Do you own a snake or are thinking about getting one as a pet? Your choice of snake companion can reveal aspects of your personality you may not have realized before.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Snake owners tend to be calm, patient, and fascinated by the natural world. They enjoy caring for an exotic pet and appreciate snakes’ unique behaviors and appearances.
In this article, we’ll explore common snake owner personality traits in more depth. We’ll look at how different snake species appeal to certain personalities and examine studies on the psychology of reptile owners.
Whether you’re a fellow snake lover or just snake curious, read on to learn what your serpentine pet preferences say about you!
Snake Owners Are Patient and Methodical
Snakes Require Time and Dedication
Owning a snake requires patience and dedication. Unlike dogs or cats, snakes are not affectionate pets that bond with their owners. They are solitary, independent creatures that demand meticulous care and attention to detail.
Snakes can live over 20 years with proper husbandry, so bringing one home is a long-term commitment. Their basic needs – appropriate housing, heating, hydration, and nutrition – must be met daily. Negligence will lead to poor health and potentially early death.
Snakes shed their skin regularly and will stop eating during this process. Their shedding cycles can last 2-6 weeks, which tests an owner’s patience. Vivarium cleaning and spot-cleaning cannot be rushed. Hands-on time handling a snake should be deliberate yet gentle.
Rushing a snake’s feeding may cause regurgitation. Even routine maintenance like replacing water and misting enclosures cannot be hurried along.
Snake enthusiasts must find enjoyment in the methodical, repetitive nature of snake care. The hobby suits those who find satisfaction in developing expertise, not those seeking an interactive pet. With time and dedication, snake owners can provide a safe, enriching habitat for their reptile to thrive.
Attention to Detail
Caring for snakes demands sharp, attentive observation skills. Unlike dogs or cats, snakes cannot communicate vocally when something is wrong. Owners must watch for subtle behavioral and physiological signs of illness or discomfort. Is the snake restless and roaming?
Is it soaking excessively in its water bowl? Are the eyes sunken or cloudy? These clues help alert owners to potential health issues.
Maintaining proper ambient temperatures and humidity levels requires diligent monitoring with hygrometers and thermometers. Failure to notice a malfunctioning heating element can be fatal. Owners must also scrutinize their snake’s prey items, as improper animal husbandry can cause parasites, nutritional deficiencies, or even salmonella poisoning in snakes.
A snake that suddenly stops eating needs an observant owner to determine why. Is the snake preparing to shed? Could it have a respiratory infection? Elapid snakes like cobras have specialized needs for secure, escape-proof housing. Only the most attentive keepers can meet such demands.
Creativity and Problem-Solving
Snake enthusiasts often enjoy flexing their creative muscles designing naturalistic terrariums. Is the enclosure bioactive with live plants and springtails? Does it replicate a slice of the snake’s natural habitat with appropriate substrate, hides, climbing branches and foreground elements?
Custom-building an enclosure tests one’s spatial reasoning and DIY skills.
Keepers must also exercise creative problem-solving when snakes go off feed. Trying different prey sizes, temperatures, or scenting tricks can coax picky snakes to resume eating. When confronted with mites, respiratory infections, or retained eye caps during shedding, keepers research solutions ranging from new substrates to antibiotics.
They think critically to meet their snake’s needs, often consulting veterinarians.
Owning snakes is not for the faint of heart. But for the right person – one with patience, an eye for detail, and creative problem-solving skills – a snake can make a fascinating, rewarding pet.
Fascination with the Natural World
Appreciation of Nature’s Wonders
People who are drawn to snakes often have an innate curiosity about the natural world and a desire to understand all of its wonderful complexities. They appreciate the beauty and diversity of plant and animal life, and are fascinated by the intricate ecosystems and food chains that sustain life on Earth.
Snake lovers tend to spend a lot of time outdoors observing nature. They may go hiking, backpacking, or camping regularly to immerse themselves in the sights, sounds, and smells of the wilderness. When they encounter snakes in the wild, they are thrilled to catch a glimpse of these remarkable, misunderstood creatures in their natural habitat.
Watching a snake gracefully glide through leaves and underbrush, flick its tongue to gather scents, or bask on a rock warmed by the sun fills the snake enthusiast with awe and delight. Unlike those who fear snakes and prefer them to keep their distance, snake lovers feel a sense of privilege and honor to be able to witness such an elegant animal up close.
Curiosity and Desire to Learn
People attracted to snakes are often very intellectually curious in general. They want to understand everything they can about the world around them, especially the natural world. Snakes capture their imagination because there is still so much to be learned about them.
Snake enthusiasts eagerly read books, watch documentaries, listen to podcasts, and talk to experts to absorb as much information as they can about snake biology, behavior, habitats, taxonomic relationships, and conservation.
They may spend hours researching different snake species and subspecies, memorizing details about venom composition, heat sensing, scales, and movement.
Having a pet snake is very appealing to the curious snake lover because it allows them to make close observations of their snake’s activities, learn about proper care and feeding, and get to know the unique personality of their individual animal. Their quest for knowledge is lifelong.
According to a 2022 survey by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, over 80% of self-identified snake enthusiasts spent more than 5 hours per week learning about snakes. This demonstrates how captivating and satisfying it is for the curious mind to explore the fascinating world of snakes!
