What turned you on?

Ok now, what turned you onto keeping snakes?


I'll go first. I kept having a nightmare about a giant yellow snake attacking me. The nightmares go so severe that I ended up swinging my fiance at night. So I decided to face my fear and get into snakes. Yeah it's a iddy biddy corn but still...

I hope some day to face my giant yellow snake and handle him. He was kinda like a giant yellow anaconda.

Well i always wanted a snake since i was a little boy. But u know mom's NO!!!! snakes lol. So when i moved out some odd years later my buddy was selling some so i was like hey i will buy one now thats how i got into collecting bp thats my little story hope u all like :D

Not too sure. I have been carrying them around since I started finding them as a kid. Just never got over my fascination with them. Doubt I ever will!:D

I've been keeping reptiles since I was 6 or 7, snakes included. My parents use to own a pet store, so I was raised around animals of all kinds. I loved reptiles probably because not many others did and they are so misunderstood. Being around them at such a young age I was able to see 1st hand how cool they are, and in the case of snakes how beneficial they are.

I like all animals, but reptiles and fish are what I enjoy the most.

Well, when I was little we had a pool. Little garter snakes would get in the pool and I would jump in and save 'em. I had always wanted a pet snake, but only got one recently. :snake:

My father was into reptiles, big time. I grew up with a burmese python who died when I was 18 of a liver problem, and we ran a reptile rescue for quite a while. I was never without reptiles until a few years I was on my own, my husband bought me a little ball python and resparked my renewed interest and love!

When I was elementary aged, my mother used to take my brother and myself to the Nature Science Center in Winston-Salem, NC and they had some sort of summer program.


I remember falling in love with Helen the Hognose - unfortunately, the king snake somehow escaped and Helen went missing, never to be seen again. I had a hard time liking that king again! LOL

So, fast forward, Karl - like many impulse buyers we know, got a baby iguana because he wanted a lizard for a 20 gallon tank that we were no longer keeping fish in. I immediately get online to research the care of them and when I saw their potential size, I was livid - I knew that we could not properly care for an adult. But Karl loved Zeus, so much to my chagrin, we became an iguana owner. Zeus never really did well though - he just would never really eat, and seemed sickly from the first day - he passed away a few months later.

Knowing that tank wouldn't stay empty long, I had already fallen in love with ball pythons (in fact, tried to talk Karl into taking Zeus back and get a ball python instead - which he refused). So I started researching their care because I knew that if I didn't put something in there, he would likely get another iguana - and he agreed I could get a ball python if I took all the responsiblility for it.

Fast forward to summer 2005 when Kashmire entered my life and made me fall head over heels in love with ball pythons. Here I am today with my little collection! :love:

Oh yeah, my mother is VERY frightened of snakes - when she found out I was getting Kashmire - she said "I knew we should have never had you volunteer your summers at the Nature Science Center!":rolleyes:

I've been really fascinated with reptiles since I was a kid. I grew up in Florida, where wild lizards abound and I used to spend my days catching Anoles and Skinks. Frogs were fun, too...and I caught the occasional garter snake. I remember once in particular we caught a jet-black snake... It was either an Indigo or a Hognose... I don't remember it looking like a hog nose in the face, but it did do the "play dead" and "throw up your meal" tricks to try and scare us off :) Mom never let me keep any of my little play mates.

The Reptile House at the Zoo was my VERY favorite--I could have spent all day looking at what the had in there...

When I moved up north and was 13 or so, I got it in my head that an iguana would make a great pet. But a PetCo lizard with a PetCo setup mixed with an inexperienced young owner didn't bode well for Keoke. He died of intestinal mites--at least that's what the vet told me. Reading things on here, I'm sure it was more like "intestinal -parasites-"--he was only with me for about 6 months.

After that, my mother REFUSED to let us have any more reptiles (or pets in general for that matter). And she never would let me have a snake--for in truth, I would have rather had a snake than a lizard.

Now, I'm in college--and I only live at home during breaks. I had the money, the knowledge and the room for a snake. I was researching BPs, found BP.net, met Kara, went to NERD and the rest is history :D

Wow...that was long-winded. Sorry!

