Why did YOU start?

I was cleaning up the snake room (ie, thinking of ways to add more) when I looked over at my very first Ball, Indy. I remember getting him for free from a pet store...they were going out of business and had not eaten since they got him so they pretty much gave up on him....he looked horrible and I really though he would die....7 years later he's doing extremely well and bred for me this season (my first breed project...woohoo)

I got him completely by accident....I was terrified but could not stand to see him suffer so I brough him home...I bought books, learned everything I could sponge up and in time...grew to adore BP's as well as other snakes....I now have 12 BP's, 3 burms and 2 rosy boas.....

all this from the pitiful little snake that everyone gave up on.....

whats YOUR story? How did you get started with this addictive hobby?:)

I have just always been fascinated with them. They are amazing in so many ways.

For me as a kid in NY I always loved reptiles (snakes were/are my favorite), my parents would not allow snakes in the house, so I always had others (anoles, turtles and an Iguana) After college I moved to an apartment in NJ with my then future (and now present) wife and we brought my turtles and then had some torts and a veiled Cham. I ran into the same "no snakes" rule from my wife that I've been dealing with my entire life.
A few years later we bought a house and I had my own "pet" room to house all the herps in...it is a room off of my garage and it is heated so it was perfect....I promised that there would be no snakes...blah blah blah...So about a year later, at the White Plains Reptile Show I bought a female CH normal BP...it was my first snake and I was so excited. I had the tub set up at home in the pet room and I brought her home and she lived happily in that tub for almost 8 mos before my wife found out. Everyone knew I had a snake (family/friends/son/wife's family) except her....She would go into the pet room and not see it because it was in its hide....but one time she went in and there was a huge shed skin there..I was busted....after a few weeks on the couch, I explained how I felt about snakes and she agreed to let me follow my dreams.....47 BP's later, an LLC , rodent factory in the garage and a website...my wife has pretty much turned it around....so thats how I started.

I was keeping some boas. And weant to my first reptile show. I saw Ralphie there with the first vpi snow and an axanthic dbl het. I lost it!! I am in the process of turning Everything into an axanthic!!

[QUOTE=monk90222;715549]after a few weeks on the couch, I explained how I felt about snakes and she agreed to let me follow my dreams.....[QUOTE]

LOL...now THATS love!

The burms actually belong to my BF...sorta like a "prenump" must like snakes...:D

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Originally Posted by JASBALLS

I was keeping some boas. And weant to my first reptile show. I saw Ralphie there with the first vpi snow and an axanthic dbl het. I lost it!! I am in the process of turning Everything into an axanthic!!

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I have seen a couple of your snakes...no wonder you're into the hobby! Nice stuff!

When I was 8 back in ol '93 my grandmother bought my a snow corn for X-mas. That was the beginning of the end! LOL.

I did it plainly because i had never been alowed to own snakes as a teen. When i moved out the first thing i did was buy a ball python het albino, and ive loved ball pythons ever since. After owning Beardies, anything is easy, so feeding once a week was a huge pull factor. I love all my pets to death, and haveing a snake has surely been something different, were all so lucky getting to own them and learning about them, they are just so great!:)

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Originally Posted by patthesnakeman

When I was 8 back in ol '93 my grandmother bought my a snow corn for X-mas. That was the beginning of the end! LOL.

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HA! GO GRAM!!

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

I did it plainly because i had never been alowed to own snakes as a teen. When i moved out the first thing i did was buy a ball python het albino, and ive loved ball pythons ever since. After owning Beardies, anything is easy, so feeding once a week was a huge pull factor. I love all my pets to death, and haveing a snake has surely been something different, were all so lucky getting to own them and learning about them, they are just so great!:)

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I adore my beardie, Norm...he's 12 now...older than dirt but still chases crickets with the best of 'em!

I agree, we are lucky :)

Animal nut - always have been, always will be. I was intrigued by reptiles when I was a kid, but my parents...don't really like them enough to have them in the house. :) I got my first reptiles when I was married since my ex liked animals and wanted me to be happy. I had a plated lizard, hingeback tortoise, and a leopard gecko.

