Got a new ball python!

It's mine and my husband's first one and I'm so excited! It's taking a lot of self control not to handle her during this "acclimation period" but I know it's for her own good :).

Of course, now we are dealing with the family's reactions. The most common response: "why?" followed by "You know you have to feed them mice, right?" Last night when my husband's sister asked that, he sarcastically replied "Oh no, we do? Well crap!" Then you get the people who latch on to the word "python" and say "that thing's gonna get like 15 feet long, and it's gonna eat your cats!" Um no, just, no it won't.

It's like people think we didn't do any research whatsoever. Like we woke up one morning and said "hey, let's go out and buy a snake!" and went out right then to buy one. No, we've both wanted reptiles since we were kids, and have been doing pretty much non-stop research for the past several months, once we decided we were going to finally get a snake. Funny thing is, I research the heck out of EVERYTHING, and these people know that. Why would this be any different?

I even had a cousin tell me via a facebook comment that if she ever came to my house, she would release it to the wild "where it belongs." !!! Good thing she's like a third cousin and lives on the other side of the country from me, and I have no intention of ever inviting her to my house! What is going through peoples' heads when they say things like this? If they don't like it, they don't have to comment!

Luckily our immediate family (parents, siblings) and friends, once they realize we know what we're doing, and when we explain to them that these things do NOT get 15 feet long and will NOT eat our cats, have settled down and said things like "well, cool. We'll have to come visit you guys and see your zoo sometime" (we have two dogs, two cats, and a leopard gecko as well as the new bp).

It's just frustrating and insulting to your intelligence when people act like you must not know anything about the animal you just brought into your home. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's gotten reactions like this from friends and family, so I'd love to read about some of your stories from when you first got into snakes/reptiles, and how your families reacted!

I understand the narrow mindedness that seems to come with most people's reactions to hearing you get a snake. I got very similar reactions when I got mine, had to ban a few people from visiting. And I am having the same problems trying not to over-handle during this acclimation time but unfortunately my new baby requires some care for some conditions he came home with so i'm unable to just let him relax completely...I hope it doesn't cause him to hate me.

When I was younger and living at my mother's house I bought a banded California king (Vivica) and told them all i'd be the only one to deal with it so it wouldn't be a problem. No one else in the house had to look at her or feed her or anything. One day i went and stayed a weekend with a friend; upon returning home i was informed that Vivica had "run away." My mother's story was that she got out of her locked terrarium in my absence. I did notice however that I raised her with manners as she somehow found a way to lock the terrarium behind her when she left...

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Originally Posted by Karokash

When I was younger and living at my mother's house I bought a banded California king (Vivica) and told them all i'd be the only one to deal with it so it wouldn't be a problem. No one else in the house had to look at her or feed her or anything. One day i went and stayed a weekend with a friend; upon returning home i was informed that Vivica had "run away." My mother's story was that she got out of her locked terrarium in my absence. I did notice however that I raised her with manners as she somehow found a way to lock the terrarium behind her when she left...

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OMG! I can't believe that happened to you!

I've got quite the zoo too! 3 snakes, two lizards, two cats, two dogs, and a bunch of fish lol

Well congrats. Enjoy your new snake.

We have 7 cats, 5 dogs, 5 chickens, 2 cockatiels, two ball pythons, 2 iguanas, and a beta fish. I work at a grocery store and when people hear I own pythons, they freak out. I'm a petite person and they obviously think I own massive snakes. They tell me I don't know what I'm doing and that its going to kill me in my sleep or eat my dog. Eden loves my dog, which is a chihuahua BTW. She snuggles with him when he will let her :P I hate when people assume I know nothing about the animal I chose to commit MY care to for 30+ years lol. I just blow them off and tell them I'm capable of caring for her and myself and that's all that matters to me.

I got her by accident. Our old roomies acquired her from a breeder along with my in-law's snake, Cleo. Eden, mine, quickly learned how to escape her quite large tank. She was missing for weeks before randomly showing up again. (Their cages are in the Florida room) The 2nd time she escaped, she was gone nearly 3 months and he didn't bother looking and when he moved out he told us it didn't matter and also abandoned his red tail, Leia. Eden showed up 2 days before my birthday and they were discussing selling her. Within 24 hours I had my own enclosure and had it set up. As a first time snake owner I did all the research I could and mean while fell in love with this beauty. Needless to say, I'm becoming a bit obsessed...
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...5eb982a332.jpg

0.2 Normal

I just picked up my first snake on Friday and I've already got a bunch not crazy reactions, one of my brothers nurses even asked me if I had to take it outside to go to the bathroom. I thought that was funny.

Good luck with your new snake!

