How to deal with anti-snake people?

So I'm finding out more and more that I get some pretty wild responses when I tell people that I have a snake (and that I intend to get more). Everything from the normal 'I hate/am afraid of snakes' to 'Snakes are associated with the devil'. Have any of you found a tactful way to respond to these people?

I am a devout christian and my husband and I even live in a monastery. My snake is not associated with the devil, he is one of God's beautiful creation. That is just silly...
I've just had alot of people say something along the lines of "you'd better be careful", and I say "about what?" and they say "salmonella", or "you'll need to suck out the venom if he bites", or "he'll strangle you", or "he'll get out and eat your children and you when he gets bigger"... And then I just take a minute to educate them (gently, not condemningly) about my snake.
Sometimes I just simply say "Ah. Well, thanks for your concern." and then drop it.

"My snakes are harmless and small."
"God created snakes too, just like all the other creatures."
"Really? I love all animals no matter what kind."
There's a lot of nonconfrontational comments you can make in response to most common objections. Most people who start out saying "I hate snakes!" ended up being fascinated by mine and ended up touching and admiring them somewhat even in a single meeting. Don't be defensive right away and you might change their minds just by being reasonable and showing them that reptiles are just animals like any other.

That's a good question.
Personally I don't see how anyone---even someone who's never handled a snake in their life---could handle a ball python and still feel that way (unless of course it bites them right away, lol) cuz' they're so darned cute! But of course all of us here would probably say that. :rolleyes:

Guess I'm not much help in answering your question, lol.
Vine

Good ideas! I just hate feeling like I can't talk about my snake (soon to be snakeS!) because of the reactions. I find my son's friends are a lot more excited about them than their parents and my friends are, lol. Maybe I'll start educating thenext generation of snake lovers!

I've never, ever had someone say to me that snakes are the devil or anything of the sort. I've had raised eyebrows, winces and "ewww"s. I've had "Why???" But I've never had any of the outrageous stuff that others claim. No one has ever said my ball pythons will kill my kids or "poison" us. I've had people ASK how big they will get or wonder if they're dangerous, but it's a respectful question from someone who just doesn't know any better....so I'm never offended. I guess I'm just lucky to never run into these crazy people?

As for those who are afraid of or just plain hate snakes...I just shrug. I can respect the fear. I've been seriously afraid of spiders and certain other bugs my whole life, and still battle with that although I'm trying to be better about it. If I can be afraid of harmless bugs, then why should I be astonished to hear that someone is afraid of my snake?

I offer to help them get over that fear if and when they ever reach a point in their lives when they'd like to try, but I don't force or insist. For those that hate snakes.... :confuzd: ....I'm sure I hate something they like, too. We all have our likes and dislikes and it's pretty senseless to get offended at someone else's.

I have to deal with that. Never "the devil", but I get "ewws", "grosses" and shocks because I'm a type of girl that "doesn't look like she would have snakes".

I guess I live in a lot more of a Liberal city though, so a lot of the responses I get are also positive. I'd say its about 60% negative, 40% positive.

I don't say anything back. I just shrug it off. It's no big deal what people think, because they aren't living in your life or caring for your animals like you are.

I can totally understand fear! I too am petrified of creepy crawlies that have too many legs, lol. However, the people who make such a huge deal about it are the ones I have trouble with. I was so excited when we adopted our first bp, and then a few unpleasant comments from some people I told took the wind out of my sails. People can be so ignorant. :tears:

I normally tell them they should hold one of my snakes and thier opinion sometimes changes. Other times people wont come near my house which is fine by me. My landlord had never held a snake and one time he came and was shocked to see 2. ( I forgot to tell him I had them). He held them once and decided i could have as many as i wanted as long as his kids could come over sometimes lol. try to educate them then, depending on ur personality, ignore them or tell them "the what to and the how for" lol.

If somebody told me that snakes were "associated with the devil," I wouldn't care enough about them to try and change their mind.

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Originally Posted by msoprano

If somebody told me that snakes were "associated with the devil," I wouldn't care enough about them to try and change their mind.

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Great point!

I've never gotten the devil association thing, but I always just get wierd looks from people I work with for having an "unusual" pet. Occasionally I get the "those snakes will eat you and your neighbors" line. You can try to educate them as best you can, but if they're going to jump to rash conclusions about the evils of snakes, there's not much you can do to convince them.

