How Did It Happen?

Just curious to hear everyone's stories. How were you introduced to herpetology and keeping reptiles? Did you have a "click" moment or was it gradual?

I used to be scared of snakes, not other reptiles but snakes especially. As a kid, I was easily surprised at my encounters with them because it was all very fast and sudden. I didn't like the way they moved and I was scared of the bites but after the initial shock was over I would be disappointed that it had gone to hide and I couldn't look closer.

Then I fell down the herp YouTube hole, which drew me in for some reason. So after a year of consuming snake content I decided I wanted to go to my first Expo this past March. It was my first time holding and seeing reptiles up close! I even convinced my boyfriend to hold a snake, and it opened it up to the idea of owning one. So the following month we decided it'd be my birthday present to start keeping my first snake!
Always liked animals, never expected to like something that used to really scare me enough to actually own one.

The first snake I ever held was a banana enchi BP :)

I was just talking about this in one of my recent podcast episodes. Love hearing about the initial spark behind the hobby.

For me— I bought a Venus fly trap from a grocery store when I was about 15. That lead to learning about creating vivariums, which naturally lead to keeping geckos! A year or two later I purchased my first reptile, a crested gecko... 12 years later, I still have him!

https://www.animalsathome.ca/bonus-t...ake-huge-cage/


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I never gave much thought to snakes: though I always liked animals, it wasn't until I was well into adulthood that I was offered a snake & decided to accept.
He was nothing like I had imagined: shy, not trying to bite me, not "slimy" (lol) and rather cute & curious. I guess I've always been one to stand up for the
"under-dogs" (which snakes truly are!) so then one snake led to another...stop me if you've heard this before? :rofl:

And we've lived happily ever after....:snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake:: snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::sna ke::snake::snake:

Been fascinated by reptiles for as long as I’ve had memories. Been catching them since I learned to walk. Spent 2yrs from the ages of 8-10 wearing my mother down with persistent pleading and research on captive care and maintenance before she caved and got me an anerytheristic corn snake “Spot” for Christmas of 1995. Been almost 24yrs now since my first snake and I’ll keep them until the day I die.


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I have always loved animals. My 7th and 8th grade science teacher Mr. Mitchell kept a few snakes in his classroom including two boas, a BP, and a kingsnake. Just seeing them every day we got used to them. I was very honored when he allowed me to help clean some of the cages of some of the other critters he kept. The two boas were housed together and one day we came in and found a bunch of live baby boas! That was really cool!

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Originally Posted by FollowTheSun

I have always loved animals. My 7th and 8th grade science teacher Mr. Mitchell kept a few snakes in his classroom including two boas, a BP, and a kingsnake. Just seeing them every day we got used to them. I was very honored when he allowed me to help clean some of the cages of some of the other critters he kept. The two boas were housed together and one day we came in and found a bunch of live baby boas! That was really cool!

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LUCKY YOU! :D
I got a pair of my Trans Pecos rat snakes some years back from a very nice guy, a teacher in Maine, who taught science the same way, with lots of snakes in his classes,
even breeding them. (I know he did corn snakes & other kinds too- boas I think?) That's just awesome, wish there were more like that, but it also takes schools with
open minded administrators.

I've always loved snakes since I can remember, I was never scared of them and when I encountered any in the wild I'd have to pick it up. We only have garter snakes here where I live up in Canada so I never had to worry about ever finding venomous snakes. My mom owned a pet store and she was going to see the local snake breeder to see what he had and how he did things. My mom always made sure she got her animals from legit sources. Well she decided to take me along since she knew how much I love snakes. Well when we got there he had lots of ball pythons, all breeders, except one little baby normal ball python that hadn't sold yet. I had him in my hand and he was just so cute, staying there to get some of my heat, even my mom found him adorable and she wasn't the biggest snake fan.

