Why Do You Have Snakes In Your Life?

[LiL Zap]

Title says it all. Why do you all choose to share your life with these amazing animals? How did you first fall in love with them?

I first fell in love with snakes when I was 7 years old. A family friend came over the house with an albino boa constrictor and I just thought it was the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life. I'm turning 21 in a few weeks and the love I have for these animals still hasn't died.

What is your story?

[Terranaut]

Started catching and keeping wild snakes as a kid 9-10 yrs old. In high school I gave it up for chicks and booze ;) later when my kids were young and expressed interest I was really taken by how far husbandry practices had come. So using them as an excuse I got back into it. Truth is we all are into it except my wife. She has had a bit of a change of heart but that's ok. It happens.

[LiL Zap]

Started catching and keeping wild snakes as a kid 9-10 yrs old. In high school I gave it up for chicks and booze ;) later when my kids were young and expressed interest I was really taken by how far husbandry practices had come. So using them as an excuse I got back into it. Truth is we all are into it except my wife. She has had a bit of a change of heart but that's ok. It happens.

Haha nice man. My fiance hates snakes but she has no choice but to deal with it. The snake and I are a package deal lol.

[Sharlynn93]

I used to catch snakes as a kid all the time...always wanted to keep one (sometimes my dad would help me hide 1 or 2 in the garage for a few days here and there..hehe), but my mother was petrified of snakes...my daughter begged for years to get a pet snake, but my ex wouldn't allow it either, so we gave up on the idea...the subject never came up with my current husband until 1 day (right before my birthday) we were at petco and I fell in love with a baby corn snake and said how I wished I could take it home...so we did :) now we have expanded on that collection and are up to 6 snakes...stopping there for now until we build some custom stacking vivs so we can make more room if we decide to get more ;) love them all! (better than my dogs and cats, but don't tell them...shhhh ;) )

[kwhitlock]

I started when I was in the 4th grade. We had a guy come through will all of these exotic animals, had corns, a ball python, a beardie and a chinchilla. Stuff like that! But the corn caught my eye! I tried and tried but my mom wouldn't let me get one. But, 15 years later my dog passed away from cancer, and I eventually couldn't stand not having a pet sooo I didn't think of them much from then till now, but one day my girlfriend wanted to go to the pet shop and that passion was re ignited and boom! Two snakes later and wanting more was created!

[smy_749]

I was born with it. My parents were both het, and I hit the odds. Homozygous for herper.

[Hotchkiss]

I was born with it. My parents were both het, and I hit the odds. Homozygous for herper.
This, But my mom was only 66% (Proven now, Obviously)

[Awaiting Abyss]

I always thought snakes were beautiful. I've always liked them, but I never imagined I would own one since I am quite fond of rodents. When I got my first mice, I thought I would never be able to have a snake because I wouldn't be able to feed them mice or rats. Then I started wanting to breed mice, but I needed something to do if I couldn't find homes for the mouse babies. I couldn't keep all of the unwanted babies or I'd have mice running out of my ears.. Then I saw someone post lots of pictures of their western hognose snake on the rat forum, and I fell in love with them. That's when I first started thinking that it might be nice to have a snake for a pet. I did a lot of research for a long time. My husband didn't want me to get one for a while because he doesn't like snakes, but like all of my other animals... once I start researching them, I start sharing what I learn with my husband. Then he realizes he doesn't have much of a say in the matter and we ended up getting a western hognose. Now after having a snake and feeding him mice (and now I feed my cats mice too), I realize that I'm happy knowing that my mice live wonderful lives with me (Only a select few become feeders.. Since I have other breeding goals) and then my snake and my cats eat healthy diets of mice that have been put to sleep painlessly.

Pretty soon I'll be getting my second snake... Whenever the perfect carpet python comes along. :)

[LadyWraith]

Used to catch wild garters as a kid. Then, as an adult, have had a few friends with snakes. Got hooked on the idea of keeping them and the rest is history. I keep them because I find them fascinating and how non-mammalian they are. One of my favorite parts is feeding... it's interesting to feed whole food items versus crap out of a bag like with mor domesric animals. Now I like the variety of species aspect.

[KORBIN5895]

I was born with it. My parents were both het, and I hit the odds. Homozygous for herper.

You are way to young. Run.

