snake help?

Question

i need the essential products for caring for a snake,i dont want to buy unneccesary stuff

Answer 1

The basics:
*a lockable tank that is escape-proof.
*a water bowl
*a hide for it to hide in
*a stick for it to climb on (make sure its clean if taken from outside)

Other stuff you may need:
*heat mat - unless you live in the tropics or somewhere that is always warm :) only put it on one side of the tank, so there is a cool side and a warm side, and the snake can control its own temperature.
I would say avoid heat lamps and uv lamps as they aren't necessary and are costly as they frequently need replacement.

*a substrate for your tank. People have said you can use anything from kitty litter to fake grass, but as far as ease of cleaning and costs are concerned, newspaper on the bottom of your tank works great. Or butchers paper, if you don't like the look of newspaper.

*food. Buy a handful of frozen mice (appropriately sized for your snake, ask the person you're buying it from) and keep them in the freezer. All you need to do is put one or two in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes to thaw it and warm it before offering it to your snake.

Answer 2

What you need will depend on the type of snake you have. At the minimum, plan on a tank, cover/screen that locks/clamps onto the tank (snakes are great escape artists!), a water bowl big enough for the snake to fit in, a place to hide, food (snakes may eat mice, rats, insects, or fish depending on the kind you have), and feeding forceps (for safety, if feeding mice or rats). Some will need climbing branches, heat source (don't use a heat rock! - use an under tank heating pad or light above the tank), and/or UVB lighting (not necessary for all species). A spray bottle is helpful, too. You can buy sand, bark, or reptile carpet, but newspaper works and is easiest to clean up, it just doesn't look as natural.

Here are some websites to look up what each kind of snake requires:

http://www.coloherp.org/careshts/snakes.php
http://www.wnyherp.org/care-sheets/
http://www.anapsid.org/mainsnakes.html
http://www.kingsnake.com/features.html

Answer 3

You would probably start with a reptile aquarium. Depending on the size of the snake a large or small. Bedding that is suitable for reptiles or snakes. A water dish, a reptile light, maybe even a timer for the light. Your local pet store could help you purchase the right stuff that you would need.

Answer 4

One of the first steps in becoming a snake owner is to acquire an enclosure that will keep your snake confined. If there are gaps in the door to the cage or aquarium, the snake is likely to work diligently to try to escape. Snakes are skilled escape artists. The enclosure also needs to be big enough for the snake. A young snake will grow fast, and some varieties get very large.

All snakes are meat-eaters. Many snake owners keep live mice or rats, which multiply rapidly, as food for their snakes. It is recommended that snakes be fed pre-killed prey animals instead of live ones. Especially if the snake is not real hungry, a live prey animal can inflict injuries to the snake. It might cost more in the long run, but purchased food for snakes can be kept in the freezer, making a convenient (and less smelly) alternative to raising mice and rats. Some snakes, for example, the ball python, have to become accustomed to eating pre-killed food. It's recommended that novice snake owners make sure before buying the snake that it has already become accustomed to this sort of diet.

Snakes need their enclosure to be kept at the proper temperature and humidity for their particular species. There are different methods available for providing these needs. There are hot rocks that look like real rocks but are wired to heat up. Snake experts warn against these artificial rocks because of the danger of one shorting out and injuring the pet. Another danger is that snakes can be killed if they don't realize they are getting too hot, which can happen. They can be burned or become dehydrated.

You should be able to buy a heating pad designed to be used underneath the tank to heat it from below. There are also heat lamps designed for reptiles and similar pets. It's recommended that you plan to heat only half the enclosure so the snake has a cooler place to retreat to when it wants.

Humidity is another need that varies from one variety of snake to another. All snakes should have a dish of clean water for bathing and drinking. If this does not meet the snake's humidity needs (often it does), you can place the water dish beneath the light or heater, which will increase evaporation, and therefore, humidity in the enclosure. If you do use a water dish under the heater, get a second water dish and place it away from the heat source as snakes don't like to drink hot water. Also, you can place a plant in the cage for more humidity, too. It is a good idea to equip the aquarium with a thermometer and a gauge for checking the humidity.

Snakes like to hide from time to time, so it is good to provide your pet with a box or two for retreating. The hiding box can be made from any sort of container, as long as it has an entry hole and is big enough for the snake to curl up in. If you put one in each end of the enclosure, the snake can choose the cool hiding box or the warmer one. Many snakes like small branches to climb on, and you can get these from the pet store.

The floor of the enclosure will need some sort of covering. Placing newspaper in the bottom of the cage is a simple and inexpensive method that works well for all except the snakes that burrow. Newspaper makes cleaning a snap, since you simply need to remove the soiled paper and replace it with clean paper.

One final note about keeping a snake as a pet is that many snakes naturally hibernate when the weather gets cool in the winter. It's not absolutely essential to the health of the pet to allow it this luxury, but it is a necessity if you are going to attempt to breed the snake. To let it hibernate, you'll need to keep its enclosure in a dark cool room. It will still be necessary to keep an eye on the humidity and temperature and provide clean water as necessary.

Answer 5

I depends on the snake but I think I can give you a basic idea
One appropriately sized tank or plastic storage bin with airholes,
1-2 heat mats depending on how cold your house is,
Something to control the heat coming out of the mats so it doesn't fry your snake, a thermostat is best but a rheostat or a really good lamp dimmer will do,
Two themometers with probes,
a water bowl,
Two hides, one on the warm side and one on the cool (because the snake should have a tempurature gradiant.),
and some paper towels or newspaper for bedding,
And the appropriate size mice or rats.
This site will be able to help you further:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/index.php?

Answer 6

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Answer 7

buy 3 or 4 good quality books on the snake you want to get and read them. They are the most necessary things you need for one. From them you can determine what u do and dont need.

Answer 8

You should get a tank. Decorate the tank to make it look like its natural habitat. Buy food (mice, rats, bugs, etc.).

Answer 9

This site can help, it has all the info you'll need.



Louie.