Negative or ignorant comments because you have snakes?

havent had too many negative reactions when people find out i keep snakes. im lucky to work with a bunch of very open minded people. the one thing i do get a lot though is when people come over and i show them my animals, theyre always like "why dont you get them a big tank instead of these tubs?" they always think keeping them in tubs is cruel, but after i explain why they usually just drop it.

For the most part I'm pretty lucky. I am a biologist, and my closest coworkers are biologists, and we all love snakes (ALTHOUGH one biologist coworker did half jokingly say "What?! Are you trying to kill your child?" when she heard the word "python"). The rest of my coworkers are at least tolerant and/or indifferent as far as I can tell. My non-work friends are tolerant, or simply say, "I don't like snakes." I'm ok with that, there are some animals I don't like, and as long as we can give eachother mutual respect, no problem! It's family I have a little more trouble with. I can't even talk to my mother about my snakes without her saying "EWW! Yuck!"

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Originally Posted by creepin

havent had too many negative reactions when people find out i keep snakes. im lucky to work with a bunch of very open minded people. the one thing i do get a lot though is when people come over and i show them my animals, theyre always like "why dont you get them a big tank instead of these tubs?" they always think keeping them in tubs is cruel, but after i explain why they usually just drop it.

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This is pretty much the only reaction I get when people find out I have snakes.

A lot of people are curious about the racks. When I was visiting my grandpa in the hospital the nurse heard me mention I was going to pick up a snake rack and had all kinds of questions.

The best conversation I have had about my snakes went something like this. "mother in-law" you have snakes? I am never coming over until you get rid of them. "me" if I had known it was that easy I would have gotten them sooner.
I am on the fire department and the guys are mixed, some think it is just creepy and won't even stop by and some want to be there for every feed, but no one seems to think they are just plain awsome in and of themselves. As far as my family goes, I tell them my house my rules. I don't like cats but I won't stop visiting if they have one.

be careful they carry salmonella.
BE CAREFUL THEY CARRY SALMONELLA!
BE CAREFUL THEY CARRY SALMONELLA!

Oh thanks for telling me I should probably go die now.

we only have the one itty bitty Sand Boa right now (although I might feel an addiction coming on) but on the first day we got it my mom emailed me and asked if we PLEASE could not take it out of it's "cage" while she visits. She lives 12 hours away and doesn't even have her next visit planned yet. It exasperates me a little...I mean, the little guy is only about a foot long and won't get much bigger than 18 inches, but she's so freaked out by him. BUT I respect her fear and the snake does not have to come out while she's in the room. I mean, if my mom kept tarantulas (ha.) I'd sure hope she'd respect my fear of spiders and not take the things out while I was at her house. I'm new to this so I'm sure I'll get a lot more reactions, negative and positive in the future...I just try to remind myself that it's all about respect. :)

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Originally Posted by BHReptiles

he's a hardcore Christian and thinks snakes are the devil's doing

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I would blow your grandfather's mind. I'm a devoted Christian and now own 6 snakes with one on the way! I'm sure in his opinion I'm going to hell. You can also point out to him (if you know the Bible) about how God commanded the Israelites to look upon the serpent to be saved (Moses had a staff that had a snake on it). Then later on, Jesus Himself was compared to the serpent in the desert. Snakes aren't evil. Good grief...

People are ridiculous when I tell them I have snakes. I think the next time I run across someone who acts like that and they have a "normal" pet, I'm going to act all grossed out and mortified that they have a dog or a cat and request that they don't talk about it around me because it makes me feel uncomfortable.

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Originally Posted by tdrusk

be careful they carry salmonella.
BE CAREFUL THEY CARRY SALMONELLA!
BE CAREFUL THEY CARRY SALMONELLA!

Oh thanks for telling me I should probably go die now.

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Haha last time a coworker told me that they were standing on the soapbox only a RN can build so I in turn asked him "so it's bad when I lick my fingers or make food while holding my snakes?" His look was priceless I then walked away muttering so he thought I was crazy ha ha but I get bored at work sometimes

I haven't had anyone say negative things to me/about me (that I'm aware of), but I have encountered several people who wondered if we let the snakes just roam the house like any other pet. :rofl:

I've gotten some negative comments from work by both people I work with and customers. Usually I just get the 'I get it you're not all there mentally and I have pity for you because your parents must not have loved you as a child' face and the awkward smile as they back away slowly. I talk about my snakes the same way I do my dogs. For a while I had a few people convinced that I had a house full of dogs with odd names. I think people sort of expect me to have snakes though. 20+ piercings, tattoos, fiances is pres of a MC, also covered in tattoos.. I dont know why people were so surprised. My mom also refuses to come in my house now, which is sort of a plus..