Ringneck snakes are snakes you can always get as pets. This snake, which is relatively harmless, can be found in major parts of eastern Canada, the United States, and central Mexico. This is one snake you might have a beautiful time raising.
When it comes to ringneck snakes, you should know that they need to be given proper care and attention. The type of care you give them will largely affect their health and how well they can play with you. Let’s go straight into how to care for your ringneck snakes.
How to Care for Ringneck Snakes
There are a lot of things you will need to do if you are looking for ways to care for your ringneck snake. Here are some tips below.
1. Good and Regular Diet
This is the first thing that should be at the top of your list if you are looking for ways to care for your ringneck snake. If you give your snake a good and regular diet, the chances of the snake getting ill are pretty low. Your snake will also grow up to be healthy and active.
When it comes to diet for ringneck snakes, you should consider a couple of things. Firstly, this snake doesn’t need to eat every day. You can give the ringneck snake food 2 to 3 times a week. They feed on rodents, insects, and earthworms, so ensure you have plenty of those wherever you want to give them food.
2. Keep the Cage at a Proper Temperature
When it comes to a snake like this, you should know that the temperature of the environment, habitat, or cage, goes a long way in determining their health. If you are serious about caring for your ringneck snake, you need to pay enough attention to the temperature where the snake is kept.
Snakes like these do not like a place that is too hot, they also do not like a place that is too cold. The imbalance in temperature will not just affect their health, it can also affect their growth and skin color. You need to ensure the temperature is kept at a very moderate level such as 60 – 70 degrees.
3. Build a Proper Cage
This is one of the most important things you need to do when it comes to caring for your ringneck snake. You need to take your time to build a proper cage. The type of cage you build will determine the psychological state of your Snake.
If you have a ringneck snake, you need to understand it will require various things such as enough space, soil, water, wood or places to go hiding, and a lot more. All these things are needed for the snake to feel comfortable.
Your snake will also feel stressed if there are no places to hide as hiding from sight is something it is biologically programmed to do. Consider all these things when building your cage.
How Do I Know if my Ringneck Snake is Sick?
Many people miss the obvious signs whenever their snake is sick. This often results in the snake dying. I am pretty sure you do not want this happening to you. Below are things to observe when it comes to the health of your ringneck snake.
Method 1: Breathing through the Mouth
This is the first pointer that should allow you to know if your ringneck snake is sick. The moment you notice your snake breathing through the mouth, you should know that there is something wrong with the snake
Snakes breathe through the nostrils. If your snake is breathing through the mouth, it simply means your snake has gotten a respiratory infection. You need to take it to the vet to avoid the death of your snake. The vet will allow you to know if it is a common infection or something much more.
Method 2: Lethargy
This is the second thing that should let you know if your ringneck snake is in proper health. Your snake should be able to respond to light, sounds, and movement. If you turn on the light and your snake stays stagnant without moving, it is a pretty obvious sign that your snake is sick.
Apart from light, your snake should be able to respond to sounds and movement. If you walk around the snake and the snake remains stagnant, you should take it as another sign that your snake might not be feeling too well, in cases like this, the best thing for you to do is to call the vet.
Method 3: Appetite
This is another thing that plays a very important role in letting you know if your ringneck snake is healthy. If your ringneck snake isn’t eating as it should, it might be a sign that there is a problem somewhere.
There are a lot of things you can do to test the appetite of your snake, you can offer it earthworms or insects. If it rejects all of these, especially when it hasn’t eaten in the last 3 to 4 days, it might be pretty smart to call the doctor as your snake is not feeling too well.
How can I Train a Ringneck Snake?
While it is possible to train a ringneck snake, you should keep in mind that the mode of training pets like these differs from how you train pets like dogs and cats. When training a ringneck snake, you have to be patient and slow with it. Below are tips to help train the snake.
– Do not Handle it more than 3 Times a Week
This is the first thing you need to keep in mind when it comes to training your Ringneck snake. Most snakes do not like to be touched or handled, so, try not to handle this pet as much as possible.
If you can’t resist the urge to handle them, you can ensure you do not touch them more than 2 times a week. This will give the snake a sense of security.
– Train Them at Night
Snakes generally are night beings, they love to move around at night and hibernate during the day. The ringneck snake is no different. If you are looking for the best possible time to train your snake or see if it is learning one or two things, you have to try doing it at night.
One thing about a snake like this is the fact that they are most active at night. So, if you are looking to train them, you will have to fix your training schedule to nighttime.
– Do Specific Routines
Snakes learn a lot through routines. You should know that if you want a snake to move in a certain way, the best way to teach it is by making it go through a routine. By going through a routine frequently, the snake becomes accustomed to that routine. This is the best way to train your snake.
You should know that you cannot train your snake to perform specific tasks as your dog or cat would.
Conclusion
There are things you can do if you will like to care for your ringneck snake. Some of these things have been discussed in the article above.
There are also different methods you can use to know if your snake isn’t feeling too well, with a read-through, you will get all the methods listed and a lot of other relevant information about the ringneck snake.
