My Pet Snake Dream Faded When 6 Surprising Factors Came Into Play

They're sleek and exotic, slithering in a way that mesmerizes. When they coil, they become art and sit as if upon a throne in an enclosure. They are creatures to be admired in their wildness and reflect a part of you that speaks of your striking personality. Why pump the brakes on the perfect pet for you?

Not only is this a mega-serious commitment, but you have to be prepared for the challenges you're to face when you bring a snake home as a pet. There are some cold truths you have to swallow before you can confidently move forward with your plan of snake ownership. Discover what they are.

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While you aren't going to groggily and begrudgingly wake at a ridiculous hour on Sunday morning to let it out for a pee break, you do need to take special care of a snake. For example, their enclosures must be perfect—down to a T. This includes humidity and heat levels. No walks to the park, but definitely regular walks to the enclosure to check hygrometer and thermometer readings to ensure a healthy pet.

If you're not all about precision and commitment to caring for a pet snake, you'll regret bringing one home. Although you may love your pet snake, if you're not caring for it properly, it can easily become ill. Then, you're looking at some heavy spending at an exotic pet vet. If you're not prepared, do yourself a favor and wait until you are.

You can set it up all nice and cozy, have the ideal temperature and humidity settings, and your snake may still not like it and want to explore other areas of your home. If you happen to bring a snake home that's picky about its surroundings, you may have an escape artist on your hands.

Yep, they will find a way to get out and won't hesitate to slither out. If your setup isn't absolutely sealed, they'll find the one area you overlooked and make their way into your home like they're making rent payments.

And it's not pretty. Whereas you sit down with a knife and fork to delicately cut up your favorite protein, snakes lack that kind of table manners. You can't just toss in some pellets and expect things to go well.

Snakes eat entire rodents, whether they're running away or limp, the life already gone from their bodies. For a snake, that's simply dinner. You get to decide whether you go the live or frozen dead route, but either way, it's not for the squeamish.

This photo seems to depict a sweet moment between a woman and a snake. But let's be real. Snakes aren't fuzzy wuzzy lovey-dovey reptiles.

The thought of a snake coiling around you may seem cool and make for a killer photoshoot, but snakes just don't crave your attention the way other pets do. They're in their own world. If you're expecting any sort of affection or interaction, try a different reptile.

Hamsters have a lifespan of about two to three years. They're what you might call a short-term pet. But snakes? Not the case at all. You have to be in it for the long haul.

You read that correctly. Some snakes can reach well past their twenties when in captivity. That's a long-term commitment, considering how persnickety they are about their enclosures.

You and some of your friends or family may love snakes, but you're bound to encounter someone who bristles at the thought of a snake close by. They're cool for a while, but they don't do much. You can't expect them to perform tricks for your buddies. They may be intrigued for a moment, but they'll generally glance over, making sure that unique pet of yours isn't making a grand escape.

If that's your preference, then hey, this could work in your favor. Most of the time, however, you want to be able to kick back with some of your favorite people, and snakes make the environment feel less relaxed and cozy for most. If you have the right crowd around you, a deep desire to care for a snake, and you're ready to commit for the long run, you're ready. If not, think again.