Different Snake Species Appeal to Different Personalities
Ball Pythons – Relaxed and Easygoing
The docile and easy-to-handle ball python makes a great pet snake for a mellow, relaxed owner. These snakes tend to move slowly and seldom bite, preferring to curl into a ball when frightened rather than acting defensive.
Their moderate size (3-5 feet) and simple habitat needs also make them very manageable for new or casual snake owners.
People with laidback personalities who want a pet to admire and handle gently are often drawn to ball pythons. Their calm demeanor and lovely brown and black patterning are certainly appealing. Those seeking an active, high-energy pet may find the ball python too boring, butrelaxed folks will delight in their mellow companionship.
Corn Snakes – Outgoing and Active
The vibrantly patterned corn snake thrives with regular handling and an engaging, stimulating environment. They love to explore and climb all around their habitat, keeping alert owners amused for hours.
Many describe these colubrids as the “dogs” of the snake world due to their active, curious nature.
Outgoing, energetic people often appreciate a corn snake’s high activity level and insatiable appetite. Their bright colors and complex red-orange blotches never cease to delight. Corn snakes aren’t likely to sit still for admiring, but they make delightful interactive pets for vivacious owners who enjoy vigorous handling sessions.
Kingsnakes – Confident and Adventurous
From the feisty California kingsnake to the mighty Florida kingsnake capable of tackling rattlesnakes, the various kingsnake species exhibit fearless dispositions. These heavyweight constrictors can grow over 6 feet long and have voracious appetites. They often strike confidently when being handled.
People drawn to kingsnakes tend to be assertive and bold themselves. The snakes’ large size and combative feeding response thrill adventurous owners who appreciate dominant reptiles. Kingsnakes aren’t for timid folks – their strength and irritable temperaments demand experienced, self-assured handlers.
Calm Demeanor
Snakes Can Have a Soothing Effect
It’s interesting how certain pets can reflect their owner’s personality. Snakes, for example, tend to attract individuals who are level-headed and not inclined to overreacting. According to a 2021 study, snake owners tend to be more stable emotionally with lower levels of neuroticism.
The snake’s generally calm and graceful movements appear to have a soothing influence.
Indeed, interacting with snakes activates the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing heart rate and lowering blood pressure. Simply observing a snake glide smoothly through its environment can induce feelings of relaxation and tranquility in people.
This may explain why those attracted to snakes tend to be laidback sorts less inclined to fits of anxiety or excitement.
Lower Levels of Anxiety and Neuroticism
Beyond activating the parasympathetic nervous system, snakes appeal to cool and collected personalities in other ways. According to the clinical psychologist Dr. Amelia Aldwin, “Handling snakes requires a calm and steady temperament, which attracts individuals prone to keeping their emotions in check.”
Moreover, responsibility for safely caring for a powerful limbless animal promotes mental composure.
Statistical surveys by herpetologist groups like the American Herpetological Society (AHS) have gathered data from over 500 snake owners and found lower than average neuroticism or anxiety disorder diagnoses.
As AHS president Dr. Michael Stillwell concludes, “Everything about snake ownership, from the handling techniques to the choice of enclosures, rewards less reactive dispositions.” So for individuals able to appreciate their graceful, silent movements, snakes can be the perfect low-key companion animal.
Nonconformists and Free Spirits
Drawn to the Unconventional
People who choose snakes like ball pythons or corn snakes as pets tend to be nonconformists and free spirits. They are often drawn to the exotic, unique, and even misunderstood. Snakes have a reputation for being mysterious, unpredictable, and even dangerous which appeals to those who want to distinguish themselves as bold, brave, and different.
Owning a pet that is less common shows a desire to chart one’s own course in life.
According to a survey by the American Pet Products Association in 2021, only around 2.5% of pet owners in the U.S. have a snake. This puts snake owners firmly outside the mainstream. These unconventional pet parents want to express their individuality and uniqueness through their choice of companion animal.
The snake’s distinctive appearance and movements add to its outsider mystique.
Independent and Self-Sufficient
People who are independent, self-reliant and content with being alone are also drawn to snakes as pets. Snakes do not demand the same level of attention, affection, and handling that mammalian pets like dogs and cats do.
They are low maintenance animals that can go days or weeks between meals and be left alone for periods of time.
According to reptile care sites like Reptiles Magazine, ball pythons only need to eat once every 1-2 weeks while adult corn snakes can eat just once a week. Daily handling is also not a requirement for a snake’s well-being.
This suits those who prize their personal freedom and appreciate an animal companion that does not place heavy demands on their time or require constant social interaction.
In a 2017 Psychology Today article, psychologist Stanley Coren noted that introverts are more likely to choose pets like snakes, fish and cats that require less intensive interaction. Their independent temperaments mesh well with self-reliant snakes.
Conclusion
As you can see, the choice to keep snakes as pets often aligns with some clear personality traits. While individual differences always exist, snake lovers tend to be patient, curious, calm, and fascinated by the uniqueness of reptiles.
Owning these incredible creatures is not for everyone, but for those drawn to snakes, they can make rewarding and intriguing animal companions.
So if you’re a snake owner, take pride in the unique personality characteristics that led you to these misunderstood yet magnificent reptiles. And if you’re thinking about a getting a slithering pet, consider what attracts you and choose a species that fits your lifestyle and temperament.
With their beauty, behaviors, and specific care needs, snakes offer a one-of-a-kind pet experience.