Snakes are increasingly popular pets but are among the most commonly mistreated due to misunderstanding of their thermal, spatial, and feeding needs.
Snake welfare is complicated by two factors: snakes appear inactive and stress-free when they are often chronically cold and immuno-suppressed, and their welfare needs are poorly understood by most keepers. A snake curled motionless in an undersized enclosure is not content — it is thermoregulating inefficiently in a stressful environment. Minimum viable enclosures should allow the snake to fully extend; ideally they should be larger. Hides at both warm and cool ends, appropriate substrate for burrowing species, and varied environmental stimulation are baseline requirements. Wild-caught snakes from poorly regulated trades should be avoided entirely.