In recent years, the demand for exotic animals has been growing in the United States: people are actively buying parrots, chinchillas, raccoons, fish, snakes and other animals. And since the second half of this year, the demand for serpents has increased even more. And this is not surprising: it is under its patronage, according to the eastern horoscope, will pass 2025 - the year of the Green Wood Snake. What to do if your soul asks you to get a scaly pet. What can go wrong? Just about everything... About that, a little later.
Who Will Be Lucky in the Year of the Snake?
In Chinese culture, the image of the Snake was treated with reverence and considered a symbol of the power of nature. This year will bring good luck to those born in the year of the Bull, Rabbit, Goat, Monkey. More wise and consistent should be Rat, Horse and Dragon.
Unlucky year will be for those born in the year of the Snake: for them will come benming - the year of their zodiacal animal, which is also called “the year of destiny”. It is believed that at this time people offend the time god Tai-Sui, so they may face trials. Like those who believe in the 13th zodiac Ophiuchus.
What to Give In the Year of the Snake?
For the Chinese New Year it is customary to give red envelopes with money: they are often presented to the elderly and children. A good gift will be items with the image of the 🐍, the symbol of the year, as well as tea, beautiful dishes and sweets.
On the Chinese New Year you can not give gifts of black and white colors, purses, watches, mirrors, shoes. The Chinese believe that a person gives away his wealth by giving a purse, a mirror attracts ghosts, and the expression “to give a watch” is consonant with “to attend a funeral”
Some Natal Charts of Famous People Born in the Year of the 🐍
- Billie Eilish (December 18, 2001) - singer and songwriter;
- Taylor Swift (December 13, 1989) - singer, songwriter and producer;
- Robert Downey, Jr. (April 4, 1965) - actor and producer, starred in Iron Man and The Avengers;
- Tom Hardy (September 15, 1977) - actor, producer and screenwriter, starred in the films Venom and Mad Max: Fury Road;
- Joanne Rowling (July 31, 1965) - writer, author of “Harry Potter”.
You’ve Decided to Get a Real Snake
Let's get to the bottom of it.
Can a Serpent Harm My health?
As a rule, those species that are sold for the home - small and non-poisonous. It's the snake itself that's in potential danger. It can get in the wrong places, get stuck, lost or injured.
Can I Have It if I Have Children?
Young children (under five years old), people over 65 and people with weakened immune systems are at risk for salmonellosis. Therefore, it is better for them not to come into contact with serpents and their food - you can just watch.
Are Snakes in a Home Environment Even Okay?
Yes, animal welfare societies and veterinary associations, whose recommendations we refer to in this piece, believe that it is possible to create good living conditions for them at home. But it is important that the pets are bred in captivity, not caught in the wild.
Snake - An Unpretentious Pet?
In a way, yes. But it still needs to create comfortable conditions (and you need to be prepared to provide them for at least 15 years, although the ultimate age, of course, depends on the species).
Terrarium
This should be a dry aquarium with hinged or sliding doors and ventilation. If it is possible to purchase a non-glass terrarium, it will be easier to keep it at the right temperature.
It is important that the 🐍 can coil or club and completely fit in the desired temperature zone (we will talk about this further).
But as far as specific size goes, there is no one-size-fits-all recommendation. A recent study found that the larger the terrarium, the more they like it and the more active they are. It's good if the serpent can stretch out in the terrarium, so go by its estimated adult size when buying a home for it.
It is best to place the terrarium not on the floor, but on some elevation so that they feels less vibrations (there will be more vibrations on the floor than it needs to live comfortably).
Interior
Place décor in the terrarium where the snake can crawl and hide (select it based on the species and size of the 🐍 and place it along the entire length of the terrarium).
At the bottom should be a non-toxic and non-scratching material in which pathogens (bacteria, fungi and parasites) will not breed and which will be easy to change. Cypress mulch, sphagnum (peat moss), large rocks, recycled paper or aspen chip filler, alfalfa pellets, or artificial turf will work for snakes.
Light
Snakes, unlike lizards, lighting is not necessary, but useful: so they have an improved appetite, increased activity, good skin, produced vitamin D3. And the usual lighting from the window is not suitable: glass and plastic filter out the rays that are useful for them.
So you need to install a UVB-lamp with a wavelength of 290-320 nanometers. It should be placed at a distance of no more than 46 centimeters above the resting area. If you do not have a goal for the animal to reproduce, you can turn on the lamp for the same time all year round: for tropical snakes - from 10 to 14 hours, from temperate climates - from eight to 16 hours. Some lamps have a timer and this is very convenient.
Temperature
Snakes are cold-blooded animals: their body temperature varies depending on the environmental conditions. Therefore, it is important to organize two zones in the terrarium - cooler (for resting) and warmer (for basking). Heat is created, in particular, by a ceramic heater or a heated mat. It is advisable to control the temperature with a thermostat or you should keep an eye on the thermometer.
Humidity
Low humidity can cause skin problems and too much humidity can lead to infections.
Humidity levels should be no less than 35% and no more than 70%, but recommendations may vary for a particular species of snake. You can measure humidity with a hygrometer - there are devices on sale that combine a thermometer and hygrometer or a thermostat and hygrostat.
Cleaning
Urine, feces and food residues should ideally be removed daily, and waste collection tools should be disinfected. You should check with your veterinarian to find out which product is suitable for this, and it is better to have a specialist who deals specifically with reptiles - a herpetologist (hopefully, you can find such a rare veterinarian in your city). In any case, it is important to rinse very well what you have disinfected, so that there are no potentially toxic agents left there.
It is recommended to change the filler at least once a month. The terrarium itself and all decor should be cleaned and sanitized every three months. Water bowls should be cleaned and disinfected at least once a week.
What Do You Feed Them?
There are no herbivorous snakes. Most often they should be fed with dead small mammals (e.g. rats and mice) and whole carcasses.
The size of the food should not be much larger than the diameter of the head of the serpent. As the pet grows, the food should also increase, otherwise it will not get full.
The frequency of feeding depends on the species, its age and reproductive status. For example, baby serpent are usually fed every four days to five days, while larger snakes are fed once every week or two. After feeding, it should not be handled for at least three days, otherwise the food may come back out.
Also in the terrarium should be a bowl of clean water - change it daily.
Always wash your hands after feeding your s-pet.
Precautions!
- Before picking up the snake, make sure that it can see you (it is important for it to be “handled” periodically if you want the animal to get used to it).
- If it is over a meter long, involve a second person (one person per meter 🐍).
- Do not bring it close to your face or kiss it.
- Do not hold it tightly or hold it by the head.
- Do not touch it if it is molting or hungry, otherwise there is a higher risk that it will bite. Snakes can bite quite hard and painfully, so in general you should be cautious and not take unnecessary risks.
- If you are bitten, wash the wound immediately with warm water and soap. Seek medical attention if the wound looks bad or if you have been bitten by a venomous snake.
