Pet of the Week
These are two kitties that were saved, brought to a cat shelter, and adopted out to fine homes!
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Do Snakes Have Personalities?
I am completely aware that many people who are “reptilian challenged” think that having a snake as a pet is nuts. And I know that my thinking reptiles have personalities is thought by that most to be crazy. They see a reptile as a cold blooded animal, which is true, but being cold blooded only means how the animal’s system is regulated. It isn’t a personality characteristic. Cold blooded simply means that the animal relies on external temperatures to regulate their own internal body temperature. If it is hot in their environment, they are hot. If it is cold, they are cold. Granted snakes are not going to win any outstanding intelligence awards but they are smarter than people think and much more personable. I was quite surprised when I discovered how much personality a python could actually have.
Yes you read that right – a python. A python named Decaf; I’m not certain of the details of his name as he came equipped with it.
Decaf, when I first acquired him, was very shy. He did the typical ball python routine and curled up doing his soccer ball imitation. He was really very good at it too. Rolled up tight, I couldn’t find his head or tail, and found myself having to be content with just holding this shy, rolled up ball of snake on my lap. But curiosity eventually got to him and he 
began to uncurl. At first it was slow going. He would pop his head out of his self-created ball and look around. I didn’t do anything but watch, letting him learn that it was safe and he could take his time. It didn’t take long. A snake that had been imported from an African jungle* was soon deciding that exploring was much more interesting than living in a self made ball.
Soon Decaf renounced his soccer ball days forever. In fact, he wouldn’t no matter what was going on. Kids running up near him, the dog barking in his face – nothing fazed him. He much preferred stretching out his 48 inches and exploring. That is how he found my coffee cup. I have a very large coffee cup. It is more like a soup bowl! It can hold a lot of coffee. It can also hold part of an inquisitive snake.
Decaf was on my shoulders, a favorite hang out place for him, while I was working on the computer. He loves the computer to begin with. I am not sure if it is the sounds or the lights or if he just has fallen in love with the keyboard, but he always will work his way down my arm and start in on the keys as I type. (This contributes to a lot of typos!) He noses around the keyboard and of course I repeatedly pick him back up on my shoulder. This is just a routine for us.
But one day, he discovered the coffee cup. After he had investigated the keyboard thoroughly and I repeatedly removed him from the keys, he decided to explore in other areas of the desk. That is when he found the cup. It was about half full then and of course it was warm. Back to the cold blooded idea – it was warm therefore his contact with it would make him warm. He became quite intent on meeting this cup up close and personal.
Now obviously 48 inches of snake is not going to fit inside the cup (which was occupied by the real deal meaning a hot cup of coffee, at the time anyway) but it was a great thing to curl up around. Only once did he stick his nose into it. He promptly decided coffee was not for him, but coffee cups, at least warm ones, were. He continues to curl up as much of the upper part of his body as he can around my cup, leaving his back half around my arm.
The only real downside is that I have to be very careful to not jump up from the computer with the snake attached on one end to the cup and on the other end to my arm. Coffee, cups, keyboards and snakes all flying in different directions is not my idea of a good time.
I do notice though, when I am working, with Decaf nosing about on the keyboard and looking for the coffee cup, that his intelligence and humor is more evident that I realized was possible in a reptile. I had originally bought Decaf on a whim, which isn’t something I recommend with pet ownership. He cost me over $250 in vet bills when he was ill and I really had no idea what owning a python would be like. Now I see that he has a great deal of personality that he is willing to share with me. It is unfortunate that pythons have “bad press.”
In the future, I’ll begin talking about snake ownership: What is involved, the issues and safety measures, how to care for them and more, so that your experience, should you decide to become a snake owner, will be a positive one. Both Boas and Pythons have many different subspecies and therefore many different considerations. I hope that you will find the information helpful as you either choose or care for the Boa or Python, or perhaps some other breed of snake, that will be part of your life.
*Currently it is not legal to import wildlife from outside of the country. This is a story I wrote when it was legal to import such creatures. If you are in the market for a snake, verify it is domestic bred.
Five Myths About Constrictors
They seem, at first glance, to be unusual pets. In fact, calling them “pets” seems a stretch to many people. But, if you enjoy reptiles, you will find that a boa constrictor or a python, can be wonderful pets that involve little care. There are some definite issues involved in the keeping of these animals, however, and a little knowledge goes along way to keeping these animals safe. Human safety must be considered as well.
I became interested in “alternative pets” when I developed asthma. Having had a virtual zoo about me since childhood, this was just not a happy thing for me. Then I discovered reptiles.
Reptiles are wonderful for anyone with allergies. They are totally hypoallergenic. They are clean and they are quiet. The bedding they require is also not a trigger for allergies. And what I found, after I had amassed quite a collection, is that reptiles are very rewarding pets to own. I found the snakes that I owned were my favorites in my collection and I eventually concentrated on them. My choice for a snake was always a Royal Python, otherwise known as a Ball Python, and mentioned in this blog by his name, Decaf.
Many people have preconceived notions about snakes, and in particular about constrictors. Both boas and pythons are in the constrictor family, although they come from different regions of the world. Throughout this series of articles, I will be describing various sub-species of both the python and the boa, but for right now, let’s lump them together in one category.
Let’s start with dispelling some myths about these creatures. This does NOT apply to all snakes, since some species of snakes are venomous, and are not suitable for pets. So keep in mind that we’re just discussing the constrictor family.
Myth #1. Snakes are slimy. This is probably the most common myth about snakes, and has been handed down from generation to generation. The boa constrictor has a skin texture that feels very much like silk. It is very soft and very dry. The python’s skin feels exactly like leather and is also very dry.
Myth #2. Boa constrictors and pythons are poisonous. This is ABSOLUTELY not true. They do carry a fluid in their fangs, but this fluid is not toxic, unless you have a particular allergy to it. I personally have never heard of anyone who had this allergy, but I presume there could be someone, somewhere who is.
Myth #3. They bite a lot. Pythons are extremely reluctant to bite. They will avoid biting unless they are cornered. A boa has a bit more of a tendency to bite if taken by surprise, but if it is aware of your presence, it is not likely to do so. As a side note, as rare as the bites are, they are not painful and they are not dangerous. Like any animal, caution must be taken to avoid startling a constrictor.
Myth #4. Pythons and boas are stupid and can’t recognize people. Both of these snakes do know their handlers, and they are very comfortable with their normal handler. A python, in particular, will respond to an individual.
Myth #5. Other household pets are in danger from a snake. This is really half-true. If you don’t provide proper housing, with a lock-down lid, this can be an issue. These animals are escape artists and would thoroughly enjoy having “Tweety Bird” for lunch, but then so would your cat. The typical behavior of a constrictor if it does escape is to hide. They are usually scared to death, and only want a safe shelter from the activity of a normal household. They can be found in odd places if they escape. I once had a cage that was not properly locked down, and I ended up moving three dressers to retrieve him. His escape was caused by not locking the lid down. With proper housing, escape is not an issue. As a side note, lock down cages do not cost any more than ones that don’t lock.
Now that you know that the snake is not something to fear, but is something to respect, I would like to introduce you to this wonderful world of pet keeping. In the future, I will be discussing health issues, housing issues, safety issues, and of course, many different species of constrictors. I’ll be talking about purchase prices of different species, availability, and just exactly how big that little 10 inch baby you are bringing home is going to get. I hope you’ll enjoy and benefit from these articles, and come away with a new respect and understanding of these misunderstood pets.
