What do i need for a snake?

Question

I want to get a snake as a pet, what do i need as far as food, cage, and how much money it will all cost.

( secondary ) what type of snake should i get

Answer 1

The two most popular snakes for beginners are ball pythons and corn snakes.  Corn snakes are known for being very docile, and not biting.  They will never need to eat large prey, they come in a lot of color variations, and are cheap.  I have heard they can smell a little more than the ball pythons, and they aren't as social.

I personally think the ball pythons are more fun (probably why I've had 10 or so), come in tons of cool color and pattern morphs (but may be a little pricier than the corn snakes), and only get to 5 feet max.  Even though that may seem large, they will eat rats at their largest, and can still be kept in a large aquarium (like a 45 gallon tank).  Normal ball pythons can be purchased at swap meets for as low as like $20 in my area, and cool morphs for a few hundred (like pastel and albino).

Equipment wise, you need an aquarium (decorate how you like) bedding (aspen or newspaper), a hide cave, maybe some cool climbing branches (although neither breed climbs much, its still fun), and a heat source (I prefer the lamps).  Ball Pythons don't need UV light, I'm not sure about the corns.

If you get a baby ball python, you'll probably be feeding hopper mice, and a baby corn will get pinkies.  You feed about once a week.

Check with your local pet store for prices on equipment, then the price of 1 mouse per week to see what your upkeep costs will be.

www.kingsnake.com has great classifieds for snakes too!

Answer 2

Get a Ball Python get it a soaking bowl 2 hides and fake leaves/vines, for substrate get aspen shavings.

Answer 3

if you create habitat in your yard for animals or have no mow areas you can git them for free we have an eastern fox snake its close to 6 ft long

Answer 4

i would get a ball python there easy to take care of

etting Started

Selecting Your Ball Python

Choose an animal that has clear firm skin, rounded body shape, clean vent, clear eyes, and who actively flicks its tongue around when handled. All ball pythons are naturally shy about having their heads touched or handled by strangers; a normal reaction is for the ball to pull its head and neck sharply away from such contact. When held, the snake should grip you gently but firmly when moving around. It should be alert to its surroundings. All young snakes are food for other, larger snakes, birds, lizards and mammalian predators so your hatchling may be a bit nervous at first but should settle down quickly.

Selecting an escape-proof enclosure

Select an enclosure especially designed for housing snakes, such as the glass tanks with the combination fixed screen/hinged glass top. All snakes are escape artists; ball pythons are especially powerful and cunning when it comes to breaking out. A good starter tank for a hatchling is a 10 gallon tank (approximately 20"L x 10"W [50 x 25 cm]). A young adult requires a 20 gallon tank, and full adult may require a 30 gallon tank (36" x 12"W [91 x 35 cm]).

Select a suitable substrate

Use paper towels at first. These are easily and quickly removed and replaced when soiled and, with an import, will allow you to better monitor for the presence of mites and the condition of the f***s. Once the animal is established, you can use more decorative ground cover such as commercially prepared shredded cypress or fir bark. Pine and aspen shavings should not be used as they can become lodged in the mouth while eating, causing respiratory and other problems. The shavings must be monitored closely and all soiled and wet shavings pulled out immediately to prevent bacteria and fungus growths. The utilitarian approach is to use inexpensive Astroturf. Extra pieces can be kept in reserve and used when the soiled piece is removed for cleaning and drying (soak in one gallon of water to which you have added two tablespoon of household bleach; rinse thoroughly, and dry completely before reuse). Remember: the easier it is to clean, the faster you'll do it!

Provide a hiding place

A half-log is available at pet stores. An empty cardboard box or upside-down opaque plastic container, both with an access doorway cut into one end, can also be used. The plastic is easily cleaned when necessary; the box can be tossed out when soiled and replaced with a new one. The box or log must be big enough for the snake to hide its entire body inside; you will need to eventually replace it as your snake grows. Ball pythons prefer dark places for sleeping and, as they are nocturnal, they like the dark place during our daylight hours; they also like to sleep in something that is close around them, so do not buy or make too big of a cave for its size. Place a nice climbing branch or two in the tank with some fake greenery screening part of it; your ball will enjoy hanging out in the "tree."

Keeping it warm

Proper temperature range is essential to keeping your snake healthy. The ambient air temperature throughout the enclosure must be maintained between 80-85F (27-29 C)-during the day, with a basking area kept at 90F (32.5 C). At night, the ambient air temperature on the coolest side may be allowed to drop down no lower than 73-75F ( 23-24 C) only if a basking area of at least 80F (27 C) remains available.

Special reptile heating pads that are manufactured to maintain a temperature about 20 degrees higher than the air temperature may be used inside the enclosure. There are adhesive pads that can be stuck to the underside of a glass enclosure. Heating pads made for people, available at all drug stores, are also available; these have built-in hi-med-lo switches and can be used under a glass enclosure. You can also use incandescent light bulbs in porcelain and metal reflector hoods to provide the additional heat required for the basking area. All lights must be screened off to prevent the snake from burning itself.

