Reasons snakes make great pets

[LiadanCroft]

Dont know if this has been done before, or if this is the right area to post it in but here goes.

Explanation:
I was watching a video by Goherping (wanna link but unsure if its allowed?) where he discusses an article by the all famous PETA (yes i know opinions range from adoration to hatred and rage but thats not what this topic is about) where they mention different reasons why snakes are awful pets. In the video the host had the idea of making a video called 100 reasons snakes can make awesome pets and asked veiwers to comment whatever reasons they could come up with.

Amongst the comments there were lots of great suggestions but after reading about 10 lists you can tell they are the same 20 reasons repeated over and over in different wording.

This idea is brilliant but needs a bit of pushing to get it off the ground. I dont wanna claim/steal it, but everyones met someone whom they would like to be able to show that snakes can at the very least be ok pets and this could be a good place to come reference for good reasons to convince someone.


TL;DR Write as many amazing reasons as you can think of that make snakes great pets! Maybe specify the species to see if theres any patterns or differences between them all!

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[Zincubus]

Maybe we could also touch on the occasional feeling of guilt for keeping them enclosed ????


I am a self confessed snake addict , currently with 20 and the 21st one coming on Monday ...... but every so often , every few months I suddenly feel a tad guilty ...


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[LiadanCroft]

well i guess sure why not, anyways that could also be its own topic with tips on ways to help the snakes feel less enclosed?

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[rock]

Snakes are extremely low maintenance compared to other pets and are perfectly content and stress-free being by themselves. But, you can also interact with and hold many of them. Also, in a relatively small space you can set up a relatively natural setting to observe them in.

[cchardwick]

I think that snakes actually prefer to be enclosed. Every time I stressed out a snake it was because I kept it in an enclosure that was open. Since I got my ARS rack with grey tubs my snakes are 100% more comfortable, eat better, and are way less stressed. I think that's a human perspective, it's like being stressed out over earthworms being in the ground LOL.

I think probably the number one reason snakes make good pets is that they are super low maintenance. They can literally go for months without food and hardly lose any weight at all. Their food conversion rate is astounding, they almost convert all the food to energy and weight gain. Even on a regular feeding schedule they only need one rodent every week or so.

I also believe that most snakes like to be held, mainly because we act as a 'hot spot' that they can warm up to, especially since they are cold blooded.

The thing that blows me away is how many people are terrified of snakes and how most will prefer a dog over a snake. Dogs are super high maintenance, they are more work than all my animals. I can skip feeding my fish for days, I can load up the hay on my cows and they can go for days without needing anything. I can literally ignore my snakes for a week and they are perfectly fine. But a dog, forget about it. You need to feed them twice a day and take them out several times for a 'piddle' every single day LOL. The only animal that's more maintenance is a toddler LOL.

The other amazing thing about snakes is that they come in all sorts of sizes and colors.

And have you ever tried to kill a snake? You can put one in a box and dig a hole and bury it in the ground and dig it up months later and it will still be alive. You can try to gas it several times with CO2, enough that would kill any rodent, and it will come back to life. You almost have to decapitate them to kill them, they are probably the toughest pet you can own. I think that's why some call them the Gods LOL.

Also, I think they can be easily tamed. I used to catch wild grass snakes and after just a few minutes of handling they are just like family pets.

[cayley]

Hypoallergenic!

[bcr229]

Keeping snakes doesn't inconvenience or bother the neighbors:
- They are quiet,
- They don't leave droppings on your neighbor's lawn or flower beds,
- They don't stink.

Snakes eat infrequently so you can leave them alone for a few days if you have to travel for work or when you go on vacation.

Snakes can be kept in a small space and they don't need lots of exercise or "a job" so they don't destroy the house.

Snakes don't suffer from separation anxiety.

Unlike keeping fish, if a snake enclosure cracks you won't end up with a dead snake and gallons of water all over the floor.

Unlike keeping rodents, if one escapes you don't have to worry about the snake gnawing on your wiring or plumbing.

A snake won't push you out of your bed at night or steal your covers like dogs and cats will.

[Lizardlicks]

Okay just a quick run down! As already touched on:

• Low maintenance (I'd like to stress, this is really great for people like myself with disablilties. I advocate snakes as the ultiate spoonies pet because of how little time, and physical and mental effort you have to dedicate to keep them happy, and they won't demand time and attention if you don't have it to give).
• Hypoallergenic

Add to that:

• Fascinating and unique
• Just plain beautiful
• Very inexpensive to set up, feed, and maintain (you don't have to get your snake yearly vaccinations, spayed or neutered, etc).
• Often gets bystanders/non-hobbyists interested in conservation and science when they meet a snake and make a connection (I do this with kids all the time) in a way normal domestic mammal pets do not
• There is scientific evidence that watching a snake slither has the same soothing effect as watching fish in an aquarium. (There's a name for the effect but I can't recall it and my google fu is being unhelpful atm).
• Something that might be specific to only a small subset of people, but having a snake slither over your hands is an amazing stim; again important for people who might need that sort of thing.
• and the most important imo is that, it brings you joy and satisfaction as a pet owner. That's all you really need tbh.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Low maintenance, hypo allergenic and quiet, long lifespan.

However even if you have a mile long list of good things on why a snake makes a great pet only education and debunking some myths will win non snake people over.

[bcr229]

I forgot one! They give relaxing massages on the back of your neck - until they stick their tongue in your ear anyway.