Just 19 Things On Amazon That Snake Owners Swear By
Who crawls, sheds, and loves all of their extremely new cool accessories? Your snakes, after you read this.
We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.
1. A durable snake hook, for when you have to move your scaly pal. Some snakes have a tendency to snap when they see their enclosure lid lift, because they think it's dinner time; a hook can help you gently lift them without accidentally getting nipped in the process.
Promising review: "I bought this to replace my 26" collapsible snake hook that my snakes got too fat and heavy for. This thing is like the tank of snake hooks! Think golf putter with a snake hook at the end. I have great distance from my striking snakes when they're super hungry, but I can also grab further down the shaft if I need to get a little closer. It's a high-quality product that appears like it will last forever, provided that you only use it for what it was intended (and not for sinking golf balls)."—DNFF
Price: $42
2. A bag of fluffy, shredded substrate that will allow your slithery buds to nest and burrow, just like they would in the wild.
Promising review: "Keep in mind that substrates for other reptiles (like lizards) are not always safe for snakes, who may accidentally eat some of it along with their food. Aspen bedding is snake-safe, and this big bag lasts months in our 20-gal terrarium. Snake poop is easy to find and to scoop out, keeping the rest of the bedding fresh. We’ve never had an odor problem with it, and our snakes seem very comfortable (We have two juvenile ball pythons in a divided terrarium). As a bonus, when it’s time to change the bedding, it’s so fluffy and lightweight that you can just flip the terrarium over and shake it into a bag!" —Daniel P. Sniderman
Price: $4.49+ (available in four, eight, and 24 quart bags, and in four-packs and six-packs)
3. A sturdy, smooth hide box with no dangerous sharp edges, so your snake can follow their natural urge to hide away — which will lead to lowered stress levels, a better appetite, and improved overall health.
Promising review: "My snake loves his new hide. I purchased the large one and my adult male ball python fits in it perfectly. I don't know how well a female would fit in a large one, though; it might be too tight of a fit. It's a nice dark hide and it can even retain heat because it's black. Highly recommended for snake owners." —Brittney Graham
Price: $8.99+ (available in sizes S–XXL and Jumbo)
4. A pair of 15-inch feeding tongs, because the things your snakes love to snack on — like frozen mice — aren't always things you want to touch. It also keeps your hands safe if your crawlers get over-excited during feedings and snap or bite.
5. A waterproof, ceramic infrared heat emitter that doesn't give off light, so it won't bother your snake when they're trying to get their beauty sleep.
6. A heavy, easy-to-clean water dish made from non-porous resin, for the snake who has a habit (you might even call it a hobby!) of flipping over their bowls.
Promising review: "Love this water dish! Super easy to clean and disinfect. Looks great in my terrarium for my corn snake. It's definitely on the large side for her right now, but the large is perfect for an adult corn, and she's definitely growing into it. Very heavy, I doubt your average 5' snake could move this. It would be too small for anything larger unless they're not a soaking species. Great purchase." —A. VANDREUMEL
Price: $14.54
7. Or a water bowl that fits sqaure in the corner of a tank, so it won't easily get knocked or moved around.
Promising review: "My snake always tipped over her old water bowl. She can’t tip this one over and I love it!" —Lisa Allen
Price: $5.85+ (available in sizes S-XL)
8. A cool-air humidifier, because you want your enclosure to stay as humid as your snake needs without worrying about overheating them.
Promising review: "This is a great product with great performance. It was bought for a ball python named Bruce. We have an open vent top, and as we are in the winter season, our apartment air gets pretty dry with the heater on all the time. As I work night time, and my partner works daytime, there is little time in between to keep Bruce’s humidity in check. This fogger can really make the tank super foggy, or create little-to-no fog; you use the adjuster for how much fog you want. We have ours set medium-low and the humidity level stays very consistent, hovering around 50-70%, which is perfect for ball pythons. Another plus: this machine arrived right on time, as Bruce was in the beginning stages of shedding. We usually give him a lukewarm bath when he is near the end of his shed to help moisten up his skin and make it easier for him to peel off. This last time, we left Bruce alone with this humidifier and he was able to peel off his old skin without any assistance, thanks to this humidifier keeping the humidity level up. I recommend this product, especially if you have snakes." —Joel Gonzalez
Price: $45.99
9. A realistic faux-rock background for snakes who love to explore ledges and crevices.
10. Or a flat desert scene that can be mounted to the back of your terrarium, because backgrounds aren't just there to spruce up the decor — they give your snake increased privacy in glass terrariums, and help mimic their natural habitat.
11. A thermometer and humidity monitor with digital read-out, so you can always know exactly how it feels in the enclosure, and whether you need to make any adjustments. The monitor sticks directly to the glass of the tank, so you don't have to open up your enclosure just to check on the heat.
