Any Other Parents Have Pet Snakes?

We have 3 chondro pythons, a rat snake, a gheko, and a dog. THe dog is a bigger niusance than the reptiles. My snakes are all in enclosures with secure locks, at my sons eye level. He loves to look into the tanks and talk to them, but my husband does not let the baby touch them unless he is holding the head securely and Austin can only touch the body with "One finger, One finger!" We are trying to teach him to respect the animals he comes into contact with, so no grabbing and pulling. The rat snake is quite large, about 5 feet long, the thickness of a small cucumber. He only bites when you come at his face directly. The pythons are a little more temperamental, so a little more caution is needed. If any mother is thinking about a snake as a pet....Cornsnakes are the absolute best choice. They only get as big as the amount and frequency you feed... they can live on frozen, thawed pinky mice and the tank needs to be cleaned only once or twice a week. The biggest mistake when parents buy reptiles for children is not researching the care thats needed. Each species has different nutritional requirements and environmental needs, but reptiles can make great pets and like I've said, can teach children a great respect for animals without alot of hassle....A.

1 question what kind of snake.. very important .. every snake has there own temperment.
I had freddy and sabath when a bunch of us lived togeteh and my friend had a little girl..
FReddy believe it or not was a boa.. friendly and never would hurt the baby or even basicly go near it. but if the kid pulled at it it was fine.
Sabath. a hog nose had a very bad disposition. she bit every time she wasnt in the mood. as with any animal a small child should not be alone with them an you should keep a bottle of purell on hand to wash her hands every time she touches the snake. My opinion she definately should not be left alone with it or were she could get at it.. I have a turtle and my son is 3 and well he got in the tank enough to aggravate the turtle nn got bite. so even with your most docile of creatures Your eyes should be everywere. (believe me i have a zoo)..

i used to breed snakes (burmese pythons) and have worked professionaly with reptiles/animals for the last 14 years. the most importaint thing (yes, i know, seems like common sense) is to keep a bottle of purel on top of the tank, that way you will ALWAYS remember to use it as soon as you are done handling the snake or any of its belongings, cleaning the tank or whatnot. Also make sure that if your son does touch the snake ( i honestly think he shouldn't yet, maybe wait another year or so), that his hands get cleaned IMMEDIATELY!! Yes, i know, common sense yet again, but i can't count how many times a child (or an adult, for that matter) has gotten sick because they didnt wash their hands after handling their reptile. Good luck and have fun with your little guys!!

Hi!! I just acquired a snake - but ama Vet Tech and have been around them beofre. Anyways - I have an 8yr old son. It's "his" snake. : ) I htink they are great for kids. Just need to get him to wash his hands! : ) It'll teach him good things like responsibility and respect for living things. Great idea!
- E.

Hi. I actually have 2 snakes. Constrictor Pythons. my baby is 4 mo so we ( me and my husband) do not let her anywhere near them. My husband suggests that your child should not handle the snakes at such a young age. Snakes can get very tempermental if not handled properly. Snakes cannot be trained. They will always react on instinct. Keep it as a pet for you!. Good luck.