All pythons, especially ball pythons, are very susceptible to thermal burns. For this same reason do not use a hot rock. New on the market are ceramic heating elements. They radiate heat downwards, do not emit light, and are reported to be long lasting. Plugged into a thermostat will enable you to adjust the temperature inside the tank as the ambient room temperature changes with the seasons.

Buy at least two thermometers - one to use in the overall area 1" (2.5 cm) above the enclosure floor, and the other 1" (2.5 cm) above the floor in the basking area. Don't try to guess the temperature - you will either end up with a snake who will be too cold to eat and digest its food or one ill or dead from overheating.

Humidity

Ball pythons are native to generally temperate to arid areas. Depending on where you live, they may be fine with the ambient humidity. If there are any problems shedding, or f***s are dry when deposited or there is straining to defecate, check the humidity with a hygrometer and get it up to 50 percent. When shedding, they will need higher humidity: increase enclosure humidity to 60-65 percent, or mist daily during the shed. If you bathe them in a warm bath the day their eyes clear, they should shed completely within 24 hours.



Lighting

No special lighting is needed. Ball pythons are nocturnal snakes, spending their days in the wild securely hidden away from possible predators. To make it easier to see your ball during the day, you can use a full-spectrum light or low wattage incandescent bulb in the enclosure during the day. Make sure the snake cannot get into direct contact with the light bulbs as ball pythons are very prone to getting seriously burned. Respect your ball's needs, however, and be sure to provide a hide box, and expect them to use it!



Feeding

Allow your snake to acclimate to its new home for a couple of weeks. Start your hatchling (about 15" in length) off with a single pre-killed one week to 10-day old "fuzzy" mouse. A smaller sized hatchling may require a smaller mouse; try a pre-killed 5-day old. Older ball pythons may be fed larger pre-killed mice or pinkie rats. If you have not had any experience force feeding a snake, you may not want to try it yourself until you have seen someone do it. Force feeding, whether of a mouse or with a formula inserted by catheter and syringe, is very stressful for the snake (and it isn't much fun for the owner!). If your new ball has gone several months without eating and is beginning to noticeably lose weight, take it to a reptile vet or contact your local herpetology society and ask to speak to someone who is knowledgeable about ball pythons and feeding problems. A good inexpensive book that covers some of the tricks to enticing reluctant ball pythons to feed is The Care and Maintenance of Ball Pythons by Philippe de Vosjoli, or the new edition, The Ball Python Manual, by de Vosjoli, Dave and Tracy Barker and Roger Klingenberg.



Water

Provide a bowl of fresh water at all times. Your snake will both drink and soak, and may defecate, in it. Check it daily and change when soiled. Soaking is especially good just before a shed. When they eyes clear from their milky opaque, or "blue" state, soak the snake in a tub of warm water for ten minutes or so, then lightly dry it off, and return it immediately to its tank; it should shed cleanly within twenty-four hours.



Health problems

Routine veterinary care for newly acquired snakes is essential. Many of the parasites infesting ball pythons and other reptiles can be transmitted to humans and other reptiles. Left untreated, such infestations can ultimately kill your snake. When your snake first defecates, collect the f***s in a clean plastic bag, seal it, label it with the date, your name and phone number and the snake's name, then take it and your snake to a vet who is experienced with reptiles. There it will be tested and the proper medication given if worms or protozoan infestations are found.

A common problem encountered in captivity include retained eye shed (spectacles) and mites. When snakes shed their skin, the layer of skin over their eye is also shed, and can be clearly seen when looking at a piece of head shed. Always check your ball's head shed to assure it has shed the spectacles. If one or both spectacles have been retained, bathe the snake again in warmish water for about ten minutes. Before returning it to the enclosure, place a dab of mineral oil on that eye with a cotton-tipped swab. The spectacle should come off within twenty-four hours. If it does not come off, wrap your four fingers with transparent tape, sticky side out. Gently rock your fingers from left to right (or, from nose to neck) across the eye; the spectacle should come off. If this does not removed the spectacle, then seek veterinary assistance.

Mites are a sign of poor environmental conditions. Adult mites are tiny reddish brown dots barely bigger than the period at the end of this sentence. You may first notice them swarming over your hand and arm after you have handled your snake (don't worry--they are harmless to humans) or see them moving around your snake's body or clustered around the eyes. Mites are harmful to snakes, especially ones that have not been kept properly. On the positive side, they are easy and relatively inexpensive to get rid of, although the process is time-consuming. Read the article Getting Rid of Reptile Mites to find out the best ways to eradicate them.

Snakes, including ball pythons, should routinely shed is one piece, from snout (including spectacles) to tail-tip. If a snake does not shed cleanly, it is a sign that something is not right, either with the snake or with its environment. Newly acquired snakes may not shed properly for the f

Answer 5

A good home

Answer 6

I have a Baby corn snake. He is about 15 in. long. I have him in a 20 gallon tank. I got peat moss for his bedding. 1 Branch to climb on. Water dish so he can submerge himself in. a log so he can hide in. They like to hide. 1 red light for night time, 3 hours of light a day. Feed them small pinkies. You can purchase all this between $100-$130. The snake alone costs $80. We have alot of fun with him. Very smart animals!!!

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