You are probably tired of having ordinary animal pets such as cats and dogs around you. You are now thinking of bringing in a reptile to make your homestay a different one, and this is why you are trying to find out if snakes like to be petted.
Pet snakes bring about a mixture of emotions, especially for individuals who have never had an opportunity to be very close to the animal. If you speak to people whose regular task is to rescue snakes or those who have had some association with the reptile, they will tell you that these animals make good pets.
A pet snake might sound epic to have, but the big question here is whether snakes themselves enjoy being petted. This article seeks to address this question, as well as the behaviors of petted snakes.
Can Snakes Become Comfortable with Humans?
Some snakes may become comfortable being around humans. But most of them do not. These animals tend to develop discomfort when you initiate too much contact. They feel very uncomfortable when you pick them up often, whether it is the first time or a continuing physical contact. This characteristic may not apply to all of them, though; just like each human, each snake is like a snowflake: unique.
Even though snakes do not like to be petted or handled, it would be misleading to conclude that they cannot develop some tolerance for it. The truth is that they can. Some factors can help in building up the tolerance to being handled and petted. These include:
- Snake species
- The age
- How accustomed to their owner
Species of Snakes that are Most Comfortable to holding and Petting
Similar to animals or other pets, every snake is different. They have different tolerance levels – some have higher tolerance levels to handling and petting, others have very low tolerance levels, while some cannot tolerate it.
Even among those that can tolerate handling, each likes different things. You could find that some of them enjoy massaging of their bodies while others do not. Holding your animal friend more often will boost its docility and tolerance levels for being held. Ensure that you are gentle and alert when holding them, and remember to hold them in an upright position.
Below are some of the reptiles that make ideal pets for reptile pet lovers because they can tolerate petting and handling:
Corn Snake
The corn snake makes an ideal beginner snake because it is less tempered than the other species and is a little more comfortable with humans. They are the most popular pet snakes and are easiest to handle. With time and regular handling, this reptile develops more comfort, and they seem to enjoy petting.
This animal got its name from its belly pattern, which is similar to corn. This reptile can mature with four feet, but they typically grow up to six feet long. These snakes are not typically aggressive but are active enough to interest young kids while still being tame. The corn snakes are more active during dawn and dusk and are beautiful to boot.
The corn snakes can be found in the wilderness of southeastern United States. However, most pet corn snakes are bred in captivity, which further boosts their docility.
Ball Pythons
The name python might sound scary. However, in reality, they are great pets. One characteristic of ball pythons is that they are thicker than the other pet snakes. Their gentle nature, coupled with their curiosity, make them a great choice if you are interested in handling and petting a reptile. These snakes can be found in the wild central and western Africa but are bred as common pets in the U.S and many other parts of the world.
King Snakes
King snakes, similar to corn snakes, are easy to handle and they enjoy being held. However, these snakes are common in the wild. You can find them all over the wilderness of North and south America. This reptile can grow up to 6 or 7 feet long.
Making Snakes Accustomed to Handling
Snakes, when not provoked, are cool, awesome, and collected reptiles. But just like humans or any other pets, they experience shock too. Imagine being removed from your comfortable, warm hideout, kept in a box, and driven around by an unfamiliar handler. There are, however, some suggestions on how to accustom your pet reptile to the new experience of being handled and petted.
Give them their space
Similar to other pets, snakes require some time to adjust to a big change. Allow them to know about their new environment. And just like the way you check on your human guests, do the same with your new pet. Ensure that they have fresh water regularly. When doing this, ensure that you avoid posing as an intruder; otherwise, you risk a harsh rebellion.
Let them eat first
Imagine being kept without food for days or weeks. You will definitely starve. Snakes, too, do need to eat. It is best practice to feed your pet first before handling them.
Check out their age
Younger snakes tend to have less tolerance compared to older reptiles – they tend to be a bit more high-strung. This could vary with the species, though. For instance, corn snakes tend to be edgier in their youth. Ensure to familiarize yourself with the age stage in which your new animal friend falls in. Be cautious handling young snakes.
Minimize the handling frequency
Snakes take offense to be handled frequently and continuously. They are not created to be cuddly. Solitude is what they prefer. Their tolerance to handling can, however, improve with time. Over time, they will get used to being picked up a couple of times monthly. The key thing is first to ensure that they feel comfortable around you.
Play with your animal friend
Once these animals get accustomed to handling, they begin to enjoy playing games in a relaxed setting. Get them to swim in a mini pool, engage them in a hide and seek game; most of them will appreciate this.
Can Pet Snakes Bond with their Owners?
