What snake is good for me?
People get pet snakes for various reasons. Some people just love snakes, some want them for their impressive size and some people get a pet snake to help them get over their fear. If you are a first time pet snake owner you need to consider a few thing. Do you have enough space for when the snake reaches full length? i.e some constrictors need a single garage space when they are adults. Are you okay with being bitten? Are you the only person who will be willing to look after it in your home? These questions can help you narrow down the species you are willing to keep. In my experience there are quite a number of snakes that make good first snakes, so here is a list with a brief description. I will only be going over non venomous snakes in this care sheet
Corn Snake
Corn Snake
These guys are active and have a big appetite which make it an interesting snake to watch and easy to feed. They are slender and reach an average length of roughly 1.2m. They tend to be a little nippy but if handled regularly they are placid. Corn snakes are very good at escaping so make sure whatever you keep them in is sealed tight!
Ball Python
An all time favourite, well known for being placid and not aggressive at all. They are a small species of python rarely reaching more than 1.5m in length. They are also known to fast so if you are going to be nervous about your pet skipping a meal, maybe this isnt a good choice, but it is normal for these snakes.
Burmese Python
Burmese Python
Another favourite because of their size and pattern. This can be a good first snake if you have the space. They can be docile if handled regularly. Because of their size, it is recommended to never handle them alone when they reach adult size as they are constrictors and you can find yourself in quite a situation. Im not saying they will try eat you, they are just very strong and could accidentally suffocate you if you cant get them off. They can reach lengths of 7m, but average around 5m or less.
Rainbow Boa
Only boa on the list not because other boas are more difficult, just these are quite placid for a boa. As any snake they can be a bit snappy but with little effort they are timid. beautiful colouration when the light catches them just right. they reach a fair 1.5 to 2m in length
And now for some basic care guidelines...
HOUSING
Basic rule of thumb, minimum size of enclosure is determined by the length of the snake. If the snake can stretch across the cage and half way back it is the minimum size for that snake. Snakes generally don't move around much but you still want to give them space. Basic enclosures are made out of wood with glass sliding doors. Wood is nice to use as it allows heat to escape and it has good ventilation. Fish tanks are NOT suitable for housing ANY reptile. Glass doesn't breathe and it will just slowly cook your snake. Only acceptable glass tanks are like the ones you can get from exo terra. Glass snake tanks might be a better option if you are keeping a snake that needs high humidity as all the moisture will eventually rot the wood. People also use plastic containers with lids that lock on as a start when the snake is till small, just to be sure they wont escape out the larger enclosure. As I mentioned earlier, cornsnakes are good at escaping. Hatchlings can often squeeze through the gaps of the glass slider doors.
SUBSTRATE
There are many debates on what to use, so here are my suggestions based on my own experience. One thing to never use is sand, sand can get under their scales and this can cause infections. A few things I like to use include: Corncob, newspaper, bark chips, carlton towel and astro turf. All of these have pro's and cons. If corncob gets wet it can grow mold so just be on the lookout for that. Astro turf tends to smell, so have two or three pieces to rotate while you scrub one and let it dry in the sun. Newspaper and carlton towel aren't very aesthetic but its hygienic. At the end of the day it is up to you what you prefer, even using a combination of substrates can be used.
WATER & HEAT
Pretty straight forward, all living things need a source of fresh water. Size of the bowl should be big enough for the snake to submerge itself under water if it chooses to do so, but small enough so it can still get out. Water should be changed at least ever 2nd or 3rd day and if they defecate in the water it should be cleaned immediately. Snakes are coldblooded, this means they cant generate their own body heat which is essential for digesting their food. Snakes rely on external sources. Lots of people want to put a heat lamp in, but I urge you not to, as snakes are attracted to warm surfaces and many times they will coil around globes and end up burning themselves. Instead use a heatpad, now the size of the heatpad will depend on the size of the enclosure, it should never cover more than half the cage. Snakes should be able to move away from the heat if they feel the need. The heatpads should be on year round. The heatpad should be on one side of the cage and the waterbowl on the opposite end so the water stays cool. Waterbowl can be place slightly over heatpad to increase humidity if needed.
ACCESSORIES
Decorating can be fun. Things all snake enclosures need are hides. Now this can be bought at most pet stores. Hides can be logs or caves, or if you are on a budget you can take an old ice cream or margarine tub and cut a hole in it, or an old flower pot. Just be sure the edges of the plastic you cut aren't sharp enough to cause damage to your snake. Also be sure to put a few pieces of driftwood in, nice big pieces. The snakes use these to rub against when they shed their skin. Make sure these logs are sturdy, you dont want them falling on your pet. As I mentioned earlier lights aren't a good idea, but if you want light in the enclosure, you can install T5 tube lights, they are small and don't get hot. Alternatively LED lights can be used, they are just really bright.
FEEDING & HANDLING
Feeding is quite important in the temperament of the snake. If they are hungry they tend to get snappy. Generally snakes can be fed once a week. Big snakes such as Burmese pythons can eat bigger prey such as rabbits and piglets so they can sometimes go a couple of weeks and sometimes months without food. You should have a separate container for feeding, do not feed your snake in its enclosure. It could start associating the cage door opening with being fed and that can result in a snake coming across as being aggressive. So just a small container to feed the snake in is very handy. Can also place the snake in there while cleaning. Deciding the size of the food can be tricky because snake heads don't look that big, but don't forget, they can unhinge their jaws! The food item should be roughly the same size as the thickest part of the snakes body. However if after eating, there is barely a bulge you can offer a second food item. Depending on what species of snake you go for, the size of their food will vary. i.e cornsnakes start off eating pinkies (new born mice) and as they grow you increase quantity until they move up to the next size which are fuzzies (baby mice, basically pinkies with fur). and then once they start eating about 3 fuzzies at a time they can be moved over to small adult mice or rat pups( baby rats). It can sometime be tricky to change over from mice to rats as the smells are different. Generally any pet store that stock snakes will be able to assist you in the size of food you need. Now live vs frozen.... Frozen has the benefit of you can buy a few and keep it in your freezer and thaw them out as needed. Only problem with frozen is that once anything has been frozen and thawed it loses some of its nutritional value. Live food is best, but do not put a live rat or mouse with your snake, they have teeth and will fight back and can cause damage to your snake. At the pet store you can ask for freshly killed rats or mice, alternatively you can gas them yourself with CO2, it is humane and you can research on Google how to do this. Do not handle your snake for at least 48 hours after feeding besides putting them back in their cage, otherwise they will regurgitate their food. Besides for that, handle them as often as you want, it will make them more calm and placid in the end. For safety reasons do not handle large snakes without someone else present.
SHEDDING
All snakes shed. As they get bigger, their skin gets too tight and then they shed off the old skin. Now before the snake sheds you will notice their colour may go dull and their eyes will become a milky blue/grey colour. 3 days or so before they shed their eyes go clear again. During the process where their eyes are milky they cant see all that well, so just approach them carefully as not to startle them. If the snake struggles to shed, you can help them along by giving them a luke warm bath. Dont ever peel off stuck skin, it should come off easily with a gentle rub after a good soak. A bad shed can mean the air is a bit dry and you need to up the humidity in the cage slightly.
I hope this shed some light and will help you decide if you are ready for your very own pet snake!