How to Care for a Snake
Posted on June 14th, 2009 by Carmelia
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Snakes are admittedly a different kind of pet, and they require a different kind of care from dogs and cats. Here are the ways you can keep your pet snake happy.
Snake Care
- Buy a snake from a reputable pet shop. Do not take in wild snakes and make them pets, as they will probably not warm up to the idea. Wild snakes are also most likely to carry diseases and dirt into your household.
- Only keep a snake if there is a nearby vet who knows how to take care of them.
- Prepare your snake’s home. A tank or an aquarium should be suitable enough, as long as there aren’t any exits where the snake can slither out of. Make sure that the tank has enough room for the snake to move around in, and that the area and length is twice as big as the snake. Make allowances for the snake’s accessories and the snake’s growth, or buy a bigger one as it grows.
- The accessories to a pet snake’s home should include a water bowl, a special heating rock (snakes love to lie on warm rocks), light and heating elements (77 to 87 Fahrenheit ambient heat). If you cannot find a heating rock, you better make sure that there is a warm spot in the tank at all times for the snake’s use.
- Other aquarium settings also depends on the kind of snake you have. For example, a rough green snake requires a moist terrarium. A green tree python, on the other hand, requires a high perch. Read up on your snake’s environment specifications when getting a snake.
- Feeding snakes depends on their size and the size of their head. Avoid feeding snakes food that are too big, as this may cause regurgitation of what they ate.
- Feed your snakes only dead animals. Live ones may strike back at your snake and cause injury.
- Research on the type of food your particular snake specie is eating. For example, a ring-necked snake requires two to three cricket meals a week. Larger snakes require a pre-killed rabbit every two to four weeks.
- Insect feed must be coated with a vitamin supplement.
- If your snake requires eating fish, do not depend entirely upon feeding goldfish to it. Add minnows and shiners to their diet.
- Change your snake’s water everyday.
- Add more water in the tank if your snake is shedding. If your snake is having problem shedding, you can gently rub the patches with your finger.
- Bring your snake to a vet specialist at least once a year.
- Clean your snake’s tank once a week.
- Check your snake’s nose, eyes and throat twice a week. These areas are best way to check if your snake is healthy. If your snake’s eyes are looking dull, it might be sick. They also use their noses to escape, causing themselves an injury to their nose. Pneumonia in a snake can appear as froth in the nostrils.
Ask a question
on June 26th, 2009 at 3:38 am
Pet snake care is not something easy. It’ll take you a lot of time and efforts to satisfy your pet snake. I assure it from my own experience with my pet snake. Before acquiring a pet snake learn as much about the very breed as you can. Each breed is different, has its own needs and demands. Pet Owner Blog may be helpful to you in coping with your pets.