i hate it

so i have been keeping balls for almost a year and a half and kept one boa. though i might not own anything right now i spend a lot of my free time studying what i want when i am able. this includes always ball pythons, retics, burms, and red tail boas... yet people still argue with me on the care when they have never researched or even owned one of these snakes

thanks for listening

lol honestly, i have stopped telling people i have snakes sometimes. When i do, they would ask how much was it, and for examples with my bumblebee, a friend asked and i told them. They look at me and just say. "Wouldn't of been cheaper to go around with a bucket and catch a snake?" like really? I even got in an argument once before when they asked how big of a tank i used and i told him i used tubs. I explained all the reasons too and they're trying to out smart me, it gets irritating sometimes.

Yes really, it would be cheaper.


:p

What happened to the snakes you had for a year?

in a highschool setting, it is in your best interest NOT to tell people your breed snakes.

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Originally Posted by Ridinandreptiles

in a highschool setting, it is in your best interest NOT to tell people your breed snakes.

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Actually it seems like any public setting. As in, general conversation. Adults can be just as thick headed and more so set in there ways than even the most stubborn teen.

I agree ^^

I hate that my parenting is questioned when adults find out we have snakes. Like I'm putting my kids in danger or something... its truely sad!

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Originally Posted by ktaylor89

I agree ^^

I hate that my parenting is questioned when adults find out we have snakes. Like I'm putting my kids in danger or something... its truely sad!

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While they are entirely wrong that your kids are in danger, I think its a good thing that people question us. It shows that they have some concern for children who are in a dangerous (in their head) setting. I just wish that they would universalize a little bit more and speak up when they see children in other dangerous situations with parents.

I have yet to encounter anybody who really showed disdain for what I do. Maybe I'm lucky. My mother only just stopped telling me to let them free ("It's cruel to have animals in cages") and asked me how they were doing the other day :P I know plenty of people who don't like snakes, but they've all respected the fact that I spend a lot of my time caring for them and trying to educate others. Need to knock on wood or something, or I'll run into some crazy anti-herp person in the next couple days, haha

As far as people arguing care, I'm slowly learning there are a million and a half ways to keep snakes. Some work better than others, but it's important to find what works for you in particular so that snakes receive proper care. A lot of people seem to be struggling lately that their way isn't necessarily the only way. It's been getting pretty vicious actually :(

Basically everyone who knows that I keep snakes appreciates that I love them and thinks it's a neat hobby to have. There is one person in my entire life that has ever been outright rude about it.... A guy I went on a coffee date with last week. He sneered at me and said they were disgusting after I politely told him that I found them beautiful... And then when I asked him if he's ever even seen a snake in person or held one, he said no! :rofl: Then I got a 6 minute lecture on how he will not come in my room if they're near my bed. AS IF HE WOULD EVER BE INVITED IN MY ROOM! :rolleyes: So OP, I feel your pain. People have an amazing tendency to talk about things based on knowledge they picked up from "Snakes on a Plane".

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Originally Posted by liv

And then when I asked him if he's ever even seen a snake in person or held one, he said no! :rofl: Then I got a 6 minute lecture on how he will not come in my room if they're near my bed. AS IF HE WOULD EVER BE INVITED IN MY ROOM! :rolleyes: So OP, I feel your pain.

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Self entitlement is just so attractive isn't it? :rolleyes: "My lecture will be so awesome that she'll be dying to take me home! Who cares how long she's had them, I'm right"

I sometimes get a negative reaction when someone finds out I have snakes but they forget the snakes immediately upon hearing that I also have rats. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Valentine Pirate

Self entitlement is just so attractive isn't it? :rolleyes: "My lecture will be so awesome that she'll be dying to take me home! Who cares how long she's had them, I'm right"

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Nothing like a sissy twit to conjure adult images in my mind....... :rolleyes:;)

I don't really talk about my snakes with people either, unless they're someone I know for a while. Mostly, the people I choose as friends find it neat, or they're curious, etc. So I guess I choose some good friends or something, lol.
My dad's a little daft on snakes. When I told him about the ball pythons, he told me they kill people. So...I had to try and explain things to him. I don't know about my mother, because I haven't told her about them, and probably never will. She just normally hates that I like animals, and everytime we get new ones she actually kinda gets angry.
I suppose it just depends on who you're talking to at the end of the day. No matter the subject, some people can be pretty close minded to wanting to learn new things.

