One of the questions I am often asked is, “Why would anyone want a snake as a pet?”.
WHAT?!?!?
Snakes are AWESOME pets! And I really mean that!
I can understand and appreciate that some people have a legitimate fear of snakes. I have a fear of spiders that I know is totally irrational, but they scare me nonetheless.
I can look at pictures of them, I see them at reptile shows and stop to look, and I even think I could hold something like a tarantula without sweating. But have a big spider in the house running around where I can see it, and I’m freaking out a bit!
Some of you might be here wondering why people like me think snakes are good pets. Others might own a snake, and are looking for a way to explain their passion to others. And there are those of you who might be here because you’re thinking of getting a snake, and want some insight.
Regardless of the reason, I am here to help.
1. Snakes Are Less Expensive Than Other Pets
When you first get a snake, you have the initial costs.
This would include an enclosure, lighting, substrate, a heat source, a few essentials like a thermometer and hygrometer, and of course the snake itself.
Admittedly, some snakes can run into the thousands of dollars if you want a super rare, ultra cool morph. The average snake however, costs less than $150. The price of the enclosure is about the same, and the other essentials will equal around $50.
All told, you have an initial cost of around $300 to $400.
After that there is the cost of food – a couple of bucks per week unless you have a giant snake, and the extra energy cost for heat and light, which will run you an extra few dollars per month.
I should also mention vet bills, but unless your snake gets sick, you generally don’t have any vet visits.
Compare this to a dog.
You have the initial price of the dog. For arguments sake, we’ll say it is the same because just like snakes, you can get an inexpensive mutt, or you can get a champion line, AKC pure breed.
Then you have all the supplies you need. Toys, treats, bones, food bowls, collar, leash, grooming supplies, etc…Again, these costs are probably pretty similar.
Here’s where things change though. You then have to get your beloved canine heart worm pills, vaccines, take them to the groomer regularly, and all sorts of other regular expenses. Not to mention, the cost of feeding your average dog is more than the cost of a snake.
Bottom line, snakes are pretty inexpensive to take care of, and that makes them a great pet.
If you’re thinking of getting a pet snake, make sure to use a highly reputable breeder. I recommend XYZ Reptiles. They consistently deliver healthy, high quality snakes.
2. Snake Habitats Are Aesthetic
If the relatively low cost of a snake compared to other pets doesn’t get you, maybe the appearance of their enclosure will.
I think one of the most enchanting aspects of owning reptiles is their natural environment.
Just look at all the natural set ups you can have for a snake!
- Jungle
- Rain forest
- Pine forest
- Desert
- Grasslands
- And many more!
Heck, you can even get creative and do an arctic looking set up if you want to! If you can imagine it, you can create it. Their cage can be as beautiful as you want it to be.
And that goes for the outside of the enclosure too. A reptile house can enhance the room it is in. Don’t just make it a bare bones aquarium that is sitting in the corner of the room!
I’ve seen people make the entire inside and outside of the cage look like something straight out of Egypt, or an Indiana Jones movie. I even knew one person who made their snake’s cage look like something out of the Frozen movies!
3. Snakes Are Hypoallergenic
Snakes are a great choice for anyone who wants a pet, but is allergic to the dander and pet hair that dogs and cats leave behind.
Even birds have dander that can cause your allergies to flare up. So do small animals like guinea pigs, ferrets, rats and mice.
If you are allergic to most animals, but still want a pet that isn’t a fish, snakes are the way to go.
4. No Hair Shedding Or Messes
Snakes shed their skin, not their hair!
You won’t have to constantly vacuum and dust the furniture with a snake. You also don’t have to worry about house training or accidents.
It’s nice to have a pet whose mess is confined to one small, contained area. You DO have to clean their cage on a regular basis, but not the entire house!
5. Snakes Are Unique
Even though they have gained a lot of popularity in recent years, snakes and other reptiles are still somewhat of an uncommon pet.
I’m going to be honest with you. When you go out in public with a snake, you’ll typically get one of two reactions. People will either be scared and want to get as far away from you as possible.
OR
They will be completely enraptured by your snake, and will want to see it, touch it and ask you a ton of questions.
Either way, you WILL get reactions!The fun part of all this is getting to educate other people about these fascinating animals. Sometimes you even get to help someone overcome their fear of snakes, and THAT is a genuinely great feeling!
6. Snakes Are Calming
Nothing beats the calm tranquility of being one with nature.
When you have an aesthetically appealing enclosure, it’s relaxing to sit and chill with your snake as it explores its environment.
Their movement is graceful and mesmerizing.
Most of us have heard about both the mental and physical benefits of owning pets. This isn’t restricted to only dongs and cats. Snakes can also bring you joy and give you companionship, making them an awesome pet.
7. Snakes And Affection
I know I just explained how snakes can bring you joy and companionship, but perhaps the best part of all is that it’s on your terms.
I personally have dogs and cats, and I love them all. I’ve got to admit though, sometimes they can be somewhat annoying. They tend to be needy, and crave all of my attention all the time.
When I come home tired from a long day at work, the first thing I have to do is give them attention. When I’m relaxing on the sofa they just HAVE yo be on my lap.
I feel guilty if I’m gone for too long, or if I’m too tired to play with them. I love them, they bring me joy, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world, but sometimes it’s more than I want to give.
This doesn’t happen with my snakes.