Then, thanks to volunteering at the zoo, I started noticing snakes as more than slithery lizards without legs. :) After a few months, I was given my first snake: red-checkered garter. I loved that little guy, and he lived for a good while... but in time I fell in love with another snake: a Ball Python named Naomi in the Ed department.
That snake was amazing... but I couldn't have one 'that big', so it stayed just a dream until last summer, when an unexpected grant reward and an unruly Beardie gave me the opportunity to get my first BP - Nagini.

Now... my three new corn snakes for a breeding team are in QT and my little rescued pastel BP will hopefully be a great partner to my normal female. :D I would have another BP, but there is NO MORE room here. Oh well :)

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Originally Posted by Argentra

Animal nut - always have been, always will be. I was intrigued by reptiles when I was a kid, but my parents...don't really like them enough to have them in the house. :) I got my first reptiles when I was married since my ex liked animals and wanted me to be happy. I had a plated lizard, hingeback tortoise, and a leopard gecko.

Then, thanks to volunteering at the zoo, I started noticing snakes as more than slithery lizards without legs. :) After a few months, I was given my first snake: red-checkered garter. I loved that little guy, and he lived for a good while... but in time I fell in love with another snake: a Ball Python named Naomi in the Ed department.
That snake was amazing... but I couldn't have one 'that big', so it stayed just a dream until last summer, when an unexpected grant reward and an unruly Beardie gave me the opportunity to get my first BP - Nagini.

Now... my three new corn snakes for a breeding team are in QT and my little rescued pastel BP will hopefully be a great partner to my normal female. :D I would have another BP, but there is NO MORE room here. Oh well :)

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There's ALWAYS room!! :D

very nice rescue!! Thanks for rescuing...so many need it!!

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Originally Posted by OhBalls

There's ALWAYS room!! :D

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Agreed! Might be why I'm picking up four tomorrow! LOL

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Originally Posted by Argentra

Animal nut - always have been, always will be.

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That sums it up, but to give more details...

I guess maybe it started one time my sister was at a friend's house and when we were there to pick her up she and her friend saw a snake up in a tree. My dad helped them catch it. I don't really remember what happened to that snake. But there were 3 or 4 times when I was a little older that I'd catch a snake and keep it for a week or 2, feed it a mouse or 2, then let it go again. I guess maybe we did the same with that first one.

Fast forward to when I was in college. I volunteered at the local zoo. One of the things volunteers did was to take out "contact animals" that the zoo visitors could get really up close and personal with. One of my favorites were the 3 ball pythons. Ever since then, I'd always wanted one.

Then I was stupid enough to stay in a bad relationship for 10 years with a man who really didn't understand or share my love for animals. Having a fish tank in the house was pushing his limits. I won't go into all the negativity, but my experience with him and Charlie's experience with sleeping on the couch, but the wife eventually understanding, demonstrate how important it is that your partner understand (and preferably share) your love for animals!

Fast forward again, one day this past fall my BF and I took his daughter into a pet store we happened to be walking past, just for the fun of letting her see the animals. They had several snakes and other reptiles, including a ball python. I told my BF I wanted a ball python, and he said "ok, let's do it." I nearly fell down. So about a month and tons of research later, we went to the MARS show and brought home a normal girl hatchling!

We are all 4 (my bf, my daughter, and his daughter) very interested in reptiles. My daughter got a "Santa certificate" for a corn snake, but has decided she wants to cash it in sometime in the spring or summer when there will be more choices of little babies. His daughter (who is younger) got a betta, which we thought was a better start for her first pet. We aren't committing ourselves to anything yet, but we think after we move (probably this coming summer), we will get several more reptiles and possibly start breeding.

