PLEASE READ!

Listed below are the basics for caring for your new family member. However, the list is not all inclusive. Reading and asking questions are the best way to prevent the premature demise of your pet.

Their Home

Their home, whether it be an aquarium, factory or custom made reptile enclosure, it is imperative that it be escape proof. I once spent 2 hours looking for a 8ft Burmese Python in a 10ftX10ft room. They can squeeze through surprisingly small cracks or holes and have all day, every day to test the security of their home. Consider the adult size of the animal before you purchase it. A baby Boa or Bull snake may start out in a 10 gallon aquarium but will outgrow it in less that a year with proper feeding. Start out with a cage of an appropriate size. A minimum standard that is required (AND I DO MEAN MINIMUM) is that the outside perimeter of the cage be at least as long as the length of the snake.Ventilation is important to keep moisture from building up which may cause respiratory problems.

Temperature

 All snakes are ectothermic or a more commonly known term "Cold Blooded". This means that a snake must derive a heat source from it's environment for the digestion of food, proper organ function and the overall health of the snake. Boa Constrictors originate from tropical areas of the world and would not survive a winter in Cleveland, Ohio or the Panhandle of Florida, at least not without human intervention. The temperature should range, in their cage, between 80 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and can drop a few degrees at night. A hotspot of  88 to 95 degrees is desirable so the boa came thermalregulate and control their body temperature as needed. There are many options available for providing a hot spot such as, heat tape, heat pads, light bulbs and ceramic infrared elements. I do not recommend the use heat rocks as a heat source because they can malfunction, overheat and cook your critter.

Colubrids, which is everything I produce except Boas, are mostly harmless temperate-to-tropical terrestrial or arboreal or aquatic snakes. Most everything I wrote about the boa's also applies to colubrids except the are more tolerant of cooler temperatures. Their temperature range can go from 75 to 85 degrees, with tropical & desert snakes 80 to 90 degrees. You can also provide a hotspot for your colubrids.

Substrate

There are many options for the type of bedding materials you can use for your snakes home.  Cypress, Aspen, reptile carpet and newspaper (the ink is soy based and harmless to your snake) all have benefits and drawbacks. I use Aspen because it smells nice and all you need is a pooper-scooper and you are on your way to having a clean cage. DO NOT use cedar shavings because it can cause respiratory issues.

Hidebox

 Most snakes like a dark hiding place to feel secure. Hiding places can be made by cutting a hole in the side of a  box, bowl or use the tube from paper towels for babies.

Water Bowls

A water dish large enough for the snake to soak is best. I have waterbowls made of all types of materials. A little bleach while washing will keep them disinfected.  Heavy bowls are best to keep tippage to a minimum. ALWAYS make sure they have clean water. Some species of snakes enjoy using the bathroom in their water. A key to keeping your snake healthy is keeping it's environment as clean as possible.

FEEDING

All baby snakes you purchase from Sweeney's Serpents will have voluntarily eaten at least three times. Hatchlings can be fed every 3-4 days to 10 days. Snakes will to grow faster if they are fed more often. Prey should stay the size of the snake's girth, which will help prevent regurgitation. Once the snake begins eating larger mice, it is best to begin feeding freshly killed or thawed mice to prevent injury from a mouse or rat biting your pet. I know it's cool having the "Wild Kingdom" experience in your livingroom, but the snake does not win all the battles or wars. Let your snake digest its meal twenty-four hours before handling. Feeding the snake in another container will reduce your chance of being bite because of a strong feeding responce.It is always best to feed snakes separately. When two snakes start eating at opposite ends of the same mouse you may end up with only one very FAT snake, it has happened to me. I Cried.... Occasionally a hatching snake will be reluctant to begin eating. The most common cause seems to be attributed to new environmental conditions. Keeping a snake in the house with in temps below 75 degrees Fahrenheit without a heat source will usually slow down its metabolism too slow to want to eat. Eating may cease due to trauma from shipping, capture, or  type of food. I only feed my animals domesticated mice and rats. Do not use wild caught lizards, frogs or mice as food items. Here are some tricks that might jump start your reluctant eater:

• increase the temperature
• offer a smaller food item
• wash the pinky removing the adult mouse smell (Ivory Soap)
• offer a live pinky
• offer thawed pinky
• feed at night
• put the snake in a small container with food like a paper lunch bag or the deli cup it was shipped in
• provide a dark secluded hiding place for shy eaters like a paper lunch bag
• force feed mouse tails
• expose the brain of the pinky by slicing or puncturing ....YUK...but it works in a pinch
• scenting the pinky with a lizard

Most snakes will refuse food from time to time. The most common reasons are shedding of skin (the eyes will turn cloudy), during breeding cycle, environment to cold or wanting to brumate (hibernate) and becoming gravid (pregnant). Eating will pick up after these conditions pass. Illness will also cause a snake not to eat. Get to know your snakes' habits and know a good exotic animal vet for just in case. We are always a resource to you if you have questions or concerns.

SHEDDING

Snakes that are eating a large amount may shed once each month. Shedding  their skin 4 to 8 times a year is normal. Shedding is preceded with a refusal to eat, dusky appearance and followed with milky colored eyes. The snake will change back to nearly its normal color for a few days before beginning to shed. Your snake will rub its nose to loosen the old skin then crawl out of it. Many snakes love to soak in their water dish at this time. Be sure to have clean water available to assist in shedding. It is best not to handle your snake until shedding is complete. Snakes that eat just prior to shedding can regurgitate.

HANDLING

Hatchlings will need to be handled daily to become at ease with their new owner. Until trust is gained, some snakes will try to flee, hiss, bite, or emit musk from their vent, and my personal favorite....poop on you. These defensive behaviors typically cease once an understanding is reached. Let  your new family member get used to its environment before feeding, handling or showing it off.