When most people think of snakes, they think of them as being found in the tropical rain forests of Brazil, out in the deserts, or as rare, exotic pets.
As it turns out, snakes are one of the world’s most popular pets but, unsurprisingly, also among the most dangerous, and accidents with these reptiles happen even more than you may think.
Among animals, snakes don’t exactly have a high reputation to start with. According to PubMed, around half of the population dislike them, while just under 3% are categorized as having a fear.
PHS senior Kenna Cannon had a scary encounter with a rattlesnake up in the mountains with her aunt, and she most certainly has a phobia.
“At my cabin, up in the mountains, my family was out just hiking and stuff, and there was a rattlesnake right next to our horse corral, and it was terrifying,” Cannon said. “My aunt ended up killing it, but it was terrifying, and I hated it. And then there was that whole story of the kid who got bit on the mountain; it terrifies me. Just knowing that they are in the bushes and they can jump out at any time…”
Cannon also has opinions on keeping these “danger noodles” as pets and seemed surprised that so many snake handlers are harmed by their pets.
“It’s just shocking to me that people would want a snake in their home because they are known for being dangerous,” Cannon said. “Especially when people who know what they are doing are getting killed.”
For those who do like snakes, keeping them as pets is no easy task. This isn’t because “beginner snakes,” such as Ball Pythons, have a high care level, because that isn’t the case at all. Ball Pythons have a low care level and are ranked number one in the world for a beginner snake, according to ReptileSuperShow.
Unfortunately, the tendency is for most beginners to jump straight into owning something like a cobra or a rattlesnake, both of which are venomous and most certainly do have a high care level, and should not be kept as pets by amateur or even intermediate keepers, because accidents are bound to happen.
One such accident happened in Russia when an amateur snake keeper named Vladimir was feeding his pet king cobra when the snake bit him. Despite the best efforts of his girlfriend, Anna, it was already too late for Vladimir, and he died in her arms minutes after the bite (Reptiles Magazine).
Because of such dangers associated with keeping snakes, experts recommend that you start small and work your way up. As mentioned, beginner snakes don’t require much care and are a lot easier to handle than you may think. However, a humidifier is essential to keep the snake’s constantly shedding skin under control.
“Our family has a pet snake named Ryan, and Ryan is a bamboo ball python,” sophomore Lizzy “Blitz” Halberstadt said. “He has a humidifier, which is important because if the shredded skin can’t come off, then it is very dangerous for them.”
A humidifier is essential for owning a snake, but so are proper food, bathing, and handling.
“Every couple of weeks, we feed him a mouse, and you have to handle him often because there is a chance he will get aggressive if you don’t handle him often,” Halberstadt said. “But they are easy pets. Sometimes, when he gets his shed on him, you bathe him in this solution that helps him shed. Other than that, we really don’t have to do that much.”
Once you do work your way up from that amateur level into the intermediate level and start dealing with more advanced snakes, safety, basic know-how, and common sense become even more important.
Perhaps the most famous pet snake horror story from an intermediate snake keeper is that of how the African rock python “Tiny,” became the first pet Python to kill its owner in over 100 years due to mishandling and probably shouldn’t have even been kept as a pet.
“I’ve been fascinated with snakes as far back as I can remember,” Southside Para Travis Sessions said. “I’ve always been amazed by the different patterns & colors they can have…and the way they move has always been something I’ve kinda fixated on. The snakes I’ve been involved the most with are those found around here…garter snakes, bull (gopher) snakes, rattlesnakes, and on rare occasion, corn snakes.”
Sessions did the smart thing, starting with easier snakes and then working his way up, getting to more advanced snakes as he got older.
“I started with the harmless garter snakes, but then around middle school age got into the bull snakes and rattlesnakes,” Sessions said. “I’d catch the garter snakes and keep them in aquariums and horse troughs. I’d feed them frogs & tadpoles. The bull snakes I’d keep in an aquarium and feed them mice that I’d go catch. The rattlesnakes only went into horse troughs, and they’d get mice as well.”
Even if you are at the level of actually going after snakes in the wild, accidents can still happen, even up at the most advanced levels. The tragic story of Graham “Dingo” Dinkleman still sends echoes through the snake-keeping community. Dinkleman was out snake hunting, when he was bitten by an extremely dangerous cobra, died, left behind his wife Kristy, and over 100,000 YouTube subscribers. (NDTV.com)
“The thing about snakes is that you have to be very careful because some of them are dangerous, and some are not,” Halberstadt said. “My mom has only been bitten once, and it was my mom’s fault. It wasn’t his fault at all. But my snake is actually my favorite thing ever. He’s so small, but he has so much personality, and I love him.”
While snakes can make amazing pets and are undeniably fascinating to research, it is important to know the dangers of keeping snakes and that accidents can happen while keeping these exotic pets. As we move deeper into the year of the snake, more accidents are bound to happen, even with professional keepers, and new snake keepers need to be aware of the dangers of snake-catching or keeping them as pets.
