Small Pet Snakes: For numerous reasons, snakes tend to scare individuals. Their legless, solid bodies and a few species’ choking capabilities can make people’s skin creep; in any case, others discover snakes intriguing for these same reasons. Small pet snakes always stand loud for pet lovers.
Pet Snakes:
On the off chance that you’re perusing this article, you may be curious about small snake possession but are conflicted about almost where to begin. Whereas you discover small snakes to be a suitable pet, you don’t need a species that’s troublesome to care for or greatly large.
Luckily, first-time snake ownership doesn’t get to be an overpowering endeavor, as various species make fabulous pets. As pet snakes only need to eat once every few days to once a month, they have numerous points of interest over ‘traditional’ pets. Here is a list of snakes that are not only relatively little but too simple to care for.
Important points to look for in a beginner Pet Snake:
| * Availability (is the species easy to find?) |
| * Overall size, how easy it is to handle the snake (tameness) |
| * How easy the small snake is to feed (those which readily accept frozen/thawed prey or even non-whole prey like meat and eggs). |
The last quality is very important because dealing with a snake that refuses to eat can be stressful and require some experience to resolve.
All of the snakes on this list can be comfortably housed in 30-gallon tanks or less.
Summary: Small pet snake breed is the best one to keep as pet. These creatures are non-venomous & non-aggressive.To adopt the snake as a pet you should keep in mind the above-mentioned points.
WESTERN HOGNOSE
| * Size: 14 inches to 3 feet (females are larger) |
| * Temperament: docile, engage in harmless bluffing |
| * Feeding response: Excellent |
Western Hognose snakes are an incredibly interesting and unique species that many reptile lovers enjoy. These snakes make great pets and don’t require a ton of experience to be properly cared for.
Known for their unique defensive behaviors, Western Hognose snakes can be a fun reptile to own. These snakes are very popular in the reptile trade, even though they are a venomous species. However, their venom is very mild and only causes harm to those who are allergic to it. Plus, Western Hognose bites are rare thanks to their docile nature.
The average size of a Western Hognose snake is not very long, as these reptiles have more of a stout build than many other species.
Females will typically reach lengths of around 36 inches in length at most. On the other hand, males are a bit shorter and will usually stay between 14 and 24 inches.
With proper care, the average lifespan of a Western Hognose is around 18 years.
Thanks to their easygoing nature, these Western Hognose snake care is relatively easy. These reptiles adapt well to life in captivity. Since these reptiles are usually less than three feet in length, you don’t need a massive enclosure to keep these snakes happy.
As diurnal creatures, Western Hognose snakes need ample light throughout the day. They also require plenty of heat.
These snakes self-regulate their body heat. This means you’ll need to create an appropriate temperature gradient in their habitat.
Western Hognose snakes are carnivores with a healthy appetite for rodents! They do best on a simple diet of mice.
Provide a thawed mouse every 10 to 14 days. It’s important to avoid feeding adults weekly since these snakes are prone to gaining weight.
Western Hognose snakes are relatively docile. In the beginning, they can be shy and spend more time hiding out. However, that behavior will subside once they get more comfortable with the environment.
Summary: After corn snakes, this species is becoming more popular day by day for the reptile enthusiast. These are not venomous but yes if threatened they bite their owners.
CHILDREN’S PYTHON
- Size: 30-36 inches (2.5 feet is the most common)
- Temperament: calm as an adult, a little feisty as babies
- Feeding response: Moderate
These are nocturnal snakes generally found on the ground although it often climbs trees and rock outcrops to find prey. During the day they hide in termite mounds, caves, and crevices.
The Children’s python is relatively small, usually growing to about 3 feet (1 m) in length, and rarely reaching 5 feet (1.5m), The main color is light brown, reddish-brown, or beige heavily marked with many roundish darker blotches in 5 or 6 lines along the back, particularly on younger snakes.
due to their small size and docile nature, they are a very popular pet amongst reptile enthusiasts and also suitable for children. The species lifespan in the wild may be up to 20 years with some captive specimens known to have exceeded 30 years.
