Aussie Pythons

Many people are intrigued with keeping reptiles as pets, although they may not be as affectionate as a dog or as fluffy as a cat, they are wonderful and interesting pets to look after. This article is a brief guideline to those of you interested in buying your first snake, follow this guide and you’ll have a new scaly friend in no time. Just like other avocations, snake keeping can be a fun, rewarding experience if things go right. But it can be a frustrating and discouraging experience if they don’t. Once you have decided to buy your first snake you should make sure that you can find a place with reptiles for sale or adoption near where you live. This way you can see the snake before you buy it and make sure it’s healthy, and not vicious. There is nothing more discouraging for a newcomer in this hobby than a snake that bites constantly. Make sure when you’re at the breeder’s house or pet shop that once you’ve picked your snake you watch it eat first. It can be difficult to get hatchling snakes to start eating, and as a new snake owner you need to know that your first snake is already eating before you buy it. The price of a python in Australia can range anywhere from $80 to to over $2000, depending on the species, age and time of year.

Deciding to buy your first snake should be a decision made with utmost consideration, as with no prior handling or reptile keeping experience before it can be a tricky thing to get started. As all snake keepers know, good handling qualities are not hereditary and most hatchling snakes bite a lot and need to be taught that you’re not going to hurt them before they stop, this can be a long process. If you are buying your first snake, the chances are you will get bitten. There are ways to prevent this, even just slightly. Such as handling your snake before you buy it and knowing it has a good temperament, or buying an adult snake that has already been ‘trained’ not to bite. You will have many responsibilities when getting your first snake. Snakes live for a long time, usually over ten years. The oldest recorded living snake in captivity is a ball python and it is around 48 years old. Although snakes don’t need as much of your time as a dog, you only need to spend a few hours per week caring for your snake, and that’s the way they like it. Snakes don’t enjoy being taken out and handled every five minutes. So if you are a busy person, a snake may just be the perfect pet for you. One of the best ways to find a reptile for sale or adoption is the internet. There are many forums with reptile classifieds sections, private breeders websites and even pet shops displaying their reptiles for sale online. But as I previously mentioned, make sure that you find a snake in your area that you can see and handle before you buy as it is best to meet your first snake before you buy it.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 6:35 am and is filed under Australian Snakes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.