| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| animalcrazy |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 08:31:46
Hi Just thought it would be interesting to find out how people became interested in snakes as pets or reptiles in general. I'm new here so might get to know a few of you a bit more
The first time I handled a snake was when I was 5 at primary school, my school got a reptile and mollusc man in every year for a week for us all to learn about animals I was only small (only 5 foot now) and I remember him putting a huge royal ball python round my shoulders -loved it and was never afraid of snakes because of that I think, although I love almost any animal anyway.
Unfortunately, I was already terrified of spiders due to my mam's fear so didn't pick up the tarantulas!
Colin is my first snake, we are a 'dog' family, always had multiple hounds around, so I got involved in dog rescue but finally got round to a wonderful snake recently 
So what's your story? |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Strawb |
Posted - 01/05/2011 : 20:59:41
As a kid I had the usual pets; rabbits, hamsters, cats etc. But unusual pets had always fascinated me and reptiles in particular. I got my first snake when I was about 17, a corn, and then had 3 leopard geckos. Unfortunately life sent me in a different direction and I had to re-home my herps (this may be why I always ask people to re-house unwanted herps).
Anyway, I finally ended up in Germany and wasn't planning on having any more pets. All was going to plan until a friend turned up with a cali king in a dust bin. Since housing this snake I've received 2 more unwanted snakes, a corn and a royal. I don't think these will be the last. |
| boswell3782 |
Posted - 01/05/2011 : 19:41:52
My friend has one and after picking it up, I fell in 'love' with snakes lol |
| Sammysnake |
Posted - 30/04/2011 : 15:43:14
I never thought of reps as pets and knew nothing about them. About 4-5 years ago we saw a talk at a zoo by Mark O'Shea who let us touch a bearded dragon and said people kept them as pets. Can you belive I'd never heard of them and thought it was the most exotic thing I'd ever seen!! My daughter who was only 5 at the time got hooked and wanted a pet lizard. We started to do loads of research and visit rep shops, eventually getting her a Rankins Dragon when she was 7.
Of course, once you are regularly visiting the rep shop to buy food they start encouraging you to hold their stock... I was fascinated by the snakes, the way they move and their strength. They were the ones who hooked me and a year later I had one and another year later I had two and I nearly had another but have no space!! Hubby said I can have a reptile room when our daughter moves out but she's only 10 now he he. |
| Red123 |
Posted - 30/04/2011 : 08:31:27
I have always been surrounded, from when I was born, by animals, Dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs and horses. When I left school I worked at a rescues centre/boarding kennels/cattery ans so I continued to be surrounded by them. My husband married me and my pets and when the kids came along so did more pets as they developed a strong interest in animals only the furry and feathered kind to start with. When my youngest son was aged 12 he expressed a great interest in snakes and spent hours researching them. He decided a corn snake would be ideal and asked if he could have one. I was apprehensive having never even held a snake but agreed that he would have to save his money if he really wanted one. In february last year we saw an advert for a corn and full set up and he saved enough pocket money so off we went to see it. My son fell inlove with Sid straight away and he came home with us. Within a month I myself was besotted with Sid and so the obsession began and we now share our home with 5 corns. My eldest son who is 15 has now decided that he would like a lizard so I guess when he has enough money we will be on the search for one. I hope I'm not besotted with the lizard he gets, we only have a very small house lol. |
| rubberbiscuit |
Posted - 30/04/2011 : 00:59:09
I was always fascinated by reptiles as a kid and spent alot of time hunting for lizards and slow worms, and pretty much anything else I could find! Ive had most of the fluffy pets you can have and have dogs, cats,rats and hamsters at the mo but decided it was time to try keeping a snake.
I think they are so beautiful and interesting to watch, although mine hasnt peed or pooed on me yet so I may changed my mind!!LOL |
| saamicaat |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 23:33:51
I've always grown up with pets, but having a good understanding from a young age helped a lot! Reptiles became a bit of a fascination when I was about 10 or 11 when my step dad wanted a Chameleon, we got one but I didn't really have much to do with it. My parents then suggested getting a Leopard Gecko as a first kind of reptile pet for me to look after and have responsibilty for. I've never wanted a rabbit or a guinea pig, always something more interesting! Then last year for my birthday they said I could get a Leo, I had looked at snakes too and they struck me as being more interesting than Leos, as cute as they are! I came across a rehoming centre near where I'm from and got baby Medusa and now I'm hooked. I'm looking at getting a King next then hopefully moving onto a Royal!
