Many people believe that snakes are deaf. This assumption is due largely to the fact that snakes have no outer ear. They do however have an inner ear and are quite capable of hearing. In their own way. If you’ve gotten beyond 5th grade science you know that sound travels via waves that are invisible to the naked eye. Those sound waves vibrate our ear drums at different frequencies and we hear the results. A snake’s hearing works in much the same manner except instead of invisible sound waves traveling through the air a snake “hears” vibrations that travel through the ground. Snakes can also hear sounds traveling through the air, but to a much lesser extent so they primarily rely on ground vibrations.

The basic design of a snakes hearing

Anytime an animal (or person) walks on the ground it creates vibrations. In fact anything moving across the ground it creates vibrations. Most animals don’t hear or take notice of them but a snake is different. When the wave reaches the snake it is picked up by the bones and muscles in the snakes lower jaw. These vibrations are focused to a bone that is connected to the inner ear of the snake.

The advanced design of how a snake hears

For a long time it was believed that snakes could “hear” but couldn’t localize sounds. In other words they couldn’t pinpoint where something was and had to rely on their poor eyesight and smell to home in on their prey. Recently science has discovered that due to the elasticity of a snakes jaw vibrations in the ground can be localized to aid the snake in determining which direction a sound is coming from.

You can find more details about how this works in this article that gives an overview of a study done by University of Munich and University of Kansas researchers. The overview is that the snakes hinged jaw allows them to pick up the vibrations independently of one another depending on which side they come from.

There is evidence according to the study that the auditory neurons of the snake actually create a topographical map which allows them to pin-point prey by the vibrations they create. In a nutshell it is a form of echolocation.

Some snake admirers firmly believe that there is no such thing as “too much snake” and while I wish they were right they aren’t. But what is meant by too much snake? It’s actually a number of things. Size is a common one, initial cost is another. There are several and this article is geared towards helping you identify when you might be getting yourself too much snake.

Size of the snake

Credit:bluechameleon.org

We’ll start with the obvious first. The size of the snake is a huge issue. You have to be physically capable of handling the snake you get. Constrictors are incredibly strong, and fast. The larger they get the stronger they get. Aside from being able to protect yourself and others from it you also need to be able to move it around. A 50 pound snake that doesn’t want to go somewhere isn’t going to be easy to move for anyone.

Size of housing

If you have the capacity to physically handle large snakes that’s great, but if you don’t have the room for the snake itself why bother? Even if you have the room now consider what it will look like in 6 months, a year, 3 years, 5 years…

A month ago I went to pick up a snake and instead of getting what I had planned on and had the space for I got a burmese python. It dawned on me that night that even though she was only 18 inches at the time in very short order she’d be huge and I had no place to keep her. I took her back and they were gracious enough to let me return her with a 25% restocking fee. I say gracious because they were under no obligation. Their policy clearly stated No returns except for health reasons.

People, and other pets

Consider what other people and pets might be around the snake. Your cat might not appreciate a 10 foot long boa cruising around the house. Likewise spouses, children, roommates, and the sort might not share you affection for large (or small snakes).

Hots

Credit:southflordiadaily.com

A venemous snake is too much for anyone who isn’t properly trained in handling them. I used to catch rattlesnakes for “fun” on lunch break when I worked out in the woods in Oregon. It wasn’t so much fun when I finally got bit. Fortunately I was with several other people and we worked in the emergency services so getting medical help was very timely. I had caught and handled over a hundred Timber Rattlers by the time this happened, but I had no idea what I was doing and I paid for it. Healthwise I’m fine with no side effects but it could have very easily been different.

Whatever snake you get and whatever reason you have for getting it be sure you aren’t getting too much snake for you.

Here’s a short (~1.5 minute) video of my Ball Python Damascus finishing off a meal. I barely had time to get the top off the cage before he grabbed it. Fortunately I had already picked the mouse up with the pliers instead of just using my fingers like in the past. He probably would have nailed me.

For the record I feed frozen thawed to my snake for reasons of safety and convenience. In the next day or two I will post an article about feeding in the meanwhile as a “prep” for that please enjoy the video.

When you bring a new snake home you will need to provide it with the proper housing. Snakes often require specialized habitats in order to thrive and survive. It is relatively easy to set up the proper living conditions for your pet snakes if you have the proper information about what they require in a setup.

