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It’s strange how often I come across people who are looking for a name that fits their pet snake. Here are a few rules that I personally use when naming my snakes. They may or may not work for you so feel free to do whatever you like with them.
- Choose a theme
- The first thing I do when I start selecting names for my snakes (any animals I have really) is to choose a particular theme or category. For example I might decide that I want to name them after Ford cars and trucks or some variation of those names. Or maybe I want to name them after various lakes and rivers in South America. Whatever. The point is that I have a theme with a diverse group of names to choose from.
- Masculine or feminine
- My next step is to figure out what names sounds most appropriate for the gender of the snake. It’s part of what helps me to remember what I have in addition to cage tags I use.
- How does it sound
- No matter what name I choose I have to like it. No, I won’t be calling my snake to come to me using it’s name, but I have to be able to look someone in the eye and say it without grimacing in pain. More than that it’s always good when other people who are talking about your snake aren’t making a mockery of it’s name.
- My cardinal rule
- I have one cardinal rule when it comes to naming animals. Even if I throw all the previous things I’ve mentioned out the window I always, always, always follow this one rule…
NO HUMAN NAMES
Absolutely not. It’s like a crime against humanity (and animals) to name your snakes after other people. It’s not cute, and trust me Aunt Mildred will not be impressed when you name your Red Tail after her.
Ultimately you need to choose a name that fits well for you. These are just my rules. I believe in naming all of my animals, but for people who have hundreds of snakes (breeders usually) naming them all just isn’t a reasonable expectation. Some people simply number them or use some other form of categorization. Whatever works as long as it works.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi there! I was recently given a ball python, about two years old. I already have a corn snake, named Toki. I’d like to get a large tank, divide it in half, and have the both of them in my bay window. The ball’s name is Sake. How would you suggest I go about that? It has proven difficult to find an appropriate tank online, but I really didn’t want to build one.
Jamie,
1st question – Does the bay window get direct sunlight especially in the summer? If so I’d start by putting a small tank there setup like you’d have the bigger tank and put a thermometer in it. You want to see how hot it gets with direct sunlight. It might be way to hot for a snake.
2nd question – Have you quarantined the new ball python? Before you start putting them together make sure to go through a 90 day quarantine period.
As for the tank idea I’m not really sure how to do it. It would make more sense to me to get two smaller sized tanks (20L maybe) and put them side by side. Certainly from a cleaning perspective 2 smaller tanks are easier to handle than one large. Try looking on Craig’s List for used aquariums. Often people will get rid of them because they don’t hold water which is perfect for reptile owners.