Where have you taken your snakes?

i get live prey for my picky eaters from a local mom and pop pet shop. i go in there every week after work and every week one of the gals always ask me to bring in a snake. they've seen pix of my snakes and sometimes i see other customers with either a Beardies, Balls, Boas or parrot shopping around. i guess i could bring in a snake and i kinda want to, it would be cool, but i don't want to stress out any snake or expose them to bugs, etc.

so far i haven't brought my snakes anywhere but outside for a few pix (or the one sick snake i received to the vet). i would like to bring them into my sister's kindergarten class that she teaches, but so far she isn't sold on the idea.

anyway - where have you taken your snakes? to the store? to a class? to the park or a festival? i would imagine the public reaction would be mixed. also how did your snake behave in public?

When I was in college, I owned an adult boa constrictor that was kinked all along her spine. I was taking a course on disabled studies - it was very open ended, and the professor was very interested in her students expanding on their own interests. I brought in Kinky (the boa) for a demonstration on "disabled" animals. It brought up some good discussion about the word disabled and what it means for people as well as animals - specifically animals that people don't normally think about being disabled.

She was a great ambassador for her species, in any case, very tame and chill, and a lot of people in that class touched their first snake that day.

In any case, I was sure to check with the professor on any rules or guidelines I needed to follow in bringing an exotic animal onto campus grounds.

I'd love to be able to take some of my animals to my niece's school for showing off, but I think there's some liability stuff nowadays.

Coming from years and years of living in apartments, and around family that does not necessarily share my love of the hobby, I'm always very careful about taking my animals out in public areas. All it takes is one person to freak out, and then you've got some problems. My motto is not to push it... though I LOVE educating the people that want to know.

For me, I don't plan on taking any of mine anywhere except for the Vet when needed. I don't want anyone knowing about them except for family and close friends. I keep hearing that Constrictors are illegal in my city or county even though I can not find the statutes. I won't call anyone because I don't want to raise awareness among the city offices.

But I sure don't judge others for doing so. In fact I think that I would enjoy seeing other snakes in person. :)

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Lizzy

i brought my ball to work one day! when i lived in chicago my apt was 5 minutes away from work. a client of ours and i got to chatting one day and she told me she loves snakes/animals and asked if i could bring mine in. i made a make-shift tub and kept him in an empty file cabinet (he wasn't even half a year old yet) and he was only there for an hour or so. she was so happy to see him and she even held him! it was nice to see such a positive reaction, those are few and far between for me.

When I used to have Boas I took them places before. Weather permitting. I wouldn't do that with any of my BPs though. Too much of a chance they would stress out and maybe stop eating. Maybe when they are older. Would be cool to take them to the girls school for show and tell or something like that.

As cool as it would be I don't bring my snakes anywhere in public. Not for legal reasons but I just don't care for the negative reaction from most people. In fact notany people even know I have snakes. Which is why I enjoy this forum and going to expos because I do enjoy talking about them. I've thought about bringing one into an expo but the last thing I need is an outbreak in mites or RI etc.

Maybe one day the general public will view them different. But I've been seeing a lot of videos of people using snakes to scare people which doesn't help at all. But there are people making a very positive impact and educating those who don't know. So there is hope. My sister was afraid of snakes and now owns a Western hognose and likes to play with my snakes when she comes over. Including our 7' red tail

I only take my snakes outside on the back patio for sun and outside time in the summer or to the vet if needed. When I took my 7 ft girl into the vet, all the other patients parents were in awe of Rosey lol. They had never seen that big of snake. They all liked her but it seems everyone likes Rosey. She is so mellow. Even the vet and nurses all loved her and wanted to hold her but of course when they held her, she did nothing but try and stretch out to get back on me lol. Once on me, she would check them out but would squeeze my shoulders holding on haha.

I would never take my snakes to a pet shop or anything like that. I'm already OCD about them being in dirty cages. My god, I would have a heart attack with them in a pet shop hoping they didn't catch anything lol.

