Staff Report Special considerations before you decide on a reptile as your next pet. The Temperature's Rising When you invest in a pet snake, budget the largest expense not for the animal or even the tank, but for the special light and heat the animal will need to survive.
Snakes are cold-blooded animals.
Their body temperature matches their environment. You also will need to buy a thermometer to track the temperature in the tank and make sure it stays at an acceptable level. If a snake gets too cold, it will stop eating and may even die. Some snakes and other reptiles require full-spectrum lighting , which gives them vitamin D and helps them to absorb calcium. If you're going to keep these animals, you'll need to buy special full-spectrum light bulbs for their terrariums.