Is it dangerous to have a ball python around a kid?

I had an email from a potential customer the other day. And in the email the person asked me "Is it dangerous to have a ball python around a child?" My response to this was "It might be dangerous for the ball python." I speak from experience on this subject because I have a 3 year old. And my 3 year old has handled a few of our snakes, BUT ONLY UNDER ADULT SUPERVISION. I do not think that it is in anyones best interest to buy a snake for a child or to have the snake around the child excessively. None of our snakes are our son's snakes, and he understands that he is not aloud near the snakes unless me or my wife are around. I just think that it's mind blowing for someone to ask me that. I guess it was the way it was worded, or maybe the way it was projected to me. Who knows.

Anyway thought I would share some of my views on this subject.

I allow my grandchildren to handle our snakes ONLY with my hands also on the snake. My grandkids are 6, 4, and 3 years old. My 7 month old granddaughter has never asked to hold them but I show them to her! ;)

Yeah similar senario with my son and my pet snake hiss... hiss is really relaxed all the time and has never shown any type of aggression, not even defensive strikes... and i'm still really cautious with him around my son.

We have four kids, 20, 16, 14 and 6. All but the 20 year old have their own "personal" snakes. Each is allowed to handle to their ability and with the supervision appropriate for their age group. Each is taught that if they don't show respect, care and close supervision of their snake...they won't be able to handle when they want. Each knows that handling is a gift in this house and it's to be done only to the level of that particular snake's ability to adjust to handling and working around the snake's shed or feeding cycles.

We also have strict rules about sanitizing their hands after any contact with the snakes, no allowing the snake near their mouths, no showing off to their buddies and no snake out if a parent is not home and within close proximity (with the 6 year old it is direct hands on with us at all times). Also even with the smaller snakes, no one is allowed to have a snake near or around their necks.

It's a lot of rules but the kids are used to them, understand why the rules exist and will quickly share those rules with visiting friends. The rules are there not only for the benefit of our children also for our snakes. :)

The only risk is from poor hygiene:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/w...ds/7316684.stm

my kids love to handle the snakes 15 months and almost 6 heres the 6 y/o http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...r/robsnake.jpg

The biggest problem that I see with a child handling a pet snake even under adult supervision is that it teaches the child not to have a natural fear of snakes
a child unafraid of snakes may attempt to handle a wild and potentially posionus one that it may encounter outside

Poisonous snakes are few and far between in many parts of the world. I think an older child even a toddler could be taught to stay away from wild snakes just as you may have a family dog but advise her to stay away from strange ones (and strange people).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kurgan

Poisonous snakes are few and far between in many parts of the world. I think an older child even a toddler could be taught to stay away from wild snakes just as you may have a family dog but advise her to stay away from strange ones (and strange people).

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Could be taught
Should be taught
But many times aren't


There are many species of poisonous it the part of the world that I live in
Rattlesnakes
Copperheads
Cottonmouths
Etc...
Etc...

In London the only venomous snakes walk on two legs but you don't have to go that far into the countryside to find an adder (if you are lucky, i've never managed to see a native snake in the UK - the only native reptile I've ever seen was a legless lizard - a smooth worm, but sadly one killed by my mum's cat). Not really comparable to a copper mouth though :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by C0LUMB1NE

The biggest problem that I see with a child handling a pet snake even under adult supervision is that it teaches the child not to have a natural fear of snakes
a child unafraid of snakes may attempt to handle a wild and potentially posionus one that it may encounter outside

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Depending on where you live, yes that is a concern. I think though as a parent, it's the same as what I teach about dogs. We have a dog in our home, a 70 lb dog, a dog that could in fact easily harm a child. We "trust" the dog. That doesn't mean we don't teach our children how to properly handle our dog or leave the 6 year totally unsupervised with our dog. Many small children every year are hurt badly by the family dog, far more than the family snake.

Again, using dogs as the model, as much as we love dogs and have one - we teach all our kids dog safety. They do not approach any dog on the street, on or off leash. They don't put their face near a dog no matter how much the lady says "oh Fluffy LOVES kids".

When we do snake shows at our kid's schools we talk about native snakes of the area. We tell the kids that even though we have a lot of snakes, we don't run up to an unknown, wild snake and just grab it. It could be a native species, it could be an escaped captive snake....whatever it is, we don't touch it until we are prepared to handle it and it's safe to do so (for us and for the snake).

With any living thing, it's always about teaching kids to make good decisions and about parents doing proper educating and supervision of their kids.

I think out of all the snakes species, isn't it only like 18% or 20% are venomous? That's for the entire world mind you. I've also heard it said that it's only 10% are venomous. Not quite sure what they qualify as venomous, but it's a pretty low percentage either way.

My little girl handles my male Bobo about twice a month. His temperment is so mild that i don't fear he will ever hurt her on purpose, but it's always supervised. My friend was just visiting us and she has a 5 year old boy that also wanted to hold bobo. While my 4 year old has been handling the snake for about a year now, and i trust her to hold him gentle, I was very very strict on how this boy was allowed to handle him. He had to sit down right beside his mom, who does know how to handle snakes, and he could have bob in his lap. nothing else, he was allowed to pet the snake on his back. I was hawkishly standing right behind him, and with good reason, the first time his mom took her hands off him, he went for bobo's neck justs behind his head. He said he saw it in a movie, the snake tried to bite someone and they grabbed around his neck. Needless to say that ended his time with the snake and prompted his mom to have a long talk with him.

And if anyone is really worried about kids and dangerous snakes, you should watch the anaconda episode of Go Diego Go.... for weeks afterwards my daughter told me all about how friendly anaconda's are and how they give 'great hugs'

Sorry, but there is a HUGE difference between a pet that lives in your home and a wild animal that you find outside. Kids should be taught to never pick up ANY wild animal, not just snakes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by C0LUMB1NE

The biggest problem that I see with a child handling a pet snake even under adult supervision is that it teaches the child not to have a natural fear of snakes
a child unafraid of snakes may attempt to handle a wild and potentially posionus one that it may encounter outside

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Nope. We have ranch in eastern Oregon that has rattle snakes on it. One listen to the rattle piercing the air and you know it is not something to be reckoned with. None of the kids would even think about touching it! Same goes for the cougars, even though we have cats. Same goes for the neighbor's dogs'. Same goes for the badger. The kids are old enough to know that these animals are not pets under our care and so leave them alone. The youngest grandson is not outside and exploring without adult supervision and so with him it is a moot point.
Also, who says a fear of snakes is "natural"? I was never afraid of them and neither were my children or my grandkids......

Is it dangerous to have a ball python around a kid?

Only if the kid bites the snake.... Poor snake...
:(