How big is the snake now?

Credit: helpudiet.com

When you get a new pet snake you should be providing housing for how large it is at the time you get it. There’s no need to put an eighteen inch boa into a 125 gallon tank just because you’d put an eight foot boa into that size of a tank. It’s actually a bad idea to do so because snakes tend to like smaller, tight fitting areas so they don’t become overwhelmed. When you’re looking at housing for your snake look for something it can use for a few months, not the rest of it’s life. Unless of course it’s an adult that has done the majority of its growing.

How big will the snake get?

Even though you shouldn’t buy anything for a full grown snake you certainly need to know how big it is going to potentially get before you purchase it. When you have that information take a look around and see how much it might cost to give the snake a place to live. Sooner than later you’ll have to deal with the snakes size. Sometimes at the pet stores they will tell you that if you feed it less and keep it in a smaller tank it won’t grow as fast, or will even stop growing altogether. If you’re ever told this at a pet store leave immediately and take your business elsewhere. Snakes never stop growing as long as they are alive. Do you really want a hungry, cranky, 12 foot long python sizing you up for dinner because you’re always trying to ration it’s food?

What kind of climate does the snake need?

When it comes to outside stress on a snake the immediate climate is one of the biggest ones. Snakes have very low tolerance a climate variations. That’s why it is so important to learn how to regulate your tanks climate before you ever bring home your new pet.

Every snake owner should at the very least have a reliable thermometer and a hydrometer to measure humidity. It’s actually a good idea to have two thermometers, one for the hot side and one for the cool side. The hydrometer will measure the humidity.

An alternative to the tank

Credit: coastalbay.zoovy.com

Everyone is aware of keeping snakes in glass tanks, but there’s another method which arguably works just as well for most people. Instead of buying a big, bulky, dirty, potentially dangerous glass tank get a plastic storage tote such as a Sterilite.

It is much cheaper

You can buy this alternate method of housing for far less than a tank. A tank will run you $200.00+ easily, but this will run you between $5.00 and $50.00 depending on the size you purchase.

It is easier to maintain the climate

Plastic tubs retain the heat and humidity much easier. For instance in one of my glass tanks I need two under the tank heaters (UTH) and a 100 watt heat lamp going at all times to maintain the heat. In a plastic tub of the same size I can get away with just one UTH. In the glass tanks I tend to need to assist in keeping the humidity up, but in the plastic ones I almost need to fight the humidity.

It takes up much less room

Most pet snakes don’t need huge enclosures so why waste the space in your home on something they don’t need? Plastics tubs are generally not as deep as a glass tank is. You can stack them on bookshelves and you’ll hardly notice that they are taking up space.

It is much easier to clean

In all but the most dire situations you can simply wipe down the plastic tub with a wet paper towel. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

There are a few disadvantages to using a plastic tube and for the most part they are negligible, but they do need to be mentioned so you can make the best informed decision. For one they are ugly. They simply don’t have the “character” that a nicely setup glass tank does. Some people say they don’t upstage the snake, but if you’re very concerned about putting on a show then you’ll probably want to consider a glass tank.

No matter what snake you get or which equipment you get to go with the snake you need to make certain it will meet the needs of the snake. Sometimes people have a little sticker shock when they realize the true cost of snake ownership. The snake itself is fairly cheap, but the equipment can burn a whole in your pocket very quickly.

With the holiday season in full swing you might be tempted to get your kid a pet snake as a gift. Many well meaning parents will get their children a baby ball python, or Corn Snake with the expectation that it will help the child learn responsibility and educate them about snakes.

As well intentioned as you might be we at Pet-Snakes.com encourage you to carefully consider what you are going to do BEFORE you do it. In a previous article about the 3 traits of a good snake owner some important things to look for in a potential snake owner were discussed. In this article we are going to take a look at the person who you are considering giving the snake to.

Is it a passing fancy?

Almost all kids want a pet of some kind. Little boys are masters at manipulating unsuspecting mothers into getting them a snake. I myself have done exactly that in the past and the snake paid for it. Obviously you are going to be the best judge of your child and the one to know if it is just a phase they are going through. Sit them down and have a serious talk with them about the responsibilities of snake ownership.

Some key questions to ask the potential new snake owner are:

1. Why do you want a snake?
2. How will you take care of it?
3. Are you willing to feed it mice and rats?
4. Will you handle it for 20 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 days so it doesn’t become aggressive?

