Herp-a-holics: Keeping Captive Snakes Quiz

Answer: Royal python

While "Python regius" roughly translates to "royal python", another very common name for this snake is "ball python". The story behind the name "royal python" is that Cleopatra is believed to have worn one around her wrist. "Ball python" is derived from the snake's habit of curling into a tight ball to protect itself when frightened. Both are acceptable trade names for the same snake.

Answer: A snake can go many weeks without eating

Many a pet shop has sold a young Burmese python to an unsuspecting owner stating that if they keep it in a small tank, the snake will never outgrow it. Not only is that a cruel and dangerous thing to do, but it is completely false. A snake will grow as large as its genes allow!

Snakes should NOT be kept together, except when placed together to breed. Snakes are solitary creatures and do NOT like the company of other snakes. A common misconception about corn snakes is that you can keep several of them together in a community. This is not true, and will ultimately stress the animals out and may kill them.

A snake does not need to eat live rodents- most snakes happily accept frozen/thawed prey, or freshly killed prey. It is dangerous for your snake to feed it live food, and also inhumane to the rodent. A live rodent can bite, claw, and even kill your snake, and can also carry diseases and parasites that frozen prey do not carry.

A snake CAN (and will!) go several weeks without eating. In fact, some snakes can go several MONTHS without eating. It is common for many species to stop eating in the winter months and "brumate". Do not worry if your snake misses a feeding- just keep an eye out for other health indicators.

Answer: Newborn mice

Baby corn snakes should ONLY be fed newborn pinky mice, and not small lizards or crickets.

Answer: Snakes always need additional heat sources such as heat bulbs, heat pads, heat rocks, heat tape or ceramic heaters

Depending on where you live, many species can be kept at natural temperatures. In the US, many southern keepers of colubrids (like corn snakes and king snakes) keep their snakes at room temperature all year round. However, any exotic species should always be kept at their ideal temperature range, and provided with proper heat. Additionally, one should never use heat rocks! They present an extreme danger to snakes who will happily cook themselves on the very hot surface.

The snakes commonly known as "boas" can actually be one of many different species of snakes, including Duméril's boa, Brazilian rainbow boa, boa constrictor, hog island boas etc.

Members of the boid family give birth to live young.

In general, snakes do not enjoy being played with, handled, or pet. They tolerate it!

Answer: You can keep a snake in any of these

While a snake should always be provided with enough room to move about and get some exercise, its home can be any wide variety of environments. Snakes are solitary creatures and spend most of their time in small holes hiding until it's time to come out and hunt.

Many collectors keep their animals in rack systems consisting of plastic storage containers. They are easy to clean, easy to heat, easy to store and the snakes are kept happy! Many pet owners with one or two snakes prefer to have large decorative vivariums mimicking the snake's natural environment. And lastly, some people like to get handy and make their snakes' cages out of wood, plexiglass, screen, and many other options. All of these (provided they have proper heating, humidity, space, hides and access to water) are acceptable.

Answer: Aspen

Aspen shavings can be an excellent choice for substrate and provide snakes with a chance to burrow and hide if they choose to. Cedar and pine shavings have toxic oils that can create health problems for snakes.

Ultimately, the best substrate depends on the species of snake.

Answer: Corn snake

Corn snakes are relatively small and typically docile snakes. They are very easy to care for, come in a wide variety of colors and patterns, and are inexpensive. They are considered the perfect "starter" snake... just be careful, or you may end up with over 100, as they can be very addictive!

King snakes can be more difficult to keep as they get a little larger and have a tendency to "musk" humans. They are also much more flighty and generally bite more often.

Burmese pythons should never be kept as pets by children, as they can grow as large as 17 feet!

Answer: A bloodboa (blood python X rainbow boa)

A blood python and a rainbow boa could not interbreed, as they are not in the same genus of snake.

A jungle corn is a commonly bred hybrid between a king snake and a corn snake. Both of these are of the same genus, but different species.

There are very, very few examples of burmballs existing in the world, however it has been proven that Burmese pythons and ball pythons can interbred if given the right conditions.

A clown king is a cross between a Thayeri king snake and a Nelson's milk snake.

Answer: Furry snakes

One of the joys of keeping snakes is that even if you only work with one species, chances are there are a WIDE variety of colors and patterns available that have been cultivated in the private sector.

And while you can purchase a snake without scales, you cannot purchase a snake with fur! :)

Answer: Burmese python

These large adaptable snakes have become quite the invasive problem species in Florida in the last few decades. It is estimated that they have decimated certain prey species by as much as 90%, and may number close to 200,000 individuals. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced in January 2012 at Everglades National Park the effective ban on the import and intrastate travel of Burmese pythons, as well as rock pythons and reticulated pythons.

This law affects every Burmese python owner in the country- including private owners with one or two pet Burmese pythons who just want to move to a different state.