Whilst the pandemic made some families consider a new pet, a local couple from Welton, Amy Hathway and Richard Saunders, have converted a bedroom to make a special enclosure for their python, Tiger Lily. The couple are hoping to break the stigma on snake ownership and educate those looking to keep them.

After years of rescuing reptiles, the couple want to use their knowledge to educate people on how to house snakes properly, depending on their size and breed.

Having re-homed other reptiles, the snake owners have now settled down with two-year-old, 9ft Burmese Python, Tiger-Lily, who they hope to give a forever home with a homemade, three metre enclosure decked with ladders, energy-saving heaters, LED changing lights and floor chippings – all from a bedroom!

Amy explained: “It is becoming more common for people to stunt the growth of snakes so that they do not have to house them when they get bigger, therefore cutting the costs. This is especially seen in snake breeders who have various types, or people who cannot afford the energy needed to make sure the cold-blooded reptiles are kept at the correct temperature.

“We decided to build our own enclosure after Tiger-Lily outgrew her previous vivarium. She could grow up to 18ft and live for twenty to thirty years, so we needed something that was going to be a permanent and sustaining home for her so that she can develop how she would in her natural habitat.

“I am so proud of Richard for achieving such an amazing build within our home.”

The couple explained that any enclosure that you are keeping a snake in should be the length and the width added together equalling the length or longer than your snake, but many people house snakes in vivariums far too small for their size, which is one of the contributing factors to pet snakes being a lot smaller than they should be.

The hypo-granite Burmese Python, currently measuring 9ft, requires three extra large frozen rats every fortnight to maintain her weight and make sure that she is growing correctly.

Richard told The Journal: “Pythons of this size tend to eat a lot more when they are younger to grow large enough so they are not as vulnerable to predators.

“When we first rescued Tiger-Lily, she was half the size that she should have been for an eighteen month old snake, but that was because her previous owners stunted her growth to make sure she did not outgrow her vivarium, which is a common occurrence in snake ownership.

“Tiger-Lily is currently two stone, three pounds, but depending on her feeding value and how often she eats, she could grow to weigh as much as one hundred and thirty pounds.”

Amy and her partner, Richard, who has rescued various snakes for over twelve years, spend much of their time trying to educate people on the correct way to home a snake. When asked what advice they would give to people looking into buying a reptile, they said: “Do plenty of research and read up on everything that you can.

“Before building Tiger-Lily’s enclosure we made sure that we had a full understanding of her requirements and what she needs in terms of the heating system, where she requires both a hot and a cold end.

“It is not cheap to keep snakes, so we have installed an energy-saving system to make sure that we keep her enclosure at 29c in the middle, without it costing us a fortune.

“We have also made sure to cover the floor in wood chipping to make sure that she can shed her skin easily, something that many people do not think about when purchasing tanks.

“As snakes need to be housed on their own, it is important to keep them stimulated, so we allow Tiger-Lily to explore in the garden and swim in the pond when the weather allows.

“Having a snake of any size is a huge commitment which people do not think about, so they end up getting passed from pillar to post because they are cheap to buy but not cheap to run.

“We just want to make sure that people understand what they are committing to when they buy into snake ownership, and realise the long-term effects their treatment of the animals will have on them.”

If you are looking at getting a snake, visit Reptiles UK, found via Facebook, for the best care advice.