Hey all...

The reason I don't already have my own bp is because my husband really doesn't like snakes and distrusts them completely. He did allow us to get a colubrid to help foster our daughter's interest. Since then, my love for the animals has only grown and he's seen this and respects this. But still can't bring himself to trust them.

Last night, he said it might be possible for me to get my own bp this summer after we move again and get settled into our new home. His primary reservation is that it is a "dangerous" constricting animal and we have a small child. Our youngest is 19 months right now.

Now...I'm a grown, mature, responsible woman. I know the dangers any wild animal can pose. Actually, ANY animal, period...wild or domesticated. I would never allow the snake to be draped over my son's shoulders or neck. I would never allow the snake to be handled outside of my presence. I've already got plans to buy a really nice enclosure with a key-lock to keep curious toddler hands out of. (And to keep escape-artists IN!)

But all this is not quite enough to comfort my husband's fears. What he wants is hard numbers, studies, statistics.... He's an Air Force officer with an engineering degree...what else would you expect? He's not interested in "opinions" from snake lovers because "those would all be biased."

To sum up a rambling post...Do any of you know of any studies or reports or articles that show the anual number of non-venomous snake attacks in the US? Do any of you know of ANY instances of a small child being seriously injured by a ball python?

And besides that, I would still like to collect as much anecdotal evidence as I can from experienced keepers...despite hubby's distrust of "biased" keepers. So please share your personal experiences regarding bp's attacking, wrapping, and constricting humans.

Thank you for your patience in wading through all this, and for any help you may offer!