You may be astonished to hear about snakes as pets. Nowadays the trend of pet snakes is increasing day by day. You may ask why snakes are good pets. Today we will try to give you a detailed idea on this topic.
People usually choose dogs or cats as pet animals. These animals come in front of our eyes while talking about pets. Nowadays, the trend of choosing snakes and different species of reptiles as pet animals is growing consequently. Taking care of reptiles is a unique and wonderful experience for animal lovers.
Many people have misconceptions about snakes and reptiles. Snakes are commonly misunderstood but they are really good companions. Like other pets, snakes can give you pleasure, companionship and help to reduce your mental stress.
After reading these, your curious mind wants to ask many questions about snakes. Today we will talk about why you should choose snakes pets, which species can be easily tamed, the pros and cons of this task, etc. So, without further ado, let’s jump in.
Snakes That Are Good As Pets
If you are thinking of petting snakes, you may be confused about which snake you should buy. Beginners should choose snakes that are small or reasonable in size, quiet, and easy to care for.
Corn Snake, King and Milk Snake, Ball Python, etc. are good choices for beginners. These snakes can be easily found from breeders. Moreover, you can get them to buy in the reptile stores.
Most of the beginners start with the Corn Snake. They grow up to 3-4 feet and need a captive habitat that is almost the size of a medium-large fish aquarium. These snakes hardly face medical problems. These are the reasons why this snake is the most popular with beginners.
Beginners can also choose california kingsnake, rosy boa, garter snake, children’s python, rat snake, african egg-eating snake, carpet python, kenyan sand boa, etc. as pets. Some snakes are very dangerous to their owners and also to others. They must be avoided by the snake owners. Anaconda, reticulated python, and any venomous snakes are on this list.
Why snakes are good pets
There are many reasons behind snakes being good pets. Before buying a snake, these reasons should be learned well. Because petting snakes is not only adventurous but also challenging. So let’s know the reasons.
Easy to Take Care
When you own pet animals, you need to invest your time to take care of them. Snakes are not different from this. But it is easier to take care of them.
You should interact with your pet snake every day. You can allow it to coil around your arm, drape over your shoulders. You can leave it in a big room to explore. But you should be careful so that it cannot interact with other pet animals, especially small creatures.
Like other pets, snakes do not need very much human interaction. You can just keep a small time for interaction with your pet snake.
To take care of them, keep their tank and enclosure clean, check them regularly, and observe if any signs appear that they may be sick or unwell. Corn snakes or other beginner snakes are hardly seen to be sick.
Requires Minimal Exercise
A pet snake requires minimal exercise. Other pet animals require a daily walk in the park or an open field. You lose your energy for this task. But pet snakes don’t require this. As a result, you can stay relaxed and no need to spend extra energy.
Enjoy spending time in the enclosure
Snakes enjoy spending time in their enclosure. Other pet animals like cats or dogs may bother you at your home. They may not like spending time in their habitat. They often enter your home and you may be in an uncomfortable situation for these pets. But snakes are not like them. Pet snakes spend a happy time in their captive habitat. So, you will not be bothered by them.
Snakes love to be handled
When you own a pet snake, you can feel its muscular body by handling it. Your hands will explore its soft body and you will feel great happiness. This can reduce your mental stress.
Pet snakes love to be handled. This makes a great interaction between you and your snake. It will enjoy and will stay calm when you pick it up.
Try to buy pet snakes from a seller who has previously handled his snakes, so that they are used to people. When your pet snake gets used to its new habitat and environment, handle it for at least a few minutes every day.
Snakes Are Of Low Maintenance
When you ask why snakes are good pets, probably the best answer is- snakes are of low maintenance compared to other pet animals. When you own any pet like a cat or a dog, you have to take all the responsibilities of that animal. Other animals need a lot of time and effort for their maintenance. But snakes can give you relief as it needs low maintenance.
Snakes don’t need to be walked, they don’t shed, and most of the time, they like to stay in their captive enclosure. That makes them an ideal apartment pet, or a pet for someone who can’t handle the rigorous schedule of a more mainstream pet. Moreover, you can easily clean up your snake’s captive habitat in case of infrequent defecation.
Normally, you have to feed them only once a week. Big snakes often eat once every two weeks, sometimes once in the whole month. But regardless of your snake is small or big, they need lower maintenance for feeding. When you go outside of your home for a long time, you can be tension-free for your snake.
Snakes Are Docile Pets
Though a pet snake may look cool and threatening, it is pretty docile. They can range in sociability, but they are usually happy to just hang out in their tank, and respond pretty well to being handled, as long as you start them when they are young.
Corn Snake, Hognose Snake, Ball Python, Kenyan Sand Boa, etc are the most docile pet snakes. As beautiful as the snakes are, large and venomous snakes are not recommended as pets. Because they may be harmful and dangerous for you and your family.
