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Day after day we get requests for recommendations for vegetarian snakes. Day after day we respond by telling people that there is no such thing. So we figured we’d just write a quick little article giving everyone who cares to read it the answer. In a word, no. We can’t recommend a vegetarian snake because there is no such animal. They just do not exist.
Snakes, like cats and like ferrets are obligated carnivores. In other words in order to live they must eat meat. Cats and ferrets have their meat processed into more user friendly commercial chunks but it is still meat. A snakes knows instinctively it isn’t meant to eat vegetables and won’t.
Some people when asked about vegetarian snakes will recommend ones such as Rough Green Snakes and Ring Necked Snakes that eat insects. While a bug might not be a furry little mouse it is a far cry from a vegetable. If you want an animal that eats vegetables a snake is NOT the pet for you. There are several lizards that would be more appropriate.
If you still want a snake but are unable to bring yourself to throw a living animal in with it then your only other option is pre-killed or frozen/thawed. Either way you will be feeding the snake meat and not vegetables.
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But is it possible like can a snake be able to Digest certain Fruit and Vegtables because I know my cat can eat Fruit and once in a while eat Vegtables but can a snakes body digest and absorb the Nutrients from a Vegtable or Fruit with out any ill effects
Mitch,
Sure, a snake could swallow a piece of fruit or vegetable and it’s stomach acids would digest it but the snake would get absolutely no nutritional value from it. As far as no ill effects I’m not aware of anyone convincing a snake to eat fruit (or vegetables) so can’t say on that one.