What are the best snake types for beginners?

Snakes are among the most popular exotic pets these days with more and more pet lovers opening up to the exciting idea of having a pet snake at home. However, not all snakes make good pets due to their nature, habits and demands that cannot be fulfilled in a domestic environment. Some of them are not social towards humans and many are venomous so all poisonous snakes and reticulated pythons and anacondas should never be kept as pets.

Corn snakes

This species is extremely popular due to their ease of care, gentle and social attitude towards humans and low maintenance level. The cost is basically comprised off the housing expenses and equipment required to keep your pet corn snake comfortable. They are notorious escape artists so you must make sure that it is not given any opportunities to escape from its enclosure. Corn snakes are quite easy to keep because they do not grow to be very long or heavy when they are mature as an adult corn snake can grow from 3 to 5 feet in length. They live from 15-20 years in captivity if good care is taken. Feeding a corn snake is not very difficult either because its diet consists mainly of mice which are readily available in frozen form in reptile supplies sections of pet supermarkets and online US pet stores like www.lovemypets.com.

King snakes and milk snakes

Both milk snakes and king snakes belong to the same family and have similar traits. Some of the species of milk and king snakes fool predators into thinking that they are venomous snakes because of the closeness of the markings and colors of their scales. They are known to be wary of newcomers at first but settle down and become gentle pets once they get familiar with their new environment and owners. They are not very small in size and adults can grow up to 7 feet in length. They feed on a variety of rodents, birds, reptiles, amphibians and other snakes so it is unwise to house them with other edible snakes.

Ball pythons

Ball pythons are quite gentle creatures that grow from 3 to 5 feet in length and live from 20-30 years in captivity depending on the level of care they receive. They are constricting snakes and feed by crushing their prey between their coils and swallowing it whole. Some ball pythons prefer rats over mice or vice versa so you may feed it whatever it prefers. They make good pets for beginners because of their relatively smaller size and docile nature.

Snakes unsuitable for beginners

Boa constrictors may be difficult to manage for pet owners who are not so familiar with the behavior of these snakes. They are also quite large so they may prove to be more than you can handle. Burmese pythons are gentle towards humans but they have special needs and grow to be huge so they need proper housing and are not very suitable for beginners. Tree boas or pythons, water snakes and green snakes are similarly not good pets for untrained people who do not know how to properly care for such special snakes.

How to Pick the Right Reptile Pet?

Reptiles have special needs like every other pet because they have their own optimum environmental conditions, food preferences, temperaments, time tables and activity levels. It all comes down to how well that reptile fits into your personality and lifestyle. It is really important that you do your research beforehand and understand its requirements and only bring it home if you can take full responsibility for it. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself when deciding on a suitable reptile.

How big will it grow to be?

Reptiles look cute when they are babies but the can grow to be enormous depending on their species. Reptiles such as green iguanas, large constrictor snakes, African spurred tortoises, monitor lizards, tegus and red-eared sliders are amongst the reptiles which are frequently abandoned to animal shelters because they grew much bigger than their owners expected.

How long is its average life span?

Some reptiles have really long life spans often outliving their owners so you must plan beforehand and not abandon it when you are no longer able to take responsibility for it. This is one of the chief reasons reptiles are left at rescue centers or foolishly let loose the wild often in a completely different habitat than they naturally inhabit. Turtles and tortoises can live 40 to 60 years. Lizards may live above 30 years of age. Snakes may live from 15 to 30 years in captivity.

What does it like to feed on?

The diet of reptiles varies in turtles, tortoises, lizards and snakes depending on their species. Many feed on vegetation which is easy to come by or insects like crickets. Many feed on rodents which may be bought frozen from places that sell reptile supplies. There are even online comparison shopping options like www.lovemypets.com. There are special pellet diets also available which contain all the essential nutrients your reptile needs. Additional supplements serve to provide extra benefits to make up for any deficiencies and build strong immune systems.

How much space will it require as it grows?

Obviously you will need to adjust the size of your pet’s terrarium or enclosure as it grows and sheds its skin every year. The space you have allocated for your reptile may prove to be insufficient. It is inhumane to put any living creature in cramped conditions. If you cannot provide the right amount of space for a large pet then pick one that suits your living space better.

Do its habits suit my lifestyle?

Reptiles are very quiet for the most part and do not require any petting or cuddling or other shows of affection. Many do not tolerate being held for long periods of time. If you want a really active pet who loves contact and social interaction than a reptile probably is not for you.

Can I afford the expenses?

There are a few initial expenses for keeping a reptilian pet for its accommodation, temperature and humidity regulators and other such requirements. They do not need to be fed as often as other pets like cats and dogs. They do have medical bills like other pets so be careful about keeping its surroundings clean and set perfectly according to its natural habitat.

Unsuitable reptilian pets

Reptiles like green iguanas, African spurred tortoises, alligators, crocodiles, Burmese pythons, reticulated pythons, rock pythons, or venomous reptiles are deemed unsuitable because of the poor attitude towards their care many owners have had. Impulse shopping of reptiles must never be done. This leads to later revelations that make the owners feel the pet is unsuitable and they neglect them or abandon them in the wild in inappropriate environments. It is best not to opt for these pets if you are just going to neglect them and blame them for lashing out when treated in an unwise manner.