BP Lifestyle/Culture (Question heavy)

This is a bit of an abstract question, so please bear with me. It's something that's very important to me, as a prospective owner/enthusiast.

Coming from a history of pets, dominated by dogs, I know that "dog people" have our own unique lifestyles and subcultures- particularly specific to our breeds of choice. There's also a certain level of endearing "craziness," for lack of a better term, within the serious dog enthusiast community.

I'm very interested in knowing how, or if, any of this translates into the world of snakes and BPs. So, to be more direct: Would you say that there's a lifestyle and culture, unique to BP owners? If so, what does that look like to you? In general, would you say the community of BP enthusiasts is tight and supportive or are there any major Achilles Heels within it?

On a smaller scale, in regard to lifestyle, how has yours changed since you've acquired your first BP? How much time do you spend enjoying your BP(s) hands on vs. admiring from afar? Is your BP ownership a characteristic you find yourself using to describe yourself to others? :)

Im not a BP only kinda person. I like to have a collection of different things. I understand what you are saying but have never found myself in the "crazy" side of pet owners. I dont dress my dog up and take her to dog parties or treat her like a person. She is my pet and she is treated as such. Not that she is not spoiled.

I do think that my old english bulldog would say more about me as a person than my snakes. A bulldog is a great breed but it needs a dominant type A leader. Without it you will have a stuborn little brat on your hands. She is strong and pigheaded at times which I like and I think could identify me. I feel that anyone can own a BP. I dont think that it takes a certain personality type to care for a BP like it does with some breeds of dogs. They are just to sweet, which can not be said for all snakes. My GTP for example takes a defferent type of owner that doesnt mind bleeding every now and again. But going with your specific BP related post I truly feel that a BP is a great snake for anyone willing to be responsible enough to correctly care for it and does not require a certain type of person.

To me my snakes are just fun interesting creatures that I enjoy owning. I dont have any personal friends that own snakes and most of my friends that know I have snakes were shocked to hear it, I guess that tells you how much I live a snake person lifestyle. I do have friends that would like to own/or have owned snakes but their wives wont let them. I know, I told them to get new wives but again their wives wont let them. I dont think that people that see me would ever guess that I am into snake keeping.

My snakes are nothing more to me than a hobby that I enjoy. I do handle my snakes regularly but also enjoy watching them, especially my GTP. I probably give each snake about a hour of hand time a week.

One thing that I like about snakes is how is doesnt change my life. Meaning, when I am gonna be gone for a few hours or even days I have no worries about the snakes. With a dog I find she dominates many things like how late I stay at a friends cause I need to get home to let her out or feed her. Or if Im leaving for a few days I have to get her care and cart her around before the trip and then plan the return time around the best time to pick her up. None of this is needed with a snake and they allow you freedon and enjoyment. They also dont eat your home when you dont play with them.

I hope this was in line with what you are wondering. Dont take me as the norm for a snake owner, Im probably not. At least my fiance tells me Im not normal. LOL!

I don't think you will find a particular "life style" associated with keeping ball pythons. If you look at the membership of this site, you will see there are a wide range of people who keep reptiles. Some are young and just starting out, but many are older and more established. I think trying to peg or generalize too much leads one to step into a trap. We shouldn't try to put people into little boxes but look at each one as an individual. In fact, if there are any common characteristics of ball python/reptile owners is that they are very individualistic or independent thinking people. I also am a motorcycle enthusiast. However, if you met me during the workday, you would be surprised to learn that I have reptiles and motorcycles.

As far as Achilles Heels, my opinion is that irresponsible owners/keepers are our biggest threat and weakness. That is why I participate here and why this forum is so active, because others feel the same way.

Since I've acquired my BPs, my evenings and weekends have changed. Last night, I came home after working a long day and had to work on converting babies over to f/t, clean rat bins, answer emails from potential buyers, update records, etc. It made for a very long day. In addition, we have guests coming this weekend, so tonight will be another long night cleaning snake bins. Many people will tell you that breeding ball pythons is easy. I'm not one of them. It is fun most of the time and I enjoy our animals. But, it is work.