A lot of people that I run in to one hear too many myths, like the story of the lady who owned a burm and it wouldnt eat but was streching its self out and the vet said so it can eat her. I tell people that give this eww or gross, I ask them if they ever held one. Only person said yes and she didnt like the texture of its scales. I had a coworker that used to tell me it was going to get big and choke me or crush my bones. I told her my balls dont squeeze that tight. I have reason to believe my big ball could probly strengle me but what purpoae would it have. I would recommend not driving with your ball around your neck. But I just educate people

DUDE, snakes are related to the devil, that's why I want one! :twisted:

NO, I'm just kidding... But I have heard it too, I studied my whole life in a Catholic Private School, and in the Elementary, Nuns gave the Religion class, and I remember that once a classmate said that his dad had snakes, and the nun went [nuts] about how snakes were the devil's animal (and even said that the bible said so, using the Genesis as an example http://img3.harmony-central.com/acap...b/facepalm.gif)

And I have also heard COUNTLESS times that it will strangle me or eat me...http://img3.harmony-central.com/acap...b/facepalm.gifhttp://img3.harmony-central.com/acap...b/facepalm.gifhttp://img3.harmony-central.com/acap...b/facepalm.gifhttp://img3.harmony-central.com/acap...b/facepalm.gifhttp://img3.harmony-central.com/acap...b/facepalm.gif



All I do is explain that BPs are like cute fluffy kittehs that won't bite (as hard) nor scratch. And that when nervous, instead of striking, they ball up! Usually that's the line that I convince most people with.


And when I first told my GF that I would be buying a BP (Early March) she went crazy, fighting with me, telling me she wouldn't go to my apartment any longer, and If I dared to take the snake to her apartment, she would dump me. Now she can't wait until next Thursday so I can finally bring her home :D

My boss isn't fond of snakes.

When I told her I wanted a Saturday in September off for Repticon, she asked what and why. I said, I love snakes, I want to go get another one.

She replied, "not me, I was married to one for too long..."

Hahahhahhaha Funny story ;)

Not too many Bible-thumpers around here, so thankfully I've never gotten THAT response! :D I have heard the typical "I'm scared" or "eww" opinions, in fact I heard that from a woman today at the dog park. We were talking about flea control for my dog/cats, and I said that I couldn't flea-bomb due to my snake collection... she literally shuddered, and told me how creepy snakes were. Oh, and did you hear about that kid who was killed by their pet python? Oy vey.

Usually I just smile and say "Well, I love 'em" and then add how mine are small and harmless. Sometimes I'll even share pictures (on my iPhone), and you'd be surprised how many will admit they're beautiful. :) The woman today was actually cool, but since she mentioned the Florida Burm incident, I quickly explained how a giant python + unsecured cage + no food for months + baby alone in a room = recipe for disaster. She totally agreed, and that was that.

So basically I try not to be antagonistic, or call them wussies (unless maybe it's a super beefy dude, LOL), or anything like that... I just keep the conversation friendly & informative, only sharing as much information as they seem to want.

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Originally Posted by JLC

As for those who are afraid of or just plain hate snakes...I just shrug. I can respect the fear. I've been seriously afraid of spiders and certain other bugs my whole life, and still battle with that although I'm trying to be better about it. If I can be afraid of harmless bugs, then why should I be astonished to hear that someone is afraid of my snake?

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That woman (at the dog park) mentioned she's fine with tarantulas, and held one at a shop recently... I told her that was ironic, since you couldn't PAY me to touch a spider! :oops: So yeah, I understand animal/critter fears - and try to remind myself of that when somebody's afraid of my snakes.

I just let them say their piece and move on...I have, however, showed my bp to people and gave them some info about her. I let them look and touch which has converted some people. To the people who fear and are strongly against snakes, I just think in my head: humans were once afraid of the world being round. These are amazing creatures and I am glad I get to share my life with my little worm:snake:

For the most part I ignore them. Living in the south, a vast majority hate snakes. I constantly get remarks like "think of your children" and "omg why would you do that" stuff like that. I should add that my wife has been terrified of snakes her entire life and was completely against me getting one. I finally convinced her (Getting her an iphone 4 helped with the convincing), and suprisingly she has starting getting pretty curious about him. She has gotten to the point where she will hold him and even take him out of his tub to give him some attention. Granted he is a wee little worm but still it is a wonderful start. Now, hopefully she wont kill me when I tell her of my plans to get a rack.......Wish me luck.:please:

The other response that I get is, "Oh my god, you have to feed it MICE!". *sigh*

I hear a lot of ewws and shakes of heads. A few of my coworkers ask about my snakes everyday. They like to hear about them but they still don't like them :confused:. My snakes are harmless they never have stabbed me in the back like some of my so called friends.