I like reading everyone's stories. Keep 'em coming!

I have always been absolutely terrified of snakes. Not reptiles in general -- my brother had several leopard geckos growing up and I thought they were interesting and sweet. Snakes always had me spooked -- I stepped on a water moccasin when I was a kid, I was surprised by a snake that had gotten into my bathroom in an apartment...

Late last year, I was at a pet store, and a customer came in with a King snake wrapped around his neck. I have no idea what possessed me to do it, but I went up to him and asked if I could touch the snake. I did and I loved it. Soon I was going to reptile stores and local pet stores and asking to handle the snakes. I was shocked that they were so gentle and curious and how soft and warm they felt. After a few months of research, I decided on my first ball python. And wouldn't you know that now I can't wait till I feel experienced enough to get another... Hooked! :P :D

I had snakes in elementary school. They belonged to my stepdad, and I loved them. I've never been terrified of snakes as some of my friends are. My grandmother, grandfather, mother, and brother are all afraid of snakes. So I am constantly around people who think I'm nuts for keeping Zim. Nothing ever just turned me on to snakes. I've always loved them, and now I have one of my own. And I plan to get more. :)

I grew up on the edge of the Everglades. I became interested in it's special environment and the critters that lived there. Snakes had a particular facination for me and I was hooked. It also helped to have the Miami Serpentarium within an hours drive and the hub of major importers close by as well. In my early 20s, I had a pretty extensive collection of venomous, mostly North American pit-vipers. I had to give everything up due to my career and didn't get back into herps until I was in my late 30s and really not into it until I was 41.

Craig

Up here in ND, we don't have many snakes. When I was young I always watched the garter snakes move around in the bushes in my backyard. I would grab their tails and pick them up, but I was afraid of them. The blank large eyes of snakes always scared me. At my family's lake cabin we would find large bullsnakes. I was curious, but didn't want to get close to such a unique animal. One time I stubled upon a rattler. Their look is very intimidating.

I now live in a 4 plex apt. and I wanted a low maintenance pet. I want a dog, but dogs require much attention. I am always working and owning a dog would be impractical. I first wanted a tarantula, but settled on a snake. It was almost my self therapy to get over my stupid fear. I try to explain to my roomie how interesting snakes are. My BP just stole my heart.

To me, their physiology is so unique and interesting. They slither, constrict and suffocate prey. Then swallow it whole. Thats crazy! :)

My dad has been collecting a snake or two for a good while now. I never really had an interest until recently. Some of the snakes just look amazing (ghosts - none in particular) so that got me hooked. Still saving up money to buy some of my own!

Living next to a reptile shop and them letting me "volunteer" ( Cleaning cages and stuff )

when i was like 10 or 11, i got my 1st snake,garter snake, and i only had him for some time before dying from mite problems. after that i stopped with animals and began my tarantula keeping career, and on june of last year, i walked into petco to get crix for my T's and i just happen to see BP' on special.they went from $79.99 to $29.99(until the end of the week)!! luckily i had my wallet(with $$$) and i asked my dad if i can get one,he obviously said no cuz my mom was afraid of them and he telling me how it's gonna get out during the night and chew my finger off or something(stupid i know).so for the next couple of days i brainstormed(always do) on how to get it before the special runs out.luckily on a saturday my family was out somewhere and i was home alone, i called up some friends to see if they can drive me to where i saw it,fortunately the last guy i depended on was the one to take me. so i bought the BP, and kept it hidden from my parents for the next few weeks so that the "guarantee" on him would expire.eventually i told them and boy were they freaked out.my mom is still afraid of my BP and blood,but she's learned to deal with them.

it's like i say, if you want something done right you gotta do it yourself.

Man, this is a great thread, but I have no clue why or how I got into snakes.
I have always loved animals and when I was little my two favorite places at the zoo where the lions and the reptile house. After I checked out those two bldgs. I was ready to go.
I use to go to the library and get every book they had on snakes and read and dream of owning them someday until finally a small pet shop we had in the town next to ours had garter snakes for sale.
My mom raised tropical and fancy goldfish so we had some empty tanks and I was able to talk her into getting the snake. I was about 9 yo.
And the rest is history :)

I really don't own a snake yet but I will by the end of the year (waiting for the '07s) so I guess I'll tell you my story.

