Pet-Snakes

Pet snakes being released into the wild is quickly become a major problem in the United States. The Florida Everglades have become synonymous with the dumping of large snakes such as Reticulated pythons and Burmese pythons. Releasing these non-native species into the wild damages the eco-system and promotes irresponsible ownership. In this article we’ll explore the following:

• Why it happens
• Where it happens
• What can be done about it

Reasons snakes are released into the wild

There are any number of reasons that people will release their pet into the wild. The first reason is simply that the snake has grown to large. What started out as a cute 1.5 foot burmese python has over the course of about two years grown to be close to 10 feet of pure muscle. When this happens a few things become evident to some snake owners:

• It is too large to properly house
• It has become too expensive to feed
• It is too dangerous to handle without help

Another reason snakes will often be released is due to a change in the owner’s living situation. Finding a place to live that allows snakes is a difficult task at best (if you tell people you have snakes) and it becomes almost impossible when you try to explain to a prospective landlord that you need three bedrooms because your snake needs a place to live too. A move could be brought on for economic or practical reasons. It’s probably not something you had planned when you got the snake. Even so that doesn’t absolve you of your responsibility to handle the situation correctly.

A health issue is another reason for needing to give up your snake. Sometimes even taking care of snakes (an incredibly simple process) can be too much if we are suffering from poor health. This is one of those situation where you don’t have control over what happens to you, but you should make it your priority to find proper housing for your pet snakes and not just release them into the wild where they will likely die.

Places that people release snakes

Earlier I mentioned the Everglades but truth is that people release snakes all over the place. Just in the past few weeks two pythons have been found in the state of Maine. It’s fairly temperate this time of year, but absolutely freezing in the winter. Snakes released in Florida will probably live due to the climate. Those released in places like Maine are on a death row of sorts.

The vast majority of snakes that get released are the “giants” and those snakes are from more tropical climates. They simply aren’t built to survive winter in the more temperate northern states. When people release them in the south the snake is better able to adapt to it’s environment and live.

5 things that can be done about the problem

1. Turn the snake into a rescue shelter or offer it too a zoo
2. Give it away to someone who is capable of housing it
3. Avoid impulsive purchases
4. Discuss with the breeder you bought the animal from the chance of returning it to them
5. Educate other you know about the dangers of releasing snakes into the wild

For a moment I’d like to talk to my readers about the right way to represent yourself and other snake owners to the rest of the world. The sad fact of the matter is that the vast majority of people are terrified of snakes. More so than any other animal or possibly even any other “thing”. For whatever reason snakes carry a huge stigma with them wherever they go. A proverbial monkey on their back that only you as a faithful owner can help them overcome.

When you have an opportunity to talk about your snakes

Put your snake in the best possible light while being honest about it. Don’t embellish the story to sound cool. Snake’s have enough trouble on their own without your words doing more damage to their reputations. Tell people what they’re like as pets and why they make such great pets. You might mention some of the following:

• They don’t chew on the carpet or the furniture
• They don’t shed all over the place
• They don’t sit up all night barking
• You don’t have to change a litter pan every day
• They are 100% allergen free
• They eat once a week in most situations

More than one affinity towards snakes has been kindled when someone’s kid overhears you telling them that absolutely no one in the world has ever been allergic to snakes. And from personal experience I can tell you that people love to hear how snakes don’t chew things up.

Point is that you want to play the role of ambassador for your pet snake’s and the only way to do so is to talk about them when the opportunity is give in a suitable manner. As I said cast them in a pleasant light when you can, but don’t shy away from telling the ugly things as well. People will find out the truth either way so it might as well be in full instead of half-baked from someone else.

Be respectful of other people when it involves your snake

If someone tells you they are horrified of snakes the LAST thing you should do is to try and convince them it is harmless and if you’d just touch it you’d see it wouldn’t hurt a flea! While all that is very likely true they are not in a state of mind to receive that truth. They are in the classic fight or flight mode and more than one snake has been killed by a horrified person who was pushed too far too quick by a well intentioned snake owner.

If someone asks you to leave or get away from them because of your snake don’t try to reason with them. Just leave. Even if you have every right to be there, leave. You can always go back later. In short just respect the fact that not everyone likes snakes.

