Most extreme reaction I have EVER gotten...

Honestly, I can't even believe she is serious... I have a neighbor that Ive been talking to for the past week. After I decided she was cool enough, I told her about my snakes, since if I have company over, I dont feel like sending them screaming running out the door..

Close enough..

I told her that I had a couple ball pythons, that they are small, nonaggressive, not poisonous, and cant get out. She proceded to freak out and said: "my body is quenching and makes me wanna hide in my bathroom. now im gonna have nightmares about a snake eating me" She is convinced it's going to eat her cat. I told her they don't do that and she insists they are. I sent her this picture and asked how this is going to eat a cat: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2760288/charlie.jpg

I told her that they are NOT aggressive at all, and definitely not large snakes like you see in movies. that they aren't poisonous and dont even have fangs. She said "yes they are" I asked where she's getting her information or if shes pullin it out of thin air..and she said thin air, but its one of her biggest fears.

She's calmed down a bit since, but wow.... :rolleye2:

*edit* Rickin' Rackin' Frackin' laggin' computer posting everything twice!

Guess it is a good reminder that there are people that have genuine and paralyzing fears of snakes... the one reason I hate that people trot around in public with their snakes.

She may be irrational, but i do not doubt that you can acknowledge that her fear is very real.

Sounds like a great oppurtunity to be an educator. :)

Bruce

You now have a mission! make a snake lover out of her.

My next door neighboor is the same way, he won't come in my house now that there's a 2.5 foot rosy boa in it. Snakes just aren't for everyone.

Bruce: I completely understand that there is a real fear there. I've stressed that they are in a locked enclosure, that they are harmless nonaggressive snakes. I'm trying my best to educate her, but most importantly help her calm down, which isn't really easy with pretty irrational fears.

Now, if she was like our maintenance guy here, I'd sympathize with their reasoning a bit more. He used to live ...I forget exactly, but somewhere in south america. He was hunting in the jungle with his cousin, when his cousin got tagged by some venomous. He had to rush him to the hospital but he died on the way. THAT I can understand.

I'm a pretty convincing guy, normally being able to flip someone's viewpoints 180*. Let's hope this is the case with her as well. Any tips would be greatly appreciated, talking points and such.

I have learned (before her) to not go "these aren't those really large snakes that get 20 feet (OMG!) they are small snakes, getting only 3-5 feet long" "OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!" I NEVER bring up that they are ONLY x-amount of feet.

My friend Ruzica can finally come into my house after 3 years... with her the goal was just for her to acknowledge that she knew her fear was irrational.

Once we got there then it was up to her, and she chose to push herself.

Sometimes that is all you can do.

Bruce

PS: On a perhaps humorous note. I have a friend that is one of the darkest artists I have ever known (and one of the most brilliant) but she has a paralyzing and irrational fear of baby birds. One day a Robin fell out of its nest and was between her and her house, she had been in the studio) and she had to barricade herself in her studio for 8 hours till her husband got home. She came out to try and make her way to the house, but the bird was laying there STARING at her and when it *peeped* at her she had a complete meltdown and passed out. :rofl:

I send her random pictures of baby birds in the mail all the time... she has wallpapered her studio with them. :)

ROFL!!!

OH NOES! Not a baby BIRD!! *dies*

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

I understand reptiles, because people are afraid of what they don't understand, but a bird? :P I rescued a gigantic crow before. Those things are a LOT bigger than you think. :O :D :gj:

Wow dude. That kind of sucks! That is like the reaction I dread the most. :(

Hopefully she will learn to love them!

My mom acted the same way. I have an issue with bringing home animals all the time and i 'accidentally forget' to tell my parents before doing so.. I found out that cats and dogs and fish and anything else would make for a good pet for my mom and not enough to piss her off... too much. But the second she found a snake tank setup in my room a couple days after I had gotten him, she freaked out, started screaming, telling me to get it out of the house and she didn't want it in her house, blah... blah... blah. I argued back explaining how I've had him, she hasn't notice, she'll never have to deal with him or handle him and every fact I could think of about how a BP is a great pet. But she didn't fall for it, left the house, went to my grandma's and called, telling me she's not coming home until he's gone. So..I ended up moving out for a while with my new BP.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kaorte

Wow dude. That kind of sucks! That is like the reaction I dread the most. :(

Hopefully she will learn to love them!

---

If all else fails you and me can just gang up on her and force her to like them. :rofl:

:colbert:

I think she likes me, so I'm sure that helps in getting her to like them more :P

For those that don't realize, I'm talking nextdoor as in she lives in the apartment next to me. :oops:

Three years ago I went inside a "Reptile Zoo" to view the owner's pets. He had everything from Kenyan sand boas, crocodiles, cobras, and green mambas and everything in between. None of the animals were for sale as they were his pets! Because I have two bearded dragons I naturally had an interest in reptiles. I went in December and his store was slow........my wife and I were the only occupants with the exception of the owner and his staff.

I mentioned to the owner that I owned bearded dragons and did not want anything to do with snakes as I was very scared of them. While looking at a baby ball python he begin educating me on the ball python. He mentioned to me that the ball python in the snake world is the same as the bearded dragon in the lizard world.........now he had my attention.

After talking to me about the ball python for 10 minutes or so he reached inside and picked up the baby ball python and asked me if I would like to hold one. I looked at the little fella and consented thinking that he prolly would not eat me and I could tell all my buddies that I held a snake! While holding the little guy the owner began describing every move the snake was making and what it was "thinking". My fear of snakes plummeted after talking with the owner. While devoting all of my attention on this little ball python I was holding the owner, without me noticing, picked up an adult and placed him on my arms with the smaller snake!

After leaving the store I was HOOKED! The next 2 1/2 years I began doing research on them and read article after article. A friend of mine who owned one convinced me to buy one at a reptile show. I was shocked to find out that they only cost $20-$35 for a normal. Four months later I got my second normal for $20. I would like to have more but I have enough mouths to feed! I now understand how addicting they can be.

I am just thankful that that owner took the time to talk to me about the ball pythons...........or am I? Wow I have spent some money having these little guys.......but it is all worth it!

Haha, great story! Baby snakes are deff the way to a fearful heart. Sadly, my smallest snake (sadly for this purpose, none other, hahah) is 1100 grams. My largest weighing in at 1900 empty.

I'm breeding lelu, so I don't want to be picking her up unnecessarily. She is the largest; Chester, the second largest is headshy and in shed; and cleo is a scardiecat and I don't like taking her out that much because she is a problem feeder.

I used to have a baby spider ball python here, but, well, that is gone now, along with my ex. :rolleyes: There is no good starting point anymore for the fearful, haha. I guess I just need to buy more snakes, huh? :gj:

Tell her to keep kitty inside if she is so concerned. :D

If her cat is outside roaming it's at a lot more risk from cars, feral cats, dogs, wild critters than it is from your securely enclosed in your own home ball python.

Having said that people have phobias, way more than just fear and not at all rationally based. I will happily, with help, wrangle our almost 9 foot boa constrictor but I have a deep seated gawd awful fear of stupid june bugs. Yep june bugs! How dumb is that but they literally make my skin crawl, I'm convinced they all want to buzz into my long hair and I feel like throwing up if one is outside buzzing around my porch light. I can't even stay outside if one is there. That's a phobia, way more than simple fear and pretty much something I'm unlikely to get over. Rationally I know june bugs do NOT have it in for me and can do me no harm but instinctually I dread them.

If your neighbour has a phobia about snakes, do what you can but understand she can't really control it. Educating her may help but not always. Do what you can, be understanding, informative but also kind. Not everyone has to like snakes just because we do.

Being 43 and living in the ultimate suburbia with a bunch of soccer moms.....I have ppl ALL the time that are freaked out. I am not sure if they are freaked out more by the snakes or the fact that one of their "peers" is into them.

It is actually quite funny to see their faces when they find out. With that being said...I have been able to talk them down from their fears. Now will they be buying one in the near future....I highly doubt it.....but they have acutally touched them. Which is a huge step. One of my friends that is the most scared has touched one of them and is convinced it is good relaxation theraphy. (I will make a snake owner of her yet) :gj:

Its funny when they are so scared but yet they are like...Ok...I want to see them...lol

I also work at the school pt and talk to the kids and teach the kids about balls...I have had a few parents come up to me with "do you really have pythons"? I just use that as my chance to tell them how amazing these snakes are.

Just spreadin the python love:rolleyes:

Too funny because I also get that same reaction. Apparently to some folks I just don't "look" like what they think a snakekeeper looks like (whatever that is?).

I have a friend like that. He sees a snake and litterally freaks out and runs away from it.

It's totally irrational, he;'s got no basis for the fear, never been bitten or had a bad experience with a snake. I asked him once hy he was so scared of them and he replied: "It's the way they move and the way they look."

Sometimes I put a picture of an anaconda on his computer desktop just to mess with him. It's hilarious :D

Lol. :rofl:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Karbon

I have a friend like that. He sees a snake and litterally freaks out and runs away from it.

It's totally irrational, he;'s got no basis for the fear, never been bitten or had a bad experience with a snake. I asked him once hy he was so scared of them and he replied: "It's the way they move and the way they look."

Sometimes I put a picture of an anaconda on his computer desktop just to mess with him. It's hilarious :D

---

My sister in law is terrified of snakes, but no where near a phobia. When she sees her children touching and spending time with the snakes and I, she gets chills down her spine, But she doesnt go against it, It's just funny to see her staring at us far away lol.

You are not very likely to "educate" these people. I've said it a thousand times before... If you never tell anyone you keep snakes your life will be so much easier.

There is a lot of fear out there... I have a friend who if she sees a snake crossing the road she turns around and drives a different way... afraid that if she runs over it, the snake will climb up her tire and get in her car.

Rationality has nothing to do with it!

Justin

Anyone can be educated and "converted" they might not run out and buy a snake, but they wont have the initial fear. Education and time is the key.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Clear

Anyone can be educated and "converted" they might not run out and buy a snake, but they wont have the initial fear. Education and time is the key.

---

I couldn't disagree more. That's why they call it irrational.

cockroaches and clowns... :O

I have been terrified of heights since birth. I decieded to do something about it so I jumped out of an airplane, then I took up hang gliding, then I got my pilots license. I have dedicated my life to aviation and have spent every day of my life for the past 25 years at an airport. Am I still afraid of heights? YES, terrified! "Education" does not work.

One of my sister won't even come into my houes if the snake is out... My grandfather is a tough old man. One of the old school "manly man" type of guys. I can't think of too many times that I've seen him visibly afraid of anything... Until I showed him one of my baby balls. He ran... and I mean that literally. He ran from me made even more impressive by the fact that my grandfather was in his early eighties at the time. This is a man that has been to war and all types of stuff. Was raised on a farm in rural mississipi has been to war and ran from a baby ball python. To this day its the only instance in my lifetime that I've ever seen him move so fast.

By contrast I got my 3 year old son "his" first pet. A ball python and he was so fascinated by the thing that it blew my mind.
go figure.

On another note I know someone who has a fear of people on stilts. I thought he was BS'ing until a buch of us went to a haunted hay ride one holoween and a some characters came out in stilts and dude freaked out and balled himself up in the corner of the haywagon...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vypyrz

cockroaches and clowns... :O

---

Used to be my worst fears too! Clowns still are--they are not to come within visual distance of me or I will freak out and possibly run them over with a car.

Uhh, the past summer my neighbors were doing work on their house and a large amount of GIANT FLYING COCKROACHES somehow made their merry way over to our house. Our cats had a ball catching them but the first time I saw one (no one else was home) I just stood there for ten minutes screaming wordlessly and soundlessly--I was so scared I lost my voice... the second time they got one it was 5 minutes and less and less as time went by. Now I've got no problem with them. Talk about flooding.

My grandmother was deathly afraid of snakes and she refused to come over to our house after she found out I got one (we lived like 2 blocks from her.)

(I didn't realize so many people thought all snakes are venomous--that kind of blows my mind.)

Yeah, I don't see why people take it so personally when someone else is afraid of their snakes. It's a phobia.

I'm afraid of spiders. VERY afraid. The last thing I want is one of my friends explaining hoe harmless they are, and showing off their pet arachnids. I know they can't hurt me, but I want nothing to do with them.

most of the people i work with and even some friends and family think i'm a freak for having snakes.. its all just lack of education.. i hate spiders and creepy crawlers but i would still look at them at the zoo or pet store and not run out screaming like a little baby...

Speaking of being afraid of snakes...

My mother in law is terrified of snakes, always has been. Which is why I could not for the life of me figure out why she took us to the big Reptile Gardens or whatever in South Dakota for vacation.

We were on our way to Mount Rushmore, and she decided to stop at this Reptile Gardens. Now, my husband and I were of course fascinated by all the different snakes and lizards and what not. To her credit, she spent a lot of time looking at alligators and so forth.

We decided to take in a show before we left. The handler did all sorts of things with smaller snakes and even a few venomous ones. The last snake he brought out was a 22 foot albino burmese python that was almost too heavy for him to lift.
At the end of the show, he walked around the edge of the ring, inviting people to pet her. Now, I was not about to turn down that opportunity.

I had my 4 year old daughter in my arms and walked up to the ring to see her. Imagine my amazement and delight when my tiny daughter reached out to the snake with both arms and just started stroking it. She was completely enthralled by that snake whose head was bigger than the upper half of my child's body! :O

When the handler walked on to let other people pet, my daughter sat staring after him as if to say, " I was NOT done with that!"

I went back up to hubby, who was standing with my two older sons who wanted no part of the Burmese. A little while later my mother in law came up to us looking kind of white. It turned out that after having seen my daughter pet that giant python, she made herself go down and touch it, because she said, " I'll never live down my 4 year old granddaughter petting a snake and I was to chicken too."

To this day, mother in law wants nothing to do with snakes, and my now 13 year old daughter thinks the bigger the better!

Gale

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MiniJ83

Yeah, I don't see why people take it so personally when someone else is afraid of their snakes. It's a phobia.

I'm afraid of spiders. VERY afraid. The last thing I want is one of my friends explaining hoe harmless they are, and showing off their pet arachnids. I know they can't hurt me, but I want nothing to do with them.

---

I unfortunately have that same fear of spiders and bugs. Although, I recognize it is unreasonable as I'm sure you do. I would be fine visiting a friend with spiders but don't put it on me!
I once had a boyfriend who had a rosy and he made the mistake of sitting it on my leg. Needless to say it was OVER!

such an irrational fear.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jenn

You are not very likely to "educate" these people. I've said it a thousand times before... If you never tell anyone you keep snakes your life will be so much easier.

---

um.. As I said originally, I told her because she will be coming over to my apartment and I thought it would be a nice thing to check if she had a phobia or not, because that's the right thing to do. I have also converted almost 20 ppl to snake lovers, from being deathly afraid. It DOES work. Some may still not like them, but they don't run screaming.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jenn

I have been terrified of heights since birth. I decieded to do something about it so I jumped out of an airplane, then I took up hang gliding, then I got my pilots license. I have dedicated my life to aviation and have spent every day of my life for the past 25 years at an airport. Am I still afraid of heights? YES, terrified! "Education" does not work.

---

Jenn, fear of heights, is a rational fear. When you are jumping out of a plane, you may die. Things can go fatally wrong. There is zero change of you dying while looking at a snake in an aquarium; barring a brain annurism or stoke. s

I'm afraid of heights, when I am able to fall. I went to the top of the Hancock building to help with this, which it did, and honestly I'm not afraid of heights at all unless I can fall. Being scared that you're going to die while skydiving is a lot different than thinking a catapillar is going to kill you.

Maybe it is because I have no phobias that I find things like that so ridiculous.

I seen similar reactions in several of mom's friends and other people over the years. I had one guy that hated reptiles so much he jumped out of a second story window cause the guy had an iguana.. He freak when the one I had would come down the hall if he was over for dinner cause he lizard had to havea plate too.

I also had once girl my sisiter friend that passed out when she seen one of my snakes I was cleannig cages and didn't here her come over ( I knew shehad the fear) but after she came too and calmed down WE talked and after a bit more time ( hour or 2 she ends up trying to sneak a ball python hoem under her shirt. )

The fear is all in the mind.. I terrifed of spiders, but it only now if i walk into the web or I look down and see one crawling on me. ( still kill them on sight but it not like it was 6 years ago were i be hte one bailing out the window)

To tell the complete honest truth, about two years ago I was scared of snakes. Then one day I just fell in love with them. Kinda weird. :weirdface

The whole community here at BP.net has helped me out even more with all their love, support, and knowledge of snakes in general. I would be hopeless without this site.

Now my mom on the other hand is terrified of snakes. Maybe she tried to rub it off on me, but it did not work. :banana: When she come's over she won't even step a foot into my reptile room. In fact she has only seen one of my snakes before. She had to be in the car of course with all the windows rolled up while I brought Kumasi up to the glass. She has still yet to see my pastel which I have had for 3 1/2 months. Plus my spider will be here tomorrow! I love getting presents in the mail. :D Hopefully one day she will learn to love all of her grandchildren. :rolleyes:

A year ago my mom would have never gone to a reptile expo because of the snakes. Some way or another she seemed to figure out there was no reason behind her fear so she asked if she could go with me to my first expo. She held two snakes that day (a hog-nose and a adult ball) and now she is in love!
That was in October, we just went to another show on Sunday and I had to talk her out of bringing one home since we didn't have anything set up for one :D So within a short time my mom turned into a snake lover xD

I hope she understands that all snakes don't have the intention to kill people.

Last week I told someone, that I sort of just met, that I have three pythons. He said, "Dude, those can kill you! They are poisonous and have fangs but they take out the poison." My reply was, "No, they are not poisonous, they use constriction to kill their prey, not venom." And he replies saying, "No?" (or something like that) and I reply saying, "Dude, I have three pythons, I'm pretty sure they don't use venom."

People are so weird with snakes, a few of my friends won't even go anywhere near my snakes. I just think it's silly. My grandpa, whose deathly afraid of snakes, is going to the reptile expo with my mom and I (he wants to get me a reptile for my birthday), which is extremely surprising. I better tell him that there WILL be snakes and other reptiles outside of enclosures, just because I don't want him getting freaked out and running away. He REALLY doesn't like snakes, he doesn't even like getting close to mine if I have them out. If they're in an enclosure, it's fine with him.

Everytime there is some article about snakes hurting/killing people my dad sends it to me.

He still thinks my snakes are just going to randomly strangle me. :giggle:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kaorte

He still thinks my snakes are just going to randomly strangle me. :giggle:

---

That's what exactly my grandpa used to say to me LOL

I'm just going to get a collection of cobras and various other deadly hots someday. If people are going to think my pets are dangerous anyways, I might as well :P

YouTube - Courage Fail

Thought you guys would like this--some funny reaction right there (even though the guy isn't phobic, it's still pretty hilarious)

both of my neighbors are like that. they came outside one day and i had Jormungandr wrapped around my arm and was picking flowers and they called me over to the fence to see my tattoo and ran away screaming when my tattoo flicked its tongue at them and started moving :)

they both threatened my parents about calling AC on our house because i have killer snakes if i dont get rid of them :rolleyes:

I cant even walk my snakes into my own backyard without getting yelled at, cant wait till they are bigger and i take them in our hot tub (when its getting cleaned and there are no chemicals in it) to soak when they are bigger...

ahahaha ive never heard anyone make sounds like that..well maybe, but not because a gecko jumped on them.

any idea what kind of gecko that is? looks like a leachie or a giant leaftail or something

Yeah, it's strange the misconceptions about snakes people have...even smart people!

I brought Iridium (lesser) to work on Monday because one of my friends (who also works there) had a long, hard weekend and wanted a "neck buddy." While my friend was in a meeting in the afternoon, I had Iridium in my office. I showed him to the other grad students in the same room and they all thought he was awesome. Even the person who wasn't terribly fond of snakes held him!

But in talking with them, it was clear they knew pretty much nothing about snakes--and these are science grad students! They didn't know about snakes' heat pits that sense IR, they thought he had fangs, and they thought he could eat me. The last one was especially funny to me because Iridium is the sweetest, most docile snake I have. Oh, and they were worried about him pooping on them! *laughs*

But yeah, if smart people believe all the snake stereotypes, then you know 99.9% of the general population does, too. :-/

Oh, and a fear of heights/falling is not always rational. I get the willies when I stand at the edge of a balcony with a tall railing or looking out the windows at the top of the Sears Tower--places where I would have a better chance of winning the lottery than falling. I know it's irrational, and I know the chances of me falling are between slim and none, but there really isn't much I can do about it. Some part of my subconscious goes AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!! and all voluntary control goes POOF.