Why snakes??????!

Ok, I get this almost every time people learn I keep snakes as pet/friends/family.
Now I always been interested by animals that most people are scared of like spiders, snakes and maybe even vats.
So my Question to u is why u like snakes?

I got to say I never had such and cool and interesting pet sweet tooooo;):snake:

I belong to another (general) internet forum, which has sections for cats, dogs, fish & "general pets." Somebody recently posted a thread on there, asking "why keep exotic pets?" And like you, I often get asked this question in real life too! But the truth is, I'm not really sure WHY I love snakes - I just do. :P If I have to give reasons, it's because they are beautiful to observe, fun to photograph, interesting to study, easy to care for, and IMO very soothing to handle... all good reasons, I think!

I get asked this all the time too, especially because I don't look like your "typical" snake owner and I have to agree with Lolo76 that they are beautiful and so cool to touch and everything but I also just really enjoy most animals in general. I also grew up snake hunting with my mom in the creeks behind my grandparents house. It was awesome!

I get this question ALL the time. I usually just get a big cheesy smile on my face and say "because I LOVE them", but I'll usually throw out the "well my landlord won't let me have cats or dogs, so I had to improvise", or "my son really loves them too!".....but to be honest I have no idea why. I really do love them, and it certainly is an addiction. They are just such interesting little critters, each one has such a different personality. I love mine to pieces :D

I have been into snake for as long as I can remember. I used to catch them in the creek all the time when I was younger. I always wanted one, and finally got one when I was old enough to work and afford to care for one. I have many more now. Another reason that I chose snakes over any other pets is because their ease of care.

Because they remind me of the underdog, no arms, no legs, just a mouthful of teeth. i also find them to be extremely fascinating.

to be honest i love all, ok, ALMOST all of god's creatures. the one's i cant stand are the spiders, scorpions (although the one's here spark my interest & curiosity while still freaking me out a little), bees, wasps...really any creepy, crawly, buzzy bug that can sting or bite is on my no-no list.
1 bug that NEVER survives once i've laid eyes on it are black widows. i do not care if god created them i kill every single one the second i see it.

to those that want to get upset by that, please keep in mind i have small kids who like to run around shoe-less, sorry i'm not chancing one of them getting bit, especially my 7 yr old FEARLESS special needs son who does not understand the meaning of "potentially dangerous".
to him that means "more fun to play with" and with that mindset he'll see a black widow no different then any other bug stupid enough to cross his field of vision.
and i DO worry that now that i have a pet snake he'll think he can touch ALL snakes, including the one's outside...god forbid he finds something venomous.
anyways, i have a snake now cuz my bf's dad owns our house and he said "no dogs or cats". i wanted a pet but was limited to birds, reptiles or fish. we have a tank that i was using for the rats but now the tank is vacant so we're gonna turn it into a fish aquarium soon, i still want a few birds (2 cockatiels & a white bellied caique specifically...and MAYBE a macaw in the future).
so anyways, i'm with the others on the fact that snakes are just really very interesting/fascinating creatures. i have a list of "future hopefuls" (bp's i want in the future).
and finally, i'm just one who does things differently then others for the sake of being different, i guess. i dont like having or doing things that are considered "common". because of that i dont make a good follower but i lack the self discipline to be a leader.
i'm just kind of a rogue of sorts.
i was the kid in the family that everyone looked at and went
"hmmm...there's something odd with that one."
i was pretty much the only girl that really refused to play with barbies and dolls and tea sets. you would always find me out rollin' in the dirt with the dogs or up a tree somewhere. lol, my parents would come out calling me and they'd be scanning the nearby trees cuz chances are that's where i was.
oh, why snakes?
lol, i get sidetracked...
no one else in my family has or would ever dream of having a pet snake so i guess that's me being different again.

Snakes elicit a primal fear in most humans, and especially in those who were raised in a 'westernized' culture.

Even those of us who know how docile and non-threatening some snakes can be always have that deep-seated cultural fear in the back of our minds.

To me the spectrum of snake owners covers a wide range of people dealing with this fear in very different ways.

