Ok. I've always loved snakes, but I know alot of people who don't. When working at the zoo if I was handling a snake and people when by that didn't liek them I'd try to educate them about it and if they still didn't like them they'd be on their way. I could live with that, but my sister-in-law is another story. She is afraid everything will eat her kids and esp. does not like snakes. She also likes to argue with me over IMs when she gets grumpy and want to let off steam. I had a conversation with her today over an IM after I sent her pictures of Karma. Normally I can be very parient with people, but she knows exactly how to push my buttons some times. Here is how are conversation went (words in pink are my commetns after the fact):
her: karma is kind of cute....
her: now
me: kind of? he is ADORABLE!
her: but i don't know about later
me: He will be just as cute, just a little longer and fater
her:those things scare the crap out of me
me:Why?
her: cause they do...
me: i don't trust them
me: BPs can't hurt you
her: they call them snakes for a reason ( note: I have no idea what she means by this)
me: ?
her:they have teeth right (note: So in her dictionary snakes are anything with teeth?)
me: Yeah, . They bps RARELY bite. You'd probably have to like kick it across the room first.
her: one time is all it takes (note:takes to do what?)
me: The only time they might is if you mess with them in mid shed when the scales on their eye cloud up and they can't see well.
me:Their bite would probably be less painful than if Sam or Peanut bit us (note: her yorkie and my shih tzu)
her: If people know their animals so well then why are all these people getting killed and bit and torn apart by the animals they have known for years
me: ???
me: a BP couldn't kill a person
her: sigfreed and roy.....and tigers......and the sting ray guy...
meL: He isn't a tiger, he is a ball python
her: they are all sweet and predictable until something happens
me: I don't think They couldn't hurt you bad even if they went insane
her: it's a wild animal though
me: Sam would have a better chance at killing me
me: He isn't wild and even adults would be too small to kill a person
me: only big pythons like Burmese could possibly kill perople
her: you think a 3 to 5 foot snake can't squeeze the crap out of you
me: they can't (note: at this point of the conversation I'm getting ticked off)
Her:or jasper or a cat (note: my 14 yr. old lab x)
her: or the bird
her: a guinea pig (note: Oh yeah I'm going tohave my bird and GP visit my BP. Why don't I throw my hamsters in with them while i'm at it. psh.)
me:They biggest prey they can eat is a big rat
me:They couldn't swallow anything bigger than that
meL The cats would kill the Pigs, and tweeter too (note: I have five cats, I think they are the bigger threat)
me:i'm just saying it is a wild animal and don't take it for granted
me: not wild
me: they have their own way about things
me: can't hurt you badly
me: even if they wanted to
her: all animals were wild at one time
her:even dogs
me: then I better put Jasper behind bars
me: Peanut too
me: they both coould kill me easier
her: they have been civilized longer then snakes have (note: yeah, I didn't hear that when I had my ferret)
me:BPs are NOT big enough to hurt you (note:Getting frustrated )
her: not now
me: not ever
her: but 3 to 5 feet later
me:nope
her: when it is bigger then you (note: I didn't bother to correct her but I don't think it is getting longer tha 5"5")
me: They are too small
me: Belive me
her: ok (note: she doesn't mean it)
me:No one has ever been killed by a bp
her: yup
her:k (note:still doesn't mean it.)

::sigh:: I don't get these irrational fears over snakes. Normally I would not argue with somebody about it, but my gosh, they come up with soem pretty wild idea about why tehy tink they should be hated.