My Letter to Convince Dad. :3

[fluffpuffgerbil]

So I wrote the letter I'm gonna give to Dad to see if I can sway him a little more towards letting my buy a python. :3
I'm nervous but excited all at the same time. XD He didn't realise that they ate frozen/thawed food I guess and I didn't know mom told him that! She told him when they were at the airport and dad brought up he got me a rubber snake.
She told him that and he said: OH!?
Well, that's what Mom said he said. XD It was a: Huh... Iguess that's not too bad..' Oh' At least that's how I see it.
But I'll post what I wrote of the letter. I want to make sure I have all the information right and my attitude in it sounds right. Informative, excited and showing my passion for reptiles.
Here it is: **I also add some cute BP pics at the end, but they aren't shown here.



Ball Python Pros and Cons:

PROS
They don’t stink
They don’t make noise
They only need fed one food item once a week
If on vacation, you can easily leave your snake for up to 2 weeks without worry
They don’t take up much space
Cheap to maintain
Relatively small, males growing 3-4 feet while females 4-5 feet
Come in many pretty colours
Can live over 20 years
CONS
Can be picky eaters
Can be nippy as hatchlings(though that goes away with age)
Can live over 20 years
Reasons for adding a Ball Python to the family:
The reason that I would like to add a Ball Python to my little family of reptiles is that I hear they make such wonderful pets, and great first time pets, that those of all experience levels enjoy. I’ve done tons of research and know a lot about them already. Let me tell you about them.
As I stated in the Pros and Cons, they do not smell and require little food. In my case, I would be feeding them frozen then thawed rats. I choose rats simply because when the snakes are adults, they won’t have to eat multiple mice, making the diet better and cheaper. The rodents will not be alive. I refuse to feed live rodents. It’s not only not very nice to the rodent, but the live rodents can bite or even kill your snake if you leave it unattended. If you’re worried about seeing the rats in the freezer, then they can easily be put into a brown paper bag or an opaque Rubbermaid bin, with SNAKE FOOD written all over it so no one opens it. Another bonus with frozen/thawed rats is that you can buy bulk. 25 rodents at about 4 every month means about 6 months worth of food. They don’t stink like live rodents either.
Because of their diet, and being a reptile, vacations are no problem whatsoever. They can go 1-2 weeks with no food or care if needed.
Ball Pythons do not require any special UVB lamps like most other reptiles, and that is because they are nocturnal. They do, however, require a heat pad for under their cage and it has to be controlled by a thermostat so the temperatures do not exceed 95* F and burn your snake.
They require little cage space. A juvenile python will live happily in a 15q Rubbermaid or Sterlite bin for 6-8 months. Then it requires a 28q bin. And finally, when it’s full grown, a 31q bin or a 40 gallon breeder glass terrarium. Holes can be melted into the bins with a soldering iron.
No doubt I love all my animals still, but a snake is something new that I’d love to add to my group of animals, and I like the fact that they are long lived so they don’t die so soon like rats or other rodents.
They are a lot less work and cost less than a bearded dragon and are more fun than a crested gecko.
Reptiles truly are a passion of mine, almost more than art. I love studying and learning about them and how to take care of them, what they eat, what they need to live healthily and happily, and learning on the job too. Plus, each reptile has his or her own personalities that are fun to learn and understand.
I decided as well, that I would want a male ball python. They are not only cheaper than the females, but they also grow maybe a foot smaller.
And I plan on buying everything for the snake, the snake itself, and I’ll even pay for the entrance fee for everybody to get into the Reptile Expo I want to get it at on January 21, 2012. That’s six months to think over what I’ve said. I really hope you take this all into consideration.
Thanks for reading! Ask me if you have any questions!


(Oh I added Lives over 20 years in the pros and cons, because it can go either way. XD I see it as a pro, he sees it as a con. )

[TheWinWizard]

Just so you know, when they go, they do stink. lol

[jbean7916]

I think you wrote a great letter! It is well thought out and makes great points! I hope he comes around for you and lets you get one!

sent from my EVO

[shaqthaballkeeper]

i hope he come around for you.u got a good letter too.you never know your dad might end up buying a morph maybe lol.but i hope he lets you.

[RetiredJedi]

Pretty good letter.

My wife isn't a snake person at all and I have two of them. However, now when we have our snakes out and she asks to hold them and walks around the house with them (even though she does keep them a little ways away from her body..) Well, the other day I was looking at Garrick DeMeyer's Royal Constrictor Designs web site. My wife was sitting next to me and I was watching the video of his baby's for this year. When my wife saw the clown morph she loved it . Well, she was doing aroebics and I mentioned that we will probably see some of thsoe clown morphs at the Charlotte Repticon and her words were, "Yea we could get one and it would be mine." Imagine my surprise!!!!!!!

My point is just hang in there but don't over sell it. If you have a friend that has one maybe have him bring it over or while your out with dad, take to places that have them and just let him see first hand.

[llovelace]

[anatess]

Great objective letter.

I'm the mother who is snake phobic. My husband and kids have been begging me for YEARS to get a snake and I've always said no.

What changed my mind? This reptile store opened a few miles from my house and I saw 6-year-old kids holding ball pythons from juvies to adults and they were all so chill. But, the kicker was when my husband told me that it's what Steve Irwin has always tried to do - to get people to be up close and personal to nature so that you begin to care for nature and it's wild life which would then lead to responsible stewardship and conservation.

So yeah, it wouldn't hurt to tack that bit of info on and maybe a pic or two of people your age handling balls. Good luck!

[Jessica Loesch]

I would take out the part about hatchlings being nippy. When you are picking out a bp, you can find one easily that is not nippy at all. It is very rare for them to be nippy, and only are if they are not handled much. That won't be the case at most reptile expo stands.

Not a single one of my baby snakes has tried biting me and I have a few ^___^

[Kinra]

I think it's a great letter and I hope your dad comes around.

[Cendalla]

I think you've done well. You can add the bit that anatess talked about for a broader 'outside the family' view and the pet's impact. Up to you. My advice is if he still doesn't go for it than don't pester him or get depressed. Wait awhile for things to cool off and try again. The Expo should really help. That way he can see for himself all the kids that are running around NOT getting eaten, and knowledgeable people that can confirm the info in your letter.

Good luck to you