Those who keep 'hots' are, to some extent, driven by the need to master dangerous things. They know that the snake they own can kill, and take pride in 'taming' that danger. It's similar with those who enjoy large constrictors - the snake can kill, and its size makes it even more impressive to outsiders.

People like me, who own a single BP, know that there is really no danger at all, yet we still have a secret satisfying thrill whenever we handle our snake. "Check it out! I own the beast that took out all mankind when it offered the apple to Eve!!"

Plus, I only have to feed him once a week.

I honestly haven't been directly asked this question yet, but I do have a friend who tells me to kill me snakes every time I so much as mention them. :(

I have tried to explain to him thousands of times why I keep them, but I've come to accept that there are some people in this world who will never understand.

I keep snakes because I enjoy them. I love my dog, he fulfills my need to have an animal that loves me, but there is just something about my snakes that I just love. I love that they eat once every 6 days so I can leave for a weekend without worrying too much. They are also amazingly beautiful and primitive. Holding my snakes is simply the best, for me it's a very relaxing experience. I just enjoy everything about my snakes and that's why I keep them.

Why snakes? Why not snakes?

I love all animals equally. I don't see why I should like a dog better then a snake, a snake better then a spider, a spider better then a rat, etc etc etc. Every animal is equal in my eyes.

The only reason I don't have anything furry and fuzzy is because of my father and our allergies to some pet hair. He isn't fond of reptiles, but; No hair in the carpets or anything, no spills around the house, no noise, etc. Dont get me wrong, I'd love to have a few pet rats and a king shepherd puppy, but snakes are the easiest thing for me to take care of for the time being.

One thing I barely tolerate when people ask this question though, is when they say it with the most ignorance and disgust they can. Drives me crazy. I always keep my cool though and just state my reasons and leave it there. If they keep going on with the ignorance and disgust after I politely ask them to stop I bring up the fact that more people get injured and sometimes die from more dog attacks then never (At least from what I've heard and researched) from a ball python, or I tell them to have an experience with a snake. If you haven't done anything with a snake except looked at them and go with what you hear on the news, how do you know you don't like them? Its like me and spiders. I use to be scared to death of them, but now I'm actually considering buying a starter tarantula to warm me up to them more. Even if it doesn't work out, at least I can say I tried.

I had this posted to my Facebook awhile back:

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I have been asked by people I've met "Why snakes?" It isn't easy to explain. I find a certain perfection in their simplicity (no need for appendages), a beauty in their markings, and the fact the these guys have remained unchanged since the dawn of time and still apex predators. I feel they deserve our respect, admiration, and protection.

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Mostly it's because they are so simple to take care of. They don't get a lot of diseases, or sickness, and you can have the same one for most of your life. You can't say that about a dog, can you? I love furries too, but will all the money spent at a vet's office for one furry, I would rather have a beautiful ball python morph!

I was asked this same thing about 2 weeks ago. My response was that they are so interesting. How they have no appendages like stratus said and yet can move quickly, the markings are beautiful, and they are just way to cool for words. The most awesome pet I have ever owned.

Beautiful, EASY to care for, can be left for days without worry (unlike a dog).

And like others have said, I am not sure why I like them so much. But I sure do!

My mom got me started with herps when I was about 4 trs old in california, we had a fence swift in the back yard and my mom went out and caught it for me. I kept that little lizard until I was 10. I have always been fasinated by reptiles since that experience. Growing up most of my life in Tennessee, I was constantly out catching snakes and lizards. During my first marriage, my spouse was scared to death of snakes, but ok with lizards and turtles. My current spouse loves all of them and we now have 8 snakes and 2 bearded dragons. But, why snakes, 1. They don't crap on the carpet, 2. They don't make noise, 3 They don't tear up the furniture, and 4. You only have to feed them once a week.

It's simple to see why people love these animals; they're absolutely FASCINATING. Every aspect of them is totally alien to anything that the norm of the general public is used to: the way they eat, poop, sleep and live is just so different from us mammals it's hard not to be intrigued by it all. It's just awesome to monitor and admire them.