[Mikoh4792]

I always thought snakes were beautiful. I've always liked them, but I never imagined I would own one since I am quite fond of rodents. When I got my first mice, I thought I would never be able to have a snake because I wouldn't be able to feed them mice or rats. Then I started wanting to breed mice, but I needed something to do if I couldn't find homes for the mouse babies. I couldn't keep all of the unwanted babies or I'd have mice running out of my ears.. Then I saw someone post lots of pictures of their western hognose snake on the rat forum, and I fell in love with them. That's when I first started thinking that it might be nice to have a snake for a pet. I did a lot of research for a long time. My husband didn't want me to get one for a while because he doesn't like snakes, but like all of my other animals... once I start researching them, I start sharing what I learn with my husband. Then he realizes he doesn't have much of a say in the matter and we ended up getting a western hognose. Now after having a snake and feeding him mice (and now I feed my cats mice too), I realize that I'm happy knowing that my mice live wonderful lives with me (Only a select few become feeders.. Since I have other breeding goals) and then my snake and my cats eat healthy diets of mice that have been put to sleep painlessly.

Pretty soon I'll be getting my second snake... Whenever the perfect carpet python comes along. :)

Do cats eat the whole mouse? Or do they leave things like hair/bones/guts behind?

[Awaiting Abyss]

Do cats eat the whole mouse? Or do they leave things like hair/bones/guts behind?

They eat everything. Nothing is left behind.

[red ink]

I keep them because legs are so over rated...

[Lankyrob]

Always loved snakes but never would of consideed owning one, then during my post accident recovery met a guy from this forum that offered to let me meet his snakes, i asked wife if we could get one expecting her to say no but she said yes and here i am!

[exwizard]

When my son was a kid, I bought a Red-tail Boa from my brother and had my son work it off, so that was his snake, even though I still paid for his feeders. FF to 4 years ago when my then roommate went with us to the first reptile show I ever experienced and at this show, I saw a lot of different species of snakes and I was struck. He brought home a females Dumeril's Boa and we brought home a male. I still have Kermit and Miss Piggy to this day btw. I found these snakes to be soothing to have out and fascinating to watch. The next month, we brought home a "breeding trio" of Dums (Popeye, Lulu and Black Betty) and the collection free from there. I still find them fascinating and I so enjoy having them on me, even though the numbers are closer to 36 now.

[infernalis]

I have lived out in the woods most of my life, I chose their habiat to live, so here we are. ;)

Out here every boy or girl has flipped a board in the yard or found a garter snake basking on the porch steps.

[Jim Smith]

I started snake hunting with my older brother when I was about five years old. As I got a bit older, we built cages and kept some of the snakes, usually just for the summer. I even got to experience some live births from Dekays snakes I had. I remember an incident from the third grade where I brought in a 3 1/2 foot water snake for my show and tell. I brought the snake in a plain brown grocery bag and set it off to the side of the room until it was my turn for show and tell. When I went to get the snake, it was missing! I hadn't told anyone what I brought in and when the teacher found out, she freaked out. She was terrified of snakes and there was now a large snake loose somewhere in her classroom. I looked everywhere, but he was nowhere to be found. Finally, about a week later, my teacher let out a horrifying scream from inside the art supply closet. She had gone to get some supplies for us, and had pulled down a pad of construction paper from a top shelf when the snake who had been hiding up there dropped down on her. She ran out of the classroom screaming and I figured out what had happened. I quickly captured the snake and put him away to bring him home and let him go at the river where I caught him. The school made a new rule for show and tell, no live animals at all. Fast forward 55 years and my oldest grandson asked for a snake for his 10th birthday. I bought him a Pueblan Milk Snake and kept it in my man-cave for a week or so until his birthday. I found that I had rekindled my love of snakes and quickly convinced my wife that it would be a good pet for me. I now have three beautiful Honduran Milk snakes that I plan to breed as soon as they are old enough. My wife also enjoys the snakes and checks on them several times a day just to see what they're doing. She has no problems handling them and even feeds them if I am away on a business trip when it's time for them to feed. Snakes are very beautiful and interesting animals and once people get over their fear of them, they usually find them fascinating; other than my third grade teacher that is.

[CK SandBoas]

I grew up with them, since I was a little girl, thanks to my dad. He worked for the MSPCA for many, many years, and was one of the founding members of what is now known as the New England Her Society, so not only did he have his own collection at out house, but he was called to pick up animals that were smuggled through the airports, so those animals were brought to our house before going to a new, permanent home. So I was exposed to many different species at a young age, and taught that like all animals, snakes deserve our respect.

Of course, I didn't begin my own collection until I was an adult, but snakes have brought me so much joy and fulfillment in my life, I cannot imagine not having them...

