« Poultry Houses – Make Your Chickens In Safety | Home | Hassle Free Dog Pain Relief »
Aussie Pythons Make Great Pets
By Dog Lover | October 27, 2009
Australia may be home to some of the world’s most venomous snakes, but don’t let that worry you if you are considering an Australian python as a pet.
Pythons are not venomous, and by their nature, are quite docile and placid. Australian pythons, in particular, make great pets. The most common sort of pet python is the carpet python (named after the pattern on their skin). Carpet pythons don’t get as large as some other snakes and the largest an Australian one can get is around 11-13 feet.
Carpet pythons are preferred by beginner snake owners due to their placid nature, although they may be a bit temperamental when they are young. They are also very easy to manage and care for: a python is not a pet which requires around the clock attention!
In terms of diet, an Australian python will quite happily live off a simple regime of mice – and as they get bigger – rats. For the python’s safety, as well as being humane to the rodents, it’s recommended you only feed your python dead mice & rats. Believe it or not, a cornered rat can actually hurt your pet snake, so do the right thing and avoid live food.
Apart from their simple diet, pythons are also tropical animals and require a heated habitat to live in and a source of fresh water. That, in a nutshell, is the basic requirements for a pet python.
Pythons are not-social animals by nature, but it is important to handle them as often as you can, as this will help them get used to a human presence. Although they can be easily frightened – and therefore a little “snappy” – when they are young, as they grow they will become more confident and used to being man-handled.
As you can see, it’s not hard to look after a pet python. In fact, some would say it’s almost too easy. They’re beautiful animals and you’ll always be able to enjoy a little bit of “wild nature” in your own home. While they won’t fetch balls or do tricks, there can be something really calming about the graceful movement of a python.
Bear in mind that while Australian pythons are now kept as pets all over the world, if you are in Australia (or some other countries) you will require getting a license (permit) to own one. These permits are not expensive, but you must remember to keep your log book up to date.
Mail this post
Topics: Reptiles and Amphibians | No Comments »