I sent this message. Anyone else is free to copy any portion of it that they like for their own use. Good luck arguing your case, hopefully they will come around.
Hello. My name is Chris Guarino, and I am avid reptile breeder and keeper with over 20 years of experience.
I would like to start by thanking you folks for all of the hard work that you do making sure that animals are kept safe and healthy in your jurisdiction. It is important work that you do for a noble cause.
That being said, it has come to my attention that you may have some misinformation about the proper care and housing of snakes. For that reason, I would like to give you a brief overview of the subject. Let me start by saying that I in no way approve of the mistreatment of any animal for any reason, and consider every one of my animals to be equally deserving of my responsibility and proper care as my own children. The information that I give you below is the result of over a decade of experience keeping, breeding, and caring for dozens of species of snakes.
There are many different species of snake, and many species, and even individuals within a species, will have different requirements and preferences. However, as a rule, Snakes are very different from many other animals in their housing needs. When it comes to things like light and space, they are actually quite averse to an overabundance of these things. Where a dog or cat will be happier with acres upon acres of space, and lots of bright light, a snake will be made to feel insecure and anxious by the same. Snakes are unlike dogs, cats, birds, and even many other reptiles, like turtles and lizards. They have evolved over time to be animals largely specialized to hide in small, dark places. They feel most secure and calm when they are in the dark, and often undergo serious stress reactions when they feel exposed in too much space or light.
For this reason, many people who keep snakes choose to keep them in tubs. The tubs are opaque, which helps the snake feel hidden, and are often shorter in height, which helps the snake feel secure. There is such a thing as too small a tub, but it is often considerably less than you would expect. For instance, a 4 or 5 foot corn snake can be kept quite happily in a 36 inch by 18 inch tub. By contrast, I once had a 5 foot Honduran Milk Snake that was having serious stress issues in a 36x18, and when I moved her to a 24x12, she finally began to recover. The most important need that space serves is to provide a proper temperature gradient for the snake to thermoregulate its body. As long as the enclosure is large enough for this gradient, the snake is often quite happy.
Many people choose to keep their animals in larger, glass enclosures. This is largely for display purposes, and in both my own personal experience, and in the sharing of information with other dedicated enthusiasts, it is these snakes that are most likely to have issues with stress. The glass walls and open space are actually more likely to make the animal stressed, as they cause it to feel exposed to potential predators. Oftentimes, people who keep their animals in large, display-type enclosures need to go to extra lengths to compensate, like adding a deep layer of bedding for the animal to burrow in, or adding multiple hides of varying sizes to which the snake can retreat.
In all the time I have spent keeping snakes, I have never had an issue with an enclosure being too small. Often, the greatest challenge with snakes being too large for an enclosure is the increase in cleaning and maintenance, which is what often precipitates the move to a larger cage, not the animal’s own preferences.
Another major difference between snakes and some other animals is their brains. Snakes do not require a lot of the things that, say, a dog might like. For instance, they do not get much out of human interaction. While many snakes are calm and inquisitive, I have never seen a snake that truly sought out attention from a human being. They also do not like to interact with toys, obstacle courses, or other “mental stimulation” such as a mammal or bird would like to do. Snakes are mostly concerned with having their needs met, and then being left to enjoy their satisfaction. A snake that is well fed, given fresh water, kept in a clean enclosure, and left alone, is the happiest snake. Changing the snake’s environment, such as to add a new toy, or something new to climb on, is more likely to cause stress to the animal than it is to provide any sort of entertainment. In the best case scenario, the snake would often ignore the change completely.
In conclusion, while I know it may sound counterintuitive for anyone who has a background in other animals, snakes actually are perfectly happy to be kept in tubs, as long as the tubs are clean, have a proper temperature gradient, and have an ample supply of fresh water. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions. Thank you for your time, and especially for your service.
