So You Want To Buy A Snake? Tips & Considerations

The first thing you should know when buying a snake, or any reptile for that matter, is that they do not show illness like a cat or dog does.  In the wild, for a reptile to show illness means almost certain death, so they are masters at hiding illness.  Stress is also something reptiles do not show the way a cat, dog or bunny would, yet it is a huge factor when talking about their health.  So it is best to have a good understanding of how a snake is affected by stress, will show stress and will hide illness and what some potential signs of illness are.  With reptiles knowledge is the best weapon to ensure the their continued good health.

A healthy corn should have an appearance similar to a loaf of bread.  Their underbelly should have a flat bottom and edge to it and then the top of the snake will sort have a small roundness to the rest of them, much like the top of a loaf of bread.  See Feeding for a description of what an underweight or an overweight snake looks like.

You want to look at the body condition of the snake for more than just it’s general appearance of a healthy weight.  Check it over for damage to the scales.  Are there scales missing, are there broken scales, are any of the scales discolored or dry and “crispy” feeling?  Look closely around the eyes and in the folds under the chin, are there any tiny moving bugs?  While holding it do you end up with tiny little bugs on you?  Also while checking the condition of the scales pay close attention to the tail tip and see if there is any obvious dead skin left on it, or any where else.  This is a sign of incomplete sheds.  Damage to the scales can be the result of many things, some as minor as something in the cage environment is to rough or has a spot that is too small for the snake and it may have gotten stuck and damaged scales going over the rough item or trying to get out of the small area.  This being said if the damage is severe enough and not taken care of properly until the snake sheds enough times to heal the scales and underlying skin, then infection can set in.  As well scales that are broken, discolored and dry or “crispy” can be an indication of scale rot.  Scale rot is a systemic infection that is generally cause by poor husbandry (dirty, to wet, to much feces, etc), if left untreated it can kill the snake.  The tiny bugs that move around on and off of the snake especially around the eyes and in the folds of skin under the chin are mites.  They are a reddish black parasite that looks much like pepper and will feed off of your snake’s blood.  Mites can make your snake week, they can transmit disease, they spread extremely quickly from one reptile to another and are not the easiest to get rid of.  These also can kill your snake.  Finally, incomplete sheds can be the result of husbandry, water bowl dried out and the snake is dehydrated, the room does not have enough moisture in the air or it can be a sign of an underlying illness (especially if it is an on going problem).

You will also want to do a general check of the spine.  While holding the snake firmly but gently move it or allow it to move through your fingers, feeling for kinks or lumps in the spine.  Check to see if the tail is complete or if it looks to be missing part of it.  Then ask to put the snake down somewhere that it can move around but not just go right into a hiding spot.  This allows you to see it move.  Does it appear to move properly?  Does it drag any part of it’s body or does it move in a smooth fluid motion.  When it is moving in a forward direction is it’s head always the front of the body or does the tail end come up beside the snake’s head and/or pass it?  Spinal kinks and/or lumps can be small or large.  Some will cause no problems to the snake, it will be able to mover, eat, digest and defecate just fine.  Other spinal deformities will cause problems for the snake.  They may cause the snake to be unable to move properly, or the snake may not be able to eat prey over a certain size, or unable to digest or defecate.  If you are a first time snake owner, it is probably best to avoid a snake with deformities of the spine as sometimes the snake is fine for several months but after some growth it causes problems.  As well there is the possibility that there may also be other deformities which develop over time as well.  Having said that not all spinal deformities are natural and some are the result of an injury and the snake never has any lasting impact as a result of the injury.  Tails that are incomplete, can be birth defects, they can be injuries or they can be the result of incomplete sheds that were not taken care of properly and then the dead skin strangled that portion of the tail causing it to die, become necrotic and fall off.  Therefor a partially missing tail can sometimes be a warning sign of a snake that has not been properly cared for and that may end up having health issues.  If you are considering a snake that does not move in a smooth fluid motion and especially if the tail comes up beside the head and passes it, this is generally a sign of a neurological issue.

The snake should have no obvious issues with the mouth.  It should have a tightly closed mouth with no discharges and no sounds coming from it.  By this I mean that you want to look at how the jaw lines up, it is properly aligned, does the mouth close all the way?  Is there any sign of injury to the mouth, can you see blood or white cheesy discharge in or around the mouth?  Does the snake keep it’s mouth open when resting, does it appear to be gasping when breathing, can you hear a clicking sound with each breath?  Is there any bubbles in the snake’s mouth or coming out of the snake’s nose?  If there are any of the issues listed above then there is the possibility of an R.I.  This is most wen there are multiple warning signs that you see and/or hear.  Respiratory infections require a change in the husbandry, as they are generally caused by to cold and damp of conditions.  The snake will need extra heat and a vet visit and if not caught on time, they can have permanent scarring to their one lung and or die from it.  Although, keep in mind though that some snakes will have a slight whistle or clicking sound when in shed.

Look in the enclosure (husbandry), does it have clean fresh water?  Is the enclosure clean or is it full of shed skins, and feces?  If you can see feces, does it appear to be a solid lump mostly brown, maybe containing a white/yellow portion (urates) or if it is fresh is it a semi solid?  If not, is the feces and urates totally runny liquid?  With captive snakes, the husbandry (way they are cared for) is generally the cause of most illnesses.  It is also a great way to get an idea of how the snake you are thinking of purchasing has been cared for, which can give you some idea of what it’s general health may be like.

Ask about the snake’s feeding schedule, how often, what size of prey, when was it last fed, what is it eating.  Ask if it has had any regurges or refusals to feed?  Ask about shedding, when was the last time?  How was the shed, was it complete or incomplete?  If it was incomplete did they have to help the snake, if so how often has it happened?  Some other questions to ask are: do they utilize quarantine practices and if so for how long, how old is the snake, what is the sex if known, has it been cohabbitated (housed in the same enclosure as other snakes), has it ever been ill before, was it hatched where you are purchasing it and if not where did they get it from?

As with anything else, these are guidelines to help you select what will hopefully be a healthy snake.  Some of these things being present does not necessarily mean a sick snake as some things can be caused by poor husbandry and stress.  Others are definitely things that you will want to avoid, especially if you have other reptiles in your home.