Snakes as Pets

Just for a change, when I went to my local pet superstore, they'd recently received a delivery, and had some large and extra large frozen rats available. Naturally, since they were there, I grabbed a couple of months supply for the snakes.

Sometimes it's hard to get the right sized food for them, particularly the big bredli. It's been at least eighteen months since he had a rabbit - they seem to have disappeared off the market. Of course, I'll keep trying to get them for him, but it isn't easy to source rabbits at all.

Normally, when Autumn comes around, my Stimson's pythons decide they'd rather mate than eat, so they refuse their food. This usually happens in February.

Not this year! It's the end of April, and although they're happily mating when they feel like it, so far, they haven't refused a feed either. Must be because we've had a very long hot summer, so they have become a little confused.

Currently, it's getting cold, so perhaps they'll revert to normal behaviour. Not that they will have a choice really, because it's now time to turn down the heating overnight, since it's brumation time.

The picture is my youngest stimsoni female finishing a mouse.

The image is Simbi, my Centralian, at about 10 months old, about to take a small rat. That snake is a real garbage guts, and will eat anything the others refuse these days, now that he's fully grown. When the stimsoni are being fed, he's cruising up and down the glass front of the cage, with a very expectant look on his face! :-)

The problem? Several times recently, I've been told by frozen rat and mouse suppliers, that they are having difficulty getting enough stock. Of course, rabbits, of any size, have been totally unobtainable in my area recently. One can't get them from the butchers, because they've been skinned already, and snakes need the whole animal for roughage.

Mice don't seem to be quite as hard to get as rats, but how many adult mice does it take to actually satisfy an adult carpet python of at least 8ft in length? I'm not in a hurry to find out!

The only option I can think of, is to see if there are any poultry farms within easy driving distance, and check with them as to the availability of their mutant or runty day old chicks. Usually these are killed, so it would at least be something to tide the snakes over, if they were available.

There is no way I'm going to buy live rats and mice, and either kill them, or live feed them to the snakes. Besides, it's illegal here in Victoria - the RSPCA wouldn't like it one little bit.

For a couple of months, it will be ok, as I'm about to cool down the pythons for the winter. If there's food available over that time, I'll try to stock up, otherwise there really will be a problem.

Surprisingly, when I fed my four pythons this weekend, one of them refused to eat.

This isn't usually something I'd worry about, but last time they were fed, she also refused, although I put it down to an imminent shed.

There appears to be no reason for it, as she's not gravid, and seems to be healthy. Perhaps she just didn't like the smell of the rat she was offered?

Anyway, I'll try again in a few days, with another rat, or perhaps a mouse.

Since I know snakes can go for several months without feeding, best I take my own advice to others, and not worry about it. She's very active and happy, so it's probably only a temporary aberration. Certainly hope so!

With the warmer weather having started, the snakes are becoming much more active.

Today for the first time this Spring, they were outside in their portable cage. The three stimsoni went first, whilst I cleaned out their cage, then the big centralian python. Couldn't put him in with the others, because he'd try to eat them all!

Watching them, before I brought them inside again, it was clear they'd enjoyed the warm sun on their skin. It's good to give them some natural light on occasions, instead of keeping them inside in cages 100% of the time.

NB : If you put your snakes outside in a shadecloth cage, please ensure that they have some shade and a bowl of cool water. Reptiles can overheat and die.

When I went to turn on the basking light for the three Stimson's pythons this morning, I found that one of them had shed. Which? Well, I'm pretty sure that it was the little male, Snappy, because he's been very quiet and shy lately, which is a sure sign that a shed is imminent.

About time too! the girls were probably thinking.

After being unable to get frozen rats for the stimsons pythons, we had to buy mice instead, but not to worry, because the girls were pretty hungry.

We hardly had time to wave the mice in front of Savage and Stormy before their jaws were closing on them, and the bodies wrapping around, constricting.

Both snakes made very short work of their first meal for months, but are now sleeping it off happily.

This weekend, we decided to feed the snakes, as they had been becoming more active, especially the eight foot Bredl's python - he needs plenty of food!

Surprisingly, the two female stimsoni refused to eat - guess they aren't quite hungry enough yet, so we'll try them again very soon. The male stimsoni, Snappy, lived up to his name as soon as the (dead) rat was in striking distance.

