Is there really a huge controversy over reptile ownership??

I scared people at work today talking about how tonight I was feeding my snake and it's all interesting since it's still a learning process for me. I have a container now especially used for defrosting the mice and I've got it labeled "Dead Mouse. Don't Open." My roommates and I think it's hilarious, but coworkers were like "........." followed by "But you have a cat!!" I sure do have a cat, and I love my cat she is like my precious child, but I also love my fat gargoyle gecko and my little snake. They all bring me joy.

My family don't care. We've always had weird pets and I was always the girl who would catch snakes and lizards in the back yard. Once I tried to catch a copperhead, that went great if you can imagine.

Now frogs...... those I don't get. I've got an actual diagnosed phobia of frogs and toads and they just.... no. I had to have friends keep a look out at the reptile show and tell me when to look away.

My in-laws were grinding on me and my significant other so hard when we told them we were getting our pet BP. It was basically an hour on Christmas Eve of them yelling and telling us how stupid it is to keep animals like that. They're fully convinced the snake is going to try to kill us and that it's disgusting to have that kind of animal in the house. Even when it isn't religious stigma, a lot of people like this are still super judgmental.

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Originally Posted by LightningPython

My grandparents were not impressed when I got my crested gecko. They nearly flipped when I told them I got a ball python. Plus 6 more snakes, and every time the topic of snakes comes up they say im gonna catch loads of diseases from them, they'll escape and strangle me in my sleep or i'll get bit and get seriously injured or something ridiculous like that.

My friends at college think I'm nuts when it comes to my animals, I mean it's not every day you see a teenage girl who has a "massive"snake in her bedroom (shes only 7ft atm). I had one guy almost freak out after I told him. He said it will literally kill me once the snake gets full grown.

But, these people have never met my snakes in person(yet) so they can only judge and jump to conclusions over what I tell them. I try to make it seem my snakes are harmless, but the lack of understanding makes people think they are worse than what they are.
I dont let people opinions deter me though! My animals are my life. I dont drink, or go out to parties, or any of the other stuff people my age do, and I think its good that I am working towards making my animals lives better rather than ruining my own.

Whatever floats your boat, dont let anyone else dictate what you want to keep as a pet, and if they keep you out of trouble, its great :gj:

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It will only strangle you and attempt to eat you if you starve it. A dog might think twice, but even a cat will eat it's owner if starved. (Usually because it's owner died.)

Also +1 especially for being outside the party heads. Glad I'm not the only one who put my head on straight going into adult hood...


Herp Derp

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Originally Posted by kimmu

I scared people at work today talking about how tonight I was feeding my snake and it's all interesting since it's still a learning process for me. I have a container now especially used for defrosting the mice and I've got it labeled "Dead Mouse. Don't Open." My roommates and I think it's hilarious, but coworkers were like "........." followed by "But you have a cat!!" I sure do have a cat, and I love my cat she is like my precious child, but I also love my fat gargoyle gecko and my little snake. They all bring me joy.

My family don't care. We've always had weird pets and I was always the girl who would catch snakes and lizards in the back yard. Once I tried to catch a copperhead, that went great if you can imagine.

Now frogs...... those I don't get. I've got an actual diagnosed phobia of frogs and toads and they just.... no. I had to have friends keep a look out at the reptile show and tell me when to look away.

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I tried to make friends with a toad when I was little. It peed on me and left.


Herp Derp

I have wanted a snake forever I always thought ALL animals were just super cool and I finally decided to add a ball python to my little family (Fish, bird,dog) lol The wierd and truely obnoxious things my friends said to me were super disappointing and upsetting. So wierd that anyone couldnt think he is beautiful .....:snake:

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Originally Posted by Natashaw123

I have wanted a snake forever I always thought ALL animals were just super cool and I finally decided to add a ball python to my little family (Fish, bird,dog) lol The wierd and truely obnoxious things my friends said to me were super disappointing and upsetting. So wierd that anyone couldnt think he is beautiful .....:snake:

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I never understood it myself.

An old friend of mine used to have this rose colored corn snake. All I thought was it was the cutest thing with its big eyes and super inquisitiveness. As cute as a kitten, I thought. Acted like a kitten too, to some extent.

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Originally Posted by kath_

My friend's mom actually won't let her get a snake for religious reasons and calls them "the representation of Satan". And I always follow up with the same argument that the "serpent" actually got its limbs taken away by God so it wasn't even really a snake to begin with. It hasn't gotten me really far but she's also afraid about my ball python breaking out of a padlocked cage at night and strangling me in my sleep...

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I lived with my mom for a few months over the summer while I was searching for an apartment and she actually brought this up. She was half joking but I guess I had never even thought of this. Obviously it doesn't phase me and didn't phase her (she learned to love the snakes). I still find it interesting though. When I got my first snake, my roommate at the time also brought the story up and the representation of Satan so I think it could be a common belief among some Christians.

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Originally Posted by Nellasaur

I had a very good friend throw this article in my face literally just today as proof that I was irresponsible for keeping as many herps as I do. (I have 11 in my collection, for the record. Total.) Never mind that the herp hobby has changed a lot in the 12 years since this article was first published; that the fella being cited is clearly referring to wild-caught specimens; that all my herps are captive-bred. We exchanged some very heated words on the topic.

So this thread is timely, is what I'm saying.

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How is that this "World expert" or the author for that matter, :rage: doesn't cite one single example how reptiles are being miskept.

I do agree that many reptiles are miskept. Just peruse Craig's List and you will see plenty of animals not kept well. :please: However, the key is proper education.

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Originally Posted by LightningPython

My grandparents were not impressed when I got my crested gecko. They nearly flipped when I told them I got a ball python. Plus 6 more snakes, and every time the topic of snakes comes up they say im gonna catch loads of diseases from them, they'll escape and strangle me in my sleep or i'll get bit and get seriously injured or something ridiculous like that.

My friends at college think I'm nuts when it comes to my animals, I mean it's not every day you see a teenage girl who has a "massive"snake in her bedroom (shes only 7ft atm). I had one guy almost freak out after I told him. He said it will literally kill me once the snake gets full grown.

But, these people have never met my snakes in person(yet) so they can only judge and jump to conclusions over what I tell them. I try to make it seem my snakes are harmless, but the lack of understanding makes people think they are worse than what they are.
I dont let people opinions deter me though! My animals are my life. I dont drink, or go out to parties, or any of the other stuff people my age do, and I think its good that I am working towards making my animals lives better rather than ruining my own.

Whatever floats your boat, dont let anyone else dictate what you want to keep as a pet, and if they keep you out of trouble, its great :gj:

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Lol it always makes me laugh when people say that the snake will kill and try to eat you. Only a fully grown massive retic or anaconda can get big enough to eat a person and it would need to be a big fella too even for them. Maybe another pet could get tagged like my cat but people even say this story for my balls which is hilarious. I'm flabbergasted by how even when staring at the snake i still get asked how I'd get him off if he started to choke me and if he'll try. Seeing a 4 foot 1200 gram snake on a 6'2" 220 pound person and people still think the snake can get the upper hand on me. Pretty funny

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Originally Posted by KingWheatley

It will only strangle you and attempt to eat you if you starve it. A dog might think twice, but even a cat will eat it's owner if starved. (Usually because it's owner died.)

Also +1 especially for being outside the party heads. Glad I'm not the only one who put my head on straight going into adult hood...


Herp Derp

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Not true dogs will eat their owner too if left without food

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