Growing up, my 11 year old son watched every single Croc Hunter and reptile show on The Discovery Channel. He wanted a snake and I told him as long as it wasn't fast (i.e. escapes easily) so he got a young male normal BP for his birthday. Rex is the coolest snake, puppy dog tame. A year later we are up to 15 BPs and we have 5 girls breeding this season.
All of our snakes can be handled easily and none of them are aggressive. That makes me feel a little better with Drew caring for them (with my supervision, of course.) He is already talking of being a herpetologist or Vet so I'm sure we will continue to collect herps.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Agreed! Might be why I'm picking up four tomorrow! LOL

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PICS...we want pics!! Please, of course!

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Originally Posted by kc261

That sums it up, but to give more details...

I guess maybe it started one time my sister was at a friend's house and when we were there to pick her up she and her friend saw a snake up in a tree. My dad helped them catch it. I don't really remember what happened to that snake. But there were 3 or 4 times when I was a little older that I'd catch a snake and keep it for a week or 2, feed it a mouse or 2, then let it go again. I guess maybe we did the same with that first one.

Fast forward to when I was in college. I volunteered at the local zoo. One of the things volunteers did was to take out "contact animals" that the zoo visitors could get really up close and personal with. One of my favorites were the 3 ball pythons. Ever since then, I'd always wanted one.

Then I was stupid enough to stay in a bad relationship for 10 years with a man who really didn't understand or share my love for animals. Having a fish tank in the house was pushing his limits. I won't go into all the negativity, but my experience with him and Charlie's experience with sleeping on the couch, but the wife eventually understanding, demonstrate how important it is that your partner understand (and preferably share) your love for animals!

Fast forward again, one day this past fall my BF and I took his daughter into a pet store we happened to be walking past, just for the fun of letting her see the animals. They had several snakes and other reptiles, including a ball python. I told my BF I wanted a ball python, and he said "ok, let's do it." I nearly fell down. So about a month and tons of research later, we went to the MARS show and brought home a normal girl hatchling!

We are all 4 (my bf, my daughter, and his daughter) very interested in reptiles. My daughter got a "Santa certificate" for a corn snake, but has decided she wants to cash it in sometime in the spring or summer when there will be more choices of little babies. His daughter (who is younger) got a betta, which we thought was a better start for her first pet. We aren't committing ourselves to anything yet, but we think after we move (probably this coming summer), we will get several more reptiles and possibly start breeding.

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AWESOME story!! Hope the snake keeps the ex away...lol....best of luck with the move...sounds promising!! Thanks for sharing this!

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Originally Posted by JenH

Growing up, my 11 year old son watched every single Croc Hunter and reptile show on The Discovery Channel. He wanted a snake and I told him as long as it wasn't fast (i.e. escapes easily) so he got a young male normal BP for his birthday. Rex is the coolest snake, puppy dog tame. A year later we are up to 15 BPs and we have 5 girls breeding this season.
All of our snakes can be handled easily and none of them are aggressive. That makes me feel a little better with Drew caring for them (with my supervision, of course.) He is already talking of being a herpetologist or Vet so I'm sure we will continue to collect herps.

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*cracking up laughing* :rofl:

all Drew's fault, right?

this is cool :D

Right, it's all Drew's fault. And yes I do spend more time with the snakes then he does.....:D

Now I'm even starting to breed a few mice. Don't know about rats, they are too smelly!

I've always been an animal nut, keeping box turtles for a season or two and letting them go, catching snakes and lizards. Drew says his friends think I'm the coolest mom (since none of his friends are allowed to keep snakes as pets). And I'n sure his friends' parents think I am truely weird, but oh well.....;)

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Originally Posted by OhBalls

PICS...we want pics!! Please, of course!

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Pics tomorrow when I pick them up! :P

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Originally Posted by JenH

Right, it's all Drew's fault. And yes I do spend more time with the snakes then he does.....:D

Now I'm even starting to breed a few mice. Don't know about rats, they are too smelly!

