Snake haters drive me crazy!!

[jjmitchell]

There is a difference in hatred and fear. Alot of people have a real fear of snakes. My wife actually was terrified of them when we got married. Some people will warm up to it others are just to stubborn to accept them. My sister in law was very scared of them when my collection started... She still wont touch them, but has an intrest and enjoys watching them eat lol... I personally think the looks of freakedoutdom is entertaining, laughable... My mom was really weirded out by the snakes when i got my first, but she comes to see her grandkids, and checks out the snakes every time she comes by. We can love something but that doesnt mean it is for everybody, My brother raises mastiff's they weigh 200 lbs + Cool dogs, not for me, every one is entitled their own likes and dislikes, otherwise the pet industry would only involve one breed of one type of animal if we all liked the same thing. just my .02

[Swingline0.0.1]

I do have to agree with Matt that it would cause undue stress on the snake.

[Aeries]

In what way?

Instead of them being in their ideal environment, they're stuck on you in an enviornment that's not ideal. And stress.


I hate having to 'supress' my hobby around other people. Ecspecially when someones disgusting dog is sniffing my croch in a bank, and I know I'd probably get kicked out if I brought a snake in.

[PyroPython]

Everyone i see knows i keep them. Between the tats and the slee of snake related tshirts, makes it obvious. And im always reading snake related books at work. Cmostly i get the questions , and how manys. Sometimes i get the " only good snake is a dead snake" crap. My neighbors know i have them, just dont know i had 30 last month or 14 now.

[MarkieJ]

Instead of them being in their ideal environment, they're stuck on you in an enviornment that's not ideal. And stress.

I don't think we can make a general statement like this for all ball pythons. My first ball python I've had for ten years (as long as I've been teaching), and kept in my classroom for many of those years. This snake would be passed around amongst my students, placed in a box for feeding, and eat with no problems while 30 teenagers screamed around it.

For the past 3 years I've brought my male albino BP into class when the Unit on Genetics was being taught. He was transported in a small plastic aquarium/carrying case, kept in there all day, handled by strangers, and would still go home and have no problems eating. The highlight of one of his visits was when he left a sperm plug on one of my students!!!

For one semester I brought one of my racks to school. The three tubs held a female mojave, male pastel, and the above mentioned albino. All three of them did well, no problems eating, while still being carried and held by many. However the male pastel was never comfortable being held, it would either remain tightly balled or very quickly try to squirm away from you. It got to the point that my students were afraid of it.

The point I'm trying to make is that I would be selective about which snakes I would carry around. My albino, mojo, and normal female would have no problems (I've got a 6 foot female Hog Isle Boa that I also trust). I have experience carrying them around people and they have still thrived. However the fact that so many are afraid of snakes, leaves me to keep them quietly in their tubs.

[christina_ann0915]

Anybody that knows me knows I keep my yellow anaconda & my rufous beaked snake. Of course not everybody knows that the rufous is rear fanged, or some people may have issues with it. My neighbors know I keep my anaconda, although I did state it was a king snake for the purposes of creating an issue with anybody. All my friends, family and co-workers know what my snakes really are though. I get lectured a lot, and i'm always hearing about how my snakes going to kill me while i'm sleeping and yadda yadda. I just ignore it and nod my head.

Glad I'm not the only one hearing this....lol.

[christina_ann0915]

I would say it's a bad idea, period, to be carrying your snakes around. They may be harmless, but doing this is harmful to them.

Later, Matt

Ok.........not really sure why you would think we were going to walk around with them on our necks or anything, but ok. And MarkieJ makes a GREAT point in his above post.

[DutchHerp]

I don't think those points are so great.

A stress-free snake and an eating snake are not mutually exclusive, although that seems to be ignored with this argument.

There is a reason that herps are habitat and lifestyle specific.

Later, Matt

[BPelizabeth]

I would say it's a bad idea, period, to be carrying your snakes around. They may be harmless, but doing this is harmful to them.

I disagree with you on this post. And by by the way agree with Marki!! As you are aware each BP has its own personality...its likes and dislikes. As their keeper you recognize this and act accordingly. My first BP (Elizabeth)thinks she is human...loves to be out...not in the cage. Loves being handled and truly is an ambassodor of her species. The other 2 are not so much so I use my first one for teaching students. Henry my second is getting more and more like Elizabeth and though I would trust him with children...I know it stresses him out...so he doesn't go. Then there is Samantha...who would just like to bite everything...lol. Clearly not one to take to teach kids to like snakes....lol.

And...it is not like we are out at a night club with them around our neck...or going to the store. It is taking them out in a responsible manner.

[Friday2214]

I think this is a tale old as time. The people out there that dont have snakes and have no facts are the ones telling you these crazy storys about snakes eating the friends dog. Or the time they seen that snake do that crazy thing of tv because you no everything you see on tv is true. It always makes me feel better to give people actual facts on snakes.