Weird snake guy????

[sgarelick]

Our family just got a normal CCB BP about 3 weeks ago. I've always had a fascination for reptiles (all animals in general) so we decided it would be a great addition to our growing list of pets. When I was younger, I had a garter snake and also a boa constrictor. Getting the snake "for the kids" was really an excuse to allow myself to get one.

It's been very interesting to me what most peoples reactions have been when I've told them about our new pet. Most people cringe and have a look for pure disgust on their faces when I tell them. I even had someone say that simply because of owning a BP, a normal person like me would now be deemed the "weird snake guy". It just amazes me at the misconceptions that people have about snakes (and reptiles in general).

Is there a negative social stigma associated with owning snakes? Have any of you run into the same issue? While we've only had him for 3 weeks now, I'm already starting to think about adding other snakes to our collection and maybe even one day, taking a shot at breeding, but I'll admit that I do care what others think and I don't want to be known as the weird snake guy.

--Steve

[JLC]

Hehe....I can relate!!


I'm a 40 year old mom of three kids...wife to a long-term career military guy who is an officer in the AF and will likely be a Squadron Commander next year. (Which will make me the Commanding Officer's Wife -- COW ). It just doesn't get any more ordinary and "mainstream" than that. I don't have any tats...nor any unusual piercings. I don't wear outrageous clothes or look mean or anything. I go to Church and love the Lord and do my best to live for Him.

It's everything that is completely opposite of the stereotypical idea of the "weird snake guy/lady" brought on by ignorance and misunderstanding within the general populace.

And quite frankly....I'm learning to use all of that as a means of educating people. I rarely get a look of "pure disgust" when it comes up that I keep and love snakes. Usually it's more of a shock-n-awe sort of expression. And once they get over that, they may shudder a little and say how much snakes creep them out....but the door is suddenly wide open to discuss WHY they are so fascinating and wonderful, because they truly want to know how someone so....ordinary...as myself would have such an odd fascination.

[tigerlily]

I'm also a stay at home mom, with two kids. I'm also a very 'ordinary' girl, and I always get 'why do you let your husband have a snake?' Then I have to inform them that they are MY snakes and I have more than 1.

Yes, I do get labeled the weird snake lady but it doesn't bother me.... much. I've just moved, and I'm not so sure that people here will take it as well so I plan on keeping them to myself for the time being. I have never lost a friend over it, house guests don't tend to stay as long, and I never have to have a party at my house so it works out in my favor anyway.

[Jonny2184]

Yeah lots of people give me a hard time.
Especially when they find out what I feed them...

A lady who sits next to me actually gets ANGRY at me and has said some pretty mean things about my pets... so I dont talk about it much anymore at work.
and even if I talk about it a little she makes a big deal out of little things...

Last week a learnt how to put my rats asleep without "wacking" them. I can use baking soda and vinager to make CO2... so I was explainig this to my friend next to me and she over heard us and flipped right out and said no one whats to hear about your rats... but I wasnt even talking to her.

But I just hate when she says mean things about my snakes and when I say something mean about her dog or cat she gets mad. Whats the diff. They are all pets! GESH!

Sorry about my little rant but I understand where you are coming from 'sgarelick"!! and it PISSES me off! AHHH

[rabernet]

Well, apparently almost everyone at work (even people I don't know personally) know that I keep snakes. This is a company with about 500 people locally, and two offices in Atlanta. I'm always amazed when someone I correspond with, but haven't met yet will ask me about my snakes. I'll say "how do you know I have snakes?" And the answer is usually "everyone knows you have snakes".


My boss is particularly interested and makes it a point to bring it up when he thinks someone else doesn't know about them, but not in a malicious way - because he's genuinely interested and is trying to understand when I explain morphs, etc. He was very impressed when I brought him the program from Daytona and he could see just how many tables there were at the show. Being a business man - the size and scope of the interest in reptiles made him take pause and see the credibility in this hobby.

[BostonMacK]

Ohhhh yeah, I experienced that 10 fold.

My wifes aunt who was baby sitting 1-2 days a week while me and the wife went to work will no longer babysit or even step foot into my house now that I have a snake. To show the extent of this we just had my sons two year birthday party this past Saturday and she would not even attend his party. This is a person who was a big part of my sons life for the first year and a half to the point he always looked forward to seeing her. The way I see it, if she is willing to stop her relationship with my son because I own a snake then it's most likely for the better anyways. Her loss and a big loss at that. I am not going to live my life to cater to other people and their ignorance, simple as that.

My other life long friends responded with "why the F do you own a snake" and "why would you buy a snake" when I told them. That did'nt even deserve a response IMHO.

I get the same type of mentality when it comes to my tattoos and to be quite honest it doesnt phase me in the least.

[SatanicIntention]

That's about the time I ask people why they own yappy, peeing-on-carpet, bitey, jumping-up-on-people, little dogs. Or why people buy large predatory cats.

I always just tell them, "My snakes don't make noise, they don't mark or spray the house, they only eat once per week, they don't bite my neighbors, etc etc".

[KJE]

Try having about 50 tarantulas and a snake.

I have an 18 year old niece that use to come over and spend the night with my daughter quite a bit even with the tarantulas here. We got a BP a couple of months ago and she now refuses to come over. We have tried to reassure her that the enclosure is closed in a way that the snake cannot escape. That doesn't seem to make a difference.

People usually give me this look of "you have what?" I also look like the normal mom. My husband and I are active in our church. We are Youth Pastors as well as me being the choir leader.

I was telling my husband that I need to get some tattoos and peircings so people aren't so surprised when they find out what kind of pets I have. Of course, I was just kidding. Although, I have been wanting a tattoo for many years.

The thing I hate is when people refuse to listen to you when you try to explain that snakes aren't slimy and gross. They are usually too busy squirming around to pay attention. The people, not the snakes.

[Jay_Bunny]

I get all sorts of "I don't know how you sleep at night" "They are so slimey" "That's so gross" "Why would you keep something like that?"

I also get a lot of that kind of thing from my grandmother. She HATES snakes and reptiles in general. Your old fashioned afraid of mice, afraid of insects, afraid of snakes kind of gal.

I just shrug it off and tell those that give me reactions like the ones above. "Well if you've never actually touched one or spent time with one, you really can't make that kind of judgement, can you?" Then I walk away. It leaves them thinking though. I've even convinced my mom to pet my corn snake before, so thats progress right there.

[jeffjr464]

i've never understood why people are so paranoid about snakes, whem i bought my 1st bp my dad said "it's gonna wrap around the baby's neck in the middle of the night" i just laughed and said, do you know how silly that sounds, the snake doesn't come out of his cage unless i take him out i tell him and he would have plenty of things to do other than go up 3 flights of stairs to the baby's room lol, after about 5 visits here and always inquiring about the snake, he finally held him the other week and now he's all receptive to them lol