Most common questions/misconceptions?

Hehe...a "snake of holding". I totally got that reference ;)

We had our snake out at a get to gether when I heard our neighbor "educating" my girlfriends parents, Now take note that this woman has been teaching our children over 30 yrs.

1., They shine like that because they have a protective slime coating.
2. Some of them can sting you and kill you.
3.They had legs but god got mad at them for breaking his rules.
4. They can squeeze you to death. (my ball pythons)
Amongst many other tasty lil' tidbits.:confused:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blu Mongoose

We had our snake out at a get to gether when I heard our neighbor "educating" my girlfriends parents, Now take note that this woman has been teaching our children over 30 yrs.

1., They shine like that because they have a protective slime coating.
2. Some of them can sting you and kill you.
3.They had legs but god got mad at them for breaking his rules.
4. They can squeeze you to death. (my ball pythons)
Amongst many other tasty lil' tidbits.:confused:

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wow.... mine aren't slimey! must be sick! stingers not workin either!
:bolt: *rushes to nearest herp vet*

I've heard plenty of interesting questions, working at a pet store, and just from being a snake owner.

Most common ones have already been mentioned.

"Can it bite?" Well, of course it *can*. But does it want to? Who knows ;)

"Is it poisonous?" We only have a few signs in the reptile area saying what we are not allowed to sell in NY. And yes, the distinction between poisonous and venomous is completely lost on most people :rolleyes:

"What do you do with a snake?" This one is most often accompanied by an obvious look of disgust and horror. I'll just laugh.

"Should they be kept together so they don't get lonely?" Sigh.

"Can I keep different snakes together?"

"Why doesn't it want to bite????"

"Did you know that snakes still have little legs up inside their body that can pop out during a forest fire so they can run away?"

I didn't think that guy was serious. But he kept repeating it. I explained what I knew about spurs. And he kept going on and on about how his high school biology teacher told him that (this guy must have been in his 20s/30s). I was like :eek:

One of the most interesting things is when I get squeamish people to touch a snake. They're all prepared to be totally grossed out, and they just go "Oh. It feels like plastic." Or they remark that it feels like fake snakeskin. :rolleyes:

the thing that gets to me most is the stereotypes about the people that own snakes

My father is a very stereotyping person, and i was talking about going to Daytona, he said "haha. so if you see anyone in your hotel with tattoos, piercings, and funny colored hair, you can be sure to see them at the convention"

and when i talk to people online, they see my snakes and then me and i get "oh my god you are a cute chick! who likes snakes AND world of warcraft! how weird"
argh


oh well... people can think what they want to, as long as i (and my fellow snake people) know the truth :sunny:

ive been asked stupid ones too like

-wont they eat you

-aren't they slimey

-do bps get like 20 ft long

ect ect ect...

As a reptile store co-owner....I have been asked everything, but I will limit the following examples to the Qs about snakes:


"are they poisonous?" :mad: :mad: :mad:
"do you sell anacondas?" (illegal in NJ)
"do snakes poop?"
"do all of them bite?"
"which ones eat the crickets?"
"do ball pythons reach 10' or 20'?"
"are these all your pets?"
"are they for sale?"
"where did you catch them all?"


It's endless :( .

I see that type of stereotyping too. Most wouldn't think that I would own a BP since I am a girl as well as a mom. Although alot of my coworkers are like "man, I wish my mom had been cool like you!!" LOL.

The craziest question that I get asked is if I am afraid that it would eat my kids. I actually have kind of a funny story that happened the other day. I was at the pet store the other day getting some live feeder mice. When I was in line to buy them, a lady was ahead of me and had seen them get the feeder mice for me (which they keep in a tank near the registers, but at least I can see how the mice are being treated, and can pick out the ones that I want). Anyway so she started making a big scene about how the mice I had are going to be fed to "those things down that aisle". (She couldn't even say snake or reptile!!) So she started asking me if I was afraid of it around my daughter (who's 4 yrs and was with me at the time). And then she started asking about if it would bite and what happens if it bit my daughter. So I tried to explain to her that any animal can bite, that I am responsible about when and if my daughter handles our BP, and that it is not big enough to be able to strangle my family to death.... she had asked me about that too!! She then asked me if I wouldn't enjoy a cute little puppy more. So I ran down my list of pets to her (you can all see what I have in my signature) and her mouth was basically hanging open. I explained to her that my kids get hurt most by our cute little 70lb 8month old PUPPY, who is hyper and thinks he is 1/4 the size that he really is (actually he climbs all over the backs of our couches like the cats do so I swear sometimes that maybe he thinks he is part cat...LOL). But the lady couldn;t get over the fact that I have a snake in my home, she was probably still making a scene about it after I left.

at least u gave her sumthin to talk about for awhile!

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Originally Posted by Sunny1

So I tried to explain to her that any animal can bite, that I am responsible about when and if my daughter handles our BP, and that it is not big enough to be able to strangle my family to death.... she had asked me about that too!!

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People need to think seriously about how a snake who maxes out at 5-6' is going to strangle/eat people. Honestly if the snake actually tried to strangle anyone Im hoping the person would be smart enough to unwrap it from their neck. And while I haven't gotten bit as of yet Im sure at some point I will be, I've been bitten by every other pet I have had so why not this one. (Hamsters, sugar gliders, ferrets, dogs, cats, I think thats it)