Why did YOU start?

Animal nut - always have been, always will be. I was intrigued by reptiles when I was a kid, but my parents...don't really like them enough to have them in the house. :) I got my first reptiles when I was married since my ex liked animals and wanted me to be happy. I had a plated lizard, hingeback tortoise, and a leopard gecko.

Then, thanks to volunteering at the zoo, I started noticing snakes as more than slithery lizards without legs. :) After a few months, I was given my first snake: red-checkered garter. I loved that little guy, and he lived for a good while... but in time I fell in love with another snake: a Ball Python named Naomi in the Ed department.
That snake was amazing... but I couldn't have one 'that big', so it stayed just a dream until last summer, when an unexpected grant reward and an unruly Beardie gave me the opportunity to get my first BP - Nagini.

Now... my three new corn snakes for a breeding team are in QT and my little rescued pastel BP will hopefully be a great partner to my normal female. :D I would have another BP, but there is NO MORE room here. Oh well :)

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Originally Posted by Argentra

Animal nut - always have been, always will be. I was intrigued by reptiles when I was a kid, but my parents...don't really like them enough to have them in the house. :) I got my first reptiles when I was married since my ex liked animals and wanted me to be happy. I had a plated lizard, hingeback tortoise, and a leopard gecko.

Then, thanks to volunteering at the zoo, I started noticing snakes as more than slithery lizards without legs. :) After a few months, I was given my first snake: red-checkered garter. I loved that little guy, and he lived for a good while... but in time I fell in love with another snake: a Ball Python named Naomi in the Ed department.
That snake was amazing... but I couldn't have one 'that big', so it stayed just a dream until last summer, when an unexpected grant reward and an unruly Beardie gave me the opportunity to get my first BP - Nagini.

Now... my three new corn snakes for a breeding team are in QT and my little rescued pastel BP will hopefully be a great partner to my normal female. :D I would have another BP, but there is NO MORE room here. Oh well :)

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There's ALWAYS room!! :D

very nice rescue!! Thanks for rescuing...so many need it!!

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Originally Posted by OhBalls

There's ALWAYS room!! :D

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Agreed! Might be why I'm picking up four tomorrow! LOL

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Originally Posted by Argentra

Animal nut - always have been, always will be.

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That sums it up, but to give more details...

I guess maybe it started one time my sister was at a friend's house and when we were there to pick her up she and her friend saw a snake up in a tree. My dad helped them catch it. I don't really remember what happened to that snake. But there were 3 or 4 times when I was a little older that I'd catch a snake and keep it for a week or 2, feed it a mouse or 2, then let it go again. I guess maybe we did the same with that first one.

Fast forward to when I was in college. I volunteered at the local zoo. One of the things volunteers did was to take out "contact animals" that the zoo visitors could get really up close and personal with. One of my favorites were the 3 ball pythons. Ever since then, I'd always wanted one.

Then I was stupid enough to stay in a bad relationship for 10 years with a man who really didn't understand or share my love for animals. Having a fish tank in the house was pushing his limits. I won't go into all the negativity, but my experience with him and Charlie's experience with sleeping on the couch, but the wife eventually understanding, demonstrate how important it is that your partner understand (and preferably share) your love for animals!

Fast forward again, one day this past fall my BF and I took his daughter into a pet store we happened to be walking past, just for the fun of letting her see the animals. They had several snakes and other reptiles, including a ball python. I told my BF I wanted a ball python, and he said "ok, let's do it." I nearly fell down. So about a month and tons of research later, we went to the MARS show and brought home a normal girl hatchling!

We are all 4 (my bf, my daughter, and his daughter) very interested in reptiles. My daughter got a "Santa certificate" for a corn snake, but has decided she wants to cash it in sometime in the spring or summer when there will be more choices of little babies. His daughter (who is younger) got a betta, which we thought was a better start for her first pet. We aren't committing ourselves to anything yet, but we think after we move (probably this coming summer), we will get several more reptiles and possibly start breeding.

Growing up, my 11 year old son watched every single Croc Hunter and reptile show on The Discovery Channel. He wanted a snake and I told him as long as it wasn't fast (i.e. escapes easily) so he got a young male normal BP for his birthday. Rex is the coolest snake, puppy dog tame. A year later we are up to 15 BPs and we have 5 girls breeding this season.
All of our snakes can be handled easily and none of them are aggressive. That makes me feel a little better with Drew caring for them (with my supervision, of course.) He is already talking of being a herpetologist or Vet so I'm sure we will continue to collect herps.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Agreed! Might be why I'm picking up four tomorrow! LOL

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PICS...we want pics!! Please, of course!

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Originally Posted by kc261

That sums it up, but to give more details...

I guess maybe it started one time my sister was at a friend's house and when we were there to pick her up she and her friend saw a snake up in a tree. My dad helped them catch it. I don't really remember what happened to that snake. But there were 3 or 4 times when I was a little older that I'd catch a snake and keep it for a week or 2, feed it a mouse or 2, then let it go again. I guess maybe we did the same with that first one.

Fast forward to when I was in college. I volunteered at the local zoo. One of the things volunteers did was to take out "contact animals" that the zoo visitors could get really up close and personal with. One of my favorites were the 3 ball pythons. Ever since then, I'd always wanted one.

Then I was stupid enough to stay in a bad relationship for 10 years with a man who really didn't understand or share my love for animals. Having a fish tank in the house was pushing his limits. I won't go into all the negativity, but my experience with him and Charlie's experience with sleeping on the couch, but the wife eventually understanding, demonstrate how important it is that your partner understand (and preferably share) your love for animals!

Fast forward again, one day this past fall my BF and I took his daughter into a pet store we happened to be walking past, just for the fun of letting her see the animals. They had several snakes and other reptiles, including a ball python. I told my BF I wanted a ball python, and he said "ok, let's do it." I nearly fell down. So about a month and tons of research later, we went to the MARS show and brought home a normal girl hatchling!

We are all 4 (my bf, my daughter, and his daughter) very interested in reptiles. My daughter got a "Santa certificate" for a corn snake, but has decided she wants to cash it in sometime in the spring or summer when there will be more choices of little babies. His daughter (who is younger) got a betta, which we thought was a better start for her first pet. We aren't committing ourselves to anything yet, but we think after we move (probably this coming summer), we will get several more reptiles and possibly start breeding.

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AWESOME story!! Hope the snake keeps the ex away...lol....best of luck with the move...sounds promising!! Thanks for sharing this!

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Originally Posted by JenH

Growing up, my 11 year old son watched every single Croc Hunter and reptile show on The Discovery Channel. He wanted a snake and I told him as long as it wasn't fast (i.e. escapes easily) so he got a young male normal BP for his birthday. Rex is the coolest snake, puppy dog tame. A year later we are up to 15 BPs and we have 5 girls breeding this season.
All of our snakes can be handled easily and none of them are aggressive. That makes me feel a little better with Drew caring for them (with my supervision, of course.) He is already talking of being a herpetologist or Vet so I'm sure we will continue to collect herps.

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*cracking up laughing* :rofl:

all Drew's fault, right?

this is cool :D

Right, it's all Drew's fault. And yes I do spend more time with the snakes then he does.....:D

Now I'm even starting to breed a few mice. Don't know about rats, they are too smelly!

I've always been an animal nut, keeping box turtles for a season or two and letting them go, catching snakes and lizards. Drew says his friends think I'm the coolest mom (since none of his friends are allowed to keep snakes as pets). And I'n sure his friends' parents think I am truely weird, but oh well.....;)

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Originally Posted by OhBalls

PICS...we want pics!! Please, of course!

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Pics tomorrow when I pick them up! :P