The hidden factory farms behind America’s pet snake boom

Vox reported that the number of U.S. households owning pet snakes rose from approximately 810,000 in 2018 to 1.3 million in 2024, with the share of households owning more than three snakes doubling. To meet the demand for feeding these snakes, companies are breeding tens of millions of mice and rats in factory farms where undercover investigations have revealed overcrowded and inhumane conditions.