Spent the first 7 years of my life in a new subdivision near farms and fields. Caught, observed and released tons of garter snakes, caterpillars, grasshoppers, spiders... my parents let me have dogs, cats, fish, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, a chicken... nada on the reptiles. Finally have everyone out of the nest (more or less) and can indulge my love of snakes to the max.