I've always been an animal nut, keeping box turtles for a season or two and letting them go, catching snakes and lizards. Drew says his friends think I'm the coolest mom (since none of his friends are allowed to keep snakes as pets). And I'n sure his friends' parents think I am truely weird, but oh well.....;)

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Jen, I'm the crazy mom that gets the halloween stories.....until just this year did I invite the kids in and they say me as "cool"...LOL....my own kids think I have ruined their lives (both girls...go figure)

Try ASF rats....no smell...I swear...and if you're close to CT, I can help you out!

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Pics tomorrow when I pick them up! :P

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Very much looking forward to pics!! Thanks!:)

The high school I went to had an ecology club. The kids in ecology club got to take care of all these really cool animals and once a month they would miss most of a day on Friday to take the animals to elementary schools and to educational presentations to the kids. I really wanted in but the clincher was you had to be able to handle and feed the snakes.

For a week every day after school I would go to the biology teacher’s class room and he would take out the adult corn snake and let me hold him. Man was I scared. I can still remember my heart pounding and sweat pouring off of me as that snake slithered around in my hands. It took a week before I was no longer afraid.

Right after high school I went to Tiger's Eye Productions and did shows with the big cats and some HUGE burms, balls, iguanas ect.. at the long gone Splendid China amusement park in Orlando. I purchased my first ball python shortly there after. Her name was Cecilia. "She" was great but at one point I moved back in with mom and she wouldn't let me bring her so I gave her to the pet store that I bought my feeders from and they found her a good home.

Fast forward 7 years later my crazy brother is telling me that people can actually make a living breeding and selling ball pythons. Well I love all animals and really missed having Cecilia around so I went with him the Orlando Fire show in 06 and I bought a CH 05 female (Mona) with the intent of purchasing a male pastel and breeding her.

I now know that breeding ball pythons is a labor of love, and not a lucrative as my brother made it out to be. I don't mind I love Mona and all of the rest of the snakes. Turns out my favorite part of breeding is the Genetics. We are in our 2nd breeding season and now have 52 ball pythons, a rat farm in the garage and great family time taking care of all of them!

I never wanted a snake, but as I tried to talk my daughter into a Sweet 16 birthday party - she just kept saying, "I don't want a party. I want a ball python". Fast forward to two years later. She leaves for college and now that same ball python is my obsession. I started the addiction wanting everything to be absolutely perfect so I never had to touch him - perfect sheds - no need for vet visits, etc. But, with the help of a lot of people on this forum, I've gotten to know Dakota quite well. We live in relative harmony and really like each other. (I know, I know - snakes don't care about us, but this is what I like to believe). Now when my daughter comes home from college, she asks me about his care, when to do what, etc. She thinks he's mine now. But she still threatens to take him away some day!

This is an awesome thread. Keep the stories coming!

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Originally Posted by cheryls

I never wanted a snake, but as I tried to talk my daughter into a Sweet 16 birthday party - she just kept saying, "I don't want a party. I want a ball python". Fast forward to two years later. She leaves for college and now that same ball python is my obsession. I started the addiction wanting everything to be absolutely perfect so I never had to touch him - perfect sheds - no need for vet visits, etc. But, with the help of a lot of people on this forum, I've gotten to know Dakota quite well. We live in relative harmony and really like each other. (I know, I know - snakes don't care about us, but this is what I like to believe). Now when my daughter comes home from college, she asks me about his care, when to do what, etc. She thinks he's mine now. But she still threatens to take him away some day!

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Just start talking about his poop schedule and those threats will stop...lol...great story, thanks for sharing it

my husband had his first ball when he was 12 or 13.. his name was bitten, he was stolen a few years later (before me) and he just always loved the snakes... it wasnt until we got together and i moved out of my parents house did we get our first snake together when we got our own place, i always thought they were fascinating creatures and wanted one of my own but my parents werent as understanding while i lived there sooo we got one together. We have been hooked ever since.

besides, ive always been an animal lover!!! my parents knew it was bound to happen, now when they find out about our latest critters they just roll their eyes.