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CARE OF SNAKES 

  HOUSING 

Enclosures & Space Requirements

 Snakes require relatively little space.  The size of the enclosure should provide adequate space to stretch out and move about.  Snakes will use both the horizontal and vertical space provided for them.  Some snakes are arboreal and require much more vertical space than horizontal.

  Glass or Plexiglas-lined enclosures are most suitable.  They allow optimum viewing and safety and help to maintain desirable environmental temperatures and high humidity levels.  Wire-lined enclosures do not allow control of these factors and promote injuries to the nose as snakes will try to escape through the wire mesh.  The top must be secure and escape-proof since snakes are escape artists. 

Floor Coverings and Enclosure Items 

 Unprinted newsprint, butcher paper, paper towels, terrycloth towels and indoor-outdoor carpet are most suitable for floor coverings.  The former two mentioned can be cut to size and placed many layers thick, then removed layer by layer as they become soiled.  If carpeting is used, it is best to have 2-3 pieces cut to the correct sizes which can be alternated when one is being cleaned, disinfected and dried.

  Never use pea gravel, kitty litter, crushed corn cob litter, wood shavings or sand because they trap moisture and filth, provide unlimited "hiding places" for external parasites and make enclosures very difficult to clean.  Also, this type of bedding is easily and accidentally eaten while the snake is feeding, causing injury to or obstruction of the intestinal tract.

 To occupy the vertical area of the enclosure, add sturdy branches from hardwood trees or artificial materials, driftwood, grapevine, hanging ropes and shelves along the sides. 

Visual Security  

 Many snakes will not feed without the privacy afforded them by a hiding place.  A "hide box" should be provided into which the snake can retreat when it feeds or when privacy is desired.  Silk trees or plants strategically placed also offer visual security and are visually pleasing and easy to clean and disinfect.  They also require minimal maintenance, help to augment the relative humidity level if frequently misted and can complement a snake's ability to camouflage itself.

Climatic Conditions                                                                    

 Tropical snakes (constrictors, pythons) require relatively warm temperatures and high relative humidity.  Daytime temperatures should range between 80 and 85 F.  Nighttime temperatures can fall between 70-75F.  Native North American snakes do well at temperatures of 70-80F.

  Large enclosures can be supplied with heating lamps or heaters equipped with thermostats.  A small enclosure can be adequately heated by placing a heating pad underneath it.  Exposed heat sources must be shielded to prevent the snake from coiling around them.  A heat lamp is essential to provide a focal hot spot.

  Exotic snakes require a relative humidity of about 70%.  The enclosure will probably require misting frequently over the day to maintain this level of humidity.  If silk trees and plants are included in the enclosure, these will trap moisture.

  LIGHTING     

   Because snakes eat whole prey and will get their Vitamin D from the liver of the animals, they do not require ultraviolet lighting in their enclosures.  A photoperiod of about 12 hours is desirable and this can be achieved by setting the lighting to come on and go off with timers.

  WATER

 Most snakes drink infrequently but use a suitable sized container for soaking themselves.  Provide a container large enough to allow adequate soaking but heavy enough so that it is not easily overturned.  Clean the container regularly and thoroughly to prevent bacterial growth.  Use "Quatsyl D Plus" (available through veterinarians) to disinfect the enclosure and furnishings at least once every 2-4 weeks. 

  FEEDING                                                 

 Most herpetologists and experienced snake hobbyists agree that captive snakes should be fed dead or stunned prey whenever possible, since live prey can injure a feeding snake.  Providing killed prey that has been frozen is convenient and economical and snakes may be induced to eat thawed, frozen prey by clipping hair from a live rat and rolling the dead prey in it just before feeding.  

 If snakes do not accept freshly killed or well-thawed frozen prey, live prey must be stunned (placed in a paper bag which is swiftly slammed down on a countertop) before feeding.  If not consumed by the snake, the prey can then be killed and frozen as described above and offered at a later time.

  If it is not possible to offer anything but live, fully conscious prey for a snake to successfully feed, the encounter must be carefully supervised since live rodents can inflict serious bite wounds on a snake.  If the snake does not eat the prey after 10-15 minutes, it should be removed.  If other similar attempts to feed within the next 1-2 weeks are unsuccessful, all possible reasons for the snake's lack of interest in feeding should be investigated and if necessary, a veterinarian consulted.

 When 2 or more snakes are housed together, they should be fed separately by holding the prey in long forceps or tongs.                          

  Captive snakes do not usually suffer from major nutritional deficiencies, as long as they are fed whole prey items.  The incidence of malnutrition is greatest among juvenile snakes fed primarily very immature animals (baby rodents, amphibians, birds, reptiles) and insects.

  Feeding schedules vary with age, species, size, condition and specific requirements of the individual.  Generally speaking, pet snakes are fed once every 1-2 weeks.  Juveniles and adults for which a relatively rapid growth rate is desired can be fed more frequently provided that environmental temperatures are warm enough to allow complete digestion.  Older snakes are usually fed less frequently, every 3-6 weeks.  The number of prey animals offered at each feeding also depends on the factors listed above.  Overfeeding must be avoided because of the risk of obesity. 