Yeah, it's super unfortunate when people have these kind of attitudes and personally, I've only gotten slack from a few people but the absolute worst would have to be from my grandmother who is absolutely convinced that I'm a full blown animal hoarder. The looks she gives me whenever I mention another morph/species that I'd like to have are just ridiculous. And this is coming from a woman who used to breed tons and tons of cats. :rolleyes:
To each their own, I suppose.

Most of the people I know in my age group (teenagers) are pretty open to the idea of snake collecting though and I've actually met a couple of folks who are just getting into the hobby like I am, which is always neat. Probably has something to do with the fact that the local high school has this nice little reptile room on campus where students can volunteer so a lot of people seem to be pretty well exposed.

I've just given up. The only person that I give a :cens0r: about their opinion is my wife, and she agrees with me on the tubs. Everyone else just doesn't matter, and I've accepted that. It just isn't worth effort, really, unless you absolutely get satisfaction in arguing with a brick wall until you're blue in the face. I can do it, sometimes, but other times I just say," Yep, you're right. I'm wrong even though I'm the one with the five snakes and the keeping experience. Let me go sacrifice the great health my animals have, so that you can feel satisfied that they have "enough room". I don't like talking down to people, and I do my darnedest not to, just because everything anyone in our hobby does reflects on the hobby.

Just keep your chin up, and move past them. They obviously know best. :rolleyes:

Besides my G/F and my rat breeder I have yet to meet anyone in person that actually enjoys snakes like I do. It is quite frustrating and somewhat secluding when I would love to talk to other people about them and have no one but the forums lol.

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Originally Posted by JohnNJ

I sometimes get a negative reaction when someone finds out I have snakes but they forget the snakes immediately upon hearing that I also have rats. :rolleyes:

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Haha I'll use that for now on


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Originally Posted by MisterKyte

Yeah, it's super unfortunate when people have these kind of attitudes and personally, I've only gotten slack from a few people but the absolute worst would have to be from my grandmother who is absolutely convinced that I'm a full blown animal hoarder. The looks she gives me whenever I mention another morph/species that I'd like to have are just ridiculous. And this is coming from a woman who used to breed tons and tons of cats. :rolleyes:
To each their own, I suppose.

Most of the people I know in my age group (teenagers) are pretty open to the idea of snake collecting though and I've actually met a couple of folks who are just getting into the hobby like I am, which is always neat. Probably has something to do with the fact that the local high school has this nice little reptile room on campus where students can volunteer so a lot of people seem to be pretty well exposed.

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I think you mean "gotten flak," not slack. Slack is when you have extra rope, and it isn't pulled tight ("I was slacking off", "he cut me some slack"). Flak is the debris from ammunition you get hit with. :)

I hate when people imply reptile keeping is animal hoarding or that we're like those crazy people they see on TV. Someone with 200 head of cattle isn't considered an animal hoarder. People don't even blink at wildly overstocked fish tanks. The tubs are clean, the snakes are happy, leave us alone.

It's also annoying when people (generally younger kids) use snakes to try to scare those that are afraid of them. It just sets the industry back, because people relate snakes with the unpleasant experience forced upon them. Then they assume people who keep snakes are antisocial or serial killers. I try to educate everyone I can at their own pace- if they don't want the snake out of the cage, that's okay! They're always welcome to suspiciously peek at the tank, if that's what gets them interested-- or at least tolerant.

Personally, I don't even bother telling people I have snakes, unless it is someone I KNOW will appreciate it OR I feel like being a snot. For example my coworkers and many friends are great with the idea I have snakes. They think it's cool! But my mother... her reaction is, "YUCK!" (never mind the fact she was willing to hold the 4 foot bally python I had as a kid, and even admitted once he was kind of neat!) C'est la vie...

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Originally Posted by Ryan Chin

Besides my G/F and my rat breeder I have yet to meet anyone in person that actually enjoys snakes like I do. It is quite frustrating and somewhat secluding when I would love to talk to other people about them and have no one but the forums lol.

