Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was interested in getting a snake to bring to schools, nursing homes...etc along with some of my other animals. I wanted to know what would be the best kind, it would have to be handled daily and "enjoy" being around people. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

Not to be a kill-joy but there is always the possibility of inadvertently spreading Sallmonella to the folks that handle them during a visit.

There are a lot of nice possibilities in the way of snakes though for such a purpose.

I once read that an entire class full of kids came down with Sallmonella after visiting a facility where they were shown a Komodo Dragon.

Some other folks might be able to give you better specifics.I used to do the "show and tell" thing for groups but stopped after reading about that. I wash my hands after handling my animals and just practice good hygene and have not had a problem. I hear it's not an uncommon thing for herps to carry. Nice idea though. Good luck.

There was an article awhile back in Reptile magazine about a woman who brought her cornsnake to a sunday school class full of elderly people and it turned out to be a big hit...Cornsnakes are a great snake for these kinds of things..Just make sure you bring some Purell or other antibacterial hand cleaner and make sure anyone that handles the animal cleans there hands afterwards.
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I agree. Cornsnakes would be good candidates. I believe I read that small children and elderly folks are at greater risk. There was an article somewhere where I read a guy that had let his Python soak in their tub had a very small child that died as a result of being infected by crawling around on the floor in the house. I think even criminal charges were being considered if I remember correctly(anybody remeber that one?chicago herp newsletter?).I read that story too and am aware of folks that bring herps to entertain at birthday parties as a job(lot's of little fingers in their mouths all the time) You can't be overly paranoid about the whole thing but you have to realisticly weigh the risks. Being sued for hospital bills or being linked to something much more serious sort of overshadows a few minutes of oohs and ahhhs and goodwill as a reptile ambassador!I always make the parents aware of the risk before letting kids handle my animals when folks come over and we make sure they wash their hands well and I have never had a problem but it is a realistic concern. Good luck.

risk..But petting zoo's, even your pet cat or dog can carry salmonella if it gets into garbage cans or eats dead things or poop.Your fish tank can also carry it according to this new article I just read here....You can have your animals feces tested for salmonella, if you want to make sure.You dont even have to let people handle all the animals, maybe just certain ones that have been well cleaned before showing..There are precautions that can be taken.But I do agree that it needs to be addressed, I wouldnt want to be sued for showing animals and on the extreme side I wouldnt want to be responsible for a death.....

I wonder if it would hurt to wipe down a snake with antibacterial wipes then rinse it well perhaps that might be a consideration?
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Keep in mind that human children are heavy carriers of Salmonilla, and the most likely thing to give it to you.

Funny how this seldom gets mentioned.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

i advise the centralian carpet python (bredli). these snakes are gentle and far from snappy.

good luck

oh boy you guys make me laugh....if you keep your snakes clean...you dont have to worry about salmonella...i grew up catching and raising snakes all my life and have never gotten sick as a result,turtles on the other hand...
as for a docile snake i highly recommend a cb colombian boa

Corn snakes are pretty even tempered, and you can find a colour morph that'll really impress children for a reasonable price. I've also had good experiences with rainbow boas as display animals, if you'd want something a little bigger but not into the realm of serious management challenges.

Making sure people wash their hands after interacting is pretty important though, especially if it's a nursing home situation. People who're there are more likely to be immunocompromised anyway, and won't be able to shrug off lower level infections like a lot of healthier folks could.

Thanks for the suggestions, and I am fully aware of the risks that can be associated with bring animals in public places. This is true for all animals not just snakes. The coordinators also know this and whoever handles any creature I bring in must wash their hands before and after the visit to ensure nothing is spread between humans to animals and vice versa.

I've had good luck with king snakes (my desert king is a sweetheart), corns, ball pythons, and some boas. I typically play with any snake like that a lot before I feel confident letting someone else (especially a child) handle it. As far as the bacteria thing is concerned, I tell everybody who handles my snakes to wash their hands, etc. and I've yet to have a problem, but good hand washing is always a good thing.