The only times that I ever take my snakes out is when we bring them into my daughter's preschool for a show and tell type of presentation. The teachers love it and I am always so impressed by the thoughtful, intelligent questions that 4-5 year olds have about snakes.


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I take my Guys outside at home and on walks in the Basket , they no the Basket is a safe zone , we walk down to the Park in our little Village and people enjoy looking at them, I don't think I would take them to a pet shop for fear of Bugs and Virus's, In fact after I go in a pet store I strip down
And Shower and wash the cloths I was wearing. I know to much about fomites..... When life settle down a bit I want to continue Doing a little education on snake's... Maybe Boy Scouts, Girl Scout's stuff like that.



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I sometimes took my corn snake out for a walk and once to a classroom of youngish kids where I worked so I could educate them on animals.

I take my some of my snakes to events a few times a year with my local reptile group. We have heated Viv's for each animal and if the weather is nice we do some handling so the public can see them up close.
It's fun to do and I enjoy it c:

The ones I currently own haven't "traveled"

However, I used to own a pair of Normals that went to quite a few places with me. They were incredible calm and curious. Never seemed stressed, never stopped eating, despite the "trips".
When handled at those "outings" they continued to move slow, calm and deliberate. They were also strangely UN-headshy. The only snakes I ever had who wouldn't jump or pull away if you touched or even held their head.
I often wish I had just kept them, they were really cool snakes.

I used to be part of a reptile club and we went to and also hosted a few educational reptile presentations. At one of them I was holding my big female Delilah. A lady walked up with her autistic daughter and asked if her daughter could "pet" the snake. I allowed it and her daughters face just lit up. She told me her daughter wasn't communicating (not talking) and didn't really show emotion often. We (Lady and I) were amazed when her daughter was so gentle and showed such care for a little 'ole Ball Python snake. She then held out her hands to hold Delilah. I have to admit I was a bit nervous about it. I knew Delilah would stay calm, but I wasn't sure if the girl could control her movements enough to hold a snake gently. However..I just couldn't refuse. I put Delilah on her arms and she continued to hold her very gently and thankfully Delilah just "hung out" without trying to get away. It was very touching. I KNOW...its just a snake and this sounds like one of those butterflies and rainbows stories. But for about 15 minutes that girl just cradled Delilah and looked at her like she just loved her. So gentle, too. The mom was blown away, too. She said the girl usually had a hard time holding still for long or staying focused on anything. Usually these kind of stories are about puppies or kittens or even horses. Not snakes...

I also took my Russian Ratsnakes with me as well. Until one of them managed to get out of the tub while I was driving...I remember trying to change the radio station (had eyes on the road) and something "touched" my hand. I look down and its Scarlett !!! Of course I grabbed her, knowing if she could get in or under something, god knows if I could get her out. On that road, there was nowhere to pull over, I was over a water way. I held her close to me and she proceeded to wrap around the headrest posts and my neck..LOL. Great. Of course she couldn't do harm, but dang if she didn't "hook" around everything and I couldn't untangle her while driving. Finally I reached a part of the road where you could pull over into a small parking lot. I remember peeling in there, breaking hard and finally having 2 hands to try to unwrap Scarlett from my neck, headrest, etc. Got her off eventually and stuffed back into her tub. When I looked up I saw I was not far behind a pickup truck with 3 guys sitting on the bed, staring at me. How embarrassing....LOL. So I peeled back out and went on to the wildlife park.

I also took my snakes to my daughter elementary school once. THAT was a blast. The kids had NO fear and were very funny and so willing to learn. The adults wouldn't even come close..haha.

i'm really glad to hear all of the positive reactions to all of your snakes when given the opportunity. :) however, has anyone have a really negative one? like folks running for the hills type of reaction?

Well, I have a different perspective about a "negative" experience.

