DocSSnakes Snake Care Sheet
Thank You for considering DocSSnakes for your snake purchase. This page will provide you with useful information to properly care for your new snake.
A good book is always a useful tool to have handy as well.
BUYING Your Snake: We believe that the best source of a healthy snake is from a breeder. The other benefit of buying from a breeder is that they are available to happily answer any question you may have after the sale is finalized.
SPECIES: Although there are many species available, not all make good pets and not all have pleasant dispositions.
We highly recommend Cornsnakes as well as Milksnakes and Kingsnakes. They come in an array of colors and patterns and are relatively problem free to care for. Cornsnakes seems to have the best overall disposition of the three mentioned above. That is why we put most of our energy into breeding Cornsnakes. Most Colubrids (Corns, Kings and Milks) make excellent pets if cared for properly.
HEALTH: A healthy snake should have smooth clean scales, bright eyes and a strong supple body. It should Not be skinny or boney. When handled, it should offer resistance and strength. It should not be limp or squishy. Breathing should be silent, never raspy. (Hissing is a totally different phenomenon.) Never buy a snake with 'Mites'. (Small round black insects that crawl around on the snake, especially around the eyes and under belly scales.
SIZE: Another reason why Colubrids are desireable as pets is that many do not reach enormous sizes as adults. Many Boas and Pythons start out seeming small and cuddly, only to turn into huge creatures in a couple years that the average owner finds overwhelming to care for.
Many of these Snakes are turned loose into the wild to fend for themselves. (NEVER release a snake into the Wild where it does not normally exist!)
CAGING: Different People have different preferences for housing their snakes. We prefer to use Sterlite Containers. Usually 40 Quart for Adults and 6 and 15 Quart for Babies and Juveniles. We drill 3/16" holes around the sides and also around the lid for ventilation. Always use a substrate on the floor of the cage. Aspen Bedding is highly recommended. NEVER use Cedar! It produces aromatic oils and fumes that can cause respiratory illness in Snakes.
We do not use or recommend aquariums for housing snakes because the Glass or Slate bottoms are very poor at retaining heat. Belly heat is the most important heat for a snake to properly digest their meals. Also, the large size of even a 10 gallon aquarium is too large for a Baby Snake and overwhelming to the snake. They prefer smaller containers where they feel mor e secure. Keeping the habitat or room between 77 and 84 degrees seems to be best for the overall good healty of the snakes. Temps below 75 degrees may interfere with the digestion process and may result in the snake regurgitating its food.
Snakes are Professional Escape Artists!
Make sure that any remote chance of escaping is eliminated. Snakes are very strong and smart in their own ways. If there is a weakness in the caging, they will find it and they will escape! Finding an escaped animal is far more difficult than preventing it from escaping in the first place. Be Careful!
Keep the substrate clean and dry. Remember, the Cage is the snakes Bed, Dining room and Toilet!!! Spoon Clean the cage everytime you open the cage to feed or change the water. We change the water at least once weekly. Usually right after feeding each snake, so they have the freshest water available when they need it most. They almost always drink immediately after feeding. Make sure the water container is spill proof. It does not have to be large. Just sturdy.
FOOD: Snakes eat animal food only. There are No Vegetarian Snakes anywhere! Most eat rodents. Most Colubrids will also eat birds and some will also eat their eggs. Snakes will eat Live or dead food. If fed dead food, which is usually frozen, it is Imperative that the food animal is thawed out completely to at least room temperature before offering it to the snake. A partially frozen food animal will almost certainly be fatal to a snake that swallows it. Snakes do not generate heat in their guts like we(People) do. A frozen mouse remains frozen in the snakes stomach. In general, we feed our snakes every 5-10 days depending on how voracious each animal is. They all seem to have their own rhythm when it comes to feeding.
Baby Snakes will eat Pinky Mice and graduate up to larger mice as they grow and get older.
CAUTIONS: Children should always be supervised around your snakes. Although snakes look tough, they can actually be injured easily if handled roughly or dropped on the floor. They have many, many Delicate Ribs almost the entire length of their bodies.
Everyone should Wash their Hands with Anti-Bacterial Soap after handling the snakes. Although snakes are very clean and their skin is basically Waterproof and Dirtproof, they can sometimes carry some germs (Like Salmonella) that are rarely dangerous to the snake but can be harmful to people if ingested.
NEW ARRIVALS: It is very exciting receiving anything New, especially a living creature such as a Baby Snake. Following a few Simple Rules stated below to Acclimate your New Pet can really ease the transition from their old home here at DocSSnakes (the only home they have ever known) to their new home with You elsewhere in the United States.
Shipping is a Very Traumatic ordeal for any snake and especially for Babies. Avoiding additional stress to their lives can prevent devastating results.
As difficult as it may be to control yourself, you should AVOID HANDLING your snake upon arrival for at least 5-7 days. DO NOT Attempt to FEED the snake upon arrival either. Unfortunately, this is one of the Biggest Mistakes that new snake owners try to do. Odds are that your new snake will be too frightened to feed. Attempting to feed under these conditions can have several negative consequences.
Snakes often associate the presence of food with the recent trauma of shipping and Will Remember It!!!
This is a common reason for snakes refusing food after shipping. It simply associates the food item with the traumatic event. It is highly recommended to wait a week before attempting to feed your new snake.
The stress of shipping and being in a new environment is taxing enough on the snake and it needs time to acclimate to its new surroundings. Be patient! You will have plenty of time to handle the snake in the near future.
When the snake first arrives, put the deli cup container with the snake in it in the new habitat. Gently open the lid on the deli cup, close the habitat, and then LEAVE it ALONE!!! Allow the snake to explore the habitat on its own terms without disturbance. Provide a Hide Box of some sort in the habitat. Always provide a clean water source. Make sure the habitat is warm enough and has proper ventilation. Do NOT use heat rocks. They work well for lizards but tend to burn snakes.
Leave the snake ALONE for a at least 5 days before disturbing it at all. The first disturbance should be to attempt feeding the snake. Do this in the Evening which is the normal time for the snake to be awake and active since they are mainly Nocturnal Creatures. They prefer Low Light Conditions. They do not like bright lights! Waking it up from resting during the day is another stressful act that will deter it from feeding. You should avoid handling the new snake until it has successfully fed voluntarily. Feed smaller than normal meals for the first few meals because the stress of shipping can often upset their digestive systems. Large meals may be Regurgitated.
Offer food in the container that the snake was shipped to you in. (If you purchased a Hatchling). The familiar scent of the container will comfort the snake and make it more likely to accept the food initially. Leave the Snake alone with the food, Overnight if necessary. (I am talking about Baby Snakes being fed pinkys here). Never leave a Live Rodent with fur and Teeth in a cage with a snake unattended. Many non-hungry Snakes have been Killed by Rodents by making this mistake!!!
Don't allow your Snake to become a Sad Statistic.
It is Very Important to allow ypur new pet to settle in and Acclimate Fully. Constant stress during the acclimation period should be avoided. There will be many opportunities to mess with them later. For now, just give them a little privacy and some rest!!!
REMEMBER----This is a Snake--- NOT a PUPPY!!!!
Snakes Do Not respond to Excessive Handling with affection like a Dog. It has a Negative Effect of their heath especially when they are in their first year of life. Learn to Handle your snakes Sparingly and Observe them Often until they are large enough to eat rodents whose eyes are open.
Enjoy your New Acquisition!
Contact us at Doc@DocSSnakes.com OR Reptiledoc@comcast.net with any other questions. Thank You for choosing DocSSnakes.
Dr. Darryl G. Walker (Owner and Proprietor)