thoughts on class pets?

[gwentennyson]

I'm going to be a first year high school science teacher in a few weeks and will be moving my BP into the classroom this Saturday.

I was just wondering if there are any other teachers with BP's as class pets and how people generally feel about having BPs as class pets.

So... thoughts?

[Ax01]

i'm not a teacher, but IMO a BP might not be the best display snake for a classroom. it will be in it's hide more often than not and being handled by dozens of kids may really stress it out. how old is your snake BTW? i think the younger and less experience it has with humans will make it a more difficult snake/classroom pet.

my 4th grade teacher had a corn snake which was very active. it was fun watching him throughout the day slither around and climb and eat!

[gwentennyson]

i'm not a teacher, but IMO a BP might not be the best display snake for a classroom. it will be in it's hide more often than not and being handled by dozens of kids may really stress it out. how old is your snake BTW? i think the younger and less experience it has with humans will make it a more difficult snake/classroom pet.

my 4th grade teacher had a corn snake which was very active. it was fun watching him throughout the day slither around and climb and eat!

thanks for the input!

but yeah, I've thought about the nocturnal thing. But a teacher that I worked with in my student teaching had 8 BP's in her classroom (ranging from 6 months to 15 years old) and all were great with her students. All but the 15 year old snake were handled every day and never harmed a student. She told me the snakes were great to help students focus in class, especially students with the need to constantly move and to change students' fear of snakes.

Of course, I do know that all snakes are different. I've had mine for 2 months now and he's never shown any signs of aggression. As far as age, I'm not too sure about that. The "breeder" I got him from said he was about a year old but he's weighing in at about 180g and doesn't look underweight so I'm going to guess he's much younger than a year old!

[BCS]

My only issue with it is we are talking high school students... I would beore worried for the poor thing's safety.

[MS2]

I'm shipping a spider bp today to a teacher in Mo. And he is going to put her in his classroom. I think it's pretty cool!

[Gerardo]

I agree with BCS. Just have to make sure they don't mess with the snakes. Teenagers in groups can be bad news for small animals. But the idea of having a classroom pet is cool.

[AKA Dave]

We had snakes in my classrooms. But that was many years ago. I say go for it. Might even be able to make holding the snake a reward for something. It would limit the amount of handling and make it special at the same time.

Dave

[distaff]

I would at least get an enclosure with a lock.
Maybe that is just me. I trust no one.
A classroom of random students? Absolutely not!

[Penultimate]

Mmm... I don't like class pets... I'm not a teacher, but I was in a class with a pet corn snake for part of a year.

The students didn't like him and didn't know what to do with him. The teacher was afraid of him. They took horrible care of him, keeping him in a cage with no hide so they could see him better with improper temperatures and fed him only once a month. When he injured his eye, the teacher wouldn't take him to the vet because the classroom budget wouldn't cover it. He escaped once and they didn't even notice until (by their estimate) two weeks had passed. It was not a good life for that snake. Not only that, but the constant foot traffic couldn't have been fun for him.

Unfortunately, I have never seen a happy, not stressed, healthy class pet. Ever. If it wasn't dirty bedding, overcrowding, an improper environment or no food and water it was a student tormenting the poor thing. I've seen fish killing each other because the teacher stuffed the tank full, guinea pigs cowering in fear from the students and, of course, the injured corn snake.

If a class pet is kept responsibly, I think it could be a good thing. Maybe if there were a lot of places for the snake to hide and it were in an out of the way location it could be ok, but this must be done correctly. The snake needs to feel comfortable. Snake first, people who want to look at a snake second. I can see a pet being used to teach students not to fear snakes if done right, and that is a very good thing.

After seeing what I have, I have some suggestions.

1. Get a lock for your cage and make the cage too heavy to easily tip over. Just trust me on that one.

1.5. Don't get a glass cage. They're too clear and open. A ball won't like being stared at from every angle. I would get an Animal Plastics cage with a radiant heat panel from Reptile Basics. They're attractive, can be ordered with a lock and key and will keep the snake feeling more secure. A bit pricier than glass, yes, but well worth it.

2. Put more hides and cover than usual in the cage. Remember, ball pythons are secretive by nature and you're putting one into a more chaotic situation. Therefore, more cover must be provided.

3. Get a thermostat (A good one, like a Herpstat. They're nearly impossible to set up, but they work very well once you have them ready.) and try your best to make sure that a student never sees it. I don't care what you do to hide it, but you don't want anyone messing with it.

4. Keep everything squeaky clean at all times. What if a student really likes the python and wants one for themselves? Set a good example.

5. Keep handling to a minimum, always supervise handling and do not play "pass the snake". I would have the teacher be the only one handling the snake and anyone else who wants to try it has to come after school.

6. Always supervise live feeding and do any feeding after school. This is to avoid upsetting anyone and making sure the snake isn't injured.

7. Put some money aside in case there's a sudden emergency vet bill. This is important.

8. Make sure you know the temperature of the school at night. It might be cooler.

I think it can be done, but it must be done carefully. Make sure the snake is not stressed and is healthy. If you do that, you should be ok. Don't cut any corners and do things by the book (or caresheet in this case). Set a good example for the kids and keep your pet healthy.

[frostysBP]

My German teacher had a rose hair and science teacher had a rtb and a veild cham. Its a great idea lock cage would be a good idea to

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