Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering if keeping snakes in the same house as a newborn is safe I need to know this but don know exactly where to ask.
any info would be great thank you

This is one of those questions you have to answer for yourself. Are you responsible enough? Have you taken EVERY precaution to ensure your snake can not get to your child? Will you remember to lock the cage every single time. Will you keep it in a room that can also be secured. Is your cage escape proof? Is it worth the risk? Your baby can not fight back. The only thing a baby can do is cry, but not if surrounded by coils! You have to truthfully answer yourself!
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DZ
1.0.0 Burm, Moses
0.0.2 Ball, Chico & Chewy (rescue, many scars)
0.2.0 Cats, Merideth & Hannah
1.0.0 Dog, Pivo (tumor in liver, will uethenized Oct 23)
Lotsa fish
1.4.0 Rats
0.2.0 Humans (a little obnoxious though)

I am confident abot that I never leave the room unless I have double checked the cage to make sure it's locked and yes the room is always checked to make sure it is locked aswell. But the main question I am getting at here is, is it safe in regaurds to your child catching something viral/bacterial from being in the same hosue as the snakes

I am sorry I should have been more clear

I see no problem with infections or viruses as long as you disinfect yourself before doing anything with the baby which you should also do anyway. I really didn't take any precautions until I got pregnant but now I just wash my hands and use some antibacterial hand sanitizer. So enjoy your herps and your baby.
Sera
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3.7 ball pythons (5 normal, 2 het axanthic, lemon, blush, reduced)
1.2 king snakes (1 chocolate, 2 albino)
1.1 colombian red tail boas
1.1 pueblan milksnakes
2.2 african house snakes
2.1 striped albino gophers
1.2 burmese pythons (1 albino, 2 hets)
1.1 southern copperheads
1.1 dumeril's boas
3.3 corns (miami, okatee, snow, caramel, 2 creamsicle)
1.1 jungle corns
0.2 ferrets
0.2 degus
0.1 salcotta tortoise
1.1 rats
1.0 lab/beagle puppy
1.0 parakeet
0.0.1 human on the way

1.Wash hands before and after handling snake NO EXCEPTIONS. 2.Never let snake crawl around floor or furniture in your house-always hold the animal yourself, or go outside(if you have a private outside area or cool neighbors.)Salmonella - you cannot risk it no matter how good your cleaning habits are. Not with a baby.3.Take obvious sanitary steps when feeding-I have an old camping pan that is now relegated to a rat pan-I use hot tap water to bring the temps of my (F/T) rat up to about 100 or so degrees before feeding. That pan and tongs stay in the garage.

After handling your reptiles, you should ALWAYS be sure to wash your hands, since reptiles can carry salmonella. I wouldn't lose a lot of sleep over this -- you've got a LOT more chance of catching salmonella from handling raw chicken, and people do that far more frequently than they play with snakes or lizards. However, it is a real risk and you should take appropriate precautions.

Other than that I don't know of any diseases which are carried by reptiles and can be transmitted by humans.

I am currently expecting my first child and I have around 40 snakes. I keep a reptile room with a lock and they are all in secure enclosures. Just make sure everything is secure and make sure you keep an eye on the baby, which you should be doing anyway. Otherwise, I see no problem as long as your not putting the snake in the baby's crib. I have three burms and they are some of my most handlable snakes since I handle them at least an hour a day. They have never bitten me and now rarely hiss so I say if you think you can do it, go for it. My animals are just more of my "babies".
Sera
S and M Reptiles

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3.7 ball pythons (5 normal, 2 het axanthic, lemon, blush, reduced)
1.2 king snakes (1 chocolate, 2 albino)
1.1 colombian red tail boas
1.1 pueblan milksnakes
2.2 african house snakes
2.1 striped albino gophers
1.2 burmese pythons (1 albino, 2 hets)
1.1 southern copperheads
1.1 dumeril's boas
3.3 corns (miami, okatee, snow, caramel, 2 creamsicle)
1.1 jungle corns
0.2 ferrets
0.2 degus
0.1 salcotta tortoise
1.1 rats
1.0 lab/beagle puppy
1.0 parakeet
0.0.1 human on the way

i would say it depends on you and what snakes you keep....

Some of the other posts said it fairly well. The bottom line is that if you have the proper facilities (locked room, locked cages, etc.) and follow safe handling/management practices with big snakes, you should be fine. I wouldn't allow the baby near the burm until your little child is older. Personally, though, I did not keep my large burms in hte house for the peace of mind of my wife. But, I have the luxury of directing a wildlife center so these animals stayed there. The bottom line is that the baby and your spouse come first and foremost; just keep that in mind and you'll be fine.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm, Lake Forest, IL