Simbi was very lucky; he received the two small rats left over by the girls, and also his own medium sized rat. Usually, he gets 2 large rats or a small rabbit, but to start with we went for a small meal. He didn't mess around, that's for sure, and it all disappeared very quickly. Now he's sleeping it off.

As I mentioned last week, it's coming up towards Spring, and time for the snakes to be warmed up and start feeding again.

Although I've turned the thermostats in their cages up a little each day, so that they are set at an optimum temperature for this, I've decided against feeding them to date. It's been far too cold here in Melbourne, with snow on the hills just outside the city, and that makes it cooler inside too.

Maybe the snakes will get fed next week, and their basking lights can be left on a little longer each day to compensate for the cold.

Simbi finally shed about a week after my last post - he seemed really relieved to get it over with.

Here's a link to an enlarged version of this picture of my female Stimson's python shedding Click Here Sorry, but I don't have one of Simbi yet - haven't been able to have the camera ready and batteries charged, at the right time.

Now winter's here, I've turned down the heating over a period of time, to their winter temperature, although they do get the basking light on for a short time each day, to emulate sunlight. It's best to keep them to a natural rhythm, even though they are in cages, inside.

They're all pretty inactive at present, and of course, aren't being fed, as they need warmth to digest their food.

The stimsoni have been seen mating a couple of times, but not as much as usual at this time of year. Perhaps it's because I've now put them all in the same cage, and they are used to each other. Not important anyway, as I really don't mind if they breed or not. If they do, fine, if not, that's fine also. So long as they're happy.....

Poor Simbi, my Centralian python, has been working up to a shed for a couple of weeks now, and last weekend went through the white eyed stage. I thought he would have shed by now, as he's very dark, but the poor thing is still trapped in the old skin, with no sign of it starting yet.

I've turned on the basking light today, as it's so cold and damp, and he really needs to be warm - he's a bit of a hedonist and likes his heat. He can get a bit grumpy when he's cold and hungry; but then, can't we all? :-)

Hopefully the slough will happen soon, so that I can start getting him out of the cage and handling him again. He needs some exercise, but I don't handle him when he's due to shed, as it can damage the new skin growing under the old one.

The Stimson's pythons mate during winter, and last week I noticed the first activity for the year. It's a little later than last year, but I've changed the conditions under which they live. All three now live together all year round.

It's good to know that familiarity didn't stop them mating, but to date, I've never had any eggs from them. Not that I'm too worried over that - so long as they are healthy and content, I don't need hatchlings.

It's August already, so it's time to start thinking about turning the heat up a little, and warming the snakes up for spring.

This has to be done slowly, of course, as has cooling them down. A degree a day is ideal.

A snake needs to be warm to digest its food. A friend found that his coastal python had regurgitated its food, and he was really worried that it was unwell. It wasn't - someone had somehow turned of the heating in the cage, and the snake, unable to digest the meal, did the only thing it could, and ejected it.

When I get the snakes back to their normal cage heat, about 25C in the middle of their cages, it will be time to feed them. They'll be really hungry too, and will be ready to strike as soon as
they get the scent.

The rats have already been purchased, and are sitting in the pet food section of my freezer. Yes, I keep rats, mice and rabbits in the same freezer as our food. It's lab raised and frozen, so it's perfectly safe, for those who are shuddering. The cat food is kept with it, on the bottom shelf - marked so it can't be mixed up with human food, of course.

When it's feeding time, I'll let you know how it went. :-)

Thought you might like to see Simbi, my Morelia bredli, in the fig tree. M. bredli are also known as Bredl's python, or Centralian pythons. They are found in Central Australia, near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

If you'd like to see the full sized photo, please Click Here

He's actually crawling over me as I work! Have you any idea how hard this is, with an eight foot python hanging off you? :-)

Finally managed to get the new thermostat fixed up in the four foot cage, so the three large-blotched (Stimson's) pythons are now living together.

There are two females and one male, so he should be really happy come breeding time! :-)

Although conventional herp keeping says each animal should have its own cage, this isn't always possible. So long as some care is taken, especially at feeding time, there should be no problems.

