Should I get a snake?

[faer]

How's the expense? What do they mostly eat? What temps do they need to be kept in?

[Moot]

expensive, mice, warm

[mynameisfred]

expense depends on the size of the snake..for large snakes- tanks are around 100-150 dollars, for a small snake 50-80 dollars , food for a large is only a few dollars every one or two weeks, which is the same for a small, average water dish is about 5-10 dollars, ...
small snakes eat goldfish, small live mice, or small dead mice which are all sold in pet stores, larger snakes eat large mice and even rats..the people at the store can help you determine how large of a rodent your snake can eat..
they should be kept in warm temperatures..for that you can buy a heat lamp.
They make very good pets.
I've had two snakes and I still have one.
One was a terrestrial garter and one is a gopher snake.
Let me know what kind os snake you want to get and if you have anymore questions feel free to ask.



also you should buy a few fake large rocks for the snake to hide behind and bedding which is about 10-12 dollars...it is normally dirt-like, stored in small bags, and expands once you wet it.

[Uncle Guido]

One should always be careful when feeding a snake live food. Never leave your snake unsupervised with live food. A mouse, or especially a rat, can deliver a serious injury to your snake in the process of consumption.

You have to be careful not to subject the snake to too much abnormal stress. Stress can cause a snake to literally refuse to eat and starve itself to death. Certain large constrictors, like the Ball Python, are notorious for this habit.

Make sure the snake's cage is not too moist or dry, or skin problems can develop.

When buying from a pet store, always ask to see the animals during feeding time before purchasing. As I said, snakes which have been put under abnormal stress can refuse to eat, and if you don't ask, pet stores will happily sell you a snake which is bound for death.

Also, make sure to scout your potential new pet for a few weeks before purchase to make sure that it is healthy and active, and does not have a disease. Again, pet stores, especially large commercial chains like PetCo or PetSmart will gladly sell you a snake that is only tenatively alive.

Just be careful, and as with all herps, be sure you are ready for a big responsibility. Snakes need a lot of love and care to survive.

[mynameisfred]

^watch what UGA said very carefully...it happens quite often. I've been sold fish and mice that were dying and pregnant hampsters. They really don't care what you end up with, nor do they know healthy from unhealthy.


and about the food thing, mice and rats can injur the snake, so if you don't watch it when the rodent is in the cage, which I honestly don't, I recomend putting in just like two or three sunflower seads the rodent can eat while alive. Generally the rodent will try to advoid the snake, rather than hurt it, and only attacks when it is near starvation.

[Uncle Guido]

Oh yeah, speaking of feeding, you should feed your snake in a seperate location from the cage it lives in. Because if it gets used to eating things that you put in its cage, it will become more likely to strike at you if you try to pick it up, since hands are small moving objects just like rodents or whatever you happen to be feeding it.

[mynameisfred]

However, they chase by live heart beat more often then a moving object..I've never feed a snake in a diffrent location and they have never tried to strike at me..It's not completley necissary. If it is raised in a pet store, it is likly used to being handled and feed in the same location.

[Uncle Guido]

mynameisfred said:

However, they chase by live heart beat more often then a moving object..I've never feed a snake in a diffrent location and they have never tried to strike at me..It's not completley necissary. If it is raised in a pet store, it is likly used to being handled and feed in the same location.

It also depends on the snake. Not all snakes are created equal. For instance, a red-tailed boa will bite your freaking hand off, whereas corn and/or garter snakes generally never strike at you, or if they do, only do it once before giving up. Even Ball Pythons, which are generally considered docile, will strike at you if you feed them in their cage. However, for most domestic snakes, i.e. the kind you can get from the back yard, striking will never be a problem.

[George WB]

Might want to talk to a pet store owner to help you pick out one based on your likes and needs and how much you want to spend