  SHEDDING (Ecdysis)

 This activity is under hormonal control and associated with growth.  Most snakes shed their skin 4-8 times per year, depending on many factors including environmental temperature, frequency of feeding, amount fed at each feeding and activity level.  Young snakes shed more frequently than older ones.

 Healthy snakes usually have little or no difficulty with shedding and tend to shed their entire skin in 1 piece.  Exceptions to this include snakes with injuries to the skin or scales resulting in scarring and snakes housed in enclosures with sub optimal temperature or relative humidity levels.

 The stresses associated with shedding can be substantial.  Sick snakes, those suffering from malnutrition, or those whose health has been directly or indirectly compromised by poor husbandry will experience delayed and incomplete sheds.  The skin will be shed in pieces with many pieces remaining adhered to the underlying skin and eyes (retained eye caps).

 The actual shedding period is preceded by a 1-2 week period of inactivity.  During this period the eyes begin to exhibit a dull bluish-white appearance.  The snake's vision will be impaired and it may be unpredictable and aggressive.  After 7-15 days the eyes again become transparent and shedding commences.

Problems Requiring Veterinary Attention                                                          

Failure to Voluntarily Feed

     Circumstances and situations during which snakes normally will not feed

• Recent acquisition of snake                                          

• Snake in pre-shed condition                                                              

• Hibernation or attempts to hibernate

• Older, larger snakes feed less often

• Obese snakes occasionally engage in self-imposed fasts

• Illness

 Problems with husbandry

• Inadequate environmental temperature which leads to sluggishness and incomplete digestion.  The food literally spoils inside the snake, producing serious illness, an early sign of which is vomiting.

• Lack of adequate visual security as described earlier.  Sometimes putting the reluctant snake in a roomy burlap bag with a dead or stunned prey provides the security it requires.

• If there is a particular area of the enclosure where the snake feels most secure, the food should be consistently placed in that area.                

• Spectators should not be present.  Sometimes covering the enclosure will be required.

• Specific requirements of individual species e.g. trees, specific prey, etc.

     Additional suggestions:                            

• Try feeding at different times of the day e.g. at night.

• Try feeding nervous snakes housed with other snakes in a separate enclosure.

• Move the snake to a new or different enclosure.

• Reduce handling of nervous or newly acquired snakes.

• Rub the prey over the nostrils and the mouth of the snake or gently tap the snake with the prey.

• Offer live prey to snakes that have consistently been offered dead or incapacitated prey and vice-versa.

• Feed a smaller prey item. 

Regurgitation

  Regurgitation may result from handling a snake too soon after it has eaten, in which case the material will be undigested food and relatively odorless.  If the material is digested food and malodorous, it indicates that the snake is ill. 

Trauma

  Burns, rat/mouse attacks and abrasions to the nose all are serious problems that require medical attention.  Trauma to the nose can sometimes be avoided by providing a visual barrier by painting the lower 3-4 inches of the enclosure. 

 Constipation

  By soaking a constipated snake in very warm (not scalding hot) water for 20-30 minutes daily for 1-2 days, the problem may resolve on its own.

Abnormal Shedding  

  This occurs when the normal sequence of events of the shedding process is somehow interrupted resulting in a piece-meal shed and/or retain eye caps.  Causes include internal disease, inadequate humidity, previous injury to the skin, external parasitism, lack of adequate objects against which to rub at the beginning of the shed and thyroid gland problems.  Treatment involves first soaking the snake in warm water for several hours, then gently peeling off the skin fragments with a damp towel or rolling snugly in warm, moist, heavy towels and allowing it to crawl out.   

Retained Eye Caps

  These are often a manifestation of an abnormal shed.  They may be first softened by repeated application of a suitable eye ointment.  Next, an experienced veterinarian should attempt to carefully remove the corneal remnants.   

Mouth Rot                                                                            

  Mouth rot is a progressive bacterial infection of the lining of the mouth.  Signs include increased salivation, progressing to areas of bleeding in the mouth, redness and accumulation of pus in the mouth, especially among the rows of teeth.  If the disease is not recognized early and a veterinarian consulted for treatment, it can progress to involve the underlying jaw bone and treatment becomes hopeless.   

Blister Disease

  This occurs commonly in snakes kept in damp, dirty environments.  The first sign is usually a pink to red appearance of the underside of the snake.  Later the scales become swollen and infected by bacteria and fungi.  Prevention includes keeping the enclosure dry and scrupulously clean. 

Respiratory Disease (Pneumonia)

  Signs include loud breathing, discharge and/or bubbling from the nostrils and/or mouth, coughing and open-mouth breathing.  Early recognition and veterinary care are necessary for successful treatment. 

Parasites

  Both the inside and the outside of the snake can harbour parasites.  Internal parasites can invade the digestive, respiratory, reproductive and vascular (bloodstream) systems.  External parasites live on the skin and scales.  These parasites are either carried with them into captivity or are acquired while being held in the generally crowded wholesale and retail channels.

  Some of the internal parasites can be detected by examining the snake's droppings under the microscope and if found can usually be treated.  However, strict attention to hygiene and sanitation and a proper diet usually contribute to optimum health, even in the face of mild to moderate parasitism.

  External parasites (mites and ticks) reside on and between the scales and tend to congregate around the eyes.  Ticks  are often found just inside the mouth, nostrils or vent.  Medications are available from a veterinarian for eliminating these parasites.