Have you been thinking that one day, you would like to own a snake or other type of reptile? To many, such a prospect can be quite literally a nightmarish thought, especially to those of us of the non reptile persuasion. Here we offer some ‘food for thought’ for the would be snake owner and you may just be pleasantly surprised to learn that while a snake might make a fascinating Zoo exhibit, they can and do make a wonderful pet. Are you, or have you been trying to convince your girlfriend, wife or mother to let you have a pet snake? Well you're not alone.

The easiest way to sort this problem is to divorce the wife, dump the girlfriend and disown your mother. Alternatively, if that seems too extreme you may like to consider sharing with them the following points.

Easy To Keep

Contrary to popular belief, most commonly kept snakes such as pythons are actually pretty easy to look after. Once you have acquired the basic herp know-how and have their enclosure/habitat set up, very little effort is required to keep them happy and healthy.

There is lots of free information available on this website that will guide you through virtually everything you need to know – all this information is kept in our knowledge base.

Little Time Required

Because they're so easy to keep and don't require exercising such as a dog, along with the fact that they only need to be fed generally every 5-14 days (subject to age) and are very clean animals so only need occasional cleaning, their care takes up very little time so you'll still be able to fit a job and social life around your new pet..

Unlike most pets where you can spend hundreds of dollars each month on vet bills, food and more, snakes require very little ongoing expense once initially set up.

Because snakes feed less often than other pets, they defecate less often. And if the faecal matter is cleaned as soon as possible, and the keeper is careful to ensure uneaten food doesn't remain in the cage, snakes are virtually odour free.

In fact, they're so odour free the most you're likely to smell is the pleasant odour of the substrate - such as bark chips gently warmed by the cage heater.

Snakes, apart from a hiss, make no noise. The most you’re likely to ever hear is some quiet exploration noises as they investigate their surroundings and dig in the substrate.

This combination of minimal smell and minimal sound means that they are virtually unable to cause any annoyance no matter what room of the house they're kept in.

A 90cm long cage, such as a 3 to 4’ aquarium, will easily house 1 or 2 adult spotted pythons and younger snakes can be housed in even smaller quarters as they grow. This means that space is of little concern and virtually every home has the room to accommodate a pet snake.

For those who are renting or who live in an apartment and are not allowed to have a cat or dog, a pet snake is a great alternative. Snakes can be safely kept inside a house or apartment, housed inside an escape proof enclosure, much like an aquarium.

In contrast to popular opinion, commonly-kept pythons can be safely handled, are seldom cold and never slimy and at no point is there any risk of them attacking and eating you!

Hand raised python hatchlings that are given a lot of attention, are less likely to bite. Remember though, pythons are not domesticated and there is always the chance they may bite. If a tame, well socialised python does bite however, the reason is generally due to keeper error, i.e. picking up the python whilst there is food in the enclosure, etc. A stray hand during feeding time will usually be considered fodder and hence, dealt with accordingly. Pythons are predatory creatures and express their thoughts and feelings with their mouth.

Note: It is important to note that if one receives a feed bite, it is best to wait for the snake to realise its’ mistake and begin to let go. Attempting to tear your hand free will only cause damage to the snakes delicate mouthparts and/or yourself.

A snake cage makes a fantastic display in the living room much as an aquarium does - just a little more unusual. We tend to spend lots of time watching our critters and there really is a lot that you can learn from them.

Snakes are unusual enough to arouse real curiosity from the uninitiated. It's a great icebreaker when meeting new people and making new friends - even if they do all think you're a little bit odd!

You'd be surprised the number of people who'll casually invite themselves back to your home to see your new pet snake!

More than discussions with your friends, you'll be joining a great community of like-minded, friendly and helpful fellow snake keepers. There are talks, clubs, expo’s, websites, magazines and more to help you gain knowledge and meet others.