I know it's a terrible thing to do but it was an impulse buy, I just had to have him and he was only $40 too. My mom already had a display terrarium set up in the store (which was in the house) so I didn't have to worry about needing to find all the supplies as I could just go downstairs to the store and get anything I needed. The only thing we were both worried about was my dad getting angry but he didn't mind at all as long as I took care of him. Well once I got him I spent hours researching about ball pythons and got his enclosure set up properly.

I was 23 when I got my little Crowley and now over 5 years later I still have him and just love him so so much. He has been an amazing therapy pet and the best little companion I could ever ask for. I'm so glad I got him, I almost didn't as I usually like to research pets before getting them but the breeder explained mostly everything before I did buy him. Buying him was the best decision I've ever made, now Crowley is ever so spoiled having his own room to come out and play in.

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Originally Posted by Valyndris

I've always loved snakes since I can remember, I was never scared of them and when I encountered any in the wild I'd have to pick it up. We only have garter snakes here where I live up in Canada so I never had to worry about ever finding venomous snakes. My mom owned a pet store and she was going to see the local snake breeder to see what he had and how he did things. My mom always made sure she got her animals from legit sources. Well she decided to take me along since she knew how much I love snakes. Well when we got there he had lots of ball pythons, all breeders, except one little baby normal ball python that hadn't sold yet. I had him in my hand and he was just so cute, staying there to get some of my heat, even my mom found him adorable and she wasn't the biggest snake fan.

I know it's a terrible thing to do but it was an impulse buy, I just had to have him and he was only $40 too. My mom already had a display terrarium set up in the store (which was in the house) so I didn't have to worry about needing to find all the supplies as I could just go downstairs to the store and get anything I needed. The only thing we were both worried about was my dad getting angry but he didn't mind at all as long as I took care of him. Well once I got him I spent hours researching about ball pythons and got his enclosure set up properly.

I was 23 when I got my little Crowley and now over 5 years later I still have him and just love him so so much. He has been an amazing therapy pet and the best little companion I could ever ask for. I'm so glad I got him, I almost didn't as I usually like to research pets before getting them but the breeder explained mostly everything before I did buy him. Buying him was the best decision I've ever made, now Crowley is ever so spoiled having his own room to come out and play in.

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Hard to say which of you is luckier...that really was meant to be, I think. :gj:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I never gave much thought to snakes: though I always liked animals, it wasn't until I was well into adulthood that I was offered a snake & decided to accept.
He was nothing like I had imagined: shy, not trying to bite me, not "slimy" (lol) and rather cute & curious. I guess I've always been one to stand up for the
"under-dogs" (which snakes truly are!) so then one snake led to another...stop me if you've heard this before? :rofl:

And we've lived happily ever after....:snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake:: snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::sna ke::snake::snake:

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That's basically how it happened for me too. I don't have an elaborate (if not cliche) story about catching snakes as a young boy and falling completely in love with reptiles. While my brothers
and I did catch garter snakes as children they never really peaked my interest until adulthood. My first one was totally and impulse buy and I was so fascinated with him after a few months that I decided reptiles we're my thing for sure. And here I am now 7 snakes and one bearded dragon later.

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Originally Posted by Toad37

That's basically how it happened for me too. I don't have an elaborate (if not cliche) story about catching snakes as a young boy and falling completely in love with reptiles. While my brothers
and I did catch garter snakes as children they never really peaked my interest until adulthood. My first one was totally and impulse buy and I was so fascinated with him after a few months that I decided reptiles we're my thing for sure. And here I am now 7 snakes and one bearded dragon later.

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I was a frog & toad-catcher as a kid, but I never kept any, they were quickly released...the snakes were too fast & very scarce (racer types). I just loved playing in
the woods, & snakes never occurred to me until way later. I still love finding frogs & toads in my yard, & I also get a few garter snakes & box turtles. When I mow
the grass, I'm on the look-out...there's a few toads that I've watched grow up, and I move them out of the way for safety...they don't seem to mind either.