Always look for a chance to educate people about snakes

This goes beyond just talking about your snakes. This is about educating, as accurately as possible, people about snakes in general. Despite the fear so many people have towards snakes there is also a “morbid” curiosity about them. People will ask you question after question about your snakes. Take the opportunity and build up a relationship with that person. Answer their questions, tell them “extra” things about snakes so they’ll begin to see them in a different light.

I firmly believe most people are scared of snakes for one simple reason. No one in their entire lives has ever attempted to educate them in any meaningful way about snakes. So don’t be like the rest of the nobodies. Spread the knowledge!

This article will help explain how to keep snakes away from your home. We at Pet-Snakes recognize that not everyone is a fan of snakes and some people would much rather keep them away than have them as pets. In order to serve our readers better we’ve decided to write this article to help those who want to effectively control them to do so.

The impact of getting rid of snakes

It is important to realize that snakes play an important role in the ecosystem and they, just like everything else have a purpose. When you remove them you are impacting a delicate balance. For example I once lived on a large wooded property (over 80 acres) and we had abundant snakes. One year my dad decided to start killing off all of the garter snakes he could find. I don’t know his reasoning, but I do know the result. We were overrun with frogs and salamanders. The snakes had been keeping the amphibians populations under control. I remember early the next spring my dad handed me a 5 gallon bucket and dropped me off near a lake and told me to fill it with garter snakes so we could put them back on our property. So before you start a campaign against snakes in your area consider the impact it will have on you. For instance keep snakes away could be inviting rodents in.

Get rid of cover and hiding areas to keep snakes away

Snakes are often found lying around in certain types of areas. By taking those areas away you will force a snake to seek a different place to hang out. Some of those areas include -

• Tall grass
• Boards, logs, sheet metal, etc that they can crawl under
• Brush and shrubs
• Wood and rock piles

You also want to take care to eliminate their access to other areas they might find appealing such as under your deck or under your home’s foundation. A snake basically has three very simple functions. It hunts, it kills and eats, and it rests. It repeats that cycle throughout the entire course of its life. By taking away the things mentioned above you severely impact the snake’s ability to rest which is the most important of all the things it does.

Get rid of the source of food a snake depends on

The reason snakes are attracted to your house and the surrounding areas is because there is an abundant food source. If you want to get rid of the snakes the single most effective way is to do so is to get rid of there food source. The less they have to eat the less they will come around your home. Rats, mice, frogs, lizards, and other such critters are a main staple of a snake’s diet. Controlling their presence will by proxy help to keep snakes away from your home.

Some methods that don’t work to keep snakes away

There are a lot of wives tales out there about ways to keep snakes away. Unfortunately they don’t usually work and for the most part you waste your time and money. The exception is that something doing some of these things will reduce the food a snake has and it will cause their numbers to dwindle. Some of the more popular methods that don’t work are -

• Roping off the affected area with hemp rope
• Spreading mothballs around the affected area
• Flooding snake dens
• Spreading gas or diesel around
• Commercial products such as “Snake-Away”
• Sulfur powder

The primary problem with these methods of snake control is that they require constant refreshing. The odors (which may or may not keep snakes away) become less and less potent as time goes on. A flooded den quickly dries out and becomes a haven for snakes once again. Not to mention you’ll have to live with a yard or house that stinks of sulfur, gas, and mothballs. Personally I’d rather deal with a snake here and there than to have to inhale those toxins 24/7 in order to keep away a few snakes

One final method to get rid of your snake problem

I would be remiss if I did not mention a final method of getting rid of snakes around your home. That is simply to have someone come and collect them. You’d be surprised how effectively a skilled, and knowledgeable person can be when it comes to collecting snakes and relocating them to another area far removed from your home and yard. Many times you can find a person at a local herpatological clubs that is willing to remove them at no fee to you. Whereas an exterminator is willing to come in and kill them but it’s going to cost you a lot of money.

One of the most challenging things any snake keeper can do is to tame a wild snake down to the point of being comfortable with you. Before we get going on what to do you should be well aware that some snake’s simply won’t be tamed. You’ll need to know when enough is enough and it time to stop your efforts.

Catching a wild snake

The first step is obviously catching a wild snake. Before you go out to do this check your local laws as some snakes are protected. When it comes time to collect a wild snake you are better off taking someone who is familiar with the native species with you. The next best thing is a good field guide for your local area. Obviously you don’t want to be bit by a venomous snake while trying to catch one.

