I spent a lot of time growing up in my aunt and uncle's tattoo shop. They had a lot of snakes, among other animals. One of my favorite snakes was an 18ft burmese python named Fred, who was in fact a female. When I was a teen working at a pet store I decided I wanted a snake, but a burm was out of the question. So I picked a ball python because of their mellow temperament, looks and size. I have been hooked ever since.