These small pythons feed on a variety of prey including small mammals, reptiles, frogs, rodents, and small birds. One of their favorite prey is small bats commonly found in caves, snatching them out of the air as they fly past them.
The Children’s Python is not only harmless to people but also very useful since they hunt mice, rats, and other pests common around houses, where these snakes are also often found. Like all pythons they are constrictors, squeezing its prey to death before swallowing it whole.
Summary
Don’t keep them in large/big tanks as they might get threatened. The best is the small enclosure. Their bite is comparatively painful so avoid putting them on unrest.
KENYAN SAND BOA
- Size: 20 inches to 2 feet long (females are longer)
- Temperament: passive personality, some individuals can be flighty
- Feeding response: Baby snakes often need to start with live feeding, purchase older snakes that are confirmed to be feeding on frozen/thawed.
Kenyan sand boas are heavily built snakes with a thick, short body, blunt head with small eyes. Both the eyes and nostrils are placed high on the head so that they remain uncovered when the sand boa’s body is hidden below the sand.
Their tail is quite short and tapers very quickly to a and it also can’t be coiled. The back is orange or yellow covered with dark brown splotches, while the belly has white or cream coloration.
Males reach about 15 inches in length but are smaller than females which can measure from 26 to 32 inches and weigh up to 2 pounds. Their lifespan in the wild is about 10 years but the species may live up to 20 or more years in captivity.
Kenyan sand boas are quite popular as pets, due to their ease of care, small size, and docility, and are readily available in the exotic pet trade.
these small non-venomous snakes are carnivorous, generally feeding on small mammals, but may eat other animals such as birds or small lizards. The Kenyan sand boa is normally an ambush predator spending most of its time in shallow burrows in the sand, leaving only its head exposed.
When prey comes within the striking range they quickly strike and seize the animal killing it by constriction, much like their bigger cousins such as the Boa constrictor.
They sometimes drag their prey under the sand to kill it, and on occasion, these snakes may even eat their prey while still alive.
Summary: These Boas are good pets as they don’t grow big. But yes be careful as these fellows stress out easily as compared to other pet snakes.
MILK SNAKES
- Size: 36 to 48 inches long
- Temperament: most of them are calm but some cab be flighty
- Feeding response: Moderate
Numerous of the milk snake’s subspecies are well-known choices for pet snakes, for the most part since they do exceptionally well in confinement, have a great personality, aren’t too big, and are certainly wonderful snakes found in a wide run of colors.
In the wild, it’s inconceivable to know their life expectancy but in confinement more often than not, they live around 12 a long time but have lived as long as 22 years.
Normally these snakes have smooth and glossy scales with a typical
design of rotating groups in different colors such as white, black, and red or red, black, and yellow.
The Milksnake is a carnivore like all other snakes, they feed on a wide variety of prey. Juvenile and smaller milk snakes usually eat smaller prey such as insects, slugs, crickets, and earthworms.
While adult snakes feed on small mammals, bird and snake eggs, lizards (particularly skinks), frogs, fish. Occasionally they even feed on other snakes including their lookalike the highly dangerous coral snake.
They provide humans a valuable service since many of their prey as adults include rats, mice, voles, and other rodents commonly found in agricultural areas and considered pests. Milksnake is a much more opportunistic hunter when compared with other species such as the corn snake.
These are powerful constrictors, to kill their prey they wrap their body tightly around the victim and stop the blood flow through the heart. Once the animal is ■■■■, they swallow it whole like all other snakes.
Summary: Milk snakes feed Is like other pet snakes ( rodents & mice) but they do eat other small snakes too. Just hold this buddy for 10-15 minutes per day and make him used to your handling & holding.
ROSY BOA
- Size: 24-36 inches and may go up to 4 feet long
- Temperament : docile
- Feeding response: Excellent
Rosy boas have found their place in the pet trade, as well as a place in the heart of many reptile enthusiasts. It is their gentle, well-tempered disposition and small size, as well as their ability to thrive in captivity that has made them a favorite of many keepers. With a size rarely exceeding 40 inches and a strong feeding response, they are the perfect boa for beginners.
