Snake FAQs
Both new snake owners and those who are simply curious about them come with a ton of questions about these amazing animals. We’ve begun to compile a list of frequently asked questions that seem to be asked over and over again. This is by no means meant to represent a complete and total work of all possible FAQs when it comes to snakes. By their very nature these answers are relatively brief with the understanding that it is up to the reader to do further research on their own.
Where possible we’ve linked to other articles here at Pet-Snakes that will further enhance our answers to the FAQs. As new articles are added the FAQs about the snakes will be updated to reflect new links.
If you don’t find the answer in the list below please feel free to contact us and we will see what we can do for you.
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Are snakes slimy?
No, they are actually very dry skinned just like all other reptiles. A snake's skin is actually made of the same material that makes your fingernails and hair.
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Can I keep 2 or more snakes together?
No! Snakes are solitary animals that do much, much better not having companionship living with them. Snakes are also cannibalistic which can lead to really big trouble. There are many people who keep snakes together, but wisdom says it is a bad idea.
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Do snakes carry diseases that can be transferred to people or other animals?
Snakes are actually remarkably clean. Perhaps one of the cleanest animals in all of nature so they don't carry many disease. One thing they do carry is salmonella. All reptiles actually carry it on their skin. It is very rare to become infected by it if you take proper precautions to avoid it. That precaution is thoroughly washing your hands before and after handling your snakes.
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How big/old does my snake need to be to safely breed?
The answer depends on several factors such as is it male or female, species of snake, and more. You'll need to spend some time researching the particular kind of snake you are interested in to get the right information.
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How come my snake is so stressed out?
There are a few things that seem to stress snakes more than others. The most common ones include:
- A new home
- When you bring your snake home or move it from one enclosure to another give it about 7 days to settle in. Don't do anything with it other than keep the humidity and the temperature at their proper levels and provide fresh water daily. You should also keep the tank clean if the snake should soil it.
Also try to keep the snake's tank out of high traffic areas so it will be more comfortable and better able to settle in.
- Changes in feeding
- A change in the food you are offering your snake can cause it to become stressed. If the snake takes the new food just let it settle in for a week and then offer the new food again. If it doesn't wait a week and offer the snake's normal food. After another 5 to 7 days offer the new food. You want to encourage the snake to eat the new food, but not to the point of exhaustion.
- Health issues
- Any snake that has health problems is going to be stressed. The best thing you can do is to take your snake to a qualified "herp" vet and follow their instructions for the after care. This is a good reason that you should choose a vet for your snake before you are facing an emergency.
- Poor husbandry
- Bad husbandry habits are some of the worst culprits when it comes to stressing out a snake. Every species of snake has exacting standards that should be met. If you're not familiar with them you should familiarize yourself with care sheets as they will prove invaluable.
Beyond that it is simply possible that your snake has a high strung personality and is just going to be "stressed". As long as it isn't trying to bite you all the time this shouldn't even be an issue.
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How come my snake never blinks?
Snakes don't blink because they don't have any eyelids. Their eyes are actually protected by a thin, transparent layer of skin.
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How do I get my snake to stop biting me?
Generally this problem can be solved by handling the snake frequently so it gets used to you. Some snakes never tame down no matter how much you handle them. Always keep safety in mind when working with aggressive animals. Be sure to have the proper safety equipment and the right number of people on hand to assist should something go wrong.
If you don't already know how ask someone locally to teach you how to use a snake hook. This is a great piece of equipment for keeping a snake at a safe distance away from you. Also be sure to wear gloves.
The following articles contain more information about how to avoid getting bitten and how to treat non venomous snake bites
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How do I raise/lower my humidity?
In order to raise your humidity levels you must either stop condensation from escaping, or create enough condensation that it can't escape fast enough. To lower it you must do that opposite. That is to decrease the amount of moisture being created or allow more to escape. A guide to regulating humidity is available and will give you detailed directions.
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How much does (insert snake species here) cost?
Unfortunately that is a question that can't be answered in a generic round-about way. The best thing to do is to get a hold of a couple of different breeders who specialize in the species of snake you are interested in and ask them what their current prices are. Be sure to specify anything special you're looking for (eg: designer morphs, adults or babies, male or female, etc) so they can give you the most accurate information.
Also keep in mind that prices do change and most breeders have a "lock in" policy. That just means that until you agree to buy the animal and put a deposit down on it there is a potential for the price to go up or down.
There are also several websites online that serve as "trading posts" for snake sellers and buyers. The two that are the most active are:
You can almost certain find the information on pricing you are looking for there if you take a few minutes to look around.
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How often should I feed my snake?
I find every 5 to 7 days to be a good amount of time between feedings under normal circumstances. Some people say you should only feed every 2 weeks, but that's underfeeding and some people say to feed every 2 or 3 days, but that's power-feeding. A principal I try to stick by is simply that feeding should be done at a rate which allows the snake to get the nutrients it needs to grow at a normal steady rate.
Breeding females are different as they require more nutrients and more bulk to safely carry eggs or babies. It is beyond the scope of this entry to advise how to feed breeding females.
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How often should my snake shed?
The frequency a snake sheds it's skin depends on two major factors
- Dietary habits - The more it eats, the more it grows, the more it sheds
- Age - The older a snake gets the less frequently it will shed
A juvenile snake will typically shed its skin once every 2 to 3 weeks with adults shedding every 6 to 8 weeks. This isn't a hard or fast rule just what is typical.
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What is a morph?
A morph is a snake that appears different than a normal looking one of the same species. The difference occurs in coloration and patterns. A physical difference is a genetic defect. So a snake with 2 heads is a genetic defect, but a Coral Glow Ball Python is an example of how a morph looks compared to normal Ball Python. All snakes, not just Ball Pythons have many examples of morphs.
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What kind of snake did I see?
One of the easiest ways to figure out what snake you've seen is to go to www.google.com and in the search bar field type in a physical description of the snake you saw along with the state you saw it in.
Example: snake red and black checkered state_name and then use the image search feature and see what it comes up with.
This won't always work, but it is a good starting place. If you have a picture of the snake you can post it on a variety of online communities and forums where people will be more than happy to help you out. You could also take the photo to a local expert and ask them what it is or you could just tell them what you know and see if they can help you figure it out.
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What kind of snake makes the best pet?
This is a very subjective question with no easy answer. Everyone has their own personal opinion and it really comes down to personal preference. The best thing to do is research several snakes that have the traits you are interested in and then make a move from there.
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What permits do I need to have XYZ snake as a pet?
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What snakes have live babies and what snakes lay eggs?
The generic answer is that Boas give live birth and Pythons lay eggs. It gets more complicated than that because some Boas actually lay eggs:
Both of those are classified by the scientific community as boas and they both lay eggs. There are also various other species of snakes that cross the boundaries and have live births when they're "supposed to" lay eggs and vice-versa.
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Why won't my pet snake eat?
There are 3 reasons your pet snake isn't eating. If you take care of these 3 reasons it WILL eat unless there is a medical issue.