What do you get out of having ball pythons?

[kirakira]

I hope I don't ignite flames with this question, as it's a serious one and not meant to bait. After rescuing this ball python, I've grown rather fond of her. Yet other than just a new found fascination with snakes and reptiles, I'm not sure what I get out of her as a pet.

She's not like my cat, who actively seeks me out, and she's not like my guinea pigs, who squeak for food and enjoy being petted and cuddled. I started thinking about this after stumbling on that thread about 'does my snake love me?' and realising what instinctual creatures they are.

In a way, I guess having snakes is something like having fish, except that you can pick them up and handle them. Some people do become devoted to their fish, and some people do become (very!) devoted to their snakes.

I guess I'm just worried that I'm fond of this snake now; and I'm afraid I will decide to keep her. But what if my interest wanes? If the owner gives her up, it might be better to pass her along to someone else.

I would hate to keep her for a few years, lose interest, and faced with possibly decades more of care, want to give her up. Although since she can't love, and may not form the same kind of attachments as a mammal or bird, would that be terribly wrong and irresponsible to rehome her at that point?

Right now, at this point I would say I DO feel like keeping her. Do the same rules that apply to the keeping of a mammal or bird apply to snakes - that if you bring them on, you need to be prepared to keep them for life? Knowing that some long lived reptiles, like turtles, or birds like parrots have the ability to be passed on to other family members out of long-livedness, it makes me wonder how terrible is it really, to find a new home for them.

Looking back on this, maybe I am in that same thought pattern as someone who buys a large python mistakenly expecting that when it gets too big, I'll drop it off at the zoo or something? However, I would say the difference in this situation is that this is a snake not likely to get any bigger than 4-5 feet. Not being able to handle the snake is not the issue.

I guess I'm trying to understand, to zero in on the zeal that makes someone want to keep a ball for possibly 30-40 years.

Thoughts?

Kira