Promising review: "I bought these for my crested gecko and snake enclosures because they were recommended on a site as being the best accurate device for a low price. I have to say, I have pleased with them so far. They stick right to the sides of their tubs, and can be seen without having to open the enclosure. Temperatures seem accurate and it was easy to switch them to Fahrenheit the first time I used them. They're inexpensive enough that I can afford to buy one for each enclosure, and multiples if needed. I'll definitely be getting more in the future if I add more reptiles." —A Reader
Price: $12.89
12. A hefty, moldable climbing vine, for arboreal snakes who like to spend most of their hangout time off the ground.
Promising review: "This vine was purchased for two of my snakes. Both of them are arboreal, so they live off the ground in trees. These vines have a great natural look and feel to them. The package contained a single six foot strand of vine that was coiled up. It is a harder foam-like material with a metal rod (like a hanger) through it. I was able to use some heavy-duty scissors to cut the vine into the desired sizes I wanted to put into my tanks. The metal piece in the middle makes it moldable, and hold its shape very well. I was able to curve the ends of the vines around the logs I have in the tanks to give them a natural look, and my snakes can move across the vines or lay on them. This was a great price for a 6-foot piece of vine, and I would really recommend it to those of you that are wanting that natural look. I use live plants in all of my tanks and these look like they belong in there with the plants. Great product." —Adam Wells
Price: $4.99+ (available in 1, 2, and 3-packs)
13. A mossy cave that does double-duty inside your enclosure: with regular misting, it can help regulate your tank's humidity, and some smaller snakes, like corn snakes, will enjoy hiding in it or basking on top of it.
Promising review: "This is my corn snake's favorite hidey. It's under her spot lamp and she'll bask on top of it in the morning and evening, and sleep inside it during the day. I love that it's moss and, with a little extra misting, can double as a humid hide during shed." —Gilded Lily
Price: $13.99
14. A roll of faux leaves, so you can fill your habitat with realistic-looking plant life that will make your snake feel in their element — just use the attached suction cups to stick them to the sides of your tank.
Promising review: "I have a 20-gallon long habitat, and this plant takes up a lot of it. The plant is big and bushy. My corn snake LOVES it. He hides in the leaves, and wraps in and out if it all the time. He likes to hang out in it and poke his head out to look around. I HIGHLY recommend this plant." —A Elliott
Price: $7.03+ (available in packs of 1–4)
15. A heating mat with manual temperature controls that warms your tank by attaching to the outside, so you have greater control of the environment and there's no light to disrupt your snake's sleep.
Promising review: "The adhesive is working well, even in humid conditions. I like the size of the mat and so far, my ball python is spending a lot more time in that area of the terrarium. I had another pad in the past that had an automatic temperature adjustment, but I like this one better because I can manually control the temperature." —Cameron Howell
Price: $13.99+ (available in two sizes)
16. An organic reptile tank cleaner with a built-in scrub brush, so you can really go at your enclosure's dirtiest and/or stankiest corners.
Promising review: "I used this to clean my ball pythons tank after I purchased it and I love it. It doesn't have a lingering smell and the brush really helps clean the accessories and corners of the tank. You also don't need a lot of the solution to clean with. I just poured some into some warm water and scrubbed away. The solution also comes out of the brush, but only in small amounts." —B.
Price: $5.17
17. A shedding aid spray for times when stress, temporary changes to shelter conditions, or other circumstances are making your snake have a difficult shed cycle.
Promising review: "You should always practice good husbandry for your reptile, don't rely on this to get them through their shed cycle! If their humidity and enclosure are properly maintained, shedding should be easy and consistent. That being said, this spray is excellent for extraordinary situations. I recently moved my ball python to my parent's house till I find a place that permits reptiles. The cold weather and stress of the move made her latest shed very difficult, and she retained a lot of shed around her head, neck and on her eyes. When soaking didn't help and the skin stayed put for a few weeks, I turned to this spray. Applying it directly to her head caused the old skin on her eyes to come off within the hour, and the rest of the old skin to fall off steadily after. It worked great and with no ill effects on my snake, it will be my go-to if she ever has another hard shed." —Alex
Price: $8.38
18. A dimmable LED light hood with both day and night settings that doesn't give off heat, so you don't have to worry about overheating your snek pal.
19. A disinfecting first aid spray, for healing scale rot or any other small boo-boos your slithery companion experiences.
Promising review: "My ball python had some really bad scale rot, and I used this stuff to treat it. When I took her to the vet, he took a look at her and goes, 'You absolutely nuked all of the scale rot. What did you use?' I showed him this product and he was like, 'oh yep, that’ll do it.' So yeah, this stuff is miracle juice." —Abigail Dean
Price: $14.24
Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.