When I lived in Savannah we used to go down to "Riverstreet" quite often. Its beautiful and there are a lot of people down there, lots of Tourist there.
So it could get "crowded".

One day I see this guy walking down Riverstreet, in a tiny tank top, showing off his muscles (that part I'm ok with, lol) and with a Ball Python around his neck.
The weather was not exactly ideal for a BP to be out and about. But on top of that, I'm NOT a fan of taking snakes out into the public, into crowded areas. Unless its for a specific and planned event.

There ARE people with an actual phobia to snakes, and walking among them with a snake around your neck is not halfway as cool as that guy thought he was. It wasn't exactly good for the snake (to cool of a day) and in the crowded area some people almost came face to face with the snake before realizing it.

I know its just a Ball Python, not a Rock Python, but still...that is not the way to introduce the public to our hobby and to the fact that snakes are actually pretty cool animals.

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Originally Posted by zina10

There ARE people with an actual phobia to snakes

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just to digress a little: it might be hard for people like us to realize, but the phobia is real. i gave a friend of mine a panic attack through Snapchat when i sent her a picture of my bp — a picture! i had no idea until she very sternly (yet politely) explained not to do that again, lol.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

just to digress a little: it might be hard for people like us to realize, but the phobia is real. i gave a friend of mine a panic attack through Snapchat when i sent her a picture of my bp — a picture! i had no idea until she very sternly (yet politely) explained not to do that again, lol.

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Yes, it can be very real, and very upsetting to people.

I'm that way with spiders. I not only freak out, but also get nauseated and feel like I'm going to have a heart attack !!! Even pictures make me queasy. It has gotten a "little" better, but still...

Of course, where I board my horse there are many, many brown widows and other assorted spiders. Not to mention the wolf spiders around our pool.

I once had my horse tied, washing her, when I felt a "tickle" on the back of my shoulder. Thinking it was a fly I just kept shrugging my shoulder, trying to get it off. Finally looked over my shoulder at a big, fat widow.

O>>>>M>>>>G

The screech I let out could have woken the dead. I simultaneously threw the horse brush into the air and smacked the spider off. The horse spooked so bad, she broke free and ran for her life...lol. Thankfully I wasn't bitten but I kept thinking I was, because I felt ill and light headed.

So yes, phobias are very real and can be very uncomfortable. Hence why I'm not a fan of parading my snakes around unsuspecting people in public. I just don't think this is a good way to educate people about the hobby.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zina10

Yes, it can be very real, and very upsetting to people.

I'm that way with spiders. I not only freak out, but also get nauseated and feel like I'm going to have a heart attack !!! Even pictures make me queasy. It has gotten a "little" better, but still...

So yes, phobias are very real and can be very uncomfortable. Hence why I'm not a fan of parading my snakes around unsuspecting people in public. I just don't think this is a good way to educate people about the hobby.

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Same! And yeah, for that reason, not a fan of just parading my snakes in public just for "cool factor"/showing off, and definitely not the right way to do it if you are trying to educate people LOL.

If I look at it from the other person's point of view: I see some dude parading around a mall with two giant spiders on his hands and feeling cool about himself...

1. I think he's gross
2. I think he's an idiot.

Sure, maybe you can show a couple curious people and get a couple converted to appreciate them, but there are also the MANY who see you from afar and hate/fear it, and think more badly of snake keepers, because of you.

And... I've only brought my snakes OUT out once to show some moron who I thought was genuinely interested in snakes after we chatted for a couple weeks. I drove three of them in boxes out to meet him in our old school's parking lot. After 2 minutes of holding them with mild interest and taking a "cool factor" photo of himself with my boa, he goes, "So have you had lunch yet?"

I said yes I have, and we parted ways soon after lmao.

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

If I look at it from the other person's point of view: I see some dude parading around a mall with two giant spiders on his hands and feeling cool about himself...

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Can you believe it..just reading that made shivers run down my back, LOL !!!!!