Heck, not sure,lol, but when I handle or view my snakes, I become fascinated every time!! like its the first time I have seen them?!?!I love fish too and a snake is like a dry moray eel that I can hold:banana:..........and with that ,you either dig them or you are indifferent, or terrified :taz:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ptiles/213.jpg

I'm pretty much an animal person so I love all types. Growing up I had a variety of lizards, tortoises and frogs. They were all fascinating to watch. My mom never let me have a snake. After moving out I basically just had dogs and didn't really go back to reptiles even though I greatly enjoyed keeping them as a child.

Flash forward. I'm a dad now and my 5 year old really wanted a pet. He wanted a reptile and we spent about a month deciding what would be best for him. We decided on a corn snake because they are sturdy, easy to keep and look awesome. We have had so much fun caring for "Slithery" I decided to get a snake of my own. So last week I got a pastel ball python.

I don't know why people(short of not liking animals at all) would not like snakes. They are beautiful and very fun to watch and handle. Maybe its because they don't love you back and they aren't cuddly?

This is really 3 different questions.

Why do I keep snakes? Because I love animals.

Why do I keep snakes specifically? Because they're absolutely beautiful and the easiest animal I've ever kept. I went through cats, dogs, fish, rodents and lizards before I got my first snake, and the snake is the only one that stuck.

Why do I keep snakes as passionately as I do? Because they're an evolutionary wonder and therefore the most fascinating animals I can think of. Several species have been around as long as snakes have (crocs, turtles, etc), but they all have advantages that snakes did not. Crocs and turtles have all shrunk considerably over the millennia, yet you are just as likely to find a 30 ft snake or a 3 ft snake now as you would have been 65 million years ago. They're the most mechanically efficient animal in existence, and they aren't totally reliant on every single meal (like, for example, a big cat). They've survived both the age of reptiles and the age of mammals, including several Ice Ages (quite impressive for a reptile),mass extinctions, and human intervention. Their design is perfect, and always has been, because if it were any other way, they would either be extinct or Mother Nature would have tweeked them until they got it right.

Yes, I've thought about this a lot. XD

It is an often heard question! I usually answer with what other pet can you own that has next to no smell only needs cleaning typically once a week, fresh water every 2 or 3 days, food once every week or two, and is as interesting and as beautiful. A snake is the perfect modern lifestyle pet and no guilt is needed if you have a busy week and don't have much time to spare. The only other thing is fish and they are not really as personable.

I love my snakes and will never give them up each is dear to me but that never seems to be the answer anyone wants to hear so I tell them the modern pet version. The truth is if I had all the time to spear I'd still have them, I just might have a dog too.

I'm fairly new to owning snakes, but I've always been fascinated with them. For as long as I can remember, if there was a TV show or movie that taught something about snakes (Be it something as questionable as facts on Billy the Exterminator or something like Venom 911), I watched it.

A few years ago, we had a neighbor that had snakes. I'm pretty sure they were boas, but I can't remember what they looked like or what he said. All I remember is that he kind of disappeared from view and I focused on the snakes. The way they moved, the way they looked around, the way their tongues flicker in and out of their mouths. Everything about them fascinates me.

As others have said, they are an evolutionary wonder. Not only what they have survived over the many years they've been in existence, but the wonderful colors and patterns that can be produced in captivity. I often wonder what the world would be like without them.

By this I mean, when I'm stressed or upset, I can take one of my snakes out and I calm down nearly instantly. I find them relaxing, soothing, the way they move chills me out. Especially ball pythons. Snakes of all kinds intrigue me, but I love BP's.

I think it's knowledge that eliminates the fear, and once thats gone you can see what unique and amazing creatures they are. Colorful and varied. Also I always liked the underdog.

I like all reptiles. And the Word You, not just the letter. ;)

Why Snakes? I guess simply because I love all types of animals (except spiders). I had a few snakes when I was a kid. Maybe I'm going through my second childhood? Ask my wife, she thinks I am. :rofl:

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Originally Posted by Seru1

I like all reptiles. And the Word You, not just the letter. ;)

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Seconded. XD