My snakes aren't fed in their cages, as I find it much easier to take them out to a special place, and feed them outside the cage. It also stops them from thinking food is being given when I put my hands into the cage to clean, or change water, etc.

Since being put in a cage together, the three pythons frequently curl up together in a log, or under a branch. They also each have a favoured spot. It's amazing how hard they can be to see, if they really get under somthing!

It's made a difference to the room also - I now only have two snake cages instead of four, and more space for the furniture and us!

Many people think that because most pythons are tropical creatures, summer heat doesn't bother them. It does.

In Melbourne, the summer temperatures can reach over 40C, which is hotter than some of the tropical areas from which pythons originate.

In the wild, snakes can find a cool spot to lie, often underground. In captivity, they are unable to take advantage of this, and are trapped in a small, often airless, cage.

Make sure your cages are well ventilated, with the ventilation grills not pushed up against walls. Air needs to circulate.

Also ensure that your reptiles have plenty of cool water to drink. If possible, have a bowl large enough for the reptile to get into if it wishes. (Don't fill it more than halfway though!) Most snakes won't bother to get in the water, but it's good for them to have the option.

Take them out of the cage for a little exercise in the cooler part of the day, if you can. My snakes enjoy a roam around the couch or the floor. Under supervision of course - no cats or dogs, please!

If you do these simple things, your reptiles will happily get through the hottest summer.

A little while ago, I noticed that the heating globes in one of the snakes cages weren't going out, so I opened it up, and turned the thermostat to zero. The lights stayed on.

This was a problem, as there was no spare cage available, and a python needs some heat, being a tropical, or semi-tropical reptile.

Usually, my snakes are kept in individual cages, as it's the way I've been told is best, however things had to change because of the problem.

I've now moved the snakes around, putting a male and one of the female stimsons pythons in the larger of a set of two cages, and the remaining female on her own in the other cage.

It's been working well, and when I put the three of them in the outside cage together they get on fine. I'm going to keep the three of them together in the large cage when I can get the thermostat replaced.

This is going to save on both space and electricity, not to mention globe supply!

I did talk to someone who has kept and bred reptiles for some years about it, and he usually keeps three of these snakes together, so that's the way I'll be going soon.

Stay tuned for how it works out, although I may not have any comments for a while, as my electrician is flat out, and can't come to fix the thermostat just yet.

Yesterday, the cat was shut outside, I was working in my study, and the house was empty. Since it was safe, I opened the door to Simbi's cage and left him free to come and go as he pleased.

Usually he just hangs out of the cage looking around, or sits on the couch next to his home.

A little later, I had a phone call, and had to go out for a short time, so got ready, and walked through the lounge. Not seeing Simbi, I decided to finish closing the house before locking his door.

Walking through the kitchen, a movement caught my eye - there was Simbi, wrapped happily around a chair under the table. He did not want to go back in his cage, and hooked his tail around the chair leg, refusing to let go.

It's amazing how strong an 8ft python is, but I got him to let go. Just as well he's a very good natured snake - wouldn't have wanted him to really fight against being picked up.

Here's a link to the photo, so you can see it full sized.

Simbi is my 8 foot Centralian Python, (Morelia bredli). When I bought him about 5-1/2 years ago, the dealer told me that he was probably a male, as females were usually held onto by the breeders.

Because of this, he's always been referred to as He, and has a male name. Simbi is a Haitian God/Loa, whose symbol is the serpent.

Anyway, recently I had some discussion with another snake owner, who had two sixteen year old Centralian pythons. Both of these snakes were only about two thirds the size of Simbi, who is only six years old!

I'd been beginning to have my doubts about Simbi's masculinity, and these doubts have now grown a lot bigger - female pythons are usually much larger than the males.

If Simbi is a female, it could explain why there was absolutely no interest shown in mating when he was put with a known female snake last year!

Guess I'll have to find someone who can probe him/her, then I'll know for sure!

Snappy, the first snake I acquired, is a very placid, happy little male, who never does anything bad.

Well, until yesterday! I went to his cage and reached in to get him out for some exercise, and he promptly bit my forefinger.

My fault, I guess - my partner said I moved very quickly, and one shouldn't do that with snakes. It's best to move slowly and carefully. Just goes to show that even the most trusted pet can surprise you.

