Compare and Contrast on Wild Domesticated Snakes

Snakes have been interesting to human beings from our earliest recorded stories, when Eve was tricked by a snake in Genesis. While many people fear them, others are fascinated by them and keep them as pets. Before taking on a snake as a pet, however, the owner might want to think about what a snake's life is like in the wild and in captivity. In the wild, snakes are found in all but the coldest climates and some islands. Wild snakes are divided into two groups: venomous and non-venomous.

Non-venomous snakes kill their prey by wrapping themselves around the victim's body in coils. Then they tighten, or constrict, the coils so the prey cannot breathe, and it suffocates. For obvious reasons, the snakes used as pets are constrictors, not venomous. Constricting snakes live in many kinds of environments, and someone considering a snake as a pet should be aware of these major differences. For instance, boa constrictors live in many different kinds of environments. Some live in trees, some live in water, and some live under the ground.

Some will live in or near jungles, while others live in more temperate climates, and some live in desert areas. Of those snakes purchased as a pet, boa constrictors are among the most common. Most varieties of boa constrictors are native to Central or South America. They have muscular bodies and often grow to be very large, something pet owners must consider. The snake that makes an enjoyable pet when three feet long could be a danger to pets and small children when 15 feet long.

Boas eat by capturing its prey and then suffocating it. It can then unhinge its lower jaw, which makes the mouth large enough to swallow its meal. During the period when the snake is swallowing the prey, the snake itself is vulnerable to its enemies, such as large hawks and other hunting birds. When the giant snakes survive in the wild, some grow to great lengths, sometimes more than 30 feet. But to get to that length, they must survive a variety of hazards.

When young, they can be eaten by meat-eating mammals, birds, and other snakes. The larger the grow, the fewer predators they will have, but snakes in the wild can get sick and often have parasites. This is one reason why people should not get their pet snakes by capturing them. In some places it's illegal, and snakes serve a valuable purpose in the wild by eating smaller mammals. Farmers never disturb nonpoisonous snakes because the snakes help solve the problem of mice that could eat their harvests.

Some people like to keep snakes as pets because they are quiet, clean, fascinating to watch, and because they believe they are easy to care for. However, snakes need special care, partly because they are so unique and partly because their life in captivity is very different than the life they would have had in the wild. Although many pet snakes are bred in captivity, they are still wild animals with the needs of wild animals.

In addition, they are predators, and owners should think about how large a predator they are willing to have in their home in, say, ten years. Potential snake owners need to know that if their cute, squirmy reptile turns into a giant predator, few people will want the snake, and zoos typically do not take snakes that have lived as pets. Snakes in the wild move about from environment to control their body temperature.

During the hottest part of the day they will seek shade, and on cool days, they will sit on a rock in the sun, gathering heat from both the sun's rays and the warmed rock. Unfortunately, snakes sold commercially are often shipped without consideration of their special environmental needs, and many die. Responsible owners should ask dealers about how humanely the animals were treated prior to their arrival at the pet shop and avoid shop owners who do not know, so they do not contribute to animal cruelty by accident.

Owners also need to learn about the variety of snake they have and how to care for it. In the wild, a snake that becomes sick and injured becomes part of the food chain, but once a person has taken an animal on.