THE COLUMBIAN (Vancouver, Washington) 09 September 04 Pets & Vets: Warming up to pet pythons (Mary Ellen Gorham)
Some people like to keep snakes as pets. A Seattle veterinarian told me about a couple who had two pythons, one 15 feet long and another one 18 feet long. The owners were in their basement and the snakes were upstairs in the bedroom where they usually stayed. There was a sign on the front door that read, "Premises Guarded by Attack Snakes."
A would-be burglar thought the sign was a joke. He picked the lock and went into the house. The snakes heard him come in and slithered into the living room to see what was going on. The female of the pair saw the intruder and whipped herself around him as if he were a rabbit. He started screaming.
The owners ran up the stairs and saw what was happening. They tried to peel the snake off the guy but could not pry it loose. They called 911. When the policeman came, the snake took one look at him and unwound itself from its victim.
My veterinarian friend had no explanation for this event. Maybe the snake thought the policeman was going to handle the problem and decided to retreat to the bedroom. At any rate, this story illustrates why special care must be taken when pet snakes are loose in the house.
Question: Maybe the python was hungry. How often must a python be fed?
Answer: As a rule, a snake should be fed once a week. The python prefers small warm-blooded animals that it kills by coiling around the prey until it stops breathing. A large python can swallow an animal as large as a rabbit. It is a good idea not to have a cat in a house where a python is a pet.
The snake's jaws, joined loosely by movable bones and muscles, stretch wide to swallow food several times larger than the snake's head. Freshly killed animals are the best diet for pythons.
Question: What are the temperature requirements for these big snakes?
Answer: These snakes cannot control their own body temperature and are completely dependent on the temperature of their environment. In general, 75 to 85 degrees is ideal. In the winter, snakes hibernate and can go without food for months if kept in a basement at temperatures of 40 to 55 degrees. However, they should not be allowed to dry out during hibernation.
Question: Does that mean that it's important to provide water at all times for snakes?
Answer: Yes, not only for drinking but also for bathing. Most snakes need to soak their bodies in water occasionally. While water is important, the snake also needs a place where it can dry out.
It is interesting to watch a snake drink. It is like a horse in that it sucks water between its lips which are under water.
Question: Does a snake know and like its owner?
Answer: Snakes like people because humans are warm. Some owners enjoy having a python draped over their body as they watch TV or read.
It has been reported by veterinarians that aggressive snakes become very gentle when the owners are present.
Link