Snake Keeper GuidePet snake care, explained plainly
A pet snake needs the right temperatures, humidity, hides and food for its species. These guides give you those numbers for four common species, with every figure linked to the vet, zoo or welfare source it came from.
New to snakes? Start with choosing your first snake, then set up the enclosure a week before the snake comes home.
Species care guides
- Ball python care
Ball python care from vet and welfare sources: warm and cool end temperatures, humidity, enclosure size, feeding schedule and why ball pythons skip meals.
- Corn snake care
Corn snake care from vet and welfare sources: basking and cool end temperatures, humidity, enclosure size, feeding schedule and handling.
- California kingsnake care
California kingsnake care from zoo, vet and welfare sources: temperatures, humidity, enclosure size, feeding and why kingsnakes must live alone.
- Western hognose snake care
Western hognose snake care from exotic-animal vets: enclosure size, burrowing substrate, temperatures, low humidity, feeding picky eaters and the venom question.
General guides
- Setting up a snake enclosure
How big a snake enclosure should be, what goes inside, which substrates to avoid, and a cleaning routine, from VCA vets and the RSPCA.
- Heating and lighting for pet snakes
How to heat a snake enclosure safely: temperature gradients, thermostats, burn risks, night heat and what vets say about UVB, with a species temperature table.
- Feeding frozen-thawed prey safely
Why vets recommend frozen-thawed prey over live, how often to feed, prey size, and FDA advice on Salmonella from feeder rodents.
- Shedding problems and stuck eye caps
What a normal snake shed looks like, why sheds come off in pieces, how to help, and why stuck eye caps need a vet.
- When to take your snake to a vet
Signs a pet snake needs a reptile vet, from breathing trouble and mouth rot to prey bites and burns, plus the checkups VCA recommends.
Questions?
The FAQ has short, sourced answers about feeding, shedding, UVB, vets and Salmonella.