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  1. #1
    Registered User snake.named.fuzzy's Avatar
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    Don't be a girl about it.

    I've always been scared of snakes, but my husband loves them. I told him I wanted to get over my fear, so he bought a cornsnake a whilr back. We had issues and that snake didn't make it. He bought a ball python recently and (s)he seems way healthier and friendly. I don't mind holding Fuzzy, but I can't bring myself to reach in the tank and grab him/her.

    Any tips for getting over this?
    -Shayna

    Fuzzy, normal ball python
    Teddy Man, shih-poo
    Rapael, albino clawed frog
    Nana, leopard gecko

  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran Felidae's Avatar
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    Re: Don't be a girl about it.

    Give a little time for yourself. I go over it when I was 12, but I didn't have no one to grab the snake out and clean the vivarium. Your mind knows that Fuzzy cannot kill you, but the fear from them is coded in the human nature. Now just hold him sometimes, and with time everything will change.

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  4. #3
    Registered User Atrox's Avatar
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    Uh, I think that being patient and getting more comfortable with the snake is the best thing to do. Give yourself time and maybe put your hand inside the enclosure and maybe stroke the snake, but not too much and not too often. Then some day, you can just say to yourself, "Don't be a girl about it" and go in and pick the snake up. The snake will probably be able to tell if you're nervous, so go in there with complete confidence and tell yourself that you're not going to get bit.
    1.0 Normal - Poseidon.

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  6. #4
    BPnet Veteran C2tcardin's Avatar
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    You could try at first using leather work gloves like the kind you can get at Home Depot/Lowes and get use to learning how to read the snakes behavior and attitude when opening their tank and going in for them. Last night I had to take my Super Pastel female out to clean her tub and pick off a piece of stuck shed. She did not seem happy to see me going in for her and snapped at me once or twice, likely because I had just fed 4 of her rack mates but not her though sometimes they're just grumpy. I used one hand to distract her, keeping it in front of her, and then used my other hand to reach in behind her and take her out. Once you get them out and out of that feeding mode they calm down and chill out. Keep at it you can get over it, better to get comfortable doing it now before it's 1500g's.
    Cheers, Jeff

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    snake.named.fuzzy (02-14-2015)

  8. #5
    Registered User qegalpal's Avatar
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    In my experience both males and females of the human species are both equally afraid of
    snakes. My husband and many of his big Marine buddies wont go anywhere near any of my
    ball pythons. They'll cringe when I take one out around them and back away.
    Give yourself time to get used to your snake. Know that a ball python is more afraid of
    you than you are of them. Think about it, you're HUGE compared to them. Plus you're not,
    and never have been, on their menu.
    And please refrain from any "like a girl" labels. We are still desperately trying to get away
    from people saying you throw/hit/run or whatever "like a girl" being used as a dig toward anyone.
    I hear enough of that mess from being around so many Marines. It's their go to insult to each other.
    Please, you may have a daughter one day. Thank you and good luck.
    When the power of love overcomes the love of power,
    then we will know peace. Jimi Hendrix

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    AlexisFitzy (02-14-2015),Felidae (02-14-2015),Lizardlicks (02-14-2015)

  10. #6
    Registered User LivingwithBalls's Avatar
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    Re: Don't be a girl about it.

    You can try using a snake hook.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

  11. #7
    BPnet Senior Member Lizardlicks's Avatar
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    Re: Don't be a girl about it.

    Quote Originally Posted by qegalpal View Post
    In my experience both males and females of the human species are both equally afraid of
    snakes. My husband and many of his big Marine buddies wont go anywhere near any of my
    ball pythons. They'll cringe when I take one out around them and back away.
    Give yourself time to get used to your snake. Know that a ball python is more afraid of
    you than you are of them. Think about it, you're HUGE compared to them. Plus you're not,
    and never have been, on their menu.
    And please refrain from any "like a girl" labels. We are still desperately trying to get away
    from people saying you throw/hit/run or whatever "like a girl" being used as a dig toward anyone.
    I hear enough of that mess from being around so many Marines. It's their go to insult to each other.
    Please, you may have a daughter one day. Thank you and good luck.
    Pretty much this. I've loved snakes all my life, and I'm encouraging that appreciation in my daughter, who also loves our snakes, the spiders we find in our house and garden, and pretty much all of nature, even the weird creepy bits. Fear reactions are a learned behavior that have nothing to do with what's between your legs or how you relate to it. That means you needs to give yourself time to UNlearn them. And when the time comes, do be a girl about it!
    Last edited by Lizardlicks; 02-14-2015 at 12:58 PM.

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  13. #8
    Registered User snake.named.fuzzy's Avatar
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    Re: Don't be a girl about it.

    Quote Originally Posted by qegalpal View Post
    In my experience both males and females of the human species are both equally afraid of
    snakes. My husband and many of his big Marine buddies wont go anywhere near any of my
    ball pythons. They'll cringe when I take one out around them and back away.
    Give yourself time to get used to your snake. Know that a ball python is more afraid of
    you than you are of them. Think about it, you're HUGE compared to them. Plus you're not,
    and never have been, on their menu.
    And please refrain from any "like a girl" labels. We are still desperately trying to get away
    from people saying you throw/hit/run or whatever "like a girl" being used as a dig toward anyone.
    I hear enough of that mess from being around so many Marines. It's their go to insult to each other.
    Please, you may have a daughter one day. Thank you and good luck.
    I didn't mean any thing bad by it. And I do have a daughter, she's three and loves fuzzy.
    -Shayna

    Fuzzy, normal ball python
    Teddy Man, shih-poo
    Rapael, albino clawed frog
    Nana, leopard gecko

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    qegalpal (07-19-2015)

  15. #9
    Registered User Krynn's Avatar
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    Learn how to use a snake hook. That way you can control the snakes head (even if it was never going to strike anyways), and you might feel more comfortable taking her out.
    ---------------------------------------------------
    0.1 Lesser
    0.1 Wild Type
    0.1 Pastel
    1.0 Butter Enchi

    0.0.1 Childrens Python

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    snake.named.fuzzy (02-14-2015)

  17. #10
    BPnet Veteran DVirginiana's Avatar
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    My husband is jittery handling my garters and won't even go near the BP. Neither him nor any of his buddies will even stay in the same room when I'm doing something with the tarantulas. Nothing to do with sex or gender.

    I have a lot of family members that are really afraid of snakes... Like REALLY scared of them. It usually helps them if I'm holding the snake so I've got some control over where its head is going, then they can touch the snake's sides or whatever. Maybe handling the snake while someone else that's more comfortable with it is around would help. That way you can build up your confidence without worrying too much about trying to read the snake's body language since you've got someone else there to do that?
    Last edited by DVirginiana; 02-14-2015 at 04:21 PM.
    3.0 Thamnophis sirtalis,
    1.1 Thamnophis cyrtopsis ocellatus
    0.1 Python regius
    1.0 Litorea caerulea
    0.1 Ceratophrys cranwelli
    0.1 Terrapene carolina
    0.1 Grammostola rosea
    0.1 Hogna carolinensis
    0.0.1 Brachypelma smithi

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