Why Do You Have Snakes In Your Life?

[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.

[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

[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...