And that other guy...LOL, guess it wasn't so much the snakes he was interested in... ;)

About phobias..I have to say, I used to have one about snakes. Nothing as bad as the spider one, but I really didn't like snakes. So every now and then I wonder if I could get over my spider phobia. I went so far to think about getting a tarantula. And then I researched. I was sitting there feeling sick as I was reading...and the pictures !!!! So..I guess I'm not quite there yet. Although I did find it rather touching reading about someone trying to "save" their tarantula that had a bad shed or something ? They seemed just as attached as we are about our snakes.

Gosh, but even typing all that...I keep having shivers run down my back. :O

..

Last fall I took a ball python, a savu python, and a juvenile reticulated python to a local high school to do a presentation for an environmental sciences class. The teacher wanted to show the students how the animals had evolved for their particular environments.

It was a big enough hit that he wants me to do it again this spring, but with a BRB, and Dum, and a BCI.

[deleted for double post]

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

some moron who I thought was genuinely interested in snakes
he goes, "So have you had lunch yet?"
we parted ways soon after

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:rofl:

Kudos to all those who do the educational venues. When I wrote, "It makes no sense to me," I was strictly thinking of the people who will go out in a crowded place with one just for the thrill of it - like muscle guy with the snake around his neck, or spider-in-each-hand guy. I once saw a photo (video snippet?) of a young gal with a large girthy boa draped around her neck and shoulders. She was on a crowded beach. Just p***ed me off. Looked more like egotistic exhibitionism than responsible pet care.

My corn does go outside in the yard. I think a little sunlight is good for him, and if the neighbours see, well shrug. Still my yard. (He also tends to relieve himself out there, which keeps the enclosure fresh and clean.) Nevertheless, I would not not wear him into town to go get a latte, and would never expose him to what might lurk in a pet store.

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Originally Posted by distaff

like muscle guy with the snake around his neck, or spider-in-each-hand guy. I once saw a photo (video snippet?) of a young gal with a large girthy boa draped around her neck and shoulders. She was on a crowded beach. Just p***ed me off. Looked more like egotistic exhibitionism than responsible pet care.

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That's exactly what it is, which is the most obnoxious thing, and pisses me off too LOL. And if it isn't, that's the intent the public sees it as, and gives a bad impression of us keepers.

It's one thing if you're bringing your animal for education or something like that but I don't really bring my snakes to places for several reasons, the primary being I do not want to deal with mites, especially having venomous. I understand that some people don't think like that and that's fine, but if they'd only take a little time to do some research they could easily see that the cons outweigh the pros in most circumstances.

When I come back from anywhere that has reptiles that I may of came in contact with something, especially if I handled one of their snakes, the first thing I do when I get home is I walk straight to the washer and throw my clothes in the washer. I may not see mites on me, but that doesn't mean that eggs aren't hitching a ride, it's the unseen that's the problem. Then I'll grab a shower as well just to be safe. Any supplies I get, especially if it's wood or another they get baked.

When you take your animals out, it stresses them, regardless of whether or not you realize it. The most common thing I see is at the reptile shows people take their snakes with them, which is a terrible idea to me. This is how a lot of people contract mites and have no idea they've done it. People are always asking to hold snakes not to mention you bump into other people who have been dealing with snakes, also people see your snake and want to hold it or pet it. I've been going to reptile shows for a long time and I can't recall a single reptile show that I've been to yet and not seen mites. This last one in December I went to check out a BEL and when the guy was getting him out the enclosure I saw the mites on it before he even attempted to hand me the snake.

Another thing I think people don't think of is bringing something you can place the snake in to let it be if it became stressed. A container, snake bag or pillow case would suffice.

Now, there's a new show in the area called HERPS, and they don't allow outside animals to be brought in, which I think is a great idea so I'll give Shawn Gray props for that, which I already told him.

I do take mine out in the yard during warmer weather for fresh air and periodic exercise. The neighbor kids love it.