When I got my first 1 to 5 there wasnt a huge change, now that I am over 30+ there have been some changes to my schedule but its only to make sure everyone is taken care of and fed.
Other than that, no one would know anything unless I brought it up in a conversation OR let you in my back bedroom;)

Ok, I'm not 100% sure of this is the what you are looking for in an answer, but-
Bps aren't the only pets we have, so I wouldn't say I was "defined" by them. We are animal lovers. I have cats, dogs, parrot, pet rats, feeder rats, asf's, chickens, uromastyx, anole, chickens, leopard geckos, guinea pigs, bps, and a boa. Have had hamsters, and rabbits and fish too. Our bps come out once or twice a week, depends on feed, if anyone's shedding, and our schedule. My boa usually more.

Things that have changed since we became snake owners? I will tell anybody who will listen about them. We have taken them to our daughters school for show and tell each year during their reptile unit. That has been a great experience, we are reaching 25-30 kids each year (this year though her teacher asked if another class could join, so double!) that now think snakes are cool, instead of being afraid. Each year there has only been 1 or 2 kids who didn't want to pet them. This year, one of the girls who was afraid from last year came up and pet one. So we are able to educate the kids about them, and show them they are not big scary monsters at all.

Something we maybe all have in common? Impulsive personalities- we will be the last one to say "oh no, don't get another snake.". We are evil, and will encourage you to get that beautiful snake you just found at a great price, that is one you always wanted. :D. So, fair warning, they are addictive, and you will want more! Hope that answered some of what you were looking for.

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Originally Posted by DrDooLittle

Something we maybe all have in common? Impulsive personalities- we will be the last one to say "oh no, don't get another snake.". We are evil, and will encourage you to get that beautiful snake you just found at a great price, that is one you always wanted. :D. So, fair warning, they are addictive, and you will want more!

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Amen!!!

I tend to agree with what the other guys are saying in the fact that bps do not influence my culture outside of my hobby. I am a soccer coach a father of 2 a husband and a business owner, most people don't even know I have bps and when they find out I do they get a little blown away. I don't own tons of other animals just a dog named Reggie, but reptile owners seem to be very accepting of all animals and not the other way around, so maybe our culture is just more of an animal culture if any. Cheers


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Well i would say being apart of the bp lifestyle means you have to have an addictive personality. I remember when i said i would stop at 1 bp. That was 4 years and 6 snakes ago. :D

EDIT: x2 to what Doolittle said. Didnt read the responses so idk i was basically saying the same thing lol.

KMG- i LOVE english bulldogs. I want one so bad lol You should make a thread for yours in the Dogs section here. :)

Thanks for the EXCELLENT responses, everyone! Very, very intriguing.

As for the impulsivity- I guess I already have my foot in the door, in that area. Went to my first reptile show over the weekend and I was supposed to be the voice of reason, discouraging my friend from buying anything... That didn't go so well ;)

I love this question b/c I can hardly even remember what life was like before becoming part of a dog culture, and yet I'm very new to the BP community. In my experience, which is really limited, my BP community is an online community so far, while my dog community is and has always been "live." But I just came back to snakes after a 30+ year detour, and though everyone in my acquaintance knows I'm a dog person, very few people know I have a soft spot for snakes. I guess I can't give you much of an answer, OP, except to say that every time I meet a group of people with similar interests, I find my life is a lot richer for it. Welcome aboard.

I particularly love the ball python community. That being said, most people who own ball pythons also own other species. It is like the gateway drug to reptiles.

I think it really just comes down to being animal lovers. I have had animals my whole life and I couldn't imagine a day without them. They are part of who I am. I love hanging out with my fellow reptile enthusiasts, and really anyone who loves animals. You can't come to my house if you don't love them! The cat and the dog are attention whores and they won't leave you alone until you pet them.

I consider life without animals to be lacking...and somewhat boring. I love going to reptile shows and I try to go as often as I can. Even if it is just to look around. I like the people too! I love to meet new reptile people and talk about them. Most of my family thinks I am crazy...so its nice to have people to relate to.

I don't have a particular lifestyle, I am a married woman with a job, passion for photography and nature and who happens to own 2 dog and happen to breed snakes.

I am the average next door neighbor.

I feel that the community of BP owners is pretty sectional. I wouldn't want to call it elitist, but there are people who look down from the top of the mountain claiming they were here first: respect me.