Before you do anything else do some studying into the husbandry requirements of the snake you are going to be catching and have everything setup BEFORE you go and find one.

You need to take the proper equipment with you. When I go out to catch snakes I like to have the following items in my “kit”

• Heavy leather gloves
• Heavy long sleeved flannel shirt
• 2 or 3 pillow cases
• Snake hook
• A padded dowel (3′ long) for pinning
• Map and compass
• Flagging
• Digital camera

Then I start looking where I know snakes are found and begin hunting. Once I have the snake I want I go back home with it at put it in the previously prepared tank. Once I put it in the tank I cover it with a towel and make sure to let it get as much rest as possible. Getting caught is hard work for snakes and it stresses them out greatly.

Just like a captive bred snake the first week should be one of rest. In other words don’t spend hour on end trying to handle the snake. Give it at least 7 days before you attempt to handle it.

After the first week

Following the first week is when training really begins. Start with short regular handling sessions. I try for twice a day 5 minutes each time to begin with. You have to judge how tame your snake is becoming in order to know when and if to extend the handling sessions. When you are handling an untamed or questionable snake there are a few simple precautions to keep in mind for both your own and the snake’s safety.

1. Wear gloves and long sleeves
2. Keep the snake away from your face
3. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling the snake
4. Make sure the lid is secure when you return the snake to it’s cage

In most cases as you handle the snake it will get used to you and calm down considerably. Regular handling will just help to reinforce the snake’s tamed nature. If however the snake is refusing to calm down you can either maintain it as a display animal or return it where you found it. If you keep it you’ll probably find it very difficult to keep thriving because of how stressed it is.

Keys to keeping the snake tamed

Always remember that a snake is a wild animal. Even store-bought captive bred animals are still wild. That means you’ll need to regularly handle it even after it has become tamed. If you don’t it will lapse back into it’s natural ways. Make sure you keep the snake comfortable otherwise it will be unhappy and unhappy snakes are not tame snakes.

The most important key is to remember that a snake is never really tamed. It is at best acclimated to you and willing for whatever reason to put up with you. No matter how much you work at it the snake will never become like dog or cat that comes when called.

Reticulated Python
Giant snakes take a whole different level of commitment when it comes to keeping them as pets. Here are a few things you should consider carefully before buying a breed of snake that is going to turn into a giant.

Long term living space for giant snakes

A one and a half foot reticultated pythons fits nicely into a 30 gallon tank. A ten foot long one does not. Before you get a giant snake make sure you have the means and room to provide an adequate sized home for the animal. For a variety of reason (such as staying alive) giving it free reign of your house isn’t really an option.

Not only do you have to have the room for a cage that is the proper size, but you need to be able to afford to buy or build one. Expect to pay several hundred dollars at least. A good idea is to start saving when it is young and small(er) if you have that luxury.

Feeding giant snakes

Big snakes eat big meals. Big meals cost a lot more money than small meals. It’s one thing to feed your Red Tail Boa a rat or two at couple of dollars each. It’s something totally different to be feeding a 12 foot Burmese python a small pig every other week. First of all obviously you need to have a regular supply of food and secondly you need to be able to keep up with the ongoing food costs.

Safety concerns with giant snakes

Let’s face it, giant snakes are a potential threat to your life. Not just your life, but anyone who comes near them. They aren’t toys to be hauled around and shown off so your friends can say how cool they look draped over your shoulders. These animals can and will kill you if you mess up.

If you’re a 5′0″ tall single woman and live alone then having a giant snake as a pet is begging for problems. Suppose you needed to get a 10 foot specimen packed up and taken into the vet for some reason and couldn’t find anyone will to help you with it. It would be all but impossible even for an adult male who stands 6′4″ and weight 275lbs let alone a petite woman. That’s not at all to say women can’t handle snakes, but reality is reality and the sheer size of a giant snake makes it triply important to do everything safely.

Giant snakes are a pleasure to work with and care for, but the reality is that most people who have them aren’t properly equipped with a creature that will grow well over 10 feet and weigh over 200 pounds. That’s why you can look through Craig’s List and in the local classifieds and see people practically begging you to come and get the snake for free.