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Kids and snakes 4 things you should consider before you buy one (a snake that is)

PetSnakes — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:38:19 +0000

Kid and Garter Snake - GerryT (flickr)

Maybe you have a passion for snakes yourself and want to pass that along to your children. Or it could be that they have been bugging you about getting one and you’ve finally, after swearing to the highest heavens you never would, broken down and agreed to consider it. Whatever the case there are somethings that you should take into account before you buy a snake for a kid.

#1) They harbor salmonella
Snakes, like all reptiles, carry salmonella on their skin. Your child needs to be old enough to know better than to lick the animal, or handle it and then chew on his or her fingers. They say 3 or under is too young, but I don’t believe that is the case. It depends on the child and only you know your kid well enough. I’ve seen full grown adults who shouldn’t be handling snakes because they pick their noses and bite their nails without considering the animal they were holding a few minutes before.

#2) Some are simply inappropriate for children
All snakes are incredibly and deceptively strong, but there are some that just have no business around kids. I’m talking about full grown Burmese Pythons, Reticulated Pythons, Boa Constrictors, and others like those. Even adults should only handle them with assistance, but kids should never be responsible for animals of that size. Another type of snake, regardless of size, that you should avoid giving to a child are venomous ones. Not that we need to get into a great deal of discussion about “hots” in this article but we do need to make mention of it.

#3) Age isn’t just a number when it comes to snakes
Keeping any pet is a major obligation for a kid. But a snake is a whole new level of responsibility both for the child and for the parent or guardian. More than age it requires maturity. I’m going out on a limb here and assuming you’re not interested in cleaning up snake poop, feeding dead rodents to a snake, disinfecting the cage, or any of the rest of the mundane activities required for your child’s snake to thrive. But is your son or daughter mature enough to do it?

#4) They cost more than you think
First you have to buy all the supplies necessary to properly house a snake. Next you have to buy the snake itself. Finally you need to be prepared to continually invest in the animal. Food, bedding, electric to keep the heat and humidity right, vet bills, and all the rest of it. If your kid isn’t working you will be paying for all of those things. Don’t get me wrong I believe it is well worth the investment but if your budget is already thin getting a snake might be more expensive than you are prepared for.

This article did not cover every concern you could possibly have and it wasn’t meant to. It’s purpose is to get you to think about a few things you might not have as you’ve started looking into getting a snake for your kid. I’d like to recommend the following snakes as good candidates for children. I’ve also included a link to appropriate reading materials about the species on Amazon.

Ball Pythons:
Small, docile, and relatively easy to care for. These are great children’s snakes. A great reference for parents and guardians is – The Complete Ball Python: A Comprehensive Guide to Care, Breeding and Genetic Mutations

Corn Snakes:
Even easier to care for than Ball Pythons! Written by Kathy Love one of the foremost experts on Corn Snakes in the pet trade – Corn Snakes: The Comprehensive Owner’s Guide

Three ways snakes kill and eat their prey

PetSnakes — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:17:52 +0000

Even though there are approximately 2700 species of snakes in the world they only kill their prey in three different ways. We’ve included 3 examples of each of the three ways snakes kill and eat. In some of the videos you’ll notice the prey is already dead (frozen thawed) while in others the snake has to hunt it and kill it. Regardless if the prey is alive or dead you will see the snake going through the process of capturing and killing it. For some people the following videos will be disturbing. They show snakes killing and eating other animals.

Eating their prey alive
This method is neither eloquent nor impressive, but it is effective. These snakes simply overpower their prey and start swallowing it alive. Due to the fact that snakes have hundreds of backwards curved teeth once the prey is in the snakes mouth it is all but impossible for it to escape being swallowed.

Garter Snake (genus Thamnophis) eating minnows:
Eastern Indigo Snake (genus Drymarchon couperi) swallowing FT pinkie headfirst:
Eastern Hognose Snake (genus Heterodon platirhinos) catching and eating an American Toad

Constricting their prey to death and then eating
With the popularity in the pet trade of medium to large sized constrictors this is the most widely known and observed method a snake uses to kill its prey. The snake seizes the prey animal with its mouth, throws some coils around it and then begins to constrict. When the prey exhales the snake tightens the coils preventing the prey from inhaling. This continues until the prey is dead. It was recently discovered that Boa Constrictors can sense that the heartbeat of the prey has stopped at which point it will begin the process of eating the meal.