[BryanB]

I was 15 and my first snake dealing was rescuing a black snake that seemed to be 5 or 6 feet long from construction fencing for a couple of workers. They had found it at the job site and brought it to the rehab center in lower NY state which I lived at (ya I lived there) and I was the only one that would help it. The workers and the snake, or so it seemed, where very grateful. They took the snake back to the site for release and they gave me $20. Before that it was turtles and frogs, then birds and marine fish. Finally I rescued a boa.....

[sharthun]

I think I was born with the snake fascination! Started collecting critters in the wild about 4th grade. :cool:

[plutos_kiss]

When I was seven or eight I went to our local Children's Museum and they were doing a demonstration with a snake. They had a kid press their face against a piece of glass, and did the same with the snake to prove that people were much 'slimier' and grosser. I was instantly fascinated. Fast forward to when I was fifteen, my mom and I were watching TV and National Geographic was doing a little segment on Ball Pythons and their different morphs. I figured it was a good time to bring up getting a snake and asked her, expecting a no, but she said yes, as long as I paid for everything. Seriously one of the nicest things she ever did for me.

[Alexa]

For a while I thought that my fascination with snakes sort of started when I was in middle school and had a teacher with a ball python. Then I found some old drawings and projects from 4th grade and earlier with snakes and lizards, so its been around even longer than I thought.

I love most animals, but I just never get over snakes. Their behavior, the endless variation between species and between individuals within a species, the way they move so gracefully.

They're just so cool.

[purplegeyser]

Definitely started from dinosaurs.

I grew up watching a lot of nature channels. Reptiles have always been a fascination of mine and I've always played with my toy dinosaurs as a kid. We moved to Orlando Florida while I was in kindergarten and I remember finding alligators in my backyard, as well as snakes and chameleons. I was never allowed to own them so I had mammals instead. A kitty, fish(not a mammal, but i had many too), hamsters and all that. My family relied on me to relocate garden snakes we'd find in the yard. I would enjoy catching some animals, but would always let them go.

It wasn't until fairly recently when I had funds and my own studio with no roomates that I got my first lizard and eventually snakes. It's been a long time coming. <3

I have them because they're beautiful and so different from us. I love how they move, adapt, how much they're feared, and loved. They are such fun pets to have and incredibly addicting.

[Starbuck]

it was a natural progression for me, my parents didnt like snakes but let me keep geckos etc, once i moved out i started getting into snakes, fell in love with how EASY they are (feeding once/week, totally happy to never be bothered, etc) and they worked really well with my college lifestyle; i could go home for a weekend no problem, exam weeks i just fed them, didnt have to worry about vet visits or walking 3x per day or mentally stimulating them...
and then once i joined this forum and realized how much more the raptile community could be, it became more of a hobby and a diversion from academics. I look forward to reporting new things baout my snakes, to talking to you all on the forums, and to seeing where the hobby is headed. I dont think i can see myself NOT having snakes in my future!!

Edit: i wanted to add a bit about education; i love having the chance to explain to new people that no, they arent dangerous, yes, they are actually really cool, and here is 8 million reasons why. I just brought a few of my snakes to soem kindergarten and first grade classrooms and they were totally in love, and it was really great to get to tell them a little bit about why i think snakes are so cool!!

[drumcrush]

I've had an interest in them for as long as I can remember. The more my mom said I couldn't have one, the more I wanted one. I finally cracked her and here I am now:)

[snake momma]

My friend was abusing her snakes and I thought what the heck? Love at first sight:D

[Snakefood]

Same as most, I was always catching Garters and bringing them home much to my mom's dismay!! my brother and I were always out in the back 40 or in the woods and I grew up in nature. Always loved the snakes and lizzards the best though!!

My mom always told me it wasn't very feminine to be so "into" snakes and such, well mamma "I guess you raised a tomboy!!

[Jinxygirl]

I've been obsessed with reptiles since I was 4 years old. I used to catch garter snakes in my backyard and handle them a little bit then set them free again. I always wanted a snake as a kid but my mom was never 100% comfortable with it.

[Cruddown]

I've been in awe of snakes since I was a little kid catching garter snakes in the yard, and that fascination has never waned. They've evolved to lose their limbs, and have no trouble climbing trees, swimming, burrowing, and killing large animals and eating them. Some can detect heat. How sweet is that? They're rodent-killing sausages.

Also, I hope that in 10,000 years, they'll have evolved to love humans like dogs have. Then, they can replace dogs as our best friends.

[BIGT FROM F.B.]

