Question for snake owners with children...

[cannibalcupcake]

I own snakes and I love having them as pets, and if I ever had children I wouldn't freak out and get rid of them... HOWEVER, sometimes I see pictures of people on the internet like this one (http://www.parentfail.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/baby-biting-snake-400x270.jpg) of people allowing their toddler/young child to play around full grown red tail boas or Burmese pythons. I have to say that is the dumbest thing I've ever seen. I'm not saying the red tail is going to think that baby is food, but the second the baby pisses it off on accident (because toddlers don't understand to be respectful around a snake) the snake might bite them... on the face, in the eye.. it could knock them over or squeeze them (worst case scenario) to death. And your snake can be as tame as a puppy and still get pissy and bite you someday. What's your opinion on this? What do you think is the correct age to introduce children to your pet snakes?

[marvelfreak]

First Hello and welcome! Second i agree. Snake born killing machines. All it takes is for something to spook the snake and in second you could have a dead kid. If it a little snake it's one thing, but a large snake and a toddler is just asking for trouble IMO.

[Lankyrob]

Totally agree, and welcome :) , our daughter is not allowed near the keys to the reptiles, she is almost five, and only allowed to handle them with 100% supervision.

[candyraver69]

I had a burm when my youngest son was a baby. I didn't let him anywhere near her, too worried something could happen. With the kids being older now, I let them handle my corns with supervision... the supervision more for the snakes sake then theirs though lol.

[whoaxmary]

It probably all depends on the maturity of the child in question. Like you said, they need to understand to respect the fact that they're handling a living animal - that could harm them if it wanted.
For example, my two youngest newphews always handle Blue (my lil ball python) when they areover, they are in complete awe of her. Unfortunitely the fact that I let them hold her is a big secret from their older brother because, even though he is intriged by her as well, I don't believe he has the right mind set. He simple looks at it and gets very excited, "Oh cool! Sweet!" and looks like he'd pick her up with out any care or gentleness. He seems to just think of it as something cool to brag about being near, rather than, yes, it is 'cool' but it is an animal, like the other two seem to understand. Unsurprisingly, the other two are much better with my puppy. They understand 'dog manners' like to ask before petting a dog on the street, to wait for a dog to approach them, to 'be a tree' etc, mean while the oldest comes over and starts screaming and runnig around with puppy.
Just so you know, my oldestnewphew is 15, the younger are 12 and 11. Both the younger ones asked me about how to handle her, and act around her, before they ever actually asked to hold her, while the older actually tried to open her doors and pick her up when I was just walking into the room! Thank god it was only a ball python - and not anything else! Just goes to show how different children can be from one another.
OBVIOUSLY the child in that certain picture is no where near old enough to understand even what I snake is, so it's not like I can try to argue 'maybe the child grew up around them, and knows how to act around them' or anything. ;/

[infernalis]

Oh no you guys beat me to it...

http://www.thamfriends.com/mat.jpg

[Damion930]

Ther is also a lot to knowing your animals and knowing how to read them as well as the behavior of the children

[stephanbakir]

I've let children age 5 and up touch my snakes.. that being said, if it was a garter snake or a burm, i ALWAYS held the end that bites... all it takes is one mistake on your part or the part of the child for that snake to react.
Even if its a ball python who loves to be held, I can almost guarantee that if a kid bites it, hes getting bitten back for sure, there is no way you are going to react before the snake does.
As Whoaxmary said, maturity has allot to do with it. On my last trip to cuba I caught a Cuban Boa that was an amazing looking animal, I let most of the kids around me touch the non business end of it without worry, but there was this one kid who must have been about 30 years old i wouldn't let close to it because of the way he was acting... it just scared me a little.
You know your animals better then we do, and when you have kids you will get to know them... When the moment arises and you want to introduce your children to reptiles, give it some thought and introduce them gradually to reptiles starting with ball pythons (I prefer starting kids off on ball pythons because with planning the snake cant hurt them(you hold the biting end) and the child can't easily hurt the snake like he could a corn snake). Slowly introduce them to smaller more delicate snakes, and larger more dangerous snakes as their maturity level and overall level of understanding increases.

[Nektu]

My 6 year old daughter loves the snakes. I let her hold them, but either myself or my wife has to be there to supervise. I also take time to teach her how to properly handle them. But as long as she knows how dangerous they can be, she is fine.

[Jendee]

wow, My first thought to that picture is that they are letting there baby "teeth" on that boa 8O why that in itself is a good way to get your baby in ICU!! and secondly was the giant snake with a baby. My kids help me alot with the snakes, they have been handling them since around 20 months but little tiny not even a yr old boas. All my bigger animals are in locked cages, my snakes also have their own room with a key locked door to keep all little ones out!! I do have one boa shes going on 3 that my boys have handled since she was a neonate that I trust with them, but I still would never leave their side when they have her out. I am well aware that something could happen, my worst fear a bite in the face. But to me its just the same as letting your kid run around with the dog in the back yard. It is an animal and things happen even when your a parent who takes all precautions.

[sephinflames]

My daughter, who is 9, can hold the corn snakes with supervision. But she knows that she does NOT take them out unless I am here and she doesn't handle the bigger snakes, and in reality I don't handle the bigger ones unless Presspirate is around.
Teaching kids how to handle snakes is awesome, but kids move fast, and snakes hate that.

[shaunyboy]

pictures of young children playing with adult carpets and boa size snakes really freak me out as you said it don't take much for a snake to strike an eye and you end up with a kid growing up with only 1 eye.

i just don't see the need for such a risk

smaller snakes under strict supervision imo is ok but still has its dangers

i firmly believe that uneccessary risk should not be taken with kids

yes there are thousands of instances where kids are just fine with snakes but at the end of the day why risk it ?

cheers shaun

[TeaNinja]

i'm not a parent but i can see when common sense is lacked lol

[stephanbakir]

Not sure how it is in the Usa. But in Canada we unforunately see a lack of common sense on a daily basis... about 20 minutes ago I saw a kid that must have been 10 walking a St.Bernard on her own... lol.

[stephanbakir]

Had to post this...
Best pets for kids decision making (http://www.how-to-start-a-pet-sitting-business.com/pets-for-kids.html)
For one, they think this retic is a boa constrictor, and they out a kid in this situation... sorry but the childs parents and the owner of that snake were really slow in the head...
This is a perfect example of people who put others at risk to bring more attention to their cause.
Then, they dont even talk about reptiles at all, they talk about nothing and everything at the same time and conclude their 2 paragraph post.

[EvaS]

My son is great with snakes but one day he accidentally trapped a cornsnakes tail in between himself and the edge of a counter, he never even noticed it..It turned around and bit him.This from a snake that was 5yrs old and never bitten ever.Also my son(7) was good with them and handled snakes often.Accidents happen and some accidents can have devastating consequences.
Ive also seen pics of people who wrap their snakes completely around their necks...Idiots again, it only takes slight pressure on those arteries to make you pass out and your teaching others that its okay to hold a snake that way...

[Lankyrob]

Takes less than a second for an adult to be put unconscious from pressure on the right part of the neck, imagine if that is a child................

[Jenn_06]

just use common sense, my 2 kids 4 and 6 are great with snakes but im always there with them when a snake is out, they know snakes are living things not toys, things can happy with any animal dog, cat, bird or snake.just never leave you kid alone with them and always be right there.

[CanadianEryx]

We really need to be smart with our pets...and our kids. We need to know them--inside and out--in order to really know what is the best for each one. Let's all be safe rather than very sorry--whether the pet or the child is the one you are protecting!

[stephanbakir]

It's also important to note that they each need protecting, I see allot of people who get a snake and once they acquire something new they forget about the other, allot of animals die like this. Just like you shouldn't have kids if you don't plan on being there for the next 18 years, you shouldn't get a snake if you aren't prepared to spend AT LEAST an hour a day with them for the next 10-50 years...

[EvaS]

you shouldn't get a snake if you aren't prepared to spend AT LEAST an hour a day with them for the next 10-50 years...

Personally I think an hour a day is a bit excessive unless I misunderstood you.Most or at least some snakes dont like being handled that much or that often.If I did that with my Blood she would end up sick.I handle her about 2x week for maybe 20 minutes and she is as tame as a corn.Even my boas only get maybe an hour a few times a week but never every day.

[TeaNinja]

Personally I think an hour a day is a bit excessive unless I misunderstood you.Most or at least some snakes dont like being handled that much or that often.If I did that with my Blood she would end up sick.I handle her about 2x week for maybe 20 minutes and she is as tame as a corn.Even my boas only get maybe an hour a few times a week but never every day.

i THINK they meant you have to change water and keep humid and everything.
i agree that you shouldn't hold a snake every day.

[stephanbakir]

What I meant was, If you get any pet, you should be prepared to put at least an hour in, not regularly, but under certain situations, the time might be required... what if your snake gets sick and gets something that will stick with him for the next 2 weeks, you have 2 choices, spend that time and get him back to health or let him die, if you cant put time aside to give the pet or child the best possible care you probably shouldn't be in that situation.
Most snakes like my ball python get held once or twice a week, and they are great with that, unexpected stuff will always come up sometime in your lifetime and you need to be ready to put the time aside.
An example would be, a friend bringing his snake over, no-one knew that it had mites and somehow all of your snakes got them.

[Lankyrob]

We probably spend30 mins to an hour each day with checks, water changes, spot cleaning, misting etc and yes you should be expect to do this every day for the life of the animal with the though as stated that if one of them gets sick then extra time will be needed.

[stephanbakir]

Great quote btw.. "you never know how strong you are - until being strong is your only choice"

[Lankyrob]

Great quote btw.. "you never know how strong you are - until being strong is your only choice"

Thanks - it is very true. If i think waht i was like before my accident - if i had to consider putting up with what i have to put up with now i wouldnt have thought it possible to cope.

We all have our crosses to bear and personally i think mental attitude has a major effect on how well we cope. Yes we all have days when getting out of bed seems impossible and we have to allow ourselves those days without letting it become the "norm".

In the past a "hard day" would be working 9 hours then going to the gym and swimming, cleaning the house, cooking dinner then going out for a drink.

Now a hard day can be anything from making from bed to the living room or just cooking dinner.

Accepting our limitations, especially when they change minute to minute or day to day is a hard thing to do but very liberating when you achieve it. Setting achievable goals for each day means that you can still "achieve" and feel good about it even if that achievement is only making it to the shop for some milk and a paper.

Anyways, i ramble on!!! Sorry for derailing another thread!!!!:rolleyes::):no:

[infernalis]

two posts is hardly a derailment. ;)

back on topic, I couldn't agree more about the time.

Too many people have kids and don't seem to make the time for them.

If you want your teen to stay out of trouble, you better be prepared to keep them entertained yourself, bored teens start trouble.

Take your kids to movies, spend as much time as you can with them, and always screen the other parents if they want to go to a friends house.

a lot of problems can be avoided that way, what if the other parents are drunks or drug users?? do you want them responsible for your children??

[stephanbakir]

Same goes for snakes, if you avoid them like the plague and dont put the time in, yeh, your snake wont "trust" you and will feel fear when you do poke your giant body into his terrarium to change the water.