Slithering to a Different Beat of Pet Ownership

April 7, 2008

Of the few hundred species of snakes native to North America, Saadiq -- a Columbian red tail boa -- is not one of them. Yet, Saadiq is quite at home in Colorado, like many non-native snakes that are in U.S. homes as family pets.

Still, Saadiq leads a slightly unusual life for a pet snake. He goes to work with his owner, Marta, who asked to keep her last name private, every time she punches the clock.

“I’d been belly dancing for a couple years when I saw a dancer dance (with a snake) and I thought it was so beautiful,” said Marta. “I already loved snakes, so I had this image of dancing with a snake myself.”

With her image in mind, Marta began the search for her new dance partner.

“I wanted a red tail because of their size,” said Marta. “And, I wanted a male because they don’t get as long or as big around so I’d be able to keep dancing with him when he’s at full size.”

With a sturdy box complete with ample air holes and a solid latch, Marta and Saadiq travel to various gigs. But dancing with a snake, particularly a boa constrictor, gave Marta a new set of challenges as a performer.

“So the way I trained myself was I got to know how he moves and what his response will be to certain things I do,” said Marta. “If I pick him up too fast, he’s going to shoot around my neck to stay safe. And if I don’t give him enough support to be evenly distributed, he’s going to drop.”

Because Saadiq is one moving part, constantly slithering around Marta as she dances, she has to constantly shift her balance and change her movements to accommodate him. This is crucial to the partnership since a moment of fear could cause the snake to constrict.

“If he got around my neck he’d be strong enough to strangle me,” said Marta. “So I just always have to be really tuned into him.”

After eight years of practicing and performing, the duo has come to know each other’s rhythms.

Saadiq has even developed a reputation for being a bold party mingler.

“He can be a party animal -- he loves people,” said Marta. “He goes around people’s necks and will be like ‘hey, how you doing?’ He’ll go around someone and I can’t leave!”

While Marta has had a lifelong love of snakes, it is important to understand the issues surrounding snake ownership.

Consideration should be given to how big the snake will grow, the kind of space it will need to live in, that it will need to be feed live animals, such as mice and rabbits, and medical bills or general care can cost hundreds of dollars a year.

But most of all, the key to being a responsible snake owner is understanding why a snake would be an ideal pet.

Robin Wallace, Pet Pulse, contributed to this article.