The first time I decided I liked snakes I was 5. I went to my mom's company party and they had an animal rescue group come in to teach us kidsabout animals and they had a large albino snake (i think it was a burm) and I went up and helped hold it, along with some other, as my mom watched in horror. About a year after that I was at my local pet store and they had a BP out and they let me hold it. Those two events helped me fall in love snakes.

I spent the next little while reading all the kids books on snakes and other animals I could get my hands on. My parents finally gave in and let me and brother pick out an animal. Turns out my mom didnt like snakes and we got a hamster. After a while my interest in the hamster died and a two years later so did the hamster. All the while I was still longing for that BP.

We adopted a cat a couple years after the hamster died and I didn't help out much with care but my mom fell in love with a kitten at the adoption centre so we adopted that one too. I started helping out more and more with the cats as time went by and I realized they were my responsibility. The thought of owning a snake slowly passed from my mind.

My brother decided a monkey would be a good pet recently and while I was convincing him that it wouldn't be I stumbled on a BP page. That brings to now. I am still trying to convince my parents that snakes are good pets for the third month in a row. My mom can't stand "the slithering thing" as she calls it. Needless to say this has hindered my success in convincing her but we will see..

my dad use to work in utah, and colorado and he would catch the collared lizards and horny devils and such and bring em home and take care of them. I use to always watch them in amazement as the horny devils would chomp up the little ants he fed them and 1 day i asked him if i could get a "pet" of my own. so after doing research and learning some basic care, my brother and i took up the job of owning our very own horny devil,
we named him "Horny" since we were young that was the most practical name we could think of and after owning him for about a year and a half he died. :'(
Ever since i always wanted to get another reptillian friend. Anyways fastforward to 2005 and there was a sale at petco instead of the bp's being $79.99 they were $29.99 so i convinced my mom to get me one i had him for about 8 months and he died of internal parasites.
so then i did some major research and got another bp and this time i took good care of him i have had him ever since and about 4-5 months ago got an rtb too.

sorry for the long story :)

It began for me when i was in 6th grade (im 22 now) and i went to a small zoo that had a reptile show where i was allowed to hold a ball python. After that it was nothin but bp's and herps. My first two baby balls never ate and being in 6th grade i didn't know how to fix it. then two years later i got an adult male, which i still have and since then beardies, leo's and a boa and some turtles.

~mike

Personally I grew up in the woods of Blaine, TN with my grandma and mom. I would forever be catching and keeping black snakes, green snakes, anything i was told "This won't kill you." if i knew it was safe I would pounce it and bring it home. only one died, it was hurt :(

grade school started it for me. every year there would be this visitor who would come to my school and bring a bunch of herps with him, mostly snakes, but he also had frogs, lizards, spiders.. etc. He would ask for volunteers to hold a snake or two and I pretty much was the only girl to volunteer. Then when I met my hubby, he was into herps and he got an iguana, a chameleon, some Madagascar ground geckos and eventually I got a corn snake. Just natural progression toward it, but now Im thoroughly hooked and loving every second of it.

I was 7 years old, growing up in Cleveland Ohio, always catching lizards and snakes outside and letting them go. I came home one day and told my mom that I either wanted an Aligator or a ball python, we went to the store and came home with a ball :)

I have always wanted a snake. Loved them but was never allowed to have them. So when I moved out I got Orpheus my first normal..And it was all down hill from there.

