Rat Snakes are great (Snakes)

Member Name: DarkWingDuck

Product:	Snakes
Date:	03/10/00 (293 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: low maintenance, fascinating animals

Disadvantages: Can bite, take care over which snake you buy !

Snakes, in my opinion, do make excellent pets. We have 3, 2 Russian Ratsnakes and an albino corn snake.

There are rules to follow when considering a snake for yourself and your family ( especially if the 'keeper' is a child. )

The most important thing is size. How big is the thing going to get ? Corn snakes are generally between 3 and 4 feet when full grown, rat snakes vary from 3 to 6 feet, pythons and boas from 5 to 25 feet!. Good advice here is ask to see the snakes parents.

Snakes, like people, also have different temperaments. They do react differently to being handled and often to who is handling them. I personally have never been bitten by any of my snakes (yet) but I have seen our young corn bite. The rule of thumb here is to never let the snake near your ( or anybody elses ) face. Snakes bite quickly and without warning, a six foot russian ratsnake attached to the end of your nose would hurt !

On saying this, snakes like ratsnakes will generally ( assuming they are being properly cared for ) only bite if startled, in which case you get plenty of warning by a vibrating of the tail, which means.. Get your hand the hell out of my cage. Another instance when biting is common is if your hand smells of food... IE you handle them after feeding without washing your hands. The advice here is DONT.

On saying all this, snakes do make low maintenance, long lasting and fascinating pets. My three know that as soon as the lid comes off the vivarium, it is either feeding time or time to come out and explore.

Finding out about them through books etc will help you understand this 'near dinosaur' that you are sharing your house with and appreciate them for what they are.

Also, when a friend is edging towards holding one for the first time and the inevitable "It isnt poisonous is it ?" question arrives... you can say "Yes, of course it is, that's why I'm giving it to your chi
ld to hold !"

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