Snakes and Frogs and Their Relatives [ 2U 



Snakes As Pets 



When a youngster has captured a harmless snake and is keeping 

 it as a pet, he may wish to build a cage especially for his prize. 

 However, an ordinary rectangular fish tank will serve the purpose 

 effectively for a small specimen such as a ribbon or garter snake. 

 To accommodate a king snake or one of the other big fellows, the 

 cage should be at least equal in length to the reptile's body. This 

 will make it possible for the snake to coil and uncoil and move 

 about comfortably. 



A cage should have a water dish large enough for the snake to 

 crawl into. A big ash tray is convenient and large enough for a 

 garter snake. Cover the floor of the cage with moss, gravel, or 

 slightly moistened sand to make cleaning easier. The cage should 

 be wiped out regularly with warm water and soap, and the floor 

 covering changed. All waste matter and uneaten food must be 

 removed daily. 



There is no harm in exposing a snake to direct sunlight pro- 

 vided that shade is available at all times. Sun that does not feel 

 excessively hot to your hand may be dangerously hot for a snake; 

 a reptile's body absorbs heat and becomes warmer and warmer, 

 as would a piece of iron lying in the sun. A rock or block of wood 

 placed in the cage helps furnish shade, and it is also useful to 

 the snake for rubbing against when it sheds its skin. 



Proper Diet for a Pet Snake: A captive snake that has eaten well 

 from spring through fall may safely go through several winter 

 months without eating. But if you have a local specimen that 

 refuses food for nine or ten weeks during warm weather, it is 

 best to give it its freedom. Forcible feeding by an inexperienced 

 person is sure to be fatal to the snake. 



Of course it is necessary to know which snakes will eat what. 

 Thus, garter snakes thrive on frogs, tadpoles, and earthworms; 

 larger species, including black racers and pilots, eat rats, mice, 

 rabbits, and gophers. King snakes may eat other snakes, as they 

 do in the natural state, or they may prefer rodents. Very small 

 species such as the green snake eat earthworms, grasshoppers, and 

 other insects. The insect-eating snakes need more frequent feed- 

 ings than those that feed on rodents. 