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Originally Posted by neilgolli

I was 7 years old, growing up in Cleveland Ohio, always catching lizards and snakes outside and letting them go. I came home one day and told my mom that I either wanted an Aligator or a ball python, we went to the store and came home with a ball :)

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My mom was not into reptiles , so it surprised me for my sixteenth birthday when she gave me money to buy a caiman. She was more surprised when I came home with one over 3 ft. long. The housing was a pain in the butt though. If I had known how difficult it was I would have opted for a different pet. There was no internet to turn to for husbandry help back then. I also realize now that there was potential for serious injury. I was lucky and got off with only a lacerated hand. I'm sure your mom was picking the lesser of the evils.:)

sad to say i got interested when i got bit by an arizona black rattlesnake when i was 7 years old. luckly only a little venom was actually injected. after it happened my dad and a few friends went looking for the snake to kill it, but i felt bad for it and made them stop. but i was then on very very afraid of snakes, so much i wouldn't go outside and play anymore. so my dads friend brought over his sons black kingsnake.... and from then on i have been in love. but because my mom wasn't to forgiving she still hated them, so i couldn't get my first till i went away to college. then came the challange of getting the girlfriend to let me have one. but she warmed up the first time she held one. so that pretty much my story...

It's pretty interesting to read how so many people who were afraid of reptiles/snakes now own them ^^. My Dad made sure to imprint the love of reptiles into my brain since I was old enough to go to the Zoo. I remember when I was a little kid sitting at the dinner table, my dad and I would try to talk our mom into letting us have a snake, in particular some kind of boa (don't remember what kind now). She never would let him or me have a snake. So, after my parents got divorced, I still had the reptile itch. I ended up getting a normal leo, then I got a Blizzard leo. My next upgrade (probably a bigger step than what it ever should have been) was a panther chameleon for my birthday, which my step dad and I spilt ownership of. The last lizard I've gotten was a Bearded Dragon (HS grad present for myself). I'm really interested in getting some kind of dwarf monitor or two in the future. Now that I'm in college and half-way out on my own, my dad got me a BP cage set-up for christmas, and after I had everything moved back into the dorms after the break, I went with my dad to pick out my little girly. Then two weeks ago I picked up my little boy. It's so funny because my Dad still really wants a snake, but his new wife isn't so keen on the idea either. So when my girl gets up to breeding size, I'm planning on giving him one of the babies that I hatch out.

I have always had an interest in differant animals but not so much the furry one's. I started with fish and after a few years of them periodicaly dieing i decided that was enough for me with the fish. I wanted something that would live longer then a few years. So like many of you I got an iguana, unlike many of you i had it for 11 years she was about 5 when i rescued her from some terribble owners got her for only $20 with a huge cage.Im pretty sure they wanted some weed or something. About 2 years ago now she died from liver failure. 6 months later I decieded that i needed something new and I had all these old aquariums sitting around so i went to Tropic waters a pet store in my home town after doing much research and finding that they were the only place in town with captive bred ball pythons. Fell in love with snakes in no time. Now I rescue them off of craigslist i have 5 Bp's now i got most for free and all are good eaters and very friendly snakes I cant imagine why they would let them go. Well one i got from a mom who said her son was gonna let it go outside because he didnt want to care for it anymore. Anyway thats my story

I got hooked when I was two when I caught a garter in my backyard. Well for about two years my mom didn't like the idea of snakes so I kept catching them keeping them for a couple days then reasing them. At four my dad took me to get a snake of my own thats when I saw a little california kingsnake in a small petrie dish I knew I had to have it even though it was the runt of the clutch. I had him for two years then my brother got a king that I still dont know the subspecies and we stopped there for about 3 years when the unkown king died then I got a turtle we were living in arizona so we would keep lizards from time to time. I then moved to colorado at 11 and thought I need an iguana so I got a small one at a store that died two years later then i got a bp which was a small baby that ws mite infested so it died then I got an adult female for free and that got me hooked on bps and three years later (im 14) I have 41 different reptiles. 23 of which are ball pythons. So thats my story I know herp in different areas of western U.S and Mexico and breed differnet reptiles but my main focus is Ball Pythons and bearded dragons. Oh and I still have that california king.

I'm very late to the game.
I always thought snakes were interesting creatures, but I never thought I would ever own one.
Honestly what turned me onto snakes was/is working at petco. Being around when they fed the snakes or cleaned their cages I get to watch and hold them. I just fell in love.