Most snake or pet bites, in my experience, and opinion, are caused by the owner, not the pet. Usually, they've done something to unsettle the animal, or have the scent of food on their hands. With reptiles, this is a sure-fire way to get bitten!

Don't blame or punish your pet if it bites you - think about the circumstances. Could you have moved too quickly, did you hurt the animal, is it unwell? Many times you'll find that the fault was yours. Treat your animal well, and take care, and you shouldn't have a problem.

After the flood was over, and Noah lowered the ramp of the ark for all the animals to leave, he told the animals "Go forth and multiply."

All the animals left except two snakes who lay quietly in the corner of the ark.

"Why don't you go forth and multiply?" demanded Noah.

"We can't," answered the snakes. "We're adders."

Just seen a question somewhere regarding whether snakes actually know their owner, so here's my opinion.

I think that they can actually recognise their owner or keeper, but not by sight. Snakes have very sensitive smelling organs, and they could know the scent of their keeper. I've also heard that they can recognise owners by their heat signature, as snakes, particularly pythons, use heat sensing, or infra-red vision.

As to snakes caring about their keepers, I don't think they have that capacity. They will trust you, as they become used to you, but that's about it.

I remember being asked once "Do snakes love people?"
My answer to that one is "No, we love them, but they don't love us".

If you want a pet that will come to you when it's called, and snuggle up to you lovingly, snakes and other reptiles are not for you!

If they are wrapping themselves around you, it's because
a) You're warm and they want the heat; or
b) They think you're a nice tree to climb on.

Even so, I still love my snakes, and wouldn't give them up for anything - they're still some of my favourite animals!

Did you know that snakes regularly shed their skin? It's replaced with new skin from underneath several times a year.

If a snake is ill, or injured, they will shed more often. Young snakes grow much faster than adults, so they tend to shed more often also.

From the time a snake has a new skin, it slowly begins to grow darker. A bright, shiny, snake will become dull and very dark, and they it will become antisocial, and spend most of its time in a dark, quiet place.

If you have a snake, and you think it is close to a shed, please don't handle it, especially once the scales over the eyes have gone white, or opaque. It's very easy to damage the new skin underneath the old one at this stage.

A snake is very vulnerable when it's due to shed. Because the skin over its eyes is opaque,it has no vision. At this time, they will hide until the shed is imminent.

When the shed is due, the snake will rub its mouth over something rough to get the shed started, then the skin will roll over the snakes head as it rubs itself along the ground. A shed should only take a few minutes to half an hour to complete.

When the shed is complete the snake will often sleep for a while - it seems to be a tiring process.

If a shed is incomplete, and some of the old skin is left on the reptile, it can cause problems, even death. If you have a pet snake, please ensure that the shed is complete, including the spectacles, the small scales from over the eyes.

If there is old skin left on the animal, and you are uncertain of what to do, it is always best to visit a good reptile vet. Of course, problems are relatively rare, but knowing what to do could save your snake's life.

The other day, someone asked me if one of my snakes was fully grown.

It's a good question - snakes and other reptiles become adult, but never actually stop growing. The older they are, the bigger they become.

A lot depends on food supplies and the health of the animal. The actual growth rate is very small, once the reptile has reached adulthood, and could be as little as a millimetre per year.

Guess unless you have a pet snake, you've never thought about feeding it, or the difficulties you may encounter finding suitable food for it.

By the way, I don't live feed - all my snakes are fed defrosted, laboratory reared animals.

My large-blotched pythons are fairly easy to feed, as they eat mice, young rats, or pinky rabbits. Usually these are easy to source, but in winter it's sometimes difficult to get them, as there are not many suppliers around my area.

The centralian python eats large rats, or medium rabbits at the moment. For him, mice are just an hors doevre, if he bothers to take them at all!

He really prefers rabbits, but frozen rabbits are difficult to source. You can't use the butcher's,
as they are skinned, and snakes need the whole animal. Last week, my local pet store started to stock a few rabbits, so hopefully problem solved!

The centralian was really happy to be presented with his dinner that night! Took him a while to eat it though, as it was pretty big - He slept it off for a week.