And that kind of attitude just fractures the community. I would apply the term sectionalism, but it's pretty personality based. Some people hate new people, and are concerned about themselves over education.

Other than that, I'd say like everyone else it's pretty individualistic. The first REAL unity I've seen in the community came with the recent Ohio SB and snake ban. But, even then, sectionalism divided us by who supported USARK and who thought they should be tossed in favor of...well, honestly I never heard their ideas as to an alternative to USARK, but you get the point.

Me personally, I'm into computers. Build, hardware, software, coding etc. the works! But, I dress like that drop out metal kid with long hair. ;) it's all individualistic but I do know what you're describing with dogs. I love my GSD. :)



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Definitely just a hobby for me... and a great way to spend the day on the internet at work in terms of my involvement with the culture of it.

The attachment to a reptile is very different from that of a dog. That's the biggest difference you're going to find.
And the cost... which ties in with impulsivity.

I had a German Shephard growing up that was from a top quality show pair. It cost 1600 dollars and lived for over 12 years. Some people will spend that in a weekend on 1 snake to add to their collection of 20+. That snake will spend 90% of its time out of sight of the owner and not sharing affection or providing companionship. It's simply a different type of hobby.

Not particularly comparable is my final judgement.

BPs in particular haven't changed my life, but actively pursuing herpetoculture has. I've always had pets around, but was never allowed to have anything "caged" (and a dog in a house is...?). Once I moved out I'd already been researching reptiles for three years, and decided to start off with a pair of BPs, they're colorful and easy. While I love my snakes and have many projects that I wish to work on, I want to get involved with species that don't have CBB animals readily available. Most reptiles and amphibians absolutely fascinate me, regardless of what it is, and once I get the swing of BP breeding I want to try getting a reverse trio of viper boas, or maybe a pair savu pythons. Who knows? I've noticed that I tend to gravitate more towards snakes, but I also hold an interest in keeping some lizards as pets (love those citrus bearded dragons, northern blue tongues, panther chams, etc.). I do spend a good deal of time handling/caring for my pets, but many times it's while I'm doing other household chores as well, and especially with the snakes it really doesn't take much time when it comes to maintenance. Our green iguana takes more care than the rest of my reptiles put together!

When it comes to culture reptile keepers are so varied that it's hard to really pin down something that ties in everyone, but there are definitely smaller groups that form when it comes to species specific topics (take bp.net, for example). You can't put everyone in a box, but in general you can see patterns. Lots of rhacodactylus keepers/breeders keep those kinds of geckos because they dislike dealing with bugs, some people prefer garters over other snakes because they don't have to be switched to rodents (worms and fish, I think), etc. One thing that really sets the reptile community apart is that we are MUCH more supportive of new keepers and breeders than the warm blooded breeding community (generalization, I know there are exceptions for certain circumstances). There's almost a clique feeling to a lot of the rat/ferret/hedgehog communities I browsed, and if you haven't mentored under this person and work with certain bloodlines from x breeder you can get your butt flamed the :cens0r: out of there. I understand the worry of pets ending up in shelters and whatnot, but I wholly believe that's the buyer's responsibility and fault rather than the breeder, but that's a different topic.

I also have to second that our biggest weakness is irresponsible keepers. In a hobby where so much is regulated on good/mostly bad press, it really hurts us when sensationalized accidents get out as stories, such as the recent article on the "killer ball python attacking a baby".

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Originally Posted by Kodieh

I feel that the community of BP owners is pretty sectional. I wouldn't want to call it elitist, but there are people who look down from the top of the mountain claiming they were here first: respect me.

And that kind of attitude just fractures the community. I would apply the term sectionalism, but it's pretty personality based. Some people hate new people, and are concerned about themselves over education.

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I actually completely disagree with you. I have not seen 1 bp.net veteran EVER talk down to a newbie or try to sound elitist. I mean sure theres times when some of us come off like that but its very rare. Like when a new person says in their first thread they dont have a t-stat and dont think they need one, then im ok with sounding like a bit of a know it all bc the animal is at risk.

I also have never seen anyone say or even hint to the fact that they hate new people and are only in it for themselves. Once again, some people may sorta show that kind of attitude every once in awhile but its rare. And i would honestly just attest that to their personality in life in general, not just in the herp community.

