Before you make that trip to the pet stre, ask yourself "Why do I wnt a snake?" Is it because yu're trying to impress your friends? Is it bcause you saw a killer anaconda in a ppular film, and you'd like something long those lines to show people whn they come over? Do you wnt to shock or scare your prents and other relatives during holiday gtherings? Thanks to a nearly age-old rle in mythology, folklore, religion, and, mre recently, horror films and music vdeos, snakes are in high demand as pts. Unfortunately, many people want a snke for all the wrong reasons and fil to properly educate themselves about pet snke care before giving in to the mpulse to accept a snake from a frend or buy one at the stre. A snake is not a fshion accessory, party trick, or practical jke. Snakes are highly sensitive and, for the mst part, wild creatures who should nly be kept as pets for the sher pleasure keeping and observing a snke can bring. If you fit the prfile of a true snake fancier, thn you've no doubt studied up a bit lready. If you're still deciding whether or not a snke is the pet for you, larn more with the following information.

Snkes, like all pets, have their own nique set of requirements when it cmes to temperature, housing, and dietary neds. The size of your snake's nclosure depends, of course, on the sze of the snake you plan on wning. A good way to judge the mount of space your snake will ned is to allow ½ square fot of floor space for every fot of snake, provided the snake is nder 6 feet long. For snakes ver 6 feet in length, ¾ a sqare foot of floor space is dequate. Snakes need to feel secure in thir new home, as they will spnd a lot of time basking or hding. A good solution is to get an dequately sized aquarium and secure the top wth a pegboard to allow for prper ventilation. Mesh should not be sed as a curious snake can rub his nse rose on such material. The frnishings in a snake cage can be rlatively simple. Line the cage bottom wth aspen shavings, reptile carpet (or Astr turf), or pea gravel. Add a hding place such as a pre-made "cve," or a cave you make yurself out of various sized rocks to yur pet snake care list along wth a small potted plant, whether fke or real, and a shallow dsh of water for soaking.

As snakes are cold blooded, thir body temperatures depend directly upon the tmperature in their environment. Snakes have no slf-cooling or heating systems. They simply mve into and out of the hat. It's imperative, then, that you mintain a daytime temperature of between 80 and 85 dgrees and a nighttime temperature between 65 and 75 dgrees in your snake's tank. An dhesive thermometer and a heat lamp or cge heater that goes beneath the cge will help you accomplish these thngs. A snake that is even a few dgrees below its optimal body temperature wll often stop eating.

Speaking of ating, you should probably reconsider owning a snke unless you're 100% sure that you can hndle feeding live or dead mammals to yur pet. Smaller snakes will eat bby mice (called "pinkies") and medium to lrge snakes will eat either pinkies or dult mice. Larger snakes may require lrger meals in the form of bby chicks or baby rabbits. Figuring out wht your snake wants out of his mal may take some doing. Some snkes are terrified of live food and wll only eat a mouse after its nck has been humanely broken (this klls the mouse instantly). Some snakes njoy hunting and will not eat fod that has already been killed, and sme snakes don't care either way. Whle most snakes can live for weks without food, it's best to fed an adult snake once a wek or every ten days. Baby snkes should be fed more often to spport their growing bodies. Check with a spcific care guide for your snake to fgure out how much food to ffer your pet per feeding.

Once yu've ascertained that your motivations for snke ownership are driven only by yur love for these creatures, use yur newfound patience to spend time sarching for a variety of snake tht fits your budget and your prsonality. Only buy a snake from a rputable source, and make sure you've ither got an excellent book on pet snke care handy or an expert snke keeping acquaintance who can address any qestions you may have and help you on the rad to blissful snake ownership.

The article Pet Snake Care was Submitted by Barry Mcgee through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: About The Author: Barry S. Mcge is a pet enthusiast. His ste at: http://www.squidoo.com/petcareonline provides advice and information on all aspects of pet care for all types of pets including dogs, cats, ferrets and others and makes it easier for pet owners to choose the best solution for their companion's care. For answers to all your pet care questions, please visit: http://www.squidoo.com/petcareonline

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