King Snake (gensu Lampropeltis getula californiae) catching and constricting a mouse
Boa Constrictor (genus Boa constrictor constrictor) killing a rat
Ball Python (genus ) constricting a frozen thawed mouse

Envenoming their prey with deadly saliva
The final method snakes use to subdue their prey in order to eat it is envenomation. The snake bites through the skin of the prey and injects saliva into the wound. This saliva is known as venom and causes a deadly reaction in the prey animal’s body which leads to death. Please do not attempt to keep venomous snakes of any kind without the proper training. One mistake is likely to kill you.

Timber Rattle Snake (genus Crotalus horridus) striking and killing a mouse
Black Mamba (genus Dendroaspis polylepis) envenoming a hamster
Gaboon Viper (genus Bitis_gabonica) striking and killing a mouse

Related posts:

Why you aren’t ready for a snake

PetSnakes — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:48:17 +0000

Photo by:Andy_Mitchell_UK

So you’ve got your heart set on taking home that snake from the pet store today, but you know next to nothing about snakes and you’re not certain the pet store employee knows what they are talking about either. But it’s just too good a deal to pass up so you gladly hand over several hundred dollars for the snake, a homely looking Ball Python and a kit which includes; a a new snake tank, something to keep the tank heated, one or two hides for your new snake, a bag of substrate, a water bowl, a cheap thermometer to keep the temperature regulated, and a hygrometer to make sure the humidity is correct. You might even get lucky and get a book thrown in with it that is supposed to tell you everything you need to know to properly care for your new pet.

Then you get home and set everything up only to realize you don’t have a clue what you’re doing. You can’t keep the temperature stable without dropping the humidity way to low. You get the humidity up and your substrate molds. In fact, you’re not even sure the cheap stick-on thermometer and hygrometer are even working properly.

But you keep trying and speaking of trying you’ve been trying to get your snake to eat for the past week. Twice a day you offer it a mouse, that has started to become more of a pet because you don’t know anything about feeding a pet snake.

Then one day you notice your shiny new snake looks like an old piece of luggage and its eyes are a grayish blue color. You start searching online and realize these are just signs that your snake is getting ready to shed it’s skin. After a few weeks it clears up and you see no shed so you start to get worried that your snake has eaten its shed skin.

A few days later you walk in and it has shed it’s skin. At least it has tried but because you didn’t have the proper humidity and didn’t make a humid hide patches of old skin are stuck all over your snake.

After all this trouble you’re starting to wonder why snakes make good pets. In fact, after it soiled its cage and you had to clean the tank for the first time you’re starting to think you might have made a big mistake getting a snake for a pet.

The good news is it doesn’t have to be like that. You can learn as much as possible before you buy a new snake. If you do that you’ll be far better educated than the typical new pet snake owner that ends up learning as they go.

Finding a reputable snake breeder online

PetSnakes — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 22:39:43 +0000

Several emails recently have asked how one goes about finding a trustworthy and reputable snake breeder online. In this article I will cover some of what I use to help find them. Remember in no way does this article guarantee that you will always find a reputable breeder by following these methods, however it will help.

Know what kind of snake you want to buy
This might seem obvious to some but to others who haven’t done their research on the wide variety of snakes available to them it isn’t so clear. If the question you are mostly likely to ask after “Where do I find a reputable snake breeder online?” is “What kind of a snake is best for me?” then you aren’t ready to buy anything yet. While all snakes appear roughly the same as far as design each species is very specialized and you need to be prepared to provide adequate care for whichever one you end up buying.

I’m not going to get into a great deal of detail about choosing a snake as a pet in this article. That topic has been covered many times in the past on this website. I will however give a brief overview of things you should consider.

Size:

How large of an adult snake do you want to handle. A neonate Reticulated python is around 12 to 18 inches. An adult, closer to 12 to 18 feet.

Cost:

That albino Ball python you saw is going to run you in the neighborhood of $400 but the normal phenotype will be around $30. Big difference, and that’s just for the snake itself so you also have to consider the housing requirements.

Available room:

While they are small this isn’t such a big issue but as they get larger and larger you need to have the space to safely house them. Some snakes get absolutely huge, while others stay very small.

