Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My snake likes to climb and sometimes falls off things. So far it's just been couch pillows or small boxes. Should I worry and should I try to prevent bigger falls or do snakes land ok?

For the most part, a snake out of its enclosure should be watched, for it’s own good as well as other pets. The natural environment of this herp is rough and easy for the snake to traverse. If you are letting young one have their way, they will often hurt themselves as they learn their environment. Though it may not be ‘deadly’ to let them fall, it can cause serious harm to the snake, as does simply holding a snake in the middle of their body without giving good support to the rest of their body… What can be a ‘good’ rule is, what you wouldn’t like, don’t put your snake through….

>>My snake likes to climb and sometimes falls off things. So far it's just been couch pillows or small boxes. Should I worry and should I try to prevent bigger falls or do snakes land ok?

Substitute the word “child” for “snake” and you’ll have your answer. Except that your child doesn’t have 200 plus ribs to fracture, and your snake will never have hands to put out and break its fall. Plus, it will never be able to say “Ouch, mommy, it hurts right here.” Sure, snakes fall off things in the wild. But that’s one part of nature that there’s no need to duplicate in captivity.

I've witnessed a boa (5ft) being thrown off a balcony on a building three floors to the grass (it was put on a girl standing on a balcony that had a fear of snakes, this idiot asked her to close her eyes and then he.... never the less good thing she never went over too). It lived no problem. Wasn't too friendly afterward and I was not educated on snakes at the time to check for broken ribs, but I hear the snake is still around and doing fine five years later.

Dave