The following article was written by Kristin Keck, a Teen Associate at the Manitowoc Public Library.
There are certain topics that are, shall we say, polarizing.
They bring out the strongest emotions, the most died-upon hills, and the greatest rifts between friends.
Which Hogwarts House is best? (They’re all good.)
Who is the best James Bond? (I don’t have an opinion, which is a contentious opinion in itself.)
Pineapple. Does it belong on pizza? (It does. Fight me.)
Do snakes make good pets? (Well . . .)
I think snakes are fascinating. Reptiles in general are fascinating, but snakes are particularly interesting. Snakes can move in five distinct ways, which is impressive for a critter with no legs. They have even been seen using a lasso movement to climb up poles—equal parts amazing and terrifying if you have birdhouses placed high on poles to avoid predators like snakes.
Wisconsin is home to about 21 native species of snakes, which means we’re not as snake-heavy as Texas (with 68 species), but not as safe as Alaska, which has no snakes at all. Most of the Wisconsin snakes are not venomous. (Remember, if it bites you and you die, it’s venomous. If you bite it and you die, it’s poisonous. Either way, the outcome isn’t great, but it’s nice to be precise about these things.)
About 71% of all households in the US have a pet, but only 4 to 5% of those households have a reptile. Snakes represent about 22% of reptile pets, coming in after the clear winner of tortoises and turtles and being edged out of second place by lizards. Reptile ownership is higher in North America and Europe than anywhere else in world and snakes barely register on a worldwide scale.
Kristen Keck
I am not a snake owner myself, despite my admiration for the creatures, and I think I know why the percentages remain low for snake ownership in general. There is something unknowable about snake—something completely ‘other’ in their lidless eyes and unpredictable and inexplicable movements. We think we know about dogs and cats, apex predators every bit as much as snakes, because we share roughly the same body architecture. Snakes are alien. Even lizards have legs.
So, we go back to that question—Do snakes make good pets?
The answer must be a firm . . . Maybe.
Snakes are more exclusive than your average pet. To have something as elegant as a snake in your home, there are rules. You can’t just pick one up off the side of the road. (Seriously, don’t do that. It’s against the law in Wisconsin.)
If you want more information about having a snake or other reptilian companion in your home, let me invite you to Teen Summer: Snakes in the House on Friday, June 26, at 1 PM in the Balkansky Community Room. Megan from J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue will go over some of the things you’ll need to have to make a snake comfortable. Slither on in to get the info on all manner of reptiles and meet a few as well. Bring your parents if they need convincing.
Can we turn that ‘maybe’ into a ‘yes’? Well . . . we’ll see.