Time you can dedicate to it:

Snakes aren’t a “set and forget” household pet no matter what you’ve heard. It’s true they don’t take as much work as a dog or cat but you still need to stay on top of things to keep them thriving. For example if you have a tropical or sub-tropical species you’ll need to monitor their heat and humidity on a daily basis.

Your level of comfort with snakes:

If you aren’t comfortable in general with snakes I encourage you to reconsider. It doesn’t matter how docile a species is said to be they will bite you at some point and most likely without any warning. They will hiss and strike at you. Just like people they can have a bad day for no apparent reason. Some species are more susceptible to this kind of behavior than other snakes.

This is in no way an exhaustive list, just some things you should think about in your decision making process.

Make a list of the breeders who specialize in the snake you want
With the internet this is becoming easier and easier to do. A bit of google search magic can help you to find these people. Here is a little explanation for those who are unfamiliar:

Generic search: rat snake breeders
Refined search: "rat snake breeders"
Definitive search: "rat snake breeders" ~your_state

Using a generic search Google will just look for the words “rat”, “snake”, and “breeders” in the results. It doesn’t matter if they are together, in order or anything else. As long as they exist on the page Google search will return that page as a match.

A refined search will look for the exact phrase “rat snake breeders” in a website.

What I call a definitive search will not only return the exact phrase you are looking for, but also will further narrow the results to look for the additional modifier of the state name you type in. This is helpful so you can look locally for snake breeders.

Other places to look are the kingsnake breeder directory and the fauna classifieds websites. You can also look for online communities that specialize in the species of snake you would like to purchase and you’ll often find that those forums have a place for people to list either their businesses or individual snakes for sale. Finally pet-snakes.com has a list of breeders in our snakes by state section.

Unless you are looking for an incredibly obscure species of snake for a pet you should have a pretty lengthy list of potential breeders from these sources. If you are still having problems finding a breeder that specializes in what you want try contacting another breeder and asking them if they can recommend anyone to you. The reptile community tends to be a tight knit group and it’s not at all strange for people to recommend one another even if competition exists between the parties.

Contact the breeders in your list
Now that you have a list it is time to do some good old-fashioned leg work. Contact the breeders and start talking specifics. Get a feel for what they know about their snakes. Some places that appear to be breeders are not. They work directly with importers who provide them the animals instead of producing them on their own. I’m not saying they are bad or dishonest at all however you should know that they might not have any information about the snakes they are selling.

I generally email a few times back and forth with a breeder and then speak to them on the phone a couple of times to get a feel for them. Take care not to waste their time as they have a business to run just like anyone else. Ask relevant questions both of their breeding practices and about the species of snake they specialize in. This is a relevant exercise for a few reasons.

It will tell you who you are doing business with:

A good breeder who is passionate about their animals will want to talk to you about them. They will answer your questions and ask questions of their own. If a breeder can’t be bothered to answer your questions in order to get you to spend money with them do you think they will be responsive after the sale?

It establishes a relationship between yourself and the breeder:

Have you ever walked into a restaurant and the people in their immediately know your name, where you like to sit and even what you like to order? If you’re going to spend hundreds of dollars with someone who you only know online wouldn’t you like them to know as much about you in regards to the snakes you will buy from them as possible? I sure do, and most everyone else does as well. The only way to do this is to establish a relationship with the breeder. If you just find a website and place your order you will be nothing but a dollar sign with a number.

Sometimes you’ll find a better deal:

Just because you only see some snakes listed on a breeders website doesn’t mean there aren’t others. For example I got a great Spider morph Ball python from a breeder. It was a hold back from two years prior that had never been put on the site for sale. When I asked the breeder if they had any other snakes other than what was listed they did and the Spider was one of them. It doesn’t happen everytime but if I had not been communicating with the breeder I would have never found this out.

Hopefully those three reasons alone are enough to convince you that opening a dialogue between yourself and the snake breeder is not only a good idea, but a prudent one too.

Pick who you are most comfortable with
Based on your research, and communications decide which breeders you will be most comfortable buying a snake from. I like to have a list of three or four. One is going to be the primary and the others will be “just in case”. At this point I ask for references. Some people like to ask immediately, but I like to wait until now. Why? Because a really good, and honorable person might be selling what they have bred for the first time and has no references at that point. It would be a shame to pass up “diamond in the rough” for lack of a good reference before you even get a chance to talk to them.

