by Native Gemini

Created on: August 07, 2009   Last Updated: August 08, 2009

Snakes make excellent pets. Most types of snakes need only a clean cage, heat, a bowl of water, a hiding place or two and food once or, sometimes, twice per week. They are quiet, clean, and do not require being handled, walked or played with. They do not require vaccinations, flea/heart-worm preventative like dogs and cats do. Of course, if you want to, you can handle them. Some of best types of snakes for beginners include the Corn Snake, Rat Snake, King Snake, and Milk Snake. These beginner snakes are easily housed in glass aquariums or specially designed snake enclosures. At the largest, they only require a 30 gallon aquarium due to the fact that they will grow to about 6 or seven feet long but never gain much in their girth. All of these snakes have mild temperaments and are easy to handle. The more they are handled the more accustomed to it they will become. The Corn snake is the number one choice of new snake owners. This may be a result of the many color and pattern combinations, or morphs, that are available as well as the hardy, even temperament they are known for.

The best types of bedding for the snake's cage are newspaper (shredded or flat), pine shavings (not dust or sawdust), and ground walnut/coconut shells. Never use any cedar products for you snakes. The bowl of water should be replaced at least once per week, twice is even better. Spot cleaning the cage or enclosure regularly is good but the cage should be completely cleaned and new bedding applied once every two weeks. Snakes need only one or two mice per week to stay healthy and robust. Younger snakes may need to be fed one small mouse two times per week while older or adult snakes do well with only one large mouse once per week. A good feeding rule is to check the girth of the mouse versus the girth of the snake. Never feed a mouse to a snake that has a larger girth than the snake has. Ideally the girth of each should be very similar.

All of the beginner snakes mentioned above can tolerate lower humidity but thrive in higher humidity environments. They do best with 50% humidity or greater but no exact measurement is required. Heat is a necessity for any cold blooded animal but an exact measurement is not required. The beginner snakes are comfortable at 60 or more degrees. By providing a basking light or other in cage heat source you will have a happier healthier snake. The cage temperature should not exceed 95 degrees. The last thing necessary for a happy snake and beginner owner is a hide box. You must provide at least one, two is better, hiding places for your snake. A hide box can be fashioned out of many things. You can purchase a hide from the pet store or you can make your own from an old box, tissue box or unused plastic container. Just make sure not to use any tape or other adhesives around your snake.

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