Thoughts on no bite/feeding posts?

[JoshSloane]

If you want a highly intrusive and regulation obsessed government out of your lives, and out of your hobby, vote republican. If you believe in common sense and self sufficiency, rather than delusional ideas of political correctness, vote republican. From voting for local state congressman, up to our president, every time you vote democratic you allow the governmental machine to grow and continue to strip you of your inalienable right to determine the course of your lives. Think about your hobby and your pets next time you vote.

[Hammertime1977]

It is a tough one. I noticed a post earlier this week about a daughter being bit.

I would have never posted or spoken about that in public. But of course I'm a single father with a manipulative ex wife who would use anything to her advantage...

The whole reason why I own a Ball Python is because they are generally easy to tame and as long as you approach them with care and respect, you really shouldn't get bit.

Things happen, but I think we need to accept the fact that we might be bit and if a bite does happen...it's our fault and not the fault of the poor snake trying to defend itself, or feed itself. A lot of these problems could be a result of bad information, some people just do things with their snakes on a set weekly/monthly schedule instead of monitoring the snake and doing what needs to be done. Until you have mastered reading the body language of your snake and what each part of the enclosure means (and can mean) you might want to be extra cautious.

I still haven't had my girlfriend go into the enclosure to pull Damien out, she has watched me do it many times. But her handling is just too careless in my opinion to do so. She might be alright, but the last thing I want to see is her get tagged and pull her hand back because she tends to stink in pressure situations with making decisions. I pretty much hand her a balled up snake and she can somewhat manage the snake as it slithers around. She is still careless with her hand position and very often puts her hand in front of the snakes mouth, thankfully the snake is already chilled out before it is passed to her. She will get better in time, she just needs to focus on the important things.

Same thing with my children. We had a great play session this weekend, the hardest thing is the kids wanting the snake out 2-3 times a day. I prefer to keep handling to every other day at the most. The great part of the glass enclosure is that the kids can "check" on him 4-5 times a day if they want to.

I'll be honest, at 6'2" 225 with an athletic frame...a Ball Python is a bit of a joke.

But every other bigger snake I look into bites. Or is more prone to bite. I'd love a Boa, I have even looked into Hog Island Boas just to make sure I don't end up with a snake that is too big for my local laws. We have a 3 meter max on snakes here and zero tolerance for venom.

But I can't pull the trigger on a bigger snake because a) I just don't want to get bit and b) I don't want one of my kids to get bit and lose whatever custody I might still have and c) there's no guarantee I can find a true Hog Island, I might end up with a cross breed that goes way past the size I am looking for.

Oh this hobby...haha

Bottom line though, if you get bit...you did something to get bit. My hope is to avoid the activities that would get me bit. I just don't see my collection growing at this point as I just can't think of a safe sub 10 foot snake that is tame enough to be a true pet and not just something you observe behind glass and are afraid to interact with.

[Snoopyslim]

This topic really has me thinking. I am very torn. I am not on FB or any other social media, this account is the only forum I post on. Since I don't even have an outlet to post things besides here I obviously don't post any bites or feeds. Besides the fact I am a private person and don't feel the need for attention from the public, I would NEVER post a feeding video. This goes against everything my snake has to offer plus who wants to be filmed eating? That would just be rude of me. If I was to be bit in the future (so far no bites) I would be far too embarrassed to ever consider posting it because it would have been my mistake. I would not want people to associate bites with my sweet girl.

On the other hand I do believe in the education of these beautiful animals. Before buying a ball I watched many YouTube videos from Snake Bytes. He actually helped us choose the species by explaining the nature of a few good beginner snakes. These videos were incredibly helpful and I did not find them in poor taste.

Should the average Joe go around posting nasty feeding videos? NO Should an experienced educator on these animals show other owners how it should be properly done? YES Double edged sword. As for bite posts, I really appreciated watching them before I bought a snake to see just how it all went down. It's good to know how much damage different species can do. But still I wouldn't post a bite pic...too embarrassing.

I would personally never get a venomous snake or a snake larger than a ball because I just want a pet not a hobby. I don't know the stats of large snakes having to be re-homed or how many owners become un-capable of giving them the proper housing/care but I have a suspicion it's high. I know there are responsible owners who cherish these amazing creatures but there is also many idiots who want a large snake so they can show their buddy after a few beers. (Nothing wrong with having beers lol) So unfortunately, as always, one bad apple ruins it for everybody.

Good luck to those who own the big guys <3 Never give up on your fight to freedom.

[Fraido]

I can agree with no feeding posts just for the Hell of it, it is better to post them in an educational and professional way if you're going to.

I think bite photos are okay, though. I would go as far as to say they can be beneficial. Yes, a lot of people are afraid of snakes and being bitten. (I know I'm afraid of being bitten!) However, those who are interested in snakes would see just how little damage they really do to you, and I just think that can be a good thing.

[JoshSloane]

I find it laughable and just factually incorrect that people honestly believe that large constrictors are given up at a higher rate than BPs and other smaller snakes. Go on Craigslist anytime and you will see dozens of BPs and corn/King/milk snakes getting rehomed because their owners were obviously deficient in some way. I rarely see a retic or Burmese Python being given away.

I would even dare to say that large constrictor owners are even MORE responsible when it comes to snake ownership and care. Sure there's the random guy who gets in over his head with a giant snake. But for every one of those there are ten others who buy a bp at an expo and 6 weeks later they are over it.

[Snoopyslim]

I find it laughable and just factually incorrect that people honestly believe that large constrictors are given up at a higher rate than BPs and other smaller snakes. Go on Craigslist anytime and you will see dozens of BPs and corn/King/milk snakes getting rehomed because their owners were obviously deficient in some way. I rarely see a retic or Burmese Python being given away.

I would even dare to say that large constrictor owners are even MORE responsible when it comes to snake ownership and care. Sure there's the random guy who gets in over his head with a giant snake. But for every one of those there are ten others who buy a bp at an expo and 6 weeks later they are over it.

If this was aimed at me then I would like to say I pointed out I didn't know the stats and wasn't comparing at a higher rate - trust me I see BP's and Corns on used websites all the time. Excuse my ignorance on the topic, this is a great point and you're truly right and I pray that only responsible owners acquire these large snakes. Though and that brings me back to my final thought that a few bad people ruin it for the responsible owners.

[Willowy]

We'd have to know the total numbers of BPs and cornsnakes sold vs the number of large constrictors sold to know what percentage of each are given up or kept irresponsibly. I'm sure the number of BPs and cornsnakes produced and sold is just WAY higher than the number of large snakes produced and sold.

There's a guy in Sioux Falls who produced a clutch of burms last year. I keep seeing his ads on craigslist trying to sell the babies. I can't imagine there are 20 people (not sure how many were in the clutch. Pictures looked like there were about 20) in the state who want to and are capable of keeping a burm :/. And they can't cross state lines, right? I doubt he'll breed again if he couldn't sell the first batch.