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Originally Posted by JulieInNJ

The other response that I get is, "Oh my god, you have to feed it MICE!". *sigh*

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I get that one too! "That is so cruel that you have to feed it mice!" I admit that I don't actually like to watch the killing part after having picked out the little rat to feed Jackson and then holding it the whole way home- they are pretty cute. But that's what they eat, so I just think of it as a chicken or something that I would eat, and not as a cute little fuzz.

I don't respond to people like that. If people want to be ignorant and condescending than I don't need to talk to them, or at least about that topic. As a general rule people are very opinionated - a lot of the time there is nothing you can say that will make them change their opinions. I would drop the subject so to avoid the confrontation. There's a lot of stupid people out there and trying to educate them all is a losing battle. :P

I just respond with logic and facts. The problem I see working with rescues is that people are poorly informed and let their fear think for them. Logic makes more sense than some of the idiotic ideas that get presented (a ball python will eat you... I mean really) and calm and gentle treatment respecting their fear often will have the person trust you, and sometimes the trust the place in you will out weigh the fear they have or *think* they have of the snakes.

I went on a course with a woman 'terrified' of snakes during the class I asked lots of reptile questions (advanced animal first aid or disaster responders) She and I talked on breaks and over lunch during the two day class and she started asking reasonable questions, she has since emailed a few times with how to care for snakes during an emergency and asked I have offered to have a talk at my house (where the snakes live) and she has been over and asked to see where they were so she saw the enclosures and rack. The next week she was back asking to see the snakes them selves and we did that and before she left she was sitting with one on her lap.

'gee that are not cold and slimy'

Calm logic and calm treatment has always worked for me. I have never met belligerent people I think I'd just walk away.

Luckily, because I'm a mental health therapist, a lot of the people I interact with on a daily basis are very understanding and like to learn new things..so they're pretty open to my hobby. I had one of my coworker's daughters (5 years old) over to my apt to administer an IQ test (for practice only) and upon finishing early, decided to get the snakes out to play. She loved them so much, they now have 3 snakes of their own. Even my coworkers that shiver a bit when I mention getting a new snake always ask how my snakes are doing, esp if I've mentioned one not eating, having a piece of stuck shed, etc. However, I try to be respectful of everyone's opinions. No one has to like reptiles, and I would not try to convince them otherwise. I would not want them to dislike reptiles for unrealistic reasons (e.g. they're going to eat your kids), but if someone is just plain "creeped out" by them, that's fine by me. I myself have a legitimate phobia of a certain animal that I will not mention, and I would not appreciate it if someone told me that I had to like this particular animal. I do not have any unrealistic beliefs about this animal..I think they're just creepy to look at. I also know people that like wild snakes but do not understand why I would want to keep on as a pet, which is fine...I don't understand why someone would want to keep a tiger for a pet, but some people have done so.
Another story that is funny/scary...One of the secretaries at the clinic I work at told me that she had been talking to someone that used to have a snake that slept in their bed with them (clearly a bad idea). This person had become concerned when the snake refused a meal and positioned itself in a stretched out position, rather than in a coil, for a few days and decided to take it to the vet. They reported that their vet had told them that the snake was sizing them up to eat them and was fasting in order to be able to have enough room in its stomach. The vet suggested that the owner have the snake destroyed in order to prevent the impending situation. I did educate her after this story, and she seemed a bit relieved, but I'm pretty sure she is still concerned for my safety.

I've mostly had people say "eww" or "they aren't meant to be pets", but I refuse to argue with people. I just say how much I love mine, that he's very gentle and you just need to do your research on the species of interest before you purchase so you can avoid problems like the snake getting way bigger than you anticipated. If someone continues to express how wrong they think you are, just walk away and let them have their negative thoughts! I actually have a friend who, despite her fear of snakes, wanted to hold Enzo and while that didn't last long, she seemed to appreciate the brief experience. At least some people try to be open minded :)

It's so true - once people are more familiar with the truth of bp's, the more curious they become! :gj: