opinions on taking your ball outside...

[Bogertophis]

Yea, Im pretty private about my animals, Im not trying to go out in public with them, especially after i get into expensive snakes. just considering the option of letting them out in the sun in the summer. These are captive animals who are completely at home in a rack and i know they dont need to be outside, However, i imagine it would be nice for them. If only i could read their minds.

I try to get my snakes outside (in my yard) for a little sun & fresh air when the temperature is appropriate. I have privacy fencing, so if the neighbors peek, it's
their problem, lol. I never put them on the ground though, as some do: there are ticks, mosquitoes, fleas, spiders, bird mites & all sorts of parasites- some they
can pick up through their skin just by crawling on the ground (just as we can if barefoot ). They seem to enjoy the fresh air, & I think a bit of sun is natural for
them & I'd swear it improves their appetite too. (Never leave them outside in any sort of container either...they can over-heat & die of heat stroke) Limit the time
and remember that our own temperature is already quite warm, so if they seem restless, they may need to cool off...nothing personal.

As others said, public parks & such can be fun or dangerous (loose dogs!), ok & welcomed by some, or even illegal (depending on your local regulations), so it's not something that I do. Mixed results reported from others who have done so.

I do enjoy doing some informal programs ("meet & greets") with my snakes every year (formal ones are too much work so I no longer do them) in a planned & public
venue. A large local feedstore hosts a "Wildlife Expo" every year at the county fairgrounds, free entrance, all sorts of vendors, prizes/contests, entertainment & most
of all, educational exhibits (including mine). My snakes (I usually take 4) cheerfully put up with people for about 3-4 hours (they get breaks); afterwards they are tired
& massively hungry, in that order... It's fun changing people's minds about snakes...seeing the transformation right there, as they watch, then touch or even hold a
snake for the first time. Not just talking about kids either...it's a hoot. If you any inclination for such things, schools, libraries, & summer camps are often delighted to
have a snake program, whether a lecture or a 'show & tell'. (BTW, that expo is INSIDE an air-conditioned bldg...summer is way too hot outside here, though
some of their other exhibits are outside, the live animals & most things are inside.)