Ok, here is a little ranting.....it is kind of long

msubigdawg · 01-20-06, 10:55 AM

Ok, in the short time I have been in this hobby I have noticed many things and I just figured its about time I said them out loud. I have come to find that this is a great hobby and passion for me and many other people but it is starting to get out of hand. There are many many people that collect snakes because they love them. They love the colors, the morphs, the size, whatever it is that you like. At the same time while collecting animals that you love, you can also make some money doing it, and that is fine, great even. But there is one problem that is growing. More people are getting into this "hobby", not for personal enjoyment of the animals but for just monitary reasons. There are people that are looking just for certain morphs because they will make them tons of quick money and they will go about it any way they see fit. This means no regards to the saftey of the animal, be it by power feeding or providing insufficient living quarters. Don't get me wrong, I am all for breeding and getting these morphs that are out there. Now the prices of them are a totally a different story and that has been debated before and I will not bring that back up. But I feel it is ruining the hobby as a whole to have these people out there that are just in it for the money and the snakes mean nothing to them other than $$$.

Now these people are ruining it for others that are trying to get into the hobby. Because everytime a new person post on these boards about a snake they got, there will be atleast one person out of 10 that will reply to it and say how they made a mistake and should research it better and do this and that. This comes from so many other people that have gotten into this hobby for other reasons than the pleasure of snakes and then new people have to suffer because of others mistakes. I understand there are also those folks that get snakes because of the shock value, and i disagree with them also but I am going to leave that alone.

Really what I am trying to get across is please if you have a snake no matter what type, enjoy it for what it is, not what it can do for you and how you can make money off it. Also please can we stop the hateful replies and attacks on people. These boards are for help and if people keep getting attacked by others, and i dont just mean the random person is attacking folks, it is sometimes the big names that do it to. But if this continues, then less people will come to these boards and they will become very boring and I have seen that on other message boards as well.

Please be kind to everyone, this is like a large family, yea there are some screw ups, but most of us are here because we love these animals, so lets help each other if there is a problem

Sorry for the long post.

monty bl python · 01-20-06, 03:38 PM

i agree with you 100%
the length dosent matter you hit it right on the nose
pet snakes are just that pets not a "cash crop"

jonathanmich · 01-20-06, 05:14 PM

i agree 100% when you keep snakes as pets thats what they are pets they are not there for you to make a quick buck.

sc00t · 01-21-06, 04:18 PM

"there are also those folks that get snakes because of the shock value"

I agree with you totally and i cant tell u how many people will come into my work and want to buy burms, just becuase they get huge and the fact that they can say they have a huge snake, without knowing anything about the snake, and making the arrangments to house a large snake down the road.

JAdkins2451 · 01-21-06, 05:13 PM

You also have to look at the fact that if people did not breed snakes then you all wouldnt have any as pets.. I know people that breed snakes and they have a breeding stock but they also have there pets. However I do understand what you are saying about people beeing negitive towards some people..

Jamie

taz19772005 · 01-21-06, 05:24 PM

I agree with jamie.there has to be people that breed to keep all the pet owner in stock.i am a breeder and have about 4 breeds of snakes that i have as just pets to that i dont breed at all.But i also have my breeding stock to.I look after them all the same they all are feed the right amount and they all have the right size caging.But i know there is some poeple out there that treat there snakes the wrong way but what can we do about that?

amercnwmn · 02-09-06, 10:21 AM

i certainly agree w/ you re: the attacks on ppl who ask what may seem to others to be a stupid question..
the new people who are asking what seems like a silly question to more experienced reptile owners, at least are trying to learn how to properly care for their animal..it could be worse, they could just choose to remain ignorant and allow the animal to suffer

i have a question.. my Ball Python, Huggy Bear, is a 4ft female, she has never been sick in the 3 yrs i have had her..she is just about to shed, and she keeps opening her mouth as though her tongue is sticking to the roof of her mouth.. she is also making some exhaling noises, and breathing deeply..I was wondering if she possibly picked up respiratory infection/mouth rot from 2 Red Tails I brought home a month ago...(in separate rooms)..or can she be having problems breathing with the shedding? She is at 80degrees consistently and good humidity levels, the other ball seems to be fine having just shed yesterday...:dumb:

kronic2005 · 02-09-06, 01:03 PM

Your ball is being kept at prety low temps, make sure she has a basking spot that reachs 90-95 , they love the heat and it helps them digest properly. These animals are from south america, and need these high temps to thrive. She might have developed a respritory infection from not having the temps she requires. Take her to the vet to clear your mind and for the sake of your snake. Make sure she has a cool end too though, so she can cool down when she feels. My balls are back and forth their cages all day, hour on the hot, hour on the cool. everytime u check on them, they'll be on the other side. Hope this helps.