Home
FAQ
About Blue Beauties
Our Collection
Photo Gallery
Art Gallery
Art Shop
Terms & Pricing
Available Snakes
Contact Us
Links
About the Artist

"The snake is an animal... It has a backbone and heart. It has red blood and drinks water and eats food. It breathes air and feels fear, just like every other animal in the world.... And it's in a body that is the hardest thing for the average person to understand."

~ Dave Barker, herpetologist

For our FAQ I've taken both questions I've been commonly asked as well as questions that snake keepers in general are asked on a regular basis. A lot of people are confused or scared when it comes to snakes because there's a lot of misinformation out there. It's best we clear these things up!

If you have a question that you don't see here, please feel free to contact me! I'm always happy to answer questions, so please don't be shy. :) Asking questions is nothing to be embarrassed about, it's how we learn!

Most folks who are scared of snakes are only scared because-

A: Snakes are strange and unfamiliar to them or

B: Someone was being a moron and deliberately scared them with one.

NEVER use a snake to scare someone as a joke! It's not funny, it stresses the poor animal, and it also perpetuates the idea that snakes are monsters, which couldn't be further from the truth.

Believe it or not, there's no such thing as a poisonous snake! Poisonous means it's dangerous if you eat it. Venomous means it's dangerous if it bites you, and no, none of my snakes are venomous. You need special training and experience to keep venomous snakes, and I prefer snakes that pose no danger to me, my other pets, and that I can cuddle. Venomous snakes are pretty, but are definitely not for cuddling.

Not at all! They vary in texture, from fine leather to an almost plastic-y feel, but they're not even a little bit slimy. People tend to think they are because of that beautiful shine, but precious stones shine too and they're not slimy either. Snakes really have a wonderfully soothing feel, and I find handling one very relaxing. There's nothing quite like a ball python foot massage! ;)

Experience it! You can watch them, admire them, handle them, take pictures of them, watch TV with them... Sure they don't play fetch or anything, but there's a LOT of different pets that don't do that which are a lot higher maintenance. I find handling a snake very relaxing and meditative. They say people who keep pets and love them have lower blood pressure, and I believe that. It's very soothing.

Without getting into a philosophical debate there, it's important to make clear that snakes are shy solitary animals. They don't get lonely, or miss you if you're gone. They're wired differently from mammals. The important thing is that YOU love your snake, not the other way around. We so often praise pets for their unconditional love, we as humans should return the favor more often.

Many animals carry salmonella, and it's caught from a carrier's feces. Most reptiles (like birds) have it naturally in their systems but you're only likely to catch it if you've handled feces and don't wash your hands. If you keep a clean snake and enclosure, you're probably fine. Still, it's always good to wash your hands all the same. We keep hand sanitizer by the enclosures. Using this before and after handling is safer for you and your snake. If you have a poor immune system, children under 5, or are pregnant, be extra careful about any animal feces! Especially farm birds and reptiles.

This is a very common misconception, and no they don't! Snakes need very secure enclosures to live in, or else they can get lost or hurt. They don't come when you call and an escaped snake will likely find a warm place to hide where you might never find them. In the worst case scenario they could even starve, freeze, or get stuck somewhere. Chances are good we'd never see them again! Free-range snakes would be very careless, and also impossible to keep at healthy temperatures!

Like all animals, yes they can bite. A ratsnake bite is negligible at best, and it'd be far worse to get bitten by say - a cat. I'm a lot more worried about petting a big dog I don't know that could really hurt me than a little pet snake! But of course it's always wise to be careful of wild snakes, especially when you don't know what species it is!

Two reasons. A: Stupid feeding errors such as not washing your hands after handling food (or a pet rodent/bird) thus smelling like food, not using tongs/ dropping food in and dangling the food item by the tail etc, this is also the reason a snake would constrict or B: They're scared. Snakes don't bite because they're mean or out to get you or anything like that. A nippy snake is a frightened snake. Generally, if you leave a wild snake alone they'll leave you alone too and happily flee in the opposite direction.

I'm more scared that if a snake got out, one of my rabbits will kick the crap out of them! My rabbits are WAY too big and feisty to be considered food to my snakes and pose a lot more danger to them than the other way around. My serpents are locked down like Alcatraz for their own safety.

If any of my snakes ever got loose, I'd be afraid they'd get hurt or that I'd never see them again. Snakes are not evil or soulless killers; they're just shy curious animals. An escaped snake looks for somewhere warm and quiet to hide. I'm not at all afraid of my snakes, even our nippy boy.

Any news story you've heard about people/pets being killed or eaten by a pet snake (one of the giant species) is the fault of an irresponsible human being or an urban legend. A well fed, properly handled, well secured snake is not a danger to anyone or anything. Just like needing to be careful with small pets like birds, guinea pigs, etc when you have a big dog, it's the same with a sizable snake except that snakes aren't trainable like canines. And honestly, any good parent will obviously not keep an animal that will eat their children! Please don't ask someone if their snake will eat their children, you're basically calling them a bad parent. The answer is "of course not!"

That's Hollywood for you. More often than not they like to use tame and harmless snakes in movies because they're obviously easier to work with. The more you know about animals, often the sillier and more unrealistic a lot of movies become. This is true of many insects and arachnids too. Ask any snake owner how realistic movies like Snakes on a Plane or Anaconda are. Unless they're having a bit of fun with you, they'll either laugh or cry. Killer corn snakes and backwards projectile regurgitation are... um... no.

