Are Snakes as Pets Misunderstood? – Their Benefits

Okay, so snakes as pets aren’t as cute and fluffy as dogs and cats, but the truth is they’re very misunderstood. A lot of people think that snakes are slimy and that they want to bite and squeeze people at any given chance.  It’s enlightening to look at snakes this way…pet dogs have sharp teeth that can do a lot of damage but we still cuddle and trust them. Snakes as pets have many benefits over other cuter pets like the hamster, and we’ve put together some reasons below that could persuade you to care of your own snake one day!

They’re Not That Dangerous

The risk of injury is much lower than other popular pets such as dogs, cats and even birds…who all also bite. Snakes for the most part mind their own business and only attack to defend themselves.  The only reason a snake would bite is in self defense, or it became confused and though your hand may have been it’s dinner. This may happen when your snake gets used to it’s usual feeding ritual/time and that the hand placing the food inside their home is the food itself. Another thing to watch out for is handling your snake after handling their food, as they could still smell the food on your hands and think that your hands are more food! To combat this, it’s best to drop their food in quickly, or use special reptile feeding tongs. It’s also important to know that most smaller snakes as pets available don’t really hurt that much, it may be initially shocking…but compared to a dog bite it can be very tame. Handling your snake is mostly about common sense and respecting them, and this should minimise any danger to you.

Easy to Care For

They’re low maintenance, and don’t require as much attention as lots of other pets. Beginner snakes like the Corn Snake don’t require a lot of in depth knowledge or experience. Snakes only defecate once a couple days after feeding, which means as long as you spot clean quickly as and when needed, you shouldn’t need to do a full clean out for around 2-3 weeks. Their waste is usually large and solid too, which means it’s very easy to remove them from their habitat. If you’re using a good bedding like aspen substrate, it should soak up a lot of the liquid waste and make it easier to clean up.

Their Eating Habits

They don’t need to be fed every day, and don’t cost you lots in food bills. Usually they only need feeding once every one or two weeks, as they prefer to eat larger food once in a while than smaller food more often. Watching them hunt and eat their food can be really interesting – cruel nature at it’s finest!

Perfect for People with Allergies

They’re not hairy, so they make great pets for people with allergies. A lot of people are allergic to pets such as dogs and cats because of their fur, but because snakes have scales they won’t effect those people in the same way.

They’re Clean & Quiet

They don’t really smell, as long as you keep their home nice and clean. Snakes as pets are also very quiet, you may only hear them occasionally hiss or dig…not bark or howl like dogs for example.

Don’t Need Big Living Spaces

Snakes don’t require a huge space to live in. An enclosure that is too large can make your snake nervous and go off his food. It’s a good rule to follow to have their enclosure the same length as their own body. As they loop around themselves, it’ll still be plenty of room. However, make sure their home is escape proof, as snakes are notorious as escape artists due to their unique abilities to contort their body in different shapes.]]>