Small woman.

[vangarret2000]

i think op is mistaken that retics are intelligent enough to recognize the hand that feeds them. this is not true. maybe some get to a point that they are very docie, but at the end of the day these are wild animals and are guided by instinct, not intelligence.

i bet my snakes never think of me as food, but sometimes they think my hand is....not very smart critters but i love them just the same.

I was surprised when I saw that to, seeing as how she said she has seen so many documentaries. It's not true. Also she mentioned she sees them as people, at least on the inside. She seems to put them on a level way higher then they actually are.

Snakes are an instinctual animal. They aren't a caring creature, they agent a social creature. I wouldn't say they aren't smart, but their brain defiantly aren't as intellectual as it seems she expects them to be. If she has seen so many documentaries they must not have been that factual if they have given her this kinda impression of them. Don't get me wrong, they are impressive and very nice looking , and interesting but it is still a snake. She seems to be erecting something more then what they are. Honestly I bet she would end up being disappointed if she actually got one herself.

With that being said, rule of thumb I have generally heard is that, to be safe, for every 6 foot of snake you should have one person there for handling. Obviously not everyone follows that and it isn't always necessary depending on the animal, but if you are unsure it would be good to follow. That doesn't mean one person can't own a large snake. The majority of the time caring for a snake they are just in there tank. You wouldn't need multiple people around constantly for safety if it's locked in a tank. Even when it's a large size. When you have to handle them though it is better to have more then one person if it is a large snake.