This can be a very controversial topic, because a lot of people fear snakes, relating them to the likes of Lucifer. The thing is, these creatures have a wide variety of behaviours and personalities, and it takes time to change their ways.

Unlike a lot of animals, snakes aren’t that fragile. I don’t mean that people should bang them up against walls in rage. What I am trying to express is that if you hold them, they have a lot of muscle to wrap around your arm and hold on. If they do happen to fall, they’ll probably be okay, as long as it’s not a far fall.

If the child is less than seven years old, I don’t think that they should have pet snakes unless they prove to be very responsible. That isn’t necessarily a very common personality that seven year olds will have, seeing as they are still young.

Now many parents can fear that ball pythons will bite their kids, but it’s not as big of a deal as they can make it seem. These chubby-cheeked puppy-eyed cuties are actually very sweet, but can get confused occasionally.

With more handling they’ll eventually get to the point to where they’re okay with being held and won’t bite, and instead will be a little binge buddy. When they’re young, they naturally will bite as self defence, and most of the time it’s just a warning snip.

If they do latch on, all you have to do is put their head under the faucet as you let water drip down. They’ll let go pretty quickly, and it’ll look like little cuts on your hands. It’s really not as bad as some people do make it seem. They’re such beautiful animals, and they’re just trying to protect themselves.

Garter snakes on the other hand would be very good snakes for children under the age of twelve. They are not very picky eaters, and if they strike at you, they don’t have the teeth to latch on with. I’ve never had my garter snake attempt to bite me, and I’ve never had a hard time trying to get them to eat.

A fun fact with Garter snakes, is that they’re actually good with a roommate or two, just make sure your cage is big enough. They are very social, and tend not to try and eat their buddies. They also only eat every 4-7 days, so you don’t have to go on constant runs to get food for them.

Personally I think that snakes should be a more common pet, as with any other reptile. Snakes just tend to have this bad aura around them, just like black cats. Honestly though, majority of snakes are such sweethearts, but people stereotype them too quickly and don’t give them a shot.