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I'm lucky to live in Miami because I meet so many people that love them. Some can't afford them but they love seeing my little ones :). Oddly enough two people that work for the same company as I do, breed them. It's funny how things work out.


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I must be lucky bc everyone loves my balls! :D

Ive actually never found one person whose been rude about it. Alot of people at work know i have them. It comes up every once in awhile. In a group setting anyone if says "ohhh i hate snakes" i just dont direct the conversations at them. I talk to the other people who are interested and asking questions. As i get into explaining stuff usually the person who "hatessss snakes" is asking questions too. Im not a fan of people forcing their opinions or whatever onto me so i try to do the same for others. If you dont wanna hear about them, i wont talk about them. If youre interested, then take a seat and let me talk for a few hours about them lol! In general ive found that girls are way more accepting of and curious about them. Chicks like guys with lots of balls, right?!?!?

Just last night at our bar, I was talking to an older patron that asked about it because he heard through the grapevine that we were keeping snakes. So I was explaining a lot of things. He had no idea that there were different species of python. He asked "its not an albino like the one that killed that little girl in orlando is it??" So I explained how albino is a color / genetic mutation, and that the one in orlando was a Burmese python etc. He was very open to the conversation and was genuinely interested and thought it was awesome I was doing something I loved. I was showing him morph pics I had on my phone (urban camo, blackjack, BEL, bananas etc) and he was astounded by the variance and beauty.

Now... The entire time I'm having this conversation with him, one of our bartenders kept randomly spouting "the only good snake is a dead snake!". I just ignored him and kept talking. After our chat the patron was defending snakes, telling our bartender that he was wrong etc.

The bartender (60+ yrs old) was forced, as a youngin by his dad, to have a snake put around his neck at a show. He was crying and trembling, begging his dad not to make him hold the snake. Ever since, he has had a extreme fear and hatred of snakes. (He told me this prior to my conversation with the patron, as he was aware we had snakes)

Perfect example of how forcing snake interaction can hurt people. He wasn't being mean when he was spouting about the only good snake is a dead snake, he was doing it jokingly, we all pick on each other etc. But I have no doubt that he believes that 100%.

Sorry for the long post. Rambling is fun :P

Oh, to add to my post, my step father's sister (so my step aunt?) Said she would never be coming to my house again when she found out. Said I was an idiot and they were going to get out and kill my kids.

Needless to say, I wasnt very upset to know that she wouldn't be coming to my house anymore. My mother asked if she could borrow one of my snakes so that she wouldn't come to her house either. Heh.

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Originally Posted by RoseyReps

Actually it seems like any public setting. As in, general conversation. Adults can be just as thick headed and more so set in there ways than even the most stubborn teen.

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But teenagers are just really mean, not just ignorant like most o the general public. I've gotten plenty of comments like "what do you do,shove snakes up your ***" stuff like that. Now I have kept my passion/obsession to myself. Sigh.....

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Originally Posted by RoseyReps

Oh, to add to my post, my step father's sister (so my step aunt?) Said she would never be coming to my house again when she found out. Said I was an idiot and they were going to get out and kill my kids.

Needless to say, I wasnt very upset to know that she wouldn't be coming to my house anymore. My mother asked if she could borrow one of my snakes so that she wouldn't come to her house either. Heh.

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Made my day...thank you:gj::gj::gj:

I get the same thing all the time! i ahd a friend get into a huge argument about who knows more about snakes. When he had only has his snake for around a month. Ive had snakes for three years, i still learn more everyday, im not saying i know everything there is to know. But i knew more than he did haha. When people argue with me about snakes i usually get angry, other times ill get upset when they say it makes me "not a good person" since i have "serpents". But whatever floats their boat haha.
All i know is that i love my snakes, and i keepp them healthy and treat them right and thats all that matters.

I haven't encountered a person who has given me grief about my snakes.

