Reaction of family/friends to your snakes

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Forgot to mention this point as well .....

One funny thing I've noticed is that when we have visitors to the the house I'd say that 95% of the adult males are either completely uninterested OR terrified of the snakes whilst the adult females are interested OR positively intrigued ( wanting to handle ) ...

I'd say 90% of all under 18 were really positive and interested - the lads especially not so much the girls .. but hardly any children are terrified or disgusted or anything . Generally kids are dead keen but I don't let any of them hold the snakes ever ...


So what goes on in people's minds as they grow older ... ??


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Actually Zincubus, I noticed exactly the same thing. Usually it's women and young/teenage boys asking about my reptiles, but most men just seem to have some sort of adverse idea against snakes. Of course there are plenty of exceptions, but in my family that's basically how it works.

My family have all had different reactions. My mother and father were surprised at first, but my mother now loves them and my father and sister will tolerate them but not handle them. My grandmother and grandfather on one side will not even enter my bedroom, but my other grandfather tolerates and my other grandmother just wants to see them every time she comes over. The rest of the family likes to look at them, but they will not get any closer.

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Forgot to mention this point as well .....

One funny thing I've noticed is that when we have visitors to the the house I'd say that 95% of the adult males are either completely uninterested OR terrified of the snakes whilst the adult females are interested OR positively intrigued ( wanting to handle ) ...

I'd say 90% of all under 18 were really positive and interested - the lads especially not so much the girls .. but hardly any children are terrified or disgusted or anything . Generally kids are dead keen but I don't let any of them hold the snakes ever ...


So what goes on in people's minds as they grow older ... ??

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Social pressure. Wanting to fit in with the herd. I have a good example of this. First understand that this child has been around snakes and other reptiles all of her life. She has never been bitten, scratched or anything else for that matter. She has helped with cleaning duty since she could carry a water bowl. She plays with snakes and barbies at the same time. It is quite funny to see barbie try to ride a ball python. Anyway, one day we are cleaning and my other daughter who's "job" it is to hold snakes while I clean let an animal loose which crawled across the floor and under my other daughter. So the daughter with the new visitor starts screaming like her hair is on fine. I asked her why she was screaming. She said because the snake was touching her. So i then said to her, you have know that snake since she was born and you have played with her many times, tell me why you really screamed. Final answer was because my friends scream at school when the see a lizard or bug. I have "fixed" the problem, but this is my belief on how this happens.

Children are born with an innate curiosity about the world but often they get the curiosity stamped out of them by well meaning adults. I do let the kids handle my snakes, or at least a couple of them, and always with direct supervision. Riddle and Strudel are the sweetest beasties, not even head shy, so they're my ambassadors :D Kids absolutely love and adore them.

OMG I've gotten the "you'll have a hard time finding a husband" comment too! It makes me laugh, partly because I'm not planning on finding a husband anyway!

All of my mom's friends are scared of snakes, but they still take a look and ask a couple questions when they do come over. I only have Gem (my gtp) on display in the living room, so that forces guests to see her if they enter the house. :P

My closest friends were personally all more or less interested in my snakes and want to see/hold all of them!

Unfortunately, the sizing you up to eat you story has been making the rounds again on social media lately.

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

OMG I've gotten the "you'll have a hard time finding a husband" comment too! It makes me laugh, partly because I'm not planning on finding a husband anyway!

All of my mom's friends are scared of snakes, but they still take a look and ask a couple questions when they do come over. I only have Gem (my gtp) on display in the living room, so that forces guests to see her if they enter the house. :P

My closest friends were personally all more or less interested in my snakes and want to see/hold all of them!

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Haha, IMO if a husband isn't ready to deal with my pets, he isn't ready to deal with me. :rofl:

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Originally Posted by Herbie'sMom

Unfortunately, the sizing you up to eat you story has been making the rounds again on social media lately.

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When I got my first garter snake, my mother sent me that same story. When that first snake died, my mother cried the harder then me. Just shows how drastically, and quickly, people's opinions can change after interacting with an animal even for only a few years.

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Originally Posted by FlynnTheBP

When I got my first garter snake, my mother sent me that same story. When that first snake died, my mother cried the harder then me. Just shows how drastically, and quickly, people's opinions can change after interacting with an animal even for only a few years.

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Now a video of a Garter snake eating somebody WOULD cause a sensation :)

That reminds me at one point, my mom was seriously telling me that my dumeril's boa (who is currently eating large rats) would kill and eat my 17 lb dog. I'm sure that one of her friends must have told her something to make her think this way, because she was fine with my dum for half a year or so before she suddenly started spouting this LOL.

I obviously eventually convinced her that my dum is incapable of killing our dog, even less eating her, so she's chill now. :rolleyes: