Why is it so weird?

I am a new snake owner, so of course during my first week of snake ownership I took pictures of my dear BP, Molly, and posted them on Facebook. I promptly received a few, "Pretty," "Cool," and, "Neat" responses, but then received a lot of negative ones. Apparently, my 1/5 foot ball python yawns because she wants to eat me? And she is going to get out and strangle my neighbours' cats? And she can't feel love and so she doesn't appreciate her home?

I've been called a couple not so nice names and I just don't get it! What is so weird about owning a snake? Personally, between dogs, horses, rabbits, and a multitude of other pets, it's so nice to have a pet that doesn't need 24/7 supervision and attention. It's so nice that I'm not covered in hay or have my shoes eaten by the end of the day!

While I understand that some people just don't like snakes, I empathize with those feelings, but why am I "stupid" and "insane"? I like to think I have at least half a brain cell floating up there somewhere... :rolleyes:

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I hate seeing that on friend's Facebook posts as well. True friends would be supportive of you and your choice of pet. Most of my friend on FB are other reptile keepers - so I don't have negative comments on my photos.

My friends who don't care for reptiles care about me enough to just not comment at all.

Can't you just delete the haters from your friends list? I don't know. I don't have FB...

I googled dog attacks, and statistically throw it back in every one's faces. I know the ratio of dog owners to snake owners is a tipped scale, but it's still a lot more on the dogs side.

I brought my mom around by telling her "I know people don't like them, and that's ok. I'm not asking everyone to like them, but I do. That should be enough to respect what I want in my life." Also, this phrase goes a long way "You have the right to hate my animals, but please don't take my right away to love them." Seems to tug at peoples hearts.

I got the same thing from people on my facebook when I just got my first ball python a month or so ago. I've wanted a snake for at least 10 years and my mom would never let me...she was scared it would get out and kill our cats or our small 9 pound dog haha :rofl: So I waited about a year after I moved out and decided it was time for me to get my first ball python!

The worst I got was actually at work...the older people I work with think I am insane. They think its disgusting and have no problem telling me that. I just dont get it really...I think snakes are just very misunderstood.

You're true friends will be happy for you and your pet choice.

There is still are negative cultural bias and irrational fears held against reptiles, and snakes in particular. One can always try education as the antidote for ignorance. Don't let the closed minded discourage you from this wonderful hobby!

When I got my first bp, the same thing happened on fb, and I went through my friends list and got rid of all the haters ;)

They were people I never really talked to anyways, so I didn't worry about it too much. My close friends are very interested in exotic pets, and are always fascinated by my ability to walk around with a snake on my wrist and not worry about it. They'd personally never own a snake, but they think it's neat that I'm "brave enough" to have them.

Well, I guess you now have an idea of who your friends really are.

Jim Smith

While I haven't had anyone call me insane for having one, I have encountered a lot of ignorance about snakes when I tell people I keep snakes and reptiles in general [mostly when I mention the snakes though]. For example, my roommate thought that my ball python would get big enough to eat our 35 pound husky. Once she met Zoey, and I informed her ball pythons at an absolute maximum reach 6 feet and can't eat a husky, she loves her. She's still hesitant to hold her for very long especially if I leave the room, but now she's thinking about getting a snake herself [either a corn snake or a ball python]. One of our friends came over for a small party and I had Zoey out when I walked downstairs because I didn't think that many people were here yet, she freaked out. But after talking to her about snakes for a little bit and having my bf hold Zoey while we talked she slowly built up the courage the just pet Zoey and realize they're not all bad.

Long story short, sometimes the fear and hatred is just from ignorance and once people learn, they're much more accepting. Sounds like you just need to talk to these "friends" and educate them. Though I'm with the rest of the posters in that they don't seem like very good friends if they can't just accept that you like them regardless of what they're going to say.

