How many BPs is "too many"?

This is a spin off Viper's thread. My friends and family like to throw around words like "addict" and "obsessive" when they hear about my 25+ snake collection... to them, it's hoarding. They think it's way "too many." I seriously think they believe I have some sort of mental illness. Animal Planet to blame I suppose. I personally think have as many pets/investment animals as you want as long as you can afford them.

How many BPs do you think is "too many"?

This is a rather subjective topic so feel free to elaborate on your answer... too many for you, too many for one person... too many without having a facility and staff... anything you want!

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Depends...if it's a hobby, you'll know you have too many when it becomes a chore...instead of something you enjoy.

If you're a pro? Not sure...would there be such a thing as too many? :confused: :D

When I hear the term "hoarding" I immediately think of a situation that has gotten out of control...if you have 100 snakes and can care for them properly, keep them fed, healthy, and still have time for the other things in life...I wouldn't consider that hoarding...I would just consider that a big collection. :)

I believe that "to many" varies from person to person and situation to situation. For instance, I'd have to say when "to many" is when you start to have to juggle weather to feed yourself/family or your snakes. Especially when people start to house multiple ones together that might also be "to many" for that person.

Some people might have a better source of income and might be better suited to take in more snakes ie: buy food, housing, hides, water bowls, bedding, so and so on. That being said money doesn't make you a better owner by any means but it goes along way on how much care you can provide for you snakes. Especially when one if it ever happens catches something or gets sick... vet bills, medicine and preventive measures add up.

Those are just my two cents on what "to many" snakes mean. Don't mean to offend anyone or start an arguement, because I know some people who have little money and make the best pet owners ever and some people who have lots of money and don't take care of a single pet right. All in all I had to find my limit due to limited time to care for each animal.

i feel like too many ball pythons would be when your starting to consider giving up other things in your life or paying late on bills on a regular basis to pay for bp things. i mean if you have the space and the money to care for them i don't see how any amount is too many. and yeah animal planet probably doesn't help especially when they say things like most people own these kind of reptiles to show their dominance. stupid fatal attractions show making making my family in laws think i'm crazy....

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Originally Posted by bigmike

"to many"

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it's too many, not to many...:)

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Originally Posted by sho220

it's too many, not to many...:)

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Yeah I caught it too* late. lol

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Originally Posted by bigmike

Yeah I caught it too* late. lol

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lol...to funny... :D

Whenever it comes to the point where you can't take care of all of them properly. Some people that might be one, others, one million :)

Not voting, too many variables.
-Ability to pay for care, housing, feeding
-space available
- age/maturity

My opinion they someone should stop before they become a burden on you or your family, before you can't feed them or provide good care (including emergency vet visits).

I agree with what the others wrote. People have different limits as to what they can handle, a lot of factors go into finding those limits. If you personally are having doubts as to how much you can handle, it's always better to start out too slow than too fast. This way you can prove to those who doubt you that you are more than capable and that your passion is a long term lifestyle.

I believe two many is when you can't afford their care.

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yup what everyone else said...lol.

pretty much what everyone else said is how i feel.

this should have been a poll of which factors go into having too many snakes with a multiple choice option seeing as everyone has multiple factors listed.

That is like asking how much money is too much!

www.coldclassifieds.com

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I say too many is when you can't properly take care of them. I have over ten pets, but they all get the food, water, play, grooming, ect. that they need, so it's not too many. Although for some people, even one is too many.

I don't want to see any of you guys on Animal Hoarders :rofl:

It all depends on the situation and person. As others have stated, the general idea is that if you can't afford their care (food, proper caging, vet, etc) or can't take the time to even do it then you probably have too many.

I have a room mate who tried to get into herps (he now is a content observer of my own animals and sticks with his cat) and started out with a crested, got bored after a month, and then decided to buy himself a tegu due to the higher potential for interactivity. The crested became part of my collection, having taken over the care while tending to my own crestie (when I confronted him about it he offhandedly just said "Yeah, forgot I even had it") and the tegu slowly got neglected to death. As much as I wanted to rescue the poor thing and repeatedly recommended the local herp society to him, even offering to take it there myself, I knew I couldn't "care on the side" for it like I had the crestie. For me personally, I don't have the space, resources ($$$), or time for a lizard that requires as much as a tegu, let alone rehabilitating one and taking it to the vet. It's heartbreaking, especially knowing that it wasn't a money issue, simply the owner getting disinterested when the animal didn't tame down immediately (it takes time, I told him over and over). However, I'm very careful about keeping a collection I can maintain, and in the case of an emergency trip to the vet I can still afford it and the continuing costs on top, so I felt at a loss in that situation.

Point being, too many for one person might just be one pet, whether it's a BP or any other animal. All sorts of factors are in play, including the interest or dedication of the keeper

Too many = 1 more than you can handle. If you have the time, energy, money and know how to take care of many animals than it doesn't matter if you have 1snake or 1000 snakes. It depends on each person and a whole bunch of variables. It's not fair to put a number on how many snakes is too many.

I think it becomes too many when someone gets bit by "the bug" and end up buying anything and everything maybe with ideas of breeding but dont realize its a faze and not a true passion and the animals begin to suffer due to loss of interest of the keeper

to many is when you cant properly take care of them. aka feed them,clean them,heat them,house them etc. If you can do all that then there is never to much. Also you have to keep in mind can you afford ??? snakes.

Oops, read the title wrong(read it as 'How many BPs do you own' XD) and voted 0-5. XD I don't mean that.

honestly though, I think you only have too many when you can't take care of them.

If you are unable to provide proper care for the animals, you have too many. That number could be one, or it could be one hundred.