Post 3 - How To Care for Snakes

Snakes are pretty easy to care for. Here are some simple tips....

Housing:

The best housing for a snake that grows to 3-4 feet is a 30 gallon aquarium. Most snakes are great escape artists, so you need to make sure that the top can lock so the snake won't get out. The best top to use is a screen that has ventilation and locks with a peg or a screw. Snakes also need soft bedding or "substrate". There are many different kinds that will work well; newspaper, bark chips, moss and mulch, which are all easy to clean. Snakes also need a good hiding place or something to crawl under like tree bark, rocks or tunnels.

Snakes need to be in warm humid climates, usually around 90-95 degrees. A red light heat lamp over one part of the aquarium usually works well. You can also put a heating pad under the aquarium which snakes really like. Place a thermometer at the bottom of the cage to make sure the temperature is just right. Spray the snakes housing to keep it moist and feeling like the rain forest.

Handling:

The great thing about snakes is that most of them are tame and you can handle them often. First, take off the screen and put the pin somewhere you wont lose it. Second, lower your hand into the cage slowly, see where the snake is, then reach down and touch the snake. If it hisses at you, it is still OK to pick it up and start to handle it. Make sure not to let the snake wrap around your neck (I have experienced that- it is not a good idea!!!) Let it wrap around your arm or cruise around on your bed. Make sure it does not fall of or go under the blankets. Handle snakes ups to 10 minutes a day.

Feeding:

Most snakes like to eat rodents like mice and rats (sorry Hunter =( ). If your snake is around 10 feet long, you should feed it rabbits. They will also eat other animals like lizards, fish and birds but their main food is rats. How to feed a snake step one... First, you get a rat out the freezer and thaw it in hot water for thirty minutes. With prongs, grab the rat by its tail and dangle it in front of the snake. The snake will strike quickly and wrap it's body around the rat (really sorry Hunter) the snake will swallow the rat whole within 10 minutes. Snakes should be fed once a week and it's water changed every day.