Easy To House
Pet snakes need an easy and comfortable place to digest their food, shed, and sleep. But keeping them happy is pretty easy. A clear 20-gallon terrarium lined with shavings will do the trick.
All snakes need to regulate their body temperature by moving between warmer and cooler areas. They need a higher temperature than you are probably used to keeping in your home. Most tropical snakes need a temperature between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 70 to 75 degrees at night. Remember to get a sufficient heat source with a UV lamp. Snakes are cold-blooded, and they need extra light and heat to stay healthy.
Make sure that there is a “cool” side of your snake’s home to escape to if they get too warm. Most snake experts warn against keeping heating elements such as rocks inside the enclosure as the snake can easily overheat or get burned. The snake’s enclosure should get about 10 to 12 hours of daylight and 12 to 14 hours of darkness each day.
You have to use some sort of bedding material in the bottom of their enclosure. Butcher paper, newspaper, terry cloth towels, etc. are good materials for this task. Indoor or outdoor carpet is also perfect as it is safe and easy to clean. Pet snakes also need a private area to feed well and feel secured.
Snakes are very good escape artists. So, make sure that you have prepared a captive habitat that is completely escape-proof. Snakes are always expert and steady about finding and escaping through any small gaps. Just make sure that they can’t open the top of the enclosure as they are exercising.
No Loud Noises
When you own a pet animal, you have to tolerate its noise. Your neighbors may feel embarrassed because of its noise. But snakes can give relief because they don’t create loud noises. Amazingly, you own a pet animal but it doesn’t create any loud noise and you can stay in a calm environment.
No Damage And Fur
Pet animals often cause a lot of damage to your home. Your papers may be ruined or lost by your pet animals, especially tear and damage things with their nails and teeth. Your furniture may also be damaged. But snakes are not like other pets. They don’t cause any damage to your home or property.
When you have pets like dogs or cats, their furs will bother you and your home will not remain clean. Whenever you clean up, their fur will again make it dirty again. But owning a snake doesn’t create such problems. They have no fur and you will always get your home clean. No more problem with fur!
Inexpensive
You may think that pet snakes are very much expensive. Because the original owners collect them from different places as well as jungles. But pet snakes are not so expensive.
The original owner collects a mother snake and sells the baby snakes. You can buy one from any breeder or nearest pet shop.
Corn Snake, Dekay’s Brown, Rat Snake, Ringneck Snake, etc. are some of the inexpensive pet snakes. Though there are some expensive pet snakes depending on the morph and species. Almost all beginner snakes are inexpensive.
We attached a table including snakes’ price and other metrics with this article.
Not As Dangerous As You Think
Snakes are often misunderstood but they are not so. Snakes are presented as very dangerous animals and also venomous in our movies and horror stories. But they are not as dangerous as you think.
Almost all the pet or beginner snakes are very quiet and docile. They remain calm unless someone irritates them.
Suppose, you have a pet dog. We know that dog bite is very dangerous which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections if proper treatment is not ensured. But still, people love dogs as pets. Why? Because dogs don’t bite unless there is something wrong. The same logic follows for snakes.
Pros & Cons of snakes as pet animals
All pet animals including pet snakes have both pros and cons. We talked about a lot of positive things about snakes. There are some negative sides too. Now, we will show you a short comparison of the pros & cons of pet snakes.
| Pros | Cons |
| A unique experience | Snakes are not starter pets. People who never kept any pet animal shouldn’t buy snakes. |
| Enjoy & reduce mental stress like other pets. | You have to research their lifestyle, habit, liking, disliking, etc. Different snakes have different needs. |
| Low & easy maintenance | Perfect monitoring and observation in the very beginning. |
| Tension-free when you go outside. Snakes don’t have food very often. | Snakes are carnivores. They eat meat, usually whole, and usually live. You have to buy small animals (usually live) to feed your snake. |
| Calm & docile pets, no loud and damage. | Snakes are expert escape artists. You can lose your pet just for a little mistake. |
Final Thoughts
Whether it is a snake or any other animal, pets always give us joy, stay with us as companions, reduce our mental stress. Dogs and cats are very popular as pets. So many people ask why snakes are good pets. We have tried to explain the answer in today’s article.
It is a wonderful and fancy experience when snakes are tamed as pet animals. So you can also keep a pet snake to enjoy this interesting experience. But remember, snakes are also animals who have the right to live. Moreover, they are long-lived animals.
So, buy a snake with a long-term plan and commitment to proper care. We have given the price and some other data of some popular pet snakes for you.
| Species | Easy to Handle? | Husbandry | Price Range | Lifespan |
| Corn Snake | Yes | Easy | $40 – $100 | up to 20 years |
| Dekay’s Brown | Yes | Easy | $10 – $30 | up to 7 years |
| Bally Python | Yes | Easy | $25 – $200 | 20 – 30 years |
| California King | Yes | Easy | $70 – $170 | up to 20 years |
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