• January 31, 2023

Ten Tips for the Health of Pet Snakes

As you begin to learn how to care for a pet snake, you discover that there is a lot to learn, but you quickly realize that most of it makes sense when it comes to properly caring for the health and well-being of your pet snake.

The fundamental things to consider are what a snake eats, how much and how often, and what type of snake cage and environmental conditions it requires. And making sure to provide clean and hygienic living conditions suitable for your pet snake’s needs to keep it healthy and happy in your care.

Here are ten of the basic pet snake health tips you need to know:

1. Select a healthy snake to adopt

When choosing a snake, choose one that has good meat, clear eyes, no cuts, no mites or ticks, and is alert. The snake should appear curious and grip you firmly but gently when you handle it.

You should be there when the snakes are being fed so that you can observe them and make sure that the snakes you are picking out are eating well.

Captive bred snakes are more suitable for pets than buying a wild born snake. Snakes that are born in the wild are normally highly stressed by the process of capturing and transporting them to the pet provider. Wild snakes are also likely to carry a heavy load of parasites.

2. Get the Right Size Cage for Your Breed of Snake

Their enclosure should normally be about two-thirds the size of their body length. If your snake is six feet long, then the cage should be at least four feet long.

You can always make the enclosure longer than the snake, but your snake will be comfortable in a cage smaller than your snake’s length.

Remember to update the enclosure as your snake grows, as it needs to increase in size relative to the length of the snake’s body.

3. Keep the snake’s enclosure moist

Snakes are sensitive to temperature and humidity factors, and you should always ensure that your enclosure is kept at the right temperature. Consult a reputable book on snake pets to find out what the optimal conditions are for your breed of snake.

4. Keep feeding your snake simple, safe and hygienic

When purchasing your snake, you should first ensure that you select a pet snake that will happily eat thawed rodents (which you buy frozen at the pet store) and is not too picky about its feeding requirements.

Feeding your snake live rodents, even small mice, can hurt it, and is NOT entertainment for an audience of friends, so don’t do it.

The animal killed to feed should not be wider than the snake’s own head. Snakes don’t eat very often and you can store frozen pre-killed mice in your freezer.

5. Learn How Much and How Often to Feed Your Snake

Get expert advice on the optimal amount and type of food for your pet snake and feeding frequency.

Snakes can eat almost anything that is fed to them and will usually regurgitate food after a day or two if they have been overfed.

6. Make Sure Your Snake Cage Is Secure

The snake’s cage, terrarium, enclosure, etc. should always be well planned and ventilated, but should also be fully secured to prevent the snake from escaping.

Breeds like corn snakes can be excellent escape artists and you can lose your pet snake very quickly if you are not careful.

They will even poke the enclosure lid with their nose to look for any weakness in the cage or doors.

7. Keep a constant supply of fresh water.

Snakes fail in water and also get drenched, especially before moving.

You need to make sure that you check the water regularly and replace it with clean water as soon as there are any signs of contamination in it.

Buy a heavy plate or container so it won’t tip over when the snake slides into it.

It is good to place several water dishes in the snake’s cage which also help establish the proper humidity for the snake.

8. Create hiding places for your snake to feel safe.

Blinds should be placed at the warm and cold ends of the enclosure.

Pieces of bark with hollow areas or curved shapes to make a ‘cave’ are good for use as snake hides if placed on top of a substrate that allows snakes to burrow under them.

You can get a wide variety of snake dens and wooden structures for snakes to hide in at pet stores and online on Amazon. These are also usually easy to keep clean and hygienic.

Add some smooth tree branches as well for the snake to climb and coil up. You can also get them online.

9. Provide a range of temperatures in the cage

Your snake needs to be able to find a variety of locations for both heat and cold, as it may need to be during different times of the day.

Since you can’t travel around a garden to find your ideal temperature at any given time, such as a rock to sleep on top of for warm sunlight, or under it to cool off, you need to make sure you offer some range of temperatures inside the cabinet. for you to select.

One end of the enclosure should be cooler, and the temperature should ideally gradually increase towards the other end of the cage.

You can get a full spectrum incandescent light to sit above the enclosure that can provide some warmth and serve as a sunny sunbathing spot.

10. Use Proper Snake Cage Bedding

Newspaper is good to use as a substrate. It is very cheap and is easily replaced as soon as it gets dirty. Astroturf is also a good alternative that you can buy online.

Artificial grass can be cleaned, dried and reused multiple times before it wears out. Soak dirty grass in a gallon of water to which you add 2 tablespoons of bleach, then wash it well, rinse with clean water, and dry thoroughly before putting it back in the cage.

Snakes will live long and healthy lives as long as you learn how to care for a pet snake and provide them with their basic needs and avoid overfeeding them.

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