You as a parent or guardian of a young child know the answers to those questions better than the child does, but it never hurts to ask. There’s one question you should ask yourself - When my kid gets tired of this snake am I willing to become a surrogate owner for the next 10, 15, 20, or 30 years? Getting a snake is a lot easier than getting rid of a snake.

Are they capable?

If you’ve gotten satisfactory answers to the above questions it is time to decide if they are really capable of taking care of a living animal. Some people think of snakes as something you just toss some food in with once a week and that’s all. Nothing could be further from the truth. Pet snakes, like any other pet require daily interaction with people. Moreso than other pets because a snake that isn’t handled will become fearful of people and aggressive. If your child is only capable of handling a few seconds a day of responsibility get them a gold fish.

All animals require a certain level of responsibility when it comes to their care, but snakes are a whole different ball game. A snake requires exacting temperatures, and humidity levels. They often will refuse to eat at all and rarely ever on your terms. Everyday they present new challenges and the person you are going to give the snake to must be capable of meeting those challenges. Financially they can be a burden. Remember the initial cost of the snake might only be $30 or $40 but the upkeep can be incredible. You’ll need a tank/tub, under the tank heaters, hides, substrate, to name just a few things you’ll need to purchase. Then you’ll need to get into thermostats, forceps, frozen rats/mice (perhaps even pigs), and whatever else you might need.

If the person is capable you then need to start considering other people who will have to deal with the snake as well. Sometimes they are the most important people to consider.

Other people

A while back I met a man and a woman and they told me a story about how they nearly got divorced and only managed to stay together by hours and hours of marriage counseling. I didn’t get the details of everything but basically the wife had always had snakes as a child and she had hinted around to a friend of hers that she was thinking of getting another one. The husband was away on business and one day the wife was surprised by her friend who had bought her a corn snake. They set it up in the bedroom (beautiful setup judging by the pictures I saw) right next to the bed. She had it for about a week and one day she was at work when her husband got home. There’s no need to bore you with the details but it turns out he hates snakes.

The friend who got the snake who doing a kind deed for the woman, but she neglected to speak with the husband which caused a great deal of strife. So before you get a snake for someone else sit down and talk with everyone who will be involved. If someone is dead-set against the idea don’t get the snake. You’ll only cause problems.

You’re getting the snake

If it turns out that everything falls into place it’s great that you are going to get the snake for the person. Like a puppy, or kitten, or any other animal you should set the budget and then let the person who it is being given to pick it out. Trust me they’ll be just as happy knowing about it as they would be if you just surprised them with an entire setup. Most snake people are pretty particular about their setups and that is true even of the newer herpers.

Owning a pet snake comes with a great deal of responsibility -

You have to be an ambassador

You’ll need to represent snakes to the general public and more likely your immediate family in a common sense, knowledgeable, and confident manner.

Educating the public about snakes is one of your greatest responsibilities as an owner. Being able to convey what amazing animals they are and to explain why you keep them as pets is paramount to being an ambassador. Of course some people are afraid of snakes and you’ll have to learn how to deal with these kinds of people on a case by case basis.

Tips to being a better snake ambassador -

• Never force anyone to touch or view a snake they don’t want to
• Minimize the chances of your snake biting someone
• React calmly should something go wrong (eg your snake bites someone)
• Educate people about snakes before you let them handle it
• Supervise children very carefully. This will help the parents to feel better and it will also help to insure your pet isn’t injured
• Answer questions truthfully. If you don’t know something about snakes when someone asks tell them and offer to find out for them.

Financial burden

Snakes can be expensive to properly care for.

• They require special living and feeding conditions
• Your electic bill will go up throughout the year
• Your heating bill will go up in the cold season if you live in a cold area
• Vet visits cost more than other animals
• Special arrangements if you need to leave them with a pet sitter. Most charge more for snakes

Knowledge and time

The only way to truly enjoy your snake is to learn about it. What you know about your snake can literally mean the difference between life and death for the animal.

• You’ll make mistakes. Even people who have kept them for many years make mistakes
• The most time you spend caring for them the most you’ll “discover” how much you really don’t know
• It benefits you to continually add more and more knowledge to what you already have about snakes
• Every snake, even twins from the same egg is totally unique and that means each snake will take its own commitment of time