How did you first get interested in reptiles?

[Lovable sam]

I would've made a poll on this but I couldn't think of any options other than "my friend had reptiles". I first became interested when my best friend Jamie got a little boa constrictor. At first I jumped back whenever he looked at me but I eventually got up the courage to hold him and haven't looked back since.
Sam

[daaangconcepts]

My husband wanted a snake for his b-day! So I bought him one. It was my first snake ever! I've been hook ever since!

[shhhli]

I used to very much dislike snakes, but then a friend of mine was telling me about a burm her parents had when she was a kid and how tame snakes could be.
annnnnnd I looked them up. Go me.

[Freakie_frog]

Spot I helped at the pet store girl catch him after he hissed at her and she dropped him. I just love the little guys.. And been hooked ever since

[jotay]

I was a bout 8 yo and was at the Zoo and just fell in love w/ the reptile house. So I got some books on snakes and herps and read all I could at my age and then bugged my mom for a green anole. I had a male and a female.
Then at age 10 I got my first snake a ribbon garter snake which I had for about 5 yrs. And the rest is history

[aaajohnson]

Ever since I can remember .... I used to catch garter snakes in the spring at the park when I was maybe 5 or 6. I would keep 2 or 3 them for a couple of months, and then let them go. Same with an occasional lizard, and of course always had amphibians; tadpoles - frogs, newts, salamanders. Got a red-tail boa when I was 19, and had to sell her when the first kid was on the way. Then when my oldest turned 7, we got Tuleo for her so I could pass my fascination on .....


Neil

[JLC]

When I was in 5th grade or so, a "snake wrangler" came to our school and showed us a bunch of awesome snakes. We got to pet and handle some (under VERY close supervision.) But the strange thing was, not many kids wanted to touch 'em....and I couldn't for the life of me understand why. I thought they were fascinating.


But my Dad couldn't stand snakes either, so I was not allowed to have one as a pet. .....Grow up....get married....snakes a long-forgotten pleasure......Until my daughter gets a crush on Steve Irwin and decides she wants to be a herpetologist and MUST have a snake! In my hunt to learn about a "good first snake" and how to take care of it....and in my efforts to convince a very reluctant hubby......my own childhood ambitions woke up with a somewhat passionate vengence!

.....poor hubby has such a nutty wife! But he loves me anyway! But my snake collection won't really take off until he has retired from the military and we get a permanent home where he can build me a "snake house" so he doesn't have to actually live with my slithery hobby.

[sidhe]

Since I was knee high to a duck, I've been exploring the (now shrinking)forests where I live. I've always caught tad-poles and lizards (don't see them anymore) and have to credit holding my first Garter snake with my mother (thanks Mom ) I admit I was scared but, it's been all downhill since then. I can't get enough (or learn enough) of them. I never really had any of my own until now though. I would always just collect them in the wild, study them and let them go. Now I have a corn snake and will be getting the first of many, many Royal pythons (my favorite).

[fish21]

from the time i could walk you never saw me with out a toad or a snake in my hand i cought outside.

matt fisher

[Gaius Marius]

We just bought one.