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Originally Posted by ProjectMKUltra5

I just picked up my first snake on Friday and I've already got a bunch not crazy reactions, one of my brothers nurses even asked me if I had to take it outside to go to the bathroom. I thought that was funny.

Good luck with your new snake!

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Like on a harness? The mental image is hilarious.

I'm new to the forum and, obviously, new to the world of owning snakes. My little girl, Asia, was left at my house when my son could not take care of her. I'm more of a caregiver than owner, I guess but I have been thinking for some time about getting one and a Ball Python was on my mind. As a kid I was scared to death of snakes (thanks Dad!) but as my family grew up I had the opportunity to handle a few snakes and get used to it. I have had her in the house for a couple of days and probably should not have handled her so soon but I was dying to take her out for a stroll around the house. It was a lot more entertaining and enjoyable than I thought - I don't think that my son is getting her back. Also my daughter (who has wanted a snake for a long time) is very excited to have one in the house. She lives and works in the Northwest Territories and can't wait to see the little girl when she gets home at Christmas - she's going to have to her own.

I spent probably two years trying to convince my hubby that we needed a snake. He is Irish (first gen) and was petrified of even the idea. We had a rather large king snake in our barn and the first time he actually saw it he ran so fast I thought he'd have a heart attack. Of course I had no sympathy and laughed Til I cried. Anyway I've ways wanted a snake...I decided a little corn snake would be a great introduction for Steve. Except I can't own them in GA. I only discovered this after months of reading and research, when I tried to buy on I was devastated.

Then one day Steve wandered into a small exotic pet store run by a local good Herp breeder that happened to be next door to his favorite gun store. He was still wary and I was to do all the handling but got agreement to buy a BP. A few weeks later the breeder called and said he'd had a bunch of babies born and come choose one. So I chose Preciousess. She was a "fancy" one, a Fire but I didn't understand all that and she just looked normal to me. It took Steve about a month to finally touch her. I think now he is more in love then me if possible!!

Friends said the usual but I'm pretty thick skinned and said love me, love my horses, donkey, mule, goats, dogs, cats and my snakes...and two mice from failed feedings we've kept as pets.


Molly & Steve
0.1 normal BP 'Precioucess'
0.1 BCI 'Luna'

I got the same reactions from EVERYONE that I know. EVERYONE. My dad said the exact same thing about eating the cats and size lol. I wanted a snake since I was 15, and I finally got one when I turned 25. 10 years of learning, and people for some reason didn't think I knew anything at all. Granted, learned about and doing is completely different. You can read all about ball pythons and their care, but when it comes down to it, it's a little bit different when you do it all yourself. It's a learning curve though. Congrats on your new baby.

I've been raising snakes for over 50 years and I think I've heard about every funny, rude ,.....and mainly ignorant comment that can be made :O
from people who (obviously) know absolutely nothing about reptiles. I learned to ignore them and do what it is that I do. Besides, I love my snakes more than most family members. Enjoy!

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Originally Posted by raidcrasher

I've been raising snakes for over 50 years and I think I've heard about every funny, rude ,.....and mainly ignorant comment that can be made :O
from people who (obviously) know absolutely nothing about reptiles. I learned to ignore them and do what it is that I do. Besides, I love my snakes more than most family members. Enjoy!

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I'd be curious to hear some of the more outlandish comments people threw your way!

When I had Vivica, my Banded King: "You own a snake? Like as a pet in your house? Are you one of those non-christian people? I just don't get it, but i'm not judgin'

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Originally Posted by Smarion0006

I got the same reactions from EVERYONE that I know. EVERYONE. My dad said the exact same thing about eating the cats and size lol. I wanted a snake since I was 15, and I finally got one when I turned 25. 10 years of learning, and people for some reason didn't think I knew anything at all. Granted, learned about and doing is completely different. You can read all about ball pythons and their care, but when it comes down to it, it's a little bit different when you do it all yourself. It's a learning curve though. Congrats on your new baby.

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I read up for weeks and watched hours of youtube videos on care, handling and setting up habitat. Then on a Friday evening the local pet store delivered everything. 2 guys came in with 55 gallon sized terrarium, coco husk bricks, etc and a small cardboard box containing the snake...then they left and I stood there looking at all this stuff not knowing what the heck to do with it all! It took hours to get everything set up and the snake in his home and I didn't sleep that night, I kept going in to check on him and quietly freaking out. Now a few months later, we're buddies!

http://i58.tinypic.com/jzaadd.jpg

My favourite dialogue:

"You have a snake?! What do you feed it?"
Have you ever heard of Purina Snake Chow?
"No"
Oh then I guess I feed it...rats

Then if they're still interested, I show a short video clip on smartphone of a typical feeding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_2bqham57k

How can I delete this post.