How do we show people that snakes aren't what they are often portrayed to be?

[LLLReptile]

Patience, a good, calm snake, and don't push it. I deal with a LOT of skittish moms and dads, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends, etc that come in to the stores (or in my personal life) that end up falling in love with them.

It's easier when there's no pressure on them, and there's someone around who does love the snakes or at the very least isn't overly scared of them. Seeing someone else calmly learning to embrace them encourages people to try it themselves. One of my (guy) friends was raised up TERRIFIED of snakes. He couldn't even hear me talking about them without kind of freaking out. One of his roommates is an old old friend of his, and fell in love with one of my baby retics. He heard about his friend holding the snake and playing with it while he wasn't around, and started coming around - asking me questions here and there, mentioning pics he saw me post from work, even going so far as to asking if I'd brought one over he could check out and maybe hold.

Not everyone comes around, but by removing pressure from people, there's no reason for them not to at the very least be able to tolerate them. I've had moms come in that would scream at the sight of the snakes see their children petting them, and eventually hold the snakes themselves. My favorites are when the family member most scared of snakes initially becomes the one in love with them and breeding them!

It can also help to introduce reptiles that aren't snakes but maybe a little bit similar. Sometimes people are more comfortable starting with my blue tongues (ironically, the friend I mentioned earlier can't handle the blue tongue [which he calls a "basilisk monster"], but is doing alright with snakes) than with snakes, or my leopard geckos, and eventually when they realize that they can handle one of those, maybe a snake wouldn't be too bad after all.

The biggest thing that I've seen personally is that removing any pressure to like, hold, or touch the snakes is what helps most. I've seen parents force their kids to hold or pet the reptiles and the kids end up crying, screaming, and running out - wives refuse to come in to the store again, boyfriends get flustered and start yelling and leave, it just doesn't end pretty. Let people get their own curiosity up, slowly expose them to the reptiles in a way that they don't feel like they have to react, and try to have at least the first few interactions end positively. Make em laugh if you can. If you're a girl, crack a ball joke - if you feel comfortable, anyway.

Baby steps! Eventually, we'll get the world to love snakes.

-Jen