Speak to the references
I like to get at least three references from each breeder. If they don’t have any references to give I have to make a decision based on all of our conversations but I would not buy an expensive snake from them the first time around. You will have to decide for yourself what expensive is, but for me it’s $50. Yes, I am a cheapskate.

When you contact the references always remember that they are doing you a favor by talking to you. They have no obligation to spend anytime answering your questions. With that in mind have three to five questions ready to ask them about the snake breeder you want more information about. Your questions can be whatever you want related to the purchase of a snake. Some of mine include:

How many snakes have you bought from [breeder name]?
Have you ever had any issues with DOA specimens?
After the sale how has the communication been?
Would you buy another snake from them right now?
Can you give me the contact information of someone else you know who has bought from this snake breeder in the past?

That’s just an example of some questions I might ask a reference. The point is to ask whatever is going to make your decision easier.

Make your decision
At some point you’ll need to decide who, if anyone, you will be buying your new snake from. Once you’ve -

Researched the species of snake you are interested in buying
Made a list of breeders who sell that kind of a snake
Contacted the breeders in your list
Pick the breeder you are most comfortable with
Speak to the references

It is time to make a purchase. For me once all of the leg-work is done buying the snake is the easy part. Because by the time I get to the step I’m very comfortable with my decision.

Final thoughts
Buying a snake can be daunting, but a good breeder will walk you through every step of the process. They will answer your questions and if you are not a good fit for the snake you are trying to buy they won’t sell it to you. They want to make money but they also want to protect the integrity of the hobby.

I hope this article has been helpful in your quest to find a reputable online snake breeder.

What you should buy for your pet snake before you bring it home

PetSnakes — Tue, 17 May 2011 06:13:09 +0000

So you’ve finally decided to get your first snake. That’s great to hear but before you run down to the store to pick it up (or purchase it from an online vendor) you need to be certain everything is in place and ready to go for your snakes arrival. Reptiles are very unforgiving animals when it comes to their living environment and not having everything setup ahead of time is a big mistake when it comes to caring for a snake. This is what you should have ready.

A terrarium for your pet snake
In the past we’ve advocated making your own snake cage out of a plastic bin and for many people due to the low cost and ease of use that is still the best option. However we also recognize that there are those who would like to spend a little extra money and have their snake in a glass display case. Some people will buy a glass aquarium, put some lights on it, tape a heat pad to the bottom, secure the top down and call it good. That’s fine but you’ll often find yourself fighting with humidity and dryness issues. Instead you should consider purchasing an Exo Terra AllGlass Terrarium – 18 x 18 x 18 Inches. These kits a pre-made and take all of the guess work out of setting your animal up properly. Plus the peace of mind they give as far as security goes is unbeatable.

Heat source
Because snakes can not regulate their own body temperature providing sources of heat is important. A common method of heating is to use an under the tank heater (UTH) such as the Zoo Med ReptiTherm® Under Tank Heater, Medium. The UTH provides a spot for the snake to bask which aids in the digestion of meals.

In addition to the UTH you will need a heating lamp. Snakes unlike lizards do not require UVA/B lighting, but getting a bulb that gives off those wavelengths isn’t going to hurt anything. You want to be sure to get Zoo Med Daylight Blue Incandescent Reptile Bulb 15 Watts and one for Zoo Med Nightlight Red Reptile Bulb 60 Wattsuse at night. You can also Zoo Med Zoo Med Day and Night Reptile Bulb Combo Pack (Pack of 2 60 Watt Bulbs)that has one bulb for night and one bulb for day usage.

If you are using an exoterra terrarium system they usually have lamps built in that just need bulbs. On the other hand if you are using an old aquarium you’ll have to buy your own Zoo Med Clamp Light Fixtureto hold the bulbs.

Keeping track of the temperature and humidity
After you have heating elements you need to be able to keep track of temperature and humidity. One of the best tools to use for doing this is a Chaney Instruments Acu-Rite 00891A1 Indoor and Outdoor Thermometer with Humidity.

The remote probe allows you to place the main body of the instrument at the end away from the heating pad and then put the probe over the heating pad. That way you can see both the ambient temperature inside the enclosure as well as the basking temperature.

Miscellaneous items you should have on hand
You should also have the following items ready to go when your snake gets there.

Phone numbers for exotic animal vets in your area
A good reference source (such as pet-snakes.com)
A large bowl. It should be shallow but wide to help speed up evaporation