The Best Pet Snake

If you have decided to have a snake for a pet then you need to figure out which is the best pet
snake for you. Some pet snakes grow big, some can be dangerous and others can be hard to care for.
So it is important to know which is the best pet snake for you.

Keeping snakes as pets can be easy only if understand their needs. Their needs are different
from other reptiles and the owner must also understand that some of them grow very large and
can become dangerous with the passage of time. There are different types of snakes available
for pet owners with different preferences. Every snake has a different diet and needs a
different environment to live in. Snakes, which are kept as exotic pets, range from common
garter snake to pythons. Snakes sometimes also reach forty years of age so you should be aware
of this fact and be ready to make a lifetime commitment before thinking of keeping snakes as
pets. So the best pet snake for you involves making several choices.

Snakes can easily escape from their owner’s custody and they are always looking out for a way
of escape from captivity. You need to be extremely careful in this regard and also should build
an escape proof enclosure. Snakes are carnivores which means they do not eat vegetation at all.
The favorite food for snakes is rats and mice. Bigger snakes are fed with squirrel, rabbits and
other small mammals. Some species even eat insects and fishes. As the snakes eat small animals,
it is advisable to kill the prey before it is given to the snake. If this job is left to the
snake, it could be a risk to its life.

Usually snakes that have been bred in captivity make the best pet snake. Wild snakes
carry lots of diseases and parasites with them, get really stressed out with the transportation
and are very difficult to tame. King snakes, ball pythons and corn snakes are popular choices.
Their diet and environmental needs aren’t as complicated as other species of snakes. They are
also small in size, but the king snakes can sometimes grow up to seven feet. Ball pythons have
eating issues. They like to feed on a live prey instead of pre-killed prey. Also, they
sometimes stop eating food for months together. Ball pythons that have been bred in captivity
have lesser eating issues. And before buying a ball snake, the owner can test whether the
reptile eats a dead prey readily or not.

The more challenging snakes that are kept, as pets are red-tailed boas, water snakes, Burmese
pythons, and any other pythons and wild snakes. The most dangerous of them are Burmese pythons.
They can completely swallow a human being. So it is recommended to have people around while
feeding the reptile. Burmese pythons are very strong snakes and can grow more than twenty feet
and weigh more than two hundred pounds. Even red-tailed boas grow up to ten feet and weigh more
than fifty ponds. They are also difficult to be managed by one person. All these species demand
right temperatures and humidity in their environment. If you are starting out with your first snake
then a burmese python might not be the best pet snake for you just yet !

Reticulated pythons and anacondas are extremely dangerous exotic pets. Some strictly recommend
against keeping them as pets. Another variety that is fatal is venomous snakes. They not only
are a threat to the owner and his family members but also to people in the neighborhood, if it
escapes.

Another point to consider when choosing the best pet snake for you is the snakes appearance.
Do you like the color and markings? After all, you may have this pet snake for many years.
Also consider the housing you will need to provide for your snake. If it is a foreign snake it
may need a heated vivarium. Make sure it is of adequate size and allow for growth. If your pet
needs special food such as live, or dead, prey you will need a reliable source for that.
In fact, some snake owners actually breed white rats or mice as snake food, especially if they
have several snakes.

Keeping these tips in mind you should now be in a better position to decide which is the best
pet snake for you.

You can learn more about various Exotic Pets here: Caring for Green Iguanas