Professional studies have determined that all of us were rejected as kids. True for me anyway. The "lone lifestyle" as kids causes people to love reptiles, so the experts say...

[psychocircus]

There's pictures of me when I was 3 touching a giant Burmese python.

When I was around seven years old my dad took me to a reptile show where I got to hold a variety of small snakes. The only one I distinctly remember was a corn snake.

When I was probably nine or ten we went to a pet store and they had a ribbon snake that I just HAD to have. My mom has always had a phobia of snakes, but she now tells me she allowed me to get it because I never asked for anything.

All these things probably had an impact on me being interested in snakes. What keeps me interested? The variety, my fascination with the giants, and my fascination with the venomous.

[MM1]

I'm not sure where my fascination with reptiles originated. They all interested me; particularly crocodilians (weird since I'm from the Bronx and still live in Brooklyn) but it took till I was 12 to convince my parents on a pet snake. I have been so unbelievably fortunate to still have this animal (a Haitian Tree Boa named Rudy) at 43 years old (he's about 32). Along the way I also kept some adult garters and ribbons for a few years each, as well as an anole and a newt. Right now I just have the old guy but would definitely like to keep maybe 2-3 herps (maybe a lizard and another snake or two) in the future. This past holiday season I had a great time showing my 6 year old son a little bit of the Everglades. He really got a kick out of seeing the turtles and all the alligators basking right there beside the trail.

[ScalelessTime]

When I was 7, I was terrified of snakes. Then one of my sisters brought her snake to my house and showed it to me. It was only one of the days I had the guts to touch one.

Another day was curiosity. I saw a "black rope" under a homemade bench in the backyard and thought it was a little odd why there was a random rope. So I went to pick it up and it slithered away.

Guess what, it wasn't a rope at all. It was a 5 foot black garden snake. I chased it all around my yard trying to catch it. Sadly, I didn't know better and beat the thing till is couldn't slither away from me anymore. I kept it till it died 5 hours later. It was pretty sad.

Then about 2 years from now, I got my first pet snake, a Okeetee cornsnake. I named him Valentine since I got him on Valentine's day. I lost him about 2 months later after owning him.

After that day of seeing my sister's snake, I fell a small bit in love with them As I got more experienced with snakes, I went mad for every species. Now I just want all of them as my own and can't have just one.

Every snake that I have owned so far has given me something to be proud. Though some days are bad, y'know the usual biting behaviors, them as themselves make up for it. I love snakes, forever and always.

God gave us some beautiful creatures on this planet.

[Wyldrose]

When I was 8 we went to Reptile world in Drumheller Alberta. It was disappointing at first, a lot of animals where not on display and/or hiding. Just as we where about to leave we where asked if we wanted to hold a snake. They brought out a 6 foot boa constrictor and have been in love ever since.

[limey]

I was a late starter with reptiles. I was always an "animal boy" growing up. I would always beg my Mum and Dad to go to farms and parks and places where we could see animals.

Fast forward 15 years, I got my zoology degree and became a zookeeper. In the last 4 years, my passions shifted from mammals more to snakes. There are so many species of snakes and so much to learn! Not to mention they are some of the prettiest creatures in the animals kingdom.

And, as somebody else just pointed out... I find it "soothing" to have them out. Couldn't have said it better myself. Snakes actually make good companions... who would have thought it?

They are like chicken soup for the soul.

[Will0W783]

I've loved snakes as long as I can remember. My dad used to take me to this local reptile zoo- Clyde Peeling's Reptiland- every summer and I remember touching and holding several snakes during their educational kids' show. My mom is terrified of snakes and I think my dad didn't want me to have the same unfounded fear. Little did he know what he'd create, lol.

I started keeping snakes 9 years ago, with just a ball python. Now I keep several pythons, but mainly am focused on the vipers. To me, the snakes are a form of therapy. They're beautiful, calm and relatively still creatures that move methodically and rhythmically. I love feeding them and caring for them. I feel honored and awestruck to be able to share my life with species of snakes that most people will never know even exist! The biology of these creatures: how perfectly they've evolved, the different types of venom and venom apparati, the patterns and colors- they just amaze and fascinate me!

[limey]

To me, the snakes are a form of therapy.

I feel exactly the same way.

Non-snake keepers will never know what they are missing out on. Simply put.

[Mikoh4792]

I just find them to be fascinating and interesting.

I keep them for a similar reason that people keep fish in an aquarium. They are interesting creatures to observe(even though compared to other animals they are inactive).