Kids and Herps... and a picture

How many people here allow their kids to handle the reptiles? what age do you feel is appropriate? when should kids get their first reptile that is actually theirs??
with a 22 month old son i find myself asking these questions and a ton more... i guess what i've found is that he's going at his own pace and i really don't have a lot of say in it! he's already catching bugs and frogs in the yard, he tries to pick up snakes, and knows not to be too rough on them as well.
here's a picture of him about a month and a half ago with a 3 year old carpet python... what a man!

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...ugust6_003.jpg

I'm not a parent but I think that giving them an early education in the joys of the reptile world is a fabulous idea! I think as far as when/how to get them involved, it should be judged by the individual parent. Maybe start by letting the child 'pet' the snake for awhile when you're holding it. Just go step by step at each child's pace. The main thing is to make sure both the child and the snake are safe, happy, and healthy!

Oh yeah... cute picture!!!

Wow, he was able to hold that snake. :weirdface

Even I'd have trouble.

WOW that pic is amazing, your son looks so happy! Its so awesome how he looks so in control of the snake too... great stuff :D

Great pic. looks like he's loving it. I have 3 daughters 4,6 and 8 they enjoy all of our animals. The rule in our family is for their 7 th b-day they get their own snake and my 6 yr old has her own skink. Of coarse they do not handle all my snakes, that is to my discretion. Also they do not go in the snake room w/ out me ( thats were all our snakes are kept ). Plus all my big snake cages have locks. Now I also breed bearded dragon's and they are in the house so they get to hold them on a daily basis. I also have iguana's and tegu's they also interact with. Part of my business is about education of reptiles so even the 4 yr. old can tell ya stuff you may not think a 4 yr old should know. If you ever go to YOU TUBE, search " snakes and more ". I got my business license last year and was interviewed and put on their. Pretty cool. Check it out.

Very cute. IMO, I think its up to the parent. But some boundaries should be set and enforced, like Dadspets was saying. To be honest, I think u just made this thread to post that awsomely handsome son of yours lol:)

Your son is amazingly cute and beaming with happiness! :P

In answer to your question: It is a process and it is obvious that you are already doing that process with your son. It will evolve as it does and you will become more familiar with the process as it unfolds. You and the boy-child will guide the education.

Super cute photo--one for the picture books!!

Lookin good C-dub!!!!


Wheres his game face????

He looks ready to go out and track those mississauga critters with you.

I think have kids introduced to reptiles at an early age is a great idea. As long as they are supervised by a responsible adult there won't be any problems.

My sister is planing on taking my nephews (10.5 month old twins). to MARS this weekend. She already driven them to the philly zoo, the Baltimore zoo, and the National Aquarium.

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Originally Posted by Patrick Long

Wheres his game face????

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that's reserved for certain things!

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/inde...ageID=13197422


thanks for the comments everyone... i always like discussing questions with no concrete answers.

My six year old stepson, while normally a wild child, is very slow and gentle w/ our snake. (As opposed to his poor hamster we caught him teaching gymnastics to.) He handles her in a smooth manner fitting of royalty.

I love how a lot less kids are afraid of snakes than adults.

Great pic! Looks like little man knows his business.

My three year old daughter helps me do everything with our snakes, she helps me clean the tubs/cages, gets water/bedding, I feed them but she loves to watch.

We bought a female DHsunglow boa the other week and she named it Princess as soon as she helped open the box.

My 6 year old son is interested for maybe about 30 minutes and then wants to do something else but he does help me with the Clydesdales when we have to get them ready for parades and such

Colin that is an awesome picture!! Your kid is adorable and looks like a seasoned pro. :sunny:

The closest thing I have to a child are my younger brothers and sisters, and they are just as crazy as me about animals, they have no fear! :)

(Your wooden rocking horse there, my old old pediatrician's office had those, I loved them when I was a kid! lol )

Great picture, cute kid, and beautiful carpet :D

What do you think the best way to introduce young kids to herps? Does anyone ever get afraid that the kid will squeeze too hard, or grab it by the head, etc...? I guess it's hard for me to know cause I don't have kids haha.

What a great pic, your son is adorable.

My 8 yr old has had 2 snakes of his own for a couple of years.

>_> I wish my brother would do that. He doesn't understand animals... At all. I would never trust him with any of my pets. Its bad enough how he terrorizes my kitten!
When we first found my kitten outside, he had thrown it when it wouldn't leave him alone. I stopped letting him pet my reptiles after that.

D:
(He's almost four btw)

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Originally Posted by icygirl

Great picture, cute kid, and beautiful carpet :D

What do you think the best way to introduce young kids to herps? Does anyone ever get afraid that the kid will squeeze too hard, or grab it by the head, etc...? I guess it's hard for me to know cause I don't have kids haha.

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i started Levi by having him touch the snakes with the back of his hand. this way he couldn't grab them - that's actually a reflex that infants and small children have. now that he's a little older he has more motor control and can even catch frogs in the back yard, or hold the geckos without squishing them. it's just a gradual thing i guess...


thanks again everyone, i think he's a pretty cute kid too. i mean, his genes are half mine. ;)

i just had to resurrect this post with a new picture... this gecko now resides in his room so i don't have to hear him constantly ask me to take him down to the herp room to see the gecko. as big as he's smiling here, i'm pretty sure i'm smiling bigger.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../3/2/levi1.jpg

I'm not a mommy yet but I think that its a great idea to do it while they are young! I also think its fine if the child is properly taught and its a docile snake.

Well my mom introduced me to herps at an early age. She spent summers at a lake house in michigan and would catch turtles and frogs all the time, and passed that on to me :D

I was handling turtles way early, it's pretty hard for a small kid to hurt a turtle if you pay attention. I forget when I held my first snake, but I was catching 'em in my back yard in Houston, and we moved out of that house when I was six.

That pic is awesome. My five year old daughter helps me with our snakes a lot. Not sure when she will get her own, probably three years. She loves to handle them, and has even moved up to tong feeding our smallest bp(which was a big step because she has a pet rat and has to hold one out there for the other animal). She is old enough now I think to get all the sanitary aspects of keeping. Meaning keeping yourself clean before and after snake time and in between snakes, but still too young to understand the finer points of the husbandry. Soon though.