It's been a while since my stimson's pythons last mated, and there is no sign that any of them are gravid. Guess I'll just have to accept the fact that I'm not going to be a snake breeder.

Either I'm doing something wrong, or my little male is infertile. Have been told that Antaresia stimsone ARE more difficult to breed than others in the children's python complex though. Perhaps next year....... Not that I really have the space for more cages, if my snakes do mate successfully.

Well, it finally happened - my beautiful six year old, very placid, easy going Centralian python (Morelia bredli) bit me!

I guess it was my fault - no I'm sure it was. He was being cooled down for winter, but not sufficiently, in hindsight. He should have been down to 18c.

As well as this, he was very hungry, since it was a couple of months since he'd eaten.

This particular day, I went to check him out, and thought he looked very agressive. Since he's such a good snake, normally, didn't bother about it, and opened his cage door and reached in.

Didn't get very far, before he struck. Fortunately, he released my hand straight away, and didn't try to kill and eat it! Pythons have lots of very sharp teeth - took ages to stop it bleeding.

Completely my fault, not the snake's. Immediately went out and bought him a couple of rats for dinner. He's looking much happier now, especially with the heat turned up.

Just goes to show that a snake is never completely tame - they are a wild animal all the time. I'll know better next winter, that's for sure! :-)

Pythons are not exactly everyone's idea of a pet.
Many parents are shocked when their children ask for a pet reptile.

This is understandable, given that people are brought up to fear and hate snakes. If they can get over this idea, many find that snakes can be an extremely interesting pet.

If your child, or partner is interested in having a pet reptile, don't reject the idea out of hand. Do some research with them, go and look at pythons at the zoo, or your local reptile dealer. Touch them, if you get the chance. They really aren't wet and slimy at all, just cool and fairly smooth.

A friend of mine hated even the idea of snakes, but will now visit and even stroke the pythons. She says "They're not at all what I imagined!"

Most pythons are easy to handle, especially if they are captive bred, and have been handled since hatching. There are always exceptions, but hopefully your partner or child will not purchase a reptile of this nature.

It's now Winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and time to consider breeding snakes and other reptiles.

Stimson's pythons, Antaresia stimsoni, are a little more difficult to breed than others in the Antaresia group. So far I've had no success, although the pair I have are extremely compatible!

This year my youngest female stimsoni is finally old enough and large enough to try breeding. My male is very happy - he now has two females to visit.

This morning, I opened his cage to give him water -
he's alone at present, having a rest - and he climbed up my arm whilst I was filling the water bowl. Talk about eager to go visiting the girls!

Whether or not they breed successfully doesn't matter really, the snakes are happy, and that's the important thing. Here's hoping, though.......

Do snakes and other pets get along? In a word, "No"!

There doesn't seem to be much information around on this topic, but it should be addressed - many people have assorted pets in their homes.

As well as pythons, I have a cat. She is fascinated by the snakes, and has been known to swat at them when the opportunity has arisen.

The three smaller pythons would be at great risk, if she was allowed in the room when they are free. Cats are great snake killers!

On the other hand, my Centralian python is now almost eight foot long, and has quite a large girth.
He can eat a rabbit, so could probably eat the cat, given the opportunity. We have to make sure they are not both around at the same time - this can be difficult. The cat appears to be psychic and always arrives when we let one of the snakes out.

Aside from cats, I have heard of pet birds and small dogs being python prey. I'm also sure that pet rodents would be a welcome menu item for snakes!

Don't forget, if you have other pets, keep them well away from your snakes and other reptiles, and everyone will be happier.

When I was a child, we had a grass snake which used to come and drink milk from a bowl outside our door. Pretty unusual behaviour for a snake, but that's what it did. Being brought up in the country, and always being interested in animals, I never learnt to fear snakes.

As a teenager, much to the horror of my mother, I decided I wanted a pet snake. No way was that going to happen.

It took me over 40 years to finally be able to keep a snake of my own. Once I owned my first snake, a terrible discovery was made - Snakes are addictive! :-)

Now I own four, and would have others and some bearded dragons if I had the space and the cash to look after them properly.

This is a great shot of a keelback snake about to take a feeder fish.

If you'd like to see a larger version, please Click Here. This site also has more information about keeping keelbacks.