrictors usually live long lives, so be prepared to have a pet snake that stays with you for many years.
- ~~Constrictors are healthiest when eating live meals, because the constricting causes them to begin digestion, and there's no need to constrict around dead prey. If you aren't prepared to feed live prey to a snake, a boa constrictor is probably not a good choice for you.http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/413255/best_and_worst_pet_snake_for_your_child.html?cat=25
Step 2: King Snakes and Corn Snakes
Both the king snake and the corn snake are good starter pets. These colorful snakes are smaller, easily held by smaller hands, and they are bright and pleasant to watch. They come in a rainbow of colors, and are easily able to be trained to eat frozen prey instead of live prey, making it easier to feed them, and more suitable for smaller children who might be traumatized by watching a snake eat live prey.Step 3: Consider a Ball Python
Pythons sound viscous, but the ball python is one of the friendlier of all snakes and they make decent pets for the experienced snake owner. If you've had a snake before, such as the colorful king snake or corn snake, and you know what you're getting yourself into with the feeding, habitat and care of a snake, the ball python is definitely one pet snake you might want to consider.Step 4: Talk to Pet Stores / Breeders
When you venture out to buy a pet snake for your family, it's important to look at many different varieties of snakes and learn about the feeding, care and life cycles of each type before making a decision. The types of snake mentioned here will give you a good start, but you should visit pet stores in person and handle the snakes you are considering before making a decision.Like most animals, snakes do have a personality that sometimes makes a difference. For example, some snakes are slow moving and sleepy looking while others are curious and much more alert, moving around the terrarium and slithering and flitting their tongues at you. Some snakes might be skittish and startle easily while others are more laid back and don't move when there are loud sounds or strange noises.
Spend some time observing the snakes you're considering for a pet before you settle on one, and then research that snake type to learn about its care and feeding first.