They are happy to get out of their cage to explore new areas, but are just as content to chill in their enclosure all day too. As long as I keep them clean, warm and fed they are fine. I can just sit back and enjoy them from across the room.
For some people, this is exactly what they want in a pet.
8. Most Snakes Take Up Very Little Space
Another thing that makes a snake the perfect pet is how little room they take up in your home.
Sure there are BIG snakes like Burmese and reticulated pythons, which do better with enclosures that are the size of a small bedroom. The majority of snakes however, are only a few feet long and are fine with the equivalent of a 55 gallon aquarium.
There are other ways they take up less space than dogs or cats too. Do you have any idea how many times I trip over one of my mammalian pets each day? Me either! I lose count!
9. It’s Fun To Learn About Herpetology!
I’m admittedly a bit of a nerd who enjoys learning new things. And if I’m being honest, herpetology is pretty cool!
You are taking an animal that comes from a different part of the world, and trying to duplicate their natural environment. You also get to learn about their diet and nutritional needs as you help them thrive in captivity.
A lot of snake owners take it a step further, and breed their pets. Sometimes they go even deeper and learn biology in order to produce new and amazing morphs!
10. Snakes Are Quiet
No barking, no whining, no begging for food or scratching at the bathroom door when you’re trying to do your business.
Snakes don’t make very much noise.
This also means no barking at the door when someone knocks, no waking you up in the middle of the night, and no annoyed neighbors!
Snakes make remarkably good pets for people living in apartments!
11. Snakes Are Relatively Low Maintenance
I won’t say they are zero maintenance because they definitely require some upkeep, but relatively speaking they don’t require very much.
Their water bowls need cleaned and refilled daily. I like to keep two bowls. This allows me to fill up a fresh one each morning, and switch it out. Then later in the day when I have time, I clean out the dirty one and have it ready for tomorrow.
You also need to clean out their enclosures every one to two weeks depending on the snake.
Some snakes, like the blood python, have pretty slow metabolisms. They don’t get fed as often, so therefore don’t defecate as often and require less cleaning.
Your average snake like a ball python or corn snake on the other hand, will need its cage cleaned weekly. The same is true for ones like green tree pythons which require a fairly high humidity, making it the ideal environment for mold, bacteria and fungus.
All of which is easily preventable with a little routine maintenance.
If you don’t have a lot of time on your hands but still want a pet, a snake is the way to go.
12. They Come In A Wide Variety Of Morphs
This is one of the best aspects of owning a snake for some people.
Most snakes come in a TON of various morphs!
- Albino
- Tiger
- Leucistic
- Banana
- Spider
- Piebald
- Pastel
…just to name a few.
Ball pythons alone currently have over 6,500 different morphs that are recognized and named.
Some species are even being bred to be more colorful with bright yellows and oranges, or deep reds.
No longer are you stuck having the same looking snake as everyone else.
13. Most Pet Snakes Are Safer Than Dogs
People who are afraid of snakes may not believe this, but snakes (non-venomous ones anyways) are actually safer than dogs.
For starters, if a dog bites you, it’s typically going to do a lot more damage than anything other than the largest of snakes. A snake is usually going to strike quickly, then release and get back into a defensive position.
This will potentially scare the crap out of you, but generally only leaves a small scratch or a few tiny punctures. And that’s only if they actually bite.
A lot of times it’s just a feint to get you to back away.
Dogs on the other hand, will give you everything they’ve got and won’t quit, often causing extensive damage. They are more likely to attack too. Snakes only bite to defend themselves. They won’t chase you down to bite you.
Finally, when you have your snake out in public, it’s usually on your person. Your carrying it while it’s wrapped around your arm or across your shoulders. Compare that to a dog which is on a leash several feet away from you.
Not only can it bite anything at a greater distance, it can also injure you by pulling you over if it goes after something.
The truth is, you are more likely to have a big ouchy just playing with your dog than you are from handling the average captive snake.
14. Snakes Have A Long Life Expectancy
With the advancement of reptile husbandry over the past 30+ years, most captive snakes that are well taken care of have a life expectancy of 20 years or more.
That’s a pretty good life for an animal, and is yet another thing that makes snakes good pets.
15. Joining A Community As A Snake Owner
A lot of snake owners join online and real life reptile groups.
Of course you can do this with any pet, so it doesn’t make them any better than cats, birds or dogs in this aspect, but it’s still nice to be part of a community that shares the same passion as you.
You can also contribute to better care and husbandry of captive reptiles for everyone.
When I got my first snake over 25 years ago, there were a lot of species you stayed away from like blood pythons because they were so hard to raise, and they were known for being aggressive.
That’s no longer the case due to better breeding and husbandry practices. Are Blood Pythons Good Pets?
Other snakes like rainbow boas, had a shorter life expectancy because we didn’t understand all the things they needed to thrive in captivity.
Captive snakes are now living longer and better lives than ever before, and that is due in large part to the outstanding reptile groups and communities that are out there. Share your knowledge as you gain it, and help others raise reptiles that thrive.
Summary
In this article I have given you numerous reasons why snakes make great pets.
I’m not trying to say they are better than other pets, but I will certainly say they hold their own and are at least equal to other pets. Both have their pros and cons.
At the end of the day however, there are very few reasons NOT to own a pet snake if you want a good pet.
They have certainly brought joy into my life for many, many years.