Arguments for keeping ball pythons<3

[sIeepymoon]

I was watching ball python videos on YouTube the other day and scrolled down to read some of the comments. Here I came across someone saying that Ball Pythons should not be kept in captivity, rather live free, and that snakes shouldn't be allowed to keep at pets. There were already a few people giving some pretty decent reasons to why keeping a Ball Python really isn't that bad (the fella mainly argued that they shouldn't be living in tanks, even though the one in the video was huge).

So I wanted to chime in and came up with a few arguments for keeping BPs, although not too many.
I'm just wondering if anyone has got any good reasons to why keeping snakes should be allowed, and I don't mind hearing any arguments against keeping snakes either, I'd love to hear both sides of the discussion<3

[Craiga 01453]

I hope the guy who commented that snakes shouldn't be kept as pets also feels dogs, cats, fish, birds, hamsters, etc...etc...etc... shouldn't be kept as pets.

[sIeepymoon]

I hope the guy who commented that snakes shouldn't be kept as pets also feels dogs, cats, fish, birds, hamsters, etc...etc...etc... shouldn't be kept as pets.

That's exactly what I thought as well!! There's literally no difference, except that it's a different type of animal. Eesh, people rarely get on my nerves but this was enough to actually make me slam my head into the wall in frustration.

Well, well, people will be people.

[Bogertophis]

It is by keeping not just snakes but all animals that we can learn more about them so as to appreciate them in the wild & hopefully effect their long-term
survival with an ever-increasing human population that both pollutes & steals the space they need to live in the wild. Captive-breeding helps to ensure that
we can replace wild populations that may be decimated in the future. Make no mistake, we NEED the entire web of life...we are all connected creatures.

And "living free" sounds great but it's not what it used to be...you'll still find vast tracts of open land in this country but it's often trashed by off-road vehicles,
trash dumped (broken glass, toxic chemicals including farm run-off and illegal dumping...you name it), & industrial pollution (harder to see but ask the people
of Hinkley CA, it's there & making both humans and animals sick). Mining, oil...the "wild" is disappearing...there's too many people...sorry, but that's obvious.

Finally, keeping pets (again, all kinds) has a selfish aspect: pets tend to make people happier, calmer, better...and in this crowded world, we too have to
"get along" with each other. Pets de-stress us, provide common interests & are "surrogate children", & their products are good for the economy too.

Keeping snakes also fosters curiosity & research (think "library use" including reading/writing skills for kids+), creativity and problem-solving that can lead to
inventions & further scientific interests (including medicine) that benefit all...it keeps us communicating and our brains working.

Specifically, keeping snakes (ie. overcoming all the negative stereotypes) helps promote open minds too. Well, that's my list...and feel free to use it.

[Bogertophis]

I hope the guy who commented that snakes shouldn't be kept as pets also feels dogs, cats, fish, birds, hamsters, etc...etc...etc... shouldn't be kept as pets.

Probably a PETA-member...that's how they see things, that not only shouldn't we EAT animals but we shouldn't even OWN them.

[Bogertophis]

So what were your arguments for keeping them, sleepymoon?

[MissterDog]

Probably a PETA-member...that's how they see things, that not only shouldn't we EAT animals but we shouldn't even OWN them.

LMAO I was just about comment saying it was probably PETA! Don't forget they want pets to be vegan too

[sIeepymoon]

So what were your arguments for keeping them, sleepymoon?

I mentioned that there is no difference between keeping a hamster (since I've previously owned two lovely gals) in cage, and a Ball python. They are both originally animals found in the wilderness that humans have kept as pets for ages. Also, the snakes aren't taken from the wild, they've been bred in captivity and are used to living safely in a cage.
I also referred to a research about chickens in captivity and chickens living freely, where the chickens kept in captivity produce way better eggs and get along better. As to where the chickens living freely were pecking each other to death, rivaling, producing bad eggs so on and so forth.. (this was all from a Norwegian study)

Nothing else really hit me at that time, so that was all I came up with.

[sIeepymoon]

LMAO I was just about comment saying it was probably PETA! Don't forget they want pets to be vegan too

They are getting so ridiculous, honestly..
Heck yeah hold on PETA while I force feed my snake salad.

[Craiga 01453]

LMAO I was just about comment saying it was probably PETA! Don't forget they want pets to be vegan too

If my snakes went vegan would they make sure to tell EVERYBODY, EVERY chance they got??? And start social media pages to show off their vegan meals??? I can see it now...."VeganBP2642" and "CosmoTheVegan" and "BrorneoVegan4Ever" hahahhaa!!