If you have owned other cat or dog pets before, you will attest that they bond with humans almost immediately, and the bond lasts very long. The question is, can snake pets do the same?
It is a bit difficult to discern this explicitly – snakes behave differently; some snakes tend to enjoy their owners’ company, while others do not. You should not take it personal if your pet snake does not appreciate cuddling. This simply implies they do not have a need for empathy or affection, and for this reason, they cannot show the same towards anyone else.
However, research shows that after getting accustomed to their owner’s presence, some snakes tend to get nervous whenever their owner is away or when being handled by someone new. It is safe to conclude that snakes’ connection to humans mainly relies on respect for mutual comfort and silence, different from the all-consuming loyalty or the other pets such as dogs.
Can a Snake be Domesticated?
Domestication is a somewhat complicated topic. Studies have altered the understanding of how and what domestication is. To answer to the best level possible, snakes cannot be domesticated.
In a nutshell, domestication entails taming animals to serve as pets at home or on a farm. The truth of the matter is that at no time can snakes be tamed. This can be pegged on the intelligence levels of a snake. These animals do not seem to have any desires beyond their innate animal-like tendencies and basic animal emotions. Thus, they can never be kept as anything beyond just a captive pet.
Therefore, the snakes that are kept by humans as pets cannot be considered as domesticated; rather, they are captive. In simple terms, these creatures are not capable of domestication; they can only be taken out of their natural environment.
However, something to clarify is that it would be misleading to conclude that snakes are dangerous simply because they cannot be domesticated. A creature with no power and intention to harm humans will not do so, whether domesticated or not. You should only be concerned with snakes that have the ability to cause harm to humans.
Generally, if you are considering petting a snake, ensure that you choose one that you can handle well and are comfortable with. Do some extensive research to establish snakes that do well in the environment you are in and appreciate the care you will inject in taking care of them.
Can Snakes be Friendly?
Basically, the answer to this would lie in your interpretation of the word friendly. Snakes are always nice and kind to anyone who does not pose as a threat or food. Therefore, if you understand friendly to mean a playful nature and less anger, then sure, snakes can be friendly.
Something to note, however, is that snakes will not build any form of relationship with you. They have no capacity to tell who is who, and they cannot feel anything that we as humans can conceptualize as feelings towards another person.
Keep in mind that snakes enjoy solitude and other basic things, such as being warm or cold. Therefore, be cautious not to annoy your snake; otherwise, they will be aggressive. It is essential to respect your pet snake and its boundaries – with this; you will have a friendly reptile.
Why you Should Not Consider Petting a Snake
Even though petting a snake may seem cheaper, safer, and more convenient compared to having other traditional household pets, some factors make this venture a not so good idea.
Snakes Have Specialized Demands
Having decided to pluck the reptile out of its natural and convenient habitat, you are then responsible for maintaining its happiness by providing all it requires. This won’t be a simple task as snakes have many demands – they require spectrum lighting and specialized diets, which makes petting them a hassle compared to petting other traditional home pets.
Furthermore, snakes prefer solitude. They try to avoid contact with humans, and they tend to find it stressful being held, petted, touched, or passed around. This exposes them to illness and injuries which may go unnoticed and untreated.
Cruelty
Captivating an animal is cruel. Snakes are used to explore jungles and wading through swamps while experiencing the pleasures that come with this. Captivating them and keeping them in aquariums with limited dimensions is being cruel to the innocent creatures.
High Mortality
Recent studies have revealed that at least 75 percent of pet reptiles die within just one year of being kept in human homes. Most of these creatures die because of the stress brought about by captivity. Like humans, it is stressful to be kept away from the natural environment and confined in unpleasant spaces.
People who have kept pet snakes have found this an inconvenient burden very quickly. Therefore, in most cases, they ignore and neglect the reptiles, and they end up in dark spaces such as garages and basements. Others are just tossed outside alongside home trash, and they end up starving to death or being victims of predators.
The Bottom Line
Most people will tell you that a snake does not qualify to be classified as a pet. That it is a wild animal that needs to be given its space in its wild habitat and that capturing a snake to bring it home is plain cruelty.
The definition of a pet, however, should be viewed as an open-ended one. Not every individual would love to have a pet that is responsive to almost every instruction and slather. For this reason, there is a group of people who are enthusiastic about having a snake as their animal friend.
The disappointment, though, is that these slithery friends do not like to be petted, according to research. Besides, snakes, similar to any other reptiles, are unique. They are capable of throwing some surprises when it comes to tolerance levels. Please give it a second thought before settling on a snake as your new friend.