My experience is that the "BP culture" is as varied and diverse as any culture can be. Owning BP's doesn't change your beliefs or your taste in movies. Having a bunch can certainly affect your schedule.

I will say that there are things that are very indicative of "Reptile Culture" as a whole. A better understanding of the animals for one thing causes you to watch nature shows more critically. Most Reptile people crucify Animal Planet for instance.

I must say I think it's more of a "herp" community than just ball pythons. Ball pythons (and corns and such) are usually the "gateway drug" that starts it all. That's how it was with me anyways. I started out with one ball python, and now have a wide variety of other "unique" pets, although with breeding I'm mainly focusing on ball pythons.

There is DEFINITELY a lifestyle. Like every other hobby or love there are people you LOVE and people who irritate the snot out of you, but that's like any family too! The herp community to me is VERY supportive, but passion can sometimes come off as cockiness or rudeness, and sometimes even finger pointing sadly, but that comes with any passion!

I've met some of the most interesting and amazing people I've ever met through the herp community, and I never would have met them if I didn't get involved a year and a half ago. I continue to meet people and form these bonds that I don't have with anyone else. Sure, my friends and family sometimes "like" my snake and tarantula pictures on facebook, but they don't appreciate them the way my herp friends do. There's nothing better than catching a good photo or bringing home a new addition and having someone else be genuinely as excited about it as you are.

This community is priceless. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I also don't think there is an established BP culture. I am the normal middle aged lady next door. I am an Icu RN and people are surprised to find out when I am not working at the hospital I train and compete with police dogs. They are even more surprised to hear bout my interest in ball pythons. I think that non reptile people think that reptile people have a different culture and seem surprised to learn we are just normal people with different hobbies

Just my 2 cents

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

Most Reptile people crucify Animal Planet for instance.

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I remember reading this somewhere else on this forum. Would someone mind elaborating on the subject a little for me?

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Originally Posted by Guiding Golden

I remember reading this somewhere else on this forum. Would someone mind elaborating on the subject a little for me?

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The reason this is said is because of the amount of misinformation given on Animal Planet shows. People who don't know the animals take what's said to be fact while people who do, can see all the mistakes being made. For instance, a show where a guy goes into a home to capture a 'giant snake' and picks up a 4 foot ball python off the floor. Then he goes on to say it's a Burmese python that can grow to 15 feet, a killer, blah, blah, blah. That's the sort of thing that riles reptile people up because things like that scare people who don't understand the animals to begin with. The public in general has a bad enough perception of snakes without things like this happening and many in the community strive to change that but we can only do so much while so many people see these shows. It's hard to combat the misinformation when normal people like us are compared to 'the experts' from Animal Planet.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

I actually completely disagree with you. I have not seen 1 bp.net veteran EVER talk down to a newbie or try to sound elitist. I mean sure theres times when some of us come off like that but its very rare. Like when a new person says in their first thread they dont have a t-stat and dont think they need one, then im ok with sounding like a bit of a know it all bc the animal is at risk.

I also have never seen anyone say or even hint to the fact that they hate new people and are only in it for themselves. Once again, some people may sorta show that kind of attitude every once in awhile but its rare. And i would honestly just attest that to their personality in life in general, not just in the herp community.

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Oh, dear, I didn't mean just on BP.net. I mean as a whole, and especially where I'm from locally as well.

BP.net is pretty different I have to say. Specifically as you say, I haven't found anyone here that's like that. Some what the reason I like coming here an reading.

However, there are many forums (which to name one, I'm not super sure you can call fauna a forum) out there that are highly hostile. Which is unfortunate, and in my eyes detrimental to our hobby.


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Originally Posted by Kodieh

Oh, dear, I didn't mean just on BP.net. I mean as a whole, and especially where I'm from locally as well.

BP.net is pretty different I have to say. Specifically as you say, I haven't found anyone here that's like that. Some what the reason I like coming here an reading.

However, there are many forums (which to name one, I'm not super sure you can call fauna a forum) out there that are highly hostile. Which is unfortunate, and in my eyes detrimental to our hobby.


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Well when you put it that way i completely agree with you :)