What does snake keeping say about us?

[Jrich]

This question has come to mind a lot lately. What does snake keeping say about us? I've had managers, professors and strangers ask why in the heck I found snakes so interesting or "why would you wanna keep one of those things"?
I've mulled over countless answers because I don't want to just say "they're cool and easy to take of" or my favorite "because they come in pretty colors". HA!
A lot of your everyday people are genuinely creeped out that anyone would keep a snake in their home.
Here's a few ideas I've had:
-We like to give the misunderstood a chance
-We seek to understand what is much different than us
-We see value in things that are often overlooked or hated
-We appreciate the nature of the snake
This is just to name a few. Pleas contribute any that you can think of!
I've realized with a lot of people that mentioning you keep snakes can sometimes work to your disadvantage and I want to change that by offering a little insight.
What do you all think?

[EL Ziggy]

I'm not sure I know what snake keeping says about us in general or even me specifically. When people ask me why I keep snakes my generic answer is because they're quiet, odorless, solitary and super easy to care for. They're usually docile but they're still amongst nature's top predators. Not to mention theyre some of the most beautiful and amazing animals on the planet. I guess it says we have exquisite taste. :)

[AlexCrazy]

I just say i like EXTRA-ordinary things, have an eccentric taste, they are the most beautiful things iv ever saw, and to me they are the best pets in the world.. great eating schedule, no smell and the normal great stuff!
People see me as fearless and they cant believe wen i say im scared of something, like wen a big bug flies around i freak cos i cant stand there ruff feat (they say how come you keep a snake but freak about a bug).. ha ha and they also call me crazy.. (but that was not since i got the snake only.. it just made it worse, im kind of a Tom-girl so that is weird to them in the first place ha ha)
Cos i keep a snake, tarantula, hamster and love animals people always expect me to solve pet problems or weird animal stuff ha ha (there's a lizard Sandra! do something!)
if you don't want to give that answer im not quiet sure how to help you.. but i would not use most of the examples you gave.. to me they are not weird.. there one of the creations of nature.. part of this world.. there just not what you see everyday.. get what i mean.. i would not give an answer that paints them as weird.. :)
I had never found having a snake give me a disadvantage.. it makes me happier and makes having people over more interesting.. and i don't think they look at your pet list to give you a job, unless you have a boss ho is allergic to cats.. ha ha :)

[pinefamily]

No smell? You guys haven't cleaned up after them recently, have you? Lol
Seriously though, that's a very good question. Not sure if I have an answer off the top of my head; probably need to mull over it, as you have. But yes, we have had all of those same responses. Interestingly, most adults are creeped out, but most kids are fascinated.

[trailblazer295]

Because we're just that cool. But really I just say I like them and think they are cool. I don't usually broadcast it either. Why do people keep dogs, cats, fish, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs it birds?

Now the trick is finding a pretty girl that likes them to.

[drumcrush]

Because (I dont know about other people) but I can relate to them to a degree. I like to hide and stay isolated, I'm quiet, and (not to sound like a 14 yr. old) not many people understand me and my way of thinking.

[Minkness]

Dawww....dLdrum! Makes me wanna hug you XD

I'm kinda the same though. Tend to stay to myself and such.

[drumcrush]

Dawww....dLdrum! Makes me wanna hug you XD

I'm kinda the same though. Tend to stay to myself and such.

lol yeah, i am extremely introverted.

[Tiny Boidae]

lol yeah, i am extremely introverted.

The story of my life...

I mean I don't need any more socialization when I have my snakes. I don't attend school dances, or clubs, or anything else that involves other people... The only exception is marching band, and that's just because I don't know a life without music :elvis:

But as far as what snake keeping has to say about us, in general it's a pretty darn good thing. The reptile community tends to be very open-minded, and stubborn as heck to be frank. Most people here are also helpful and even nicer than neighbors, and while we do have a few bad apples that spoil the bunch, most people who get into reptiles get into it for the same reason: they care about these animals. And that's something that connects each and every one of us on this site, no matter how much experience you have (or lack thereof) or what your age is. I've never run into someone I just flat out didn't like on a reptile community page (not to say that it won't happen *knocks on wood*). I'm getting mushy and soul-searchy, but to sum it up I think we're a dang good crowd to be around :)

[prairiepanda]

Snake keeping says that I am too poor and/or too lazy to keep more expensive and/or time-consuming animals. Because everyone who knows me well knows that, if I could, I would have every animal. Alas I only have cheap & easy animals. (exception being the cat, who has owned me since I was 6)

[Wingbeats]

Hah, my friends don't find it so unusual that I have a snake. I am a biologist and I'm definitely a science geek, so when I shared my snake with everyone on Facebook, they were all like "Of COURSE you got a snake. You would." Hahaha.

Every time I share more, everyone just goes "Oh there Dee goes, being a biology weirdo again." It's standard behavior for me now. I'm pretty predictable in that way, it seems!

I also have two cats, an aquarium of fish, and a whole collection of "science plants" (insect-eating plants and a sensitive plant). I adore my critters and weird science plants and everyone knows it <3

[AlexCrazy]

No smell? You guys haven't cleaned up after them recently, have you?.
I did yesterday.. I never had a smell problem.. Haha

[sirtalis]

I've never had a smell problem. I keep my reptiles because i love nature. My cages are entirely naturalistic so its like a slice of the wild in my bedroom.

[ManSlaughter33]

I've never had a smell problem. I keep my reptiles because i love nature. My cages are entirely naturalistic so its like a slice of the wild in my bedroom.

Get a cornsnake then tell me they dont smell LOL

It's not the snake that people question me about, it's the subject of HOW MANY...

and when I get a new one they go "ANOTHER ONE!?"

or "what if it escapes and kills someone"... my ball python falls off the couch... real killer

[AlexCrazy]

Lol.. The couch asassin.. Jajajajja

[trailblazer295]

Get a cornsnake then tell me they dont smell LOL

It's not the snake that people question me about, it's the subject of HOW MANY...

and when I get a new one they go "ANOTHER ONE!?"

or "what if it escapes and kills someone"... my ball python falls off the couch... real killer

You miss like to live dangerously. One false move and a few hours and that's it your sock might be killed. :no:

[ManSlaughter33]

You miss like to live dangerously. One false move and a few hours and that's it your sock might be killed. :no:

"I aint afraid of no thing" .. pretty sure she would get her head stuck then just sit there and wait to be rescued.

[trailblazer295]

"I aint afraid of no thing" .. pretty sure she would get her head stuck then just sit there and wait to be rescued.

LOL that's funny, for an animal that isn't supposed to like interactions it's smart enough to know help comes to those who wait.

[Wingbeats]

People talk about snake smells and I've never noticed it, haha. Even when Chaska poops, her cage just smells like damp cypress mulch. I have to check each day to see if I need to clean, or I'd never notice it.

I guess rainbow boas don't have stinky poos, lol!

[Sylphie]

Haha, my corns poops are not that bad, but my Russians are really terrible! I know they poop minutes after they do it, the smell is just that bad. But my boyfriend is saying that he can't smell it unless I open their cage, so maybe I'm just super sensiitive to it.


And I was always telling people that I fell in love with snakes when one wrapped around my waist for the first time (and I was only six!). They then start to stare at me like "uhh I always knew that you're weird".

[that1guy]

Well, I don't just keep snakes. I have 3 cats, 6 turtles, a leopard gecko, and of course 2 ball pythons. I've also had 4 dogs, 5 cats, 4 turtles, several frogs and toads, a tarantula, and a scorpion, a Burmese python, and 2 ball pythons in my 30 years, including family pets growing up, that have died or in the case of the Burmese and 1 ball python was rehomed. I'm just an animal lover and my favorite animals are snakes and turtles, it's a tie! How can you not love and respect animals that have survived for millions of years and adapted to conquer nearly the whole planet? I could go on and on about the things I find fascinating and awesome about reptiles and why I love them, I'm not going to though. To me the question isn't what does keeping snakes say about us. It's what the heck is wrong with the rest of world?

[Tiny Boidae]

that1guy-

The sad truth is that a lot of people (especially those who hold social or political power) simply don't care. They're out to make a profit, and a company isn't going to ask "how will my product affect the environment", but rather "how can I turn a profit?" This leads to very little information getting out to the public about animals other than the cats and dogs you see in ASPCA commercials. This ignorance, whether it be intentional or not, is the reason why we're losing so many great species of animals but McDonald's still gets to open a new location in box turtle territory.

I feel like that was a rant, and it wasn't directed towards any particular person, but that's what's wrong with the rest of the world unfortunately. Nobody cares and soon we're going to feel the heat from this mass extinction :(

[AlexCrazy]

How can you not love and respect animals that have survived for millions of years and adapted to conquer nearly the whole planet? I could go on and on about the things I find fascinating and awesome about reptiles and why I love them, I'm not going to though. To me the question isn't what does keeping snakes say about us. It's what the heck is wrong with the rest of world?
Im Really with this! Totally true

[AlexCrazy]

Its so sad how people dont realise that with out animals in the wild.. Or the wild it self were doomed! People give more attention to there money than the own world they live in...

[pinefamily]

Its so sad how people dont realise that with out animals in the wild.. Or the wild it self were doomed! People give more attention to there money than the own world they live in...
Yes indeed.
And either you're just lucky with no smell, or you need a carpet python. Still haven't decided what's worse, the snake poop, or beardie poop.
Maybe we should do a poll.

[Minkness]

I dunno about others, but my male BPs poop is AWFUL. One poop stinks up the whole house if I leave my bedroom door open. All my other colubrids don't smell mutch at all, but Moko could kill things with his stink lol. He also only goes like once a month, and when he goes it's ALOT. Looks like one of my cats got into his cage just to leave a dump. My little BP hasn't pooped for me yet in the 2 months I've had her, but I can tell that by the time I'm back from vacation I'll be greeted by mucho snake poops by both my BPs lol.

[SnoopySnake]

Snake keeping says that I like quiet and not having hair everywhere, lol. On the topic of smell..Never really noticed much of a smell from my CRB's or white lip, BCI's were a bit smelly...but my retic...No matter how clean I keep him, he just stinks. Even just his urates are worse than all of the ones I mentioned...put together...

[ManSlaughter33]

My balls dont stink (LOL) My boa has massive poops, but not stinky ones.. my Corn poops a ton of tiny smelly piles.. augh

[AlexCrazy]

My balls dont stink (LOL)
Jajaja...
This threat started about "US" and now were discussing poop... LOL

[Wingbeats]

I think it certainly says something about us when we rapidly began talking about poop in this thread, hahahaha!

[trailblazer295]

Maybe that's why people look at us funny?

[Lefitte]

I haven't actually had anyone ask me why I like snakes, at least not that I can remember. I have one coworker who doesnt like pets in general and (we get on surprisingly well) so I just answer "because I would die without them/what's the point of living?". Like with most things, I think my answer would simply because "because I do (why dont you?)". I make a point of not associating with non-animal people in general. One of my cats has a cleft palate and we bottle feed him. If someone has a problem with that, then we really can't be friends. I think anyone who already knows me just kind of goes "Yeah, I figured..." I've had around 20 different pet species in the last 26 years, many birds, fish, rescues... So I think people who know me just aren't that surprised.
Really don't know what that might say about me other than the fact that I love all species. The misunderstood or hated creatures idea is definitely fitting though. I like the cats and dogs with "defects" or the stranger, lesser known animals. I like learning about them and teaching others so I guess it goes hand in hand yeah?
And my king's poop really doesnt stink unless she goes in her water dish. Havent had my brb long enough to say anything about him.
Ahh sorry about the random rant. Tend to blabber when tired.

[fainche]

Snakes may not speak but I'm pretty sure that have strong instinct. They can feel if they were love by their owner.