They won't. I know the species of snake I'm keeping, and I guarantee none of them will reach 30 feet anymore than a house cat can grow into a Siberian tiger. Only a few species will ever get that big. The lovely Burmese python, common in some pet stores, can grow around 20 feet and many of them end up abandoned. So many that zoos often won't take them anymore. Please do some research before believing an urban legend or pet store's assumptions about a particular species' size!

No, that's a myth. I - and many other snake enthusiasts - feed our snakes in their enclosures where they're comfortable with no change in their personalities or behavior.

Nope! A snake will grow as big as its species dictates! Keeping it in a small enclosure in hopes of keeping it small is cruel! It's also cruel to keep a very small snake in a very big container unless you give them LOTS of hides. Feeling exposed is as stressful as being cramped. So if you're thinking of getting a snake, keep in mind cage upgrades as they get older!

Can, but shouldn't. Snakes are solitary creatures, and bunking for extended periods of time stresses them out. That cute snake pile in the corner? The one on top is dominating the other one. They're quiet and passive aggressive about it. Sometimes the one getting dominated will go off feed. Even if no obvious signs of stress occur for years, those are not happy snakes. Or, it could get eaten by a roomie in a mood. That doesn't happen often, but it happens sometimes even with snakes that have shared a home for years with no apparent problems. Always better safe than sorry! I like my snakes as stress-free and safe as possible! Sharing a cage is for breeding only, and even then only temporary.

You can, but you shouldn't. All snakes eat meat, although there are a few smaller species that eat crickets. There's no such thing as a vegetarian snake. Only giant snakes like Burmese Pythons, Reticulated Pythons, and some big Boas as a few examples will ever need bigger meals than mice or rats. Some snakes get picky when you get creative about meals too, so best to stick with what works best for you health-wise and financially. This is, typically, mice or rats.

What we know about snakes, all kinds of pets, and heck even proper Human health care changes all the time. We're always learning, and we need to adapt to new information best we can in order to provide our animals with the best of care. There's a lot of books out there that are way out of date yet commonly sold in book and pet stores. Some folks don't like change or find it inconvenient, and choose to stubbornly ignore new information. Myself, I'd rather admit I was wrong and make a positive change than give outdated information. That's why I date the bottom of this and the VBB Caresheet. So you can see the last time I learned something new and altered the page appropriately. If you see something here that seems wrong to you or outdated, please contact me and I will look into it!

Yes! A snake isn't going to eat a ratcicle. Since they're cold blooded that would mess them up badly. If you try they won't even register it as food. We defrost our frozen/thawed food items in a small tub of hot water till they're nice and warm - no longer solid.

Once a week to once every other week. This is standard for most snakes. They have a very slow metabolism so this is all they need. They catch less than this in the wild, pet snakes are spoiled snakes. ;)

Not exactly. A healthy snake can go months without food if it has to, and skipping a meal here or there won't harm them at all. But after a certain point, a snake will starve just like any other animal. They can suffer and die if denied food for too long. Some snakes fast for a couple of months, and that's okay, but more then that it's time to visit a vet. If you go on vacation for a couple of weeks, so long as the snake has water it won't phase them at all. Snakes always need water.

Yes! All animals poop. Snakes don't do it as often as other animals though, for example most of my snakes poo once a week just as they eat once a week. One of them only goes once a month and when he does... it's a doozy! And no, you can't litter train a snake, when they gotta go they gotta go. ;) Snakes also drink water, pee, and sleep just like any other animal. It's just hard to tell they're sleeping because they don't have eyelids.

No, thank you! Please never feed wild rodents to a pet snake. You don't know where they've been or what they're carrying. This is a common way for snakes to pick up parasites that can make them very sick. Our snakes only eat food from a reputable, domestically bred source.

Why would you want to? Snakes are great neighbors! They're quiet, keep destructive rodents away from your yard/home, and if you don't bother them they won't bother you. If you're really worried about it though, please call someone to remove the snake. There's no reason to kill these wonderful, beneficial creatures.

It depends! Really it depends on you. What do you like? What are you looking for in a snake? What's the lifespan like? What temps/supplies do they need? How big will they get? Like all pets, the watchword is - Research! Find out everything about the right snake for you before even shopping around so you can be 100% on its care, size, longevity, temperament, is the species you want legal where you live, and everything else you need to know. Once you're sure of what you want and being up for the responsibility of taking care of it, you're well on your way!

After research, set up an enclosure ahead of time exactly how it's going to be when your snake is in it. Temps, decor, everything you read about. You'll also need to find a good herpetological vet near you for checkups or to be sure of the gender. It's important to give your snake a week of private time in its new home to settle in.

Breeders online or at expos are the best places to look for snakes. Do your homework on them though! Sites like Fauna Classifieds are very helpful for researching a potential breeder. I really don't recommend pet stores. They tend to keep snakes in poor conditions, have very little (if any) accurate information available, and many of them sell captive hatched rather than captive bred snakes. You want captive bred. Your best bet for a parasite free, accurately sexed, healthy hatchling and good eater is from a reputable breeder. Check out my Links page for some of my own recommendations!

That's shorthand for how many snakes of which gender someone has or wants. The first number is how many males, the second number is how many females, and the third number is how many unsexed mystery snakes that could be a boy or a girl. It's just quicker to say 1.2.3 than one male, two females, and 3 unsexed!