Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 4: Choosing the Right Breed
• Part 2 of 4: Make sure you want the selected snake type
• Part 3 of 4: Choosing the Right Location to Buy Your Snake
• Part 4 of 4: Taking Care of the New Snake
• Tips
• Warnings

Choosing your first tame snake can be a very nerve-racking process. Choosing your pet and all the equipment you need for the first time is the easiest way to ensure a long and happy relationship with your new sliding friend!

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Choosing the Right Breed

1. 1 You need to know what kind of snake you want. Here are some options you can consider:
   • There are both small and large snakes. Large snakes can be 30 feet (10 meters long), which is why most people prefer small snakes. Small snakes require smaller cages and eat less food.
   • Most snakes are mice, however you might want a snake that eats fish or snails or something else. It is much easier to keep a snake that eats frozen food than live food.
   • Some snakes are easy to train, some are not. Consider a few of the parts you want to play with your snake.
   • Some snakes are venomous, but okay, no one wants to buy a rattlesnake or a cobra.
2. 2 Choose a snake that is easy to care for. There are several types of snakes that you can buy as your first unusual pet. There are snakes with a calm temperament that are very easy to care for.
   • The red rat snake is probably the easiest snake to care for and can be held and tamed very easily. They are very active and curious creatures who like to crawl everywhere and inspect everything.
   • You can also choose from the garden snake, kuro-eater, American house snake and the striated king snake - very similar representatives of the already-shaped family.
   • If you want a snake that is less active and slow to move, the king python is the best choice. They are not very big and will like to sit in your arms, or wrap around your neck.
3. 3 Choose a snake depending on whether you have children in your home. Children will play with different snakes more often than adults. The minimum age for a child to have a snake is 5 years.
   • Red rat snakes and king python are the best options for kids as they are very friendly, slow, not too big, and reliable enough.
4. 4 Have an idea what kind of snake you are getting. If you are not buying from a reliable source, you will find a huge number of snakes that look the same and it will be very difficult to tell which species it belongs to until you consult a professional.
5. 5 Have an idea which snakes are not suitable for beginners. Anacondas, reticulated pythons, venomous snakes and Burmese pythons can be dangerous animals if not given proper care and closed cages. It is best to leave these views for more experienced people. You may also find that these snakes need a very careful approach, and that the smallest mistake can lead to a catastrophic accident!

Part 2 of 4: Make sure you want the selected snake type

1. 1 Check the life cycle of the snake you have chosen. Before you decide that you want this particular snake as a pet, remember that some species can live for more than 30 years, and this will be a very long cohabitation, so make sure to be 100 percent sure.
2. 2 Make sure you can care for the snake. Different snakes have different equipment and nutritional requirements. More advanced snakes need constant adjustments in temperature, humidity and difficult feeding to pay attention to. Research is a very important and first step to consider.
   • Red rat snakes and king pythons are equally friendly, while king pythons cannot withstand temperatures below 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius). If your home is cold enough, you will need to heat the king python cage.
   • Asian snakes are very interesting creatures, but they only use lizards. Buying this kind will require some pretty grueling housework.

Part 3 of 4: Choosing the Right Location to Buy Your Snake

1. 1 Checking wild caught snakes in accordance with local and federal laws. A child can accidentally bring a caught snake into the house, which belongs to an endangered species! We check with local authorities or the Department of Internal Affairs to check.
2. 2 Choosing a legal nursery or pet store. The smuggling of exotic animals is a huge business that can lead to the extinction of certain species.
3. 3 Watch out for the behavior problems of smuggled animals. Animals that have been wildly caught and transported across the continent may show signs that you may notice:
   • You can see signs of aggression. The caught snake will be under stress, and will be insecure in the new small space. This can scare the snake very much and make it aggressive.
   • You may have trouble feeding a smuggled animal due to stress. Secondly, she may not eat anything at all.
   • You can find parasites in a snake that has lived in the wild and will need very expensive treatment from a veterinarian.
4. 4 Know that buying a snake that has already been born in captivity to a decent breeder is the best option. Even if you received a snake as a gift from a friend, your friend most likely does not know how badly or how well he interacted with the snake, thereby creating long-term consequences for the future care of the snake.
   • There are a lot of people in the electronic newspaper that are trying to get rid of their snakes and they are trying to find a home for their snakes. And most likely, it is through the ads that you can get a snake for free.
   • Reptile shows are fun places to get a snake, and people who run such shows have a lot more experience than pet store workers. However, it is very difficult to figure out where reliable people are and where they are not.

Part 4 of 4: Taking Care of the New Snake

1. 1 Read carefully how to care for and how to feed your type of snake. There are tons of wikihows out there for all types of snakes that you can read about.
2. 2 Watch online snake care videos.
3. 3 Take good care of them. Snakes are amazing creatures if you take good care of them and make sure you feed them properly and watch them the right way.Research is never superfluous, the more you know, the more likely you are to get it right and have a long and happy relationship with your pet.

Tips

• Submissive snakes such as garden snakes, red rat snakes and king pythons are a good start for both children and adults.
• Ask the owners all about their snake, how they looked after it and if it has any problems.
• If you like snakes, research them and make an educational purchase out of them. This is a very big responsibility. Don't forget that a lot of people are afraid of snakes. Be tolerant and respectful of others.
• Use a variety of sources such as publications, websites, and forums to research the different species and find out what species of snakes are bred in your area.

Warnings

• Remember, someone with a mouth can bite. Although some species are very docile and are unlikely to bite, there is always a chance for such incidents. Use feeding tongs to keep your hands away from the snake's mouth. Always wash your hands after touching rodents or birds, after holding your snake, and you will not smell like food. Most likely your snake can smell these animals on you and decides to bite you.
• It's a very long-term commitment, and if you can't live and care for an animal for about 30 years, just don't get it!