I do have friends who do fear them, but they respect me enough to know it's not really their business to tell me what to keep and what not to keep.
And one of my best friends in high school has a genuine fear of snakes. She can't even look at a small 1x2 inch picture of one in the biology text book without freaking out. I got snakes in college, so I started posting pictures of them onto my facebook. I can't even imagine how many heart attacks I gave her. She eventually messaged me asking me to block her for that particular album because she was too scared to look at her facebook wall any more in fear of seeing the snakes. haha.

Overall, I actually get more grief for owning ferrets than snakes.
Stuff about "Ferrets eat baby faces and fingers!!!" and how they're "vicious" wild animals that will turn on me and go feral, etc etc.

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Originally Posted by RoseyReps

Needless to say, I wasnt very upset to know that she wouldn't be coming to my house anymore. My mother asked if she could borrow one of my snakes so that she wouldn't come to her house either. Heh.

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Hilarious! haha.
Props to you and your mother!:gj:

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Originally Posted by liv

Basically everyone who knows that I keep snakes appreciates that I love them and thinks it's a neat hobby to have. There is one person in my entire life that has ever been outright rude about it.... A guy I went on a coffee date with last week. He sneered at me and said they were disgusting after I politely told him that I found them beautiful... And then when I asked him if he's ever even seen a snake in person or held one, he said no! :rofl: Then I got a 6 minute lecture on how he will not come in my room if they're near my bed. AS IF HE WOULD EVER BE INVITED IN MY ROOM! :rolleyes: So OP, I feel your pain. People have an amazing tendency to talk about things based on knowledge they picked up from "Snakes on a Plane".

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Did you see the MILKSNAKE that was in that movie? They made the milksnake bite someone and then they died. It was in the movie twice! "Red on yellow, kill a fellow. Red on black, friend of Jack". It was totally a milk snake -_-.

</rant about my lols about hollywood>

Also, I don't hide my love of snake. I tell people I have 8 snakes and more on the way! (at least I want more to be on the way) If they don't like it, they don't! I've met some cool people who love to hear about my snakes. The only time I was ever asked to stop was when I was in the OR and we were talking about our strange hobbies. I naturally talked about my snakes and the surgeon got a little weirded out, so I naturally stopped to make her feel more comfortable because she was CUTTING on someone. Otherwise, I'll just keep blabbing. if they don't like my topic of conversation, they can GTFU. :D

My mother used to be terrified of snakes. But now, she'll come into my room and ask "who can I hold tonight?" She loves my ball pythons but thinks my corn snakes are too wiggly. I usually give her a ball python if they haven't eaten in the last 48 hours. But she's getting better.

i brought this up because a guy where i stay said he had a 12 burm he was feeding small bunnies every 2 months i told him it should of been at the most every 2 weeks he said that would of been over feeding

My mother hates that I have mine and my wife isn't to fond of them but overall I haven't gotten crazy comments or looks. i was just joking with a guy I traded snakes with and we both agreed that we get more funny looks because you don't see to many black guys into ball pythons . . lol.

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Originally Posted by hitman3303

My mother hates that I have mine and my wife isn't to fond of them but overall I haven't gotten crazy comments or looks. i was just joking with a guy I traded snakes with and we both agreed that we get more funny looks because you don't see to many black guys into ball pythons . . lol.

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OMG this is so funny to me. You hit it right on the nose, I don't claim to know a ton of black people but I know a good amount and I have asked many that I hang with or work with and so far 0 have said they like snakes and all have been deathly afraid of them to where they don't even wanna see pictures. I think it's Samuel L. Jackson's fault but that's just me.

I recently had to end a friendship due to this kind of thing. My girlfriend is fully supportive of my hobby and my friend who introduced us only began to realize just how many reptiles I had as I allowed her to see them. She, being a PETA type and never having owned an animal other than a cat or dog, said she was worried that I was hoarding and that I was mentally unsound. She also did not know me well enough to reach that conclusion. My girlfriend and I were royally pissed. Though she was not a reptile person at all, I converted her and she has never had a problem with them.

So, after that ordeal I ended my friendship with the girl, and now spend most my time being antisocial with my girlfriend. We've decided to just keep my hobby to ourselves. I know I'm not a hoarder, and everyone on here knows they're not crazy for their passion. I like just the girl and the reptiles anyway. They're much better company than anyone else.