With only a few important guidelines they can be easily maintained and enjoyed for many years. Longevity in this species may exceed 25 years.
Rosy boas seem to prefer habitats near water sources but are not restricted to those areas and are rarely found far from rock cover. Rosy boas will spend most of their lives concealed in rocky crevices, beneath rocks, or in abandoned animal burrows, protected from predators and temperature extremes.
Their activity patterns are dependent on weather, in the hot summer months, rosy boas will hunt primarily in the evening and nighttime, while in the more moderate temperatures, it may forage almost any time of day. In most of the rosy boa range, the winter is too cold and they enter a dormant state called brumation, similar to the hibernation of mammals.
An adult rosy boa is a fairly stocky and powerful, muscled body the diameter of a golf ball with smooth scales. They have a stubby short and tapered tail with a blunt tip, that is also slightly prehensile.
The head is elongated and only slightly broader than the neck covered with small scales, it has small eyes with vertically elliptical pupils.
The rosy boa’s average and maximum lifespan in the wild is unknown but the average lifespan for captive snakes ranges from 18 to 22 years, although some individuals have been documented to live over 30 years.
The rosy boa snake feeds primarily on rodents and small mammals like woodrats, deer mice, kangaroo rats, and baby rabbits. But they will also prey upon bats, nestling birds, lizards, amphibians, and even on other snakes.
Summary: Because of its manageable size & good feeding habits it is pretty good to handle. With better snake supplies & care it may live longer.
CORN SNAKES
- Size: around 4 feet, may reach 5 feet
- Temperament: very docile, very young snakes can be flighty
- Feeding response: Excellent
These are slender non-venomous snakes with a length ranging from 24 to 72 inches (60 to 180 cm), with males being larger than females.
Their base color is usually a brown to red-orange, speckled with many large red blotches with black edges down their backs. Their colors vary from region to region and can also include gray and yellow. They have a black and white checkered belly.
In captivity, breeders have been creating a wide variety of color patterns, called morphs, ranging in color from white to black, and patterns that include spots, stripes, or solid coloring.
Corn snakes are primarily active at night and are both terrestrial burrowers and extremely good climbers. In colder regions of their range, they hibernate during winter. But in the temperate climate along the coast, they take shelter in logs and rock crevices during colder weather and come out on warmer days to bask.
Adult corn snakes feed on larger prey items like mice, rats, birds, bats, and bird’s eggs while the young hatchlings feed mainly on lizards and frogs.
The corn snake feeds every few days and being constrictors, they first bite the prey to obtain a firm grip, then quickly wrap around the victim. Then they squeeze tightly to suffocate the prey and swallow it whole, usually head first.
If you are looking for a great pet snake, the corn snake is one of the most popular options, known for its docile nature. The corn can snake live longer as compared to other species.
Summary: Corn snakes make the best pet. As a beginner, this species is the best one to go with. Its availability, one-time set up of the tank & its bit more docile nature make him stand loud.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Here are a few commonly asked questions regarding snakes that might fascinate you.
Do pet snakes bite their owners?
These fellows don’t bite their owners unless provoked. If bitten the pain is not felt that much as their teeth are so small. You will feel a ■■■■■ of needle or swelling if bitten by a small adult pet snake.
Are pet snakes friendly?
Pet snakes can be tamed with good handling & can turn into amazing creatures. But these ain’t like other pet animals. They don’t feel that much affection & love for their owners.
Why do snakes yawn?
Snakes yawn when there is no proper supply of air. So make sure their tasks have a good system of air ventilation. Poor supply of air can cause respiratory issues which can be lethal to their lives.
CONCLUSION:
Small Pet snakes are indeed the most loved pet snakes. As these tiny bodies are not only docile but also easy to handle & kept as a pet. They will die or start acting abnormally if you will not take proper care of them. So be careful regarding their feed & water supply & above all as they don’t like to be friendly don’t hold them for long. Keep an eye on their daily routine as any change in it will let you know about their physical & mental health.