Age For Snake Owners

To your guys surprise I am only 13 and I keep my snakes all by myself in my shed in back yard I have bought heaters and an air conditioning units to keep the temps right

My parents aren't fond of my snakes so I have to keep my snakes outside. I wouldn't keep my snakes if I couldn't take care off them.

When I was 8 I got my first ball python I was so excites but it was from petco and I was 8 I couldn't afford a vet (cause every ball python at petco needs a vet) and I had no clue that petco is a snake killer company. I ended up getting out of snakes because it broke my heart. So 5 years later I decided I wanted to get into it again but when I went to petco to get a ball python there was a snake breeder there that had bought all the ball pythons and he told me he was saving their lives so he let me in on the petco thing. He actually sold my dad a beautiful top class spider female ball python for only $80 that was my best christmas present that year after it living for a month I was completely addicted and I haven't stopped my addiction for 9 months.:banana:

Maturity and responsibility are huge. I think it's important for children to be exposed to reptiles, so as long as a parent is over seeing the care and well being than age shouldn't be an issue.

My daughter was 6 when she talked me into our first snake. She has always participated in the care (feeding, cleaning, handling) of the snakes, as well as the rats. I think a lot depends on the maturity level, as well as commitment of all parties involved.

Keep it civil guys. Arguing on the internet about maturity levels doesn't help prove maturity levels if you get what I'm saying.

Completely on their own? Maybe 14-16? Honestly it has little to do with age and more to do with the level of interest and responsibility of the child. I was going to say maturity, but I don't think that's accurate, because maturity in one area can be completely different in another. My BP is in my 6 year old daughter's room. She doesn't change the water, or monitor temps, but she does love to watch while I feed (f/t), and loves to hold her. She said that she would do the feed next time, so i guess we will see, but I wouldn't burden her with thawing and warming the rat. I honestly think that any pet is the parent's responsibility first, children shouldn't be the sole caregivers of any animal. In the 6th grade I managed to dehydrate my hamster to death, completely by accident, I feel guilty to this day.

I'm sorry. :(

On topic: I agree with Shera wholeheartedly. I think a snake at any age can teach a child invaluable lessons, but the responsibility cannot be placed on them entirely (in MOST cases) until they're a teen. I also agree about the maturity thing- I have always been very mature for my age. That has NEVER equated to being responsible. I'm one of the most irresponsible people I know, and I'll be the first to tell you.

See my nephew wants a snake, and I think he's like 8 or 9, could even be 10. I know this probably makes me a horrible uncle but I just don't keep up with ages, lol.

Anyways he did a lot of online reading to looking to care for snakes and he decided he wanted a corn snake. He hassled my mother about taking him to a pet store to get a hide and water dish which is awesome because he took the time to do a little research. Now I basically talked him out of a corn snake and put him onto ball pythons, mainly because my sister is about the most useless parent ever and a long list of things that I won't get into. I didn't want him to actually have a snake and keep it there and I had no intentions of keeping a corn snake at my house. Mainly because I don't want to keep a lot of different species of snakes. So I'm taking him to the reptile show next month and I'm going to let him get a ball python that he likes that he wants to buy and I'm going to take care of it and keep it at my house. He's going to basically cover the cost of food and what not(have to make him responsible on every aspect of keeping snakes). Then when he comes over or when he's staying at my moms house he can come over and take care of the snake and all. That way the snake is in good care and he's also getting experience with it slowly. Maybe in a few years when he's older it can stay at his house.

I was 15 I think when I got my first snake.
But I think I started learning a lot about them around 17.
And at 18 I think I learn a wonderful amount.
So I think it really depends on the person, but mid to late teens maybe.

i got my first snake when i was 18 now i have 4 kids and they have been around all the snakes, beardies, and other reptile i keep since they where born they all love them and always want to help with the animals especially the rats for some reason they love to clean the rat cages which i dont mind cause its less work for me lol

Can we stop feeding the trolls and drop the chest-thumping?

To the OP - I was given my first boa for my fourth birthday, and I was the sole caretaker at age nine. Parents should know their children well enough to judge their responsibility level, and should be ready to share part of the burden of care if they misjudge.