Often something that only knows to breed, find heat and eat, makes the best company!

I see it here, and just for everyone else, I had to argue once for a class animal hoarding vs a large reptile collection. The clinical diagnosis of animal hoard is someone with a great number (usually 10 or more) animals...and they cannot afford veterinary care such that all animals in their possession are in a situation that poses a threat to their life. So, since our animals are healthy we don't "qualify" as animal hoarders! Haha.

I work with a couple black people. And at least one of them is super interested and said that he'd buy my babies when I have BP babies. So I guess there is some that like reptiles


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Originally Posted by hitman3303

My mother hates that I have mine and my wife isn't to fond of them but overall I haven't gotten crazy comments or looks. i was just joking with a guy I traded snakes with and we both agreed that we get more funny looks because you don't see to many black guys into ball pythons . . lol.

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Two of my coworkers who want to get a baby ball python from are both Black. One calls me "snake charmer". Every morning.... "Good morning, Ms. snake charmer! "

I'm also aware of quite a few minority groups who are represented by our members here.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

I hate it when people can't understand your passion or give you a hard time about it. Especially when they don't provide a well though out reason.

When I told my aunt about my interest in snakes, she said "You need to go to a therapist."

Tried to convince my dad if I could take them home (they're at my bf's) several times. He said a few things:
1) "What are you? Stupid?"
2) "No, they are bad luck. I have a bad feeling. Just please stop talking about this. It's my will"
3) "No, your sister is having a baby... do you want to endanger the new baby?"
4) "There's something wrong with you. You need to get your priorities straight."

I really don't get his or my aunts reasons.
Why does liking snakes necessitate a therapist? She can't answer.
Why does having a passion for snakes make me stupid? He says I just am.
Why are they bad luck? It's in the bible says the man who told me he doesn't believe in God. He also says because we are Filipino -_-
What does the baby have to do with snakes, they don't even live here! He says it's because they visit often that the baby can get strangled if one gets loose.

And priorities? Don't even know where that came from! I've played by the book my whole life. Never got into any trouble, busted my butt in college, graduated. Financially stable and saved every single dime earned (until I bought 5 snakes lol). Picked a job in NY instead of CA or MA because he wanted me to. Moved back home because HE wanted me to! Pay for the bills or lend money when he needs it. What in the world does keeping snakes have to do with one's priorities? I just don't know...

What do people have against snakes? Or even reptiles? Why is there such a stigma? Is it Western Culture? Do people in other countries experience the same? If you tell someone you breed dogs or rabbits, their response is more than likely a positive one. Well, unless they hate all animals.

Sorry for the rant :-( kinda feels good to let it out though.

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Originally Posted by Orenshi

I hate it when people can't understand your passion or give you a hard time about it. Especially when they don't provide a well though out reason.

When I told my aunt about my interest in snakes, she said "You need to go to a therapist."

Tried to convince my dad if I could take them home (they're at my bf's) several times. He said a few things:
1) "What are you? Stupid?"
2) "No, they are bad luck. I have a bad feeling. Just please stop talking about this. It's my will"
3) "No, your sister is having a baby... do you want to endanger the new baby?"
4) "There's something wrong with you. You need to get your priorities straight."

I really don't get his or my aunts reasons.
Why does liking snakes necessitate a therapist? She can't answer.
Why does having a passion for snakes make me stupid? He says I just am.
Why are they bad luck? It's in the bible says the man who told me he doesn't believe in God. He also says because we are Filipino -_-

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My parents, who are Asian, actually have a very similar 'argument'. I've always wanted snakes since I was a little girl and they never allowed it due to being 'evil and unlucky'. They often used the 'It is my will and final word' gig too.

In the end, I just don't tell my parents of my snakes when they don't even approve of my other mammalian pets( aka filthy smelly disease carrying creatures). Its just not worth trying to argue with them when they are so set in their ways.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Two of my coworkers who want to get a baby ball python from are both Black. One calls me "snake charmer". Every morning.... "Good morning, Ms. snake charmer! "

I'm also aware of quite a few minority groups who are represented by our members here.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

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We were talking more about our local area and the people we personally know.