Snakes are fascinating, and with regular handling can be quite tame. However, snakes are obviously not the right pets for everyone. They have unique requirements and should only be kept by those with the commitment to understand and meet their needs. If you are new to pet snakes, find out what you should consider before deciding on a pet snake, and what species are the best snakes for beginners.

Choosing a Snake as a Pet - First Things First

When choosing a snake, you are making a long term commitment - many can be expected to live longer than 20 years.

You must be willing to feed prey animals to your snake (though frozen, pre-killed prey is the best choice), and you will probably have to devote some freezer space to frozen prey items (i.e. rodents).

Snakes are very adept escape artists, so make sure you have an escape-proof tank, keeping in mind that snakes are persistent about finding and squeezing through any small gaps.

Finally, as beautiful as they are, I strongly recommend against anyone keeping large constricting snakes or venomous snakes.

About Choosing Your Snake
Get a captive bred snake from a reputable breeder, if at all possible. Wild caught snakes tend to be more stressed and prone to parasites and disease, and more difficult to tame. For more about the advantages of captive bred reptiles, see Should I Get a Wild Caught or Captive Bred Reptile?

You will also want to do a cursory exam of your snake to check for any signs of illness: see Choosing a Healthy Reptile for areas and signs to look at.

It also doesn't hurt to ask for a feeding demonstration, to make sure your new snake is readily taking pre-killed prey and feeding well. Ball pythons are somewhat notorious for having feeding problems, so this is especially a good idea with ball pythons (though if you get a captive breed ball python it seems less likely that feeding problems will crop up).

General Pet Snake Information for Beginners

Feeding Snakes: Pre-Killed vs Live Prey - feeding pre-killed prey is recommended, since a live rodent can inflict some serious wounds on a snake in self defence (bonus: it is more convenient to keep a supply of frozen prey in your freezer than raising or buying live animals for feeding).

How to Provide a Thermal Gradient - snakes need to be able to regulate their body temperature by moving between cooler and warmer areas. Providing a gradient and making sure the warm side of the tank is warm enough are essential to your snake's health and ability to digest its meals.

Signs a Snake is About to Shed - there are some fairly common signs in a snake about to shed that might seem a bit alarming to a new snake owner.

How Can I Tell if My Snake is a Male or Female? - the short answer: you will probably need a pro to find out for sure.

How to Find and Escaped Pet - just in case your new snake turns out to be an escape artist, this general information on finding lost pets might help you track down your pet (keep in mind, a snake will most likely head for a warm, enclosed space).

Constricting Snakes - some cautions about larger constricting snakes and handling guidelines, along with information specific to boas and pythons.

Whatever snake is chosen, new owners should be familiar with the proper care and feeding, the behavioral characteristics, and the commitment required to keep the snake.



exoticpets.about.com/cs/snakes/a/snakesaspets.htm

Snakes are meant to be killed and eaten.

People who keep them as pets never find it funny.

Snakes are cursed creatures...

Snakes are cursed creatures...second to comment oooo

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Is only juju, babalawo that keep snakes as pet. It is abnormal in africa, u guys shold stop turning us to white

o ma gosh
show me how
cos i love those cute sexy creatures

Disgusting creatures

Reserved_comment..

Why would i want a snake for a pet.abeg dog is enough.

I hate snakes

Well I'm still in my right senses ,maybe when insanity come I might consider doing this

Well I'm still in my right senses ,maybe when insanity comes I might consider doing this

Mehn I am black. Expect that to my white brothers. Disgusting!

OP if dem born u well, go keep Taipei(world venomous snake) as pet....e go bizu 4u....d venom secreted @ one bite is capable of killing 100,000 rodents or 100 humans...no try am oooo....even babies venom re equally as potent as dt of their adults.....BE WARNED.

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@OP say una wan kill person ni? Snake ko Snail ni Alakoba gbogbo......... snake, instead of rearing Goat or Cat lolz

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I go fit makam my pet but im go dey for bush I go dey my house....nonsence

Why Do we now have to many advertorial comment this days on nairaland topics. Pls Mod do something about it.
Unless they are paying for it .
@topic can imagine having a snake as a pet*weird* what if it goes wild

this guy well at all?

The snake is a very peaceful and lovely animal.it attacks only in self defence or for survival.

why would i wanna do dat.snakes are like so borring....y dnt u make a lion ur pet dats gonna be like so cool

Hmnn pet like cobra, green or black mamba etc

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The sight of snakes is irritating not to talk of keeping them as pets. They are cursed!

if you are interested in seeing your kids grow old dont keep cobras as pets.. na advice o

.

" .Na so craze dey start"....in MIs voice..

hmmm....nigerians go use am cook soup...

#teamGeishaPerfurm

. what if i stuff OTAPIAPIA in the frozen rodent, and the snake swallow it, will it Die?

OP yarn finish come carry man eating python and a coral snake(one of the most toxic snakes in the world) come post as pests..thereby contradicting wetin en talk earlier.