I would never take one into a reptile expo or a pet shop just to carry it around, as you don't know what the animals there are harboring. My local exotics shop doesn't permit herps to be brought in by the public for exactly that reason.

I am a little more adventurous with my 2 boys. We go to the outside fence near the dog park at least once a month in the summer. They enjoy watching the dogs and feeling the grass. I always bring my boyfriend so we can watch carefully for hawks, etc. Sometimes the dogs notice them and come over for a sniff before they leave, and my boys don't react at all, even when the dogs lick them. They have also done 2 separate 3 hour Halloween events with me at Petco. I dressed as a witch, and I had a "snake table" where the kids could come and hold them and collect some candy from the bin. They have also been to the library with me for children sessions. There were even a few senior citizens that wanted some snake time! Of course I do not take them out right after feeding or during shed. They have never bitten me or anyone else. I try to expose them to everything so nothing makes them feel stressed. Sometimes I take them out when I run errands and they enjoy riding in the front of my bra (nice and warm, soft, and secure!) I notice when they look tired or a bit cranky, and then we are done. Mostly, they enjoy being played with and experiencing different environments.
Exposing our snakes to the public is the only way to dispel the thought that they are inherently dangerous animals. I think that, if properly trained, they can be as docile as the most gentle dog. Mikey even lets me pet his head!
That being said, they get a bath as soon as we are home to prevent mites.

I have carefully read the other posts, and I would like to make a few more comments. When I bring my snakes out, they are invited and expected. As far as errands, I've been in my community for so long before I had them, and they know my snakes at the few places I bring them with and they are welcomed. It is NEVER my intention to scare anyone or pretend I'm cool. I just have really nice pets (nicer than many dogs out there) and I feel safe to bring them out. The dog park is the only place where they might not be expected, but it is several acres of grass, and I've never had a problem with the dog owners who notice us. The snake wearing people, and the spider guy... Yeah. Not okay. Also I would like to say that I would be fine bringing my boys back to the store where they were purchased. Twin Cities Reptiles is SUPER clean, not a hint of smell anywhere, and I have never seen a single mite on any animal anywhere in the store. I'm happy to have such a great resource in Minnesota! I even enjoy visiting their huge breeding turtles Phoebe and Booker every time I visit to get food.

I will admit to having let all my snakes out in the garden in nice weather, fortunately the biggest threat to them where I live is my male tortoise he is so randy I've ended up separating him from the two baby tortoises I have. Its great to be able to get mating behaviour footage, just don't want to stress any pet out too much.

I teach HS English, Science Fiction and Fantasy. It worked out that our discussion of archetypes and symbolism hit on Halloween. I discussed it with my students (They are amazed that their 53 year old "granny" English teacher makes such a good Medusa.) and brought in a few of my corns. They are great ambassadors - very friendly and inquisitive. I traded them off during the day, giving them a bin and bag rest occasionally. Then they visited with Animal Club after school. It was a very positive experience all-around.

I live in a quiet neighborhood with a small park about a block away, so during appropriate weather I will occasionally take Yigg on a "walk" down to the park. He stays on my shoulders pretty much the whole time and I usually wear something with a hood or a drape over my head so he's not totally exposed.

Since I work in an animal shelter, I also bring Yigg into work with me about once a month. I set up a cozy little temporary viv for him with a hide and a heating pad, and take him out periodically over the course of the day for short periods of handling with me or my coworkers. It gives me a chance to get Yigg used to being handled by people other than me, and most of my coworkers really appreciate the chance to interact with him, which is great! I occasionally even get a chance to educate the public about snakes-- although I do have to be careful taking him out around the clients, because we have had a few have bad reactions to his presence.

I used to want to take him to the local herp shows with me, but that was before I realized how easy it would be for him to pick up something nasty like mites. No thanks! We'll stick to occasional work excursions and walks to the park.