Only a clown would make those comments an ignorant clown at that. I get alote of why ?'s why I got a snake and what purpose do they serve yata yata but on the good side they are deffinatly a chick magnet haha.:D

Its just your chance to make them see the light and that snakes are not terrible man eating reptiles....;) At least that is what I try to do with my haters. Though I have to say...there are those that just will never get it...their loss.

Why do people act so surprised at the fact that there are people who don't "get it"? Of course mainstream perception is that its weird. A lot of my friends think the snake thing is "weird", but I don't take offense to it, and usually just laugh it off. In fact, I'm usually the first to say "yeah, it's a bit of weird creepy hobby, but I love it!" Usually they love being able to look at them even if they think its weird. Lets not take ourselves so serious, I'm pretty sure they aren't trying to actually offend you ;)

When I showed the picture of my ball python to my friends and famly most of them were like why?!?!?! I've always loved snakes and reptiles in general. I just ignore them..lol Im kind of like you and laugh it off. :)

Happens to all of us. I just love the "What are you going to do when it gets big?", specifically talking about my ball. One co-worker even said "Are you willing to kill it so you don't have to release it into the wild when ou get tired of it?". I lol'd.

Get a cham....all the snake haters will then love you and forget you have snakes...until you make another post about them ;)

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Originally Posted by anthonym

Why do people act so surprised at the fact that there are people who don't "get it"? Of course mainstream perception is that its weird. A lot of my friends think the snake thing is "weird", but I don't take offense to it, and usually just laugh it off. In fact, I'm usually the first to say "yeah, it's a bit of weird creepy hobby, but I love it!" Usually they love being able to look at them even if they think its weird. Lets not take ourselves so serious, I'm pretty sure they aren't trying to actually offend you ;)

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See, I had my first snake when I was 7 or 8 and have had other reptiles my whole life including frogs and geckos... So when i got my bp and some people at work made less than enthusiastic comments, it threw me off guard. Most of my life I've seen reptiles as cool and pretty normal, and so did my friends... But I think that's probably just because my parents allowed us to have such a variety of pets as kids.

So for me, the negativity took a bit of getting used to, but you can usually pretty easily educate people and get them to see the good side of our friends. :) And yeah, I've always thought it a bit ridiculous how people will say it's weird to have a reptile as a pet, yet they'll keep fish or a dog or cat... I fail to see the difference really :P

Even though I never had reptiles as a kid, my family and close circle of friends all loved or at least appreciated snakes, lizards, ect. We woulds try to catch garter or frogs when we could, and a good many of my friends or even just peers had a cornsnake, or a bearde dragon, or a leopard gecko, so on and so forth. I always considered them a normal-ish pet to keep.

So it was a bit odd for me when I hear people proclaim snakes of any type or even just reptiles in general evil, killers, all that fun stuff. Granted, I mostly hear of it on the internet or American TV. I've yet to have a friend IRL or even on facebook badmouth anyones pet of choice. Maybe I've just been lucky.

I can understand when people get a little dumbfounded when they hear of a person keeping multiple snakes though. A good sized collection may seem a bit crazy to a layperson. :P

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Originally Posted by NomiGold

Even though I never had reptiles as a kid, my family and close circle of friends all loved or at least appreciated smakes, lizzards, ect. We woulds try to catch garter or frogs when we could, and a good many of my friends or even just peers had a cornsnake, or a bearde dragon, or a leopard gecko, so on and so forth. I always considered them a normal-ish pet to keep.

So it was a bit odd for me when I hear people proclaim snakes of any type or even just reptiles in general evil, killers, all that fun stuff. Granted, I mostly hear of it on the internet or American TV. I've yet to have a friend IRL or even on facebook badmouth anyones pet of choice. Maybe I've just been lucky.

I can understand when people get a little dumbfounded when they hear of a person keeping multiple snakes though. A good sized collection may seem a bit crazy to a layperson. :P

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Yeah, even if you haven't had one as a kid... Don't all kids go catch frogs and snakes and crawdads? :P