Where we go on holiday in Tenerife they have a reptile show and I'm usually first to volunteer, people think I'm mad! I think people need to have a better undertstanding of them, they're not horrid ugly slimey things! They're beautiful. I personally think they're better than other pets. Much more rewarding  (sorry for the essay, got a bit carried away! [:$] |
| centricmalteser2 |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 20:40:03
My family always had pet's around me when I was a baby (2 dogs), one of which recently I had to put down 2 years ago , she was 23!!! and a cross between collie and black labrador
I had pet rats, mice, budgies, over the years and was always fascinated by snakes, more from the constrictor side of things,
So decided to start with a corn snake although I am after a burmese python as a dream pet lol |
| ozziesmum |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 18:50:18
I've been brought up with pets all my life but I had my first reptile when I was 7, we'd moved to Kenya where I was given a chamaeleon and a bushbaby, my next one was a tokay gecko back in 1994 and then January just gone I adopted Rhubarb and Custard which was quite something for me as I was scared of snakes and always said I would never ever have either snakes or rats. My only regret is that I didn't have snakes years ago. |
| lucyloop |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 18:42:18
Always loved creatures, went to volunteer at the Safari park by us and the room I work in has 2 corn snakes, well that was it, I came home that day and said we are having a snake I never realised how fascinated I was as was always an ocean based creature fan. We have never looked back and Tiko came along from the local reptile rescue and we love him like a child!! |
| Kehhlyr |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 18:06:14
Where I was dragged up our back garden led straight into a forest so from when we were old enough we were out in that and in the openings catching stuff.
Think the first snake I brought back I was about 7.
It just carried on from there. |
| animalcrazy |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 16:18:33
It's really interesting reading how you all got the snake 'bug' :)
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| SexyBear77 |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 15:07:37
I got my first snake 8 years ago after watching a vet friend of my family feeding a wee hatchling that they had in the surgery for treatment. I was totally fascinated and got Casper for my 14th Birthday.
After spending years researching snakes some more I decided to get another female early last year to breed from, but unfortunately she died after becoming eggbound. So, did more research, and then ended up with a royal and another rescued corn, and it went from there. I've been very careful to not just rush into buying tonnes of snakes in a very short space of time though- I don't call it an addiction... after all, they are live animals, not drugs or designer clothes. |
| jimspook |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 14:34:49
Always had an interest in snakes and lizards on the whole, from a very early age. Got taken to this place along a main road in the middle of nowhere. There was a massive porta cabin with about 100 snakes in it. My dad insisted I have a burmese chucked round my neck, being about 5 or 6 I completely crapped my pants and for the next 20 years remained really fearful of the buggers. Got over that fear about two years ago and ended up with the gorgeous Artemis I have now. |
| MsThomson |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 14:28:36
Last year a snake escaped out of its viv in my local pet shop right on front of me and i got a massive case of the howling rain dances as one of my kids wanted to pick it up so it wouldnt escape!! I was proper scared! lol
Now since doing a bit of homework on corn snakes after my daughter has gone on and on and on about wanting one ive discovered how beautiful, safe and interesting they are as pets... even held one for the first time this week!
I cant wait to get my first snake (hopefully next week )
and to answer the question then....its all my daughters fault! |
| Invalid User |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 12:59:44
I have always loved reps. I was massivly into dinosaurs as a kid and wanted to be an archeologist when I grew up so I could go digging for dinosaur bones lol
I always wanted a lizard as they are so prehistoric looking but all the small ones eat bugs and I can't stand any bugs :( The big ones eat meat but can be very expensive to keep.
I always loved snakes but didnt realise how easy they were to keep. I first looked into getting one 2 years ago and did lots of research but due to a few personal issues I couldn't get one until the end of last year when I fianlly bought my first corn, Nimbus, who was actually an xmas pressie for my daughter!
Since then I have let the addiction take complete hold of me (as I'm sure you all know) and have many more corns, moved onto a king, boas and a hognose I hope to breed some of my corns next year. |
| Laws |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 12:48:59
we got into snakes by my OH dad . we had a big fish tank and it was getting hard work to clean etc and the father -in law to be suggested converting it and getting a corn snake . wel that was it then i was researching them and then got fascinated and worked on my Oh abit , now we have two . and a python . lol! the addiction i still there.... |
| Sta~ple |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 12:21:30
When I was 5 though, I cannot remeber much about my life before that lol. I was at a zoo and a guy got a big boa out and let me hold/stroke it. When going to the petshop after that, I used to always look at the snakes. |
| ptmbradley |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 12:17:14
Snakes are a VERY recent thing for me. I never really gave it any thought and just assumed I guess that all snakes were vicious killers etc etc. But a couple of months ago I was in my local pet store getting some parrot food and just had a nosy in their reptile room. There I overheard a conversation about how lovely corn snakes are and how easy they are to keep and how many different kinds you can get and all that and I just got fascinated by it all. So I then spent a week or so doing some heavy research and went out and bought my first one. That was early this month and I've already got 2 more since then!
And yesterday I discovered that not all boas reach 15ft and thick as tree trunks, so I quite fancy one of them now!! But as a brand new snake keeper I think I should just stick to corns for a little while. |
| lotabob |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 11:00:36
My addiction is an odd one, I'm animal mad for a start but snakes came into my life when I was out playing as a child, I was up a tree (as kids do) and when I jumped out something whipped up and hit me in the shin. It was painful but nothing to worry about so carried on regardless. After about 10 minutes the pain became very sore and my leg started to swell and my mucsles just decide enough was enough so I was carried the rest of the way home. The emergency doctor was brought out and he found the puncture wounds in my leg, I'd been bitten by an Adder. Then he turned me into a pin cushion with injections and I was laid up for days and days. The most vivid of my memories of this was my big swollen red shin all cracked and looking like a piece of marble. After that I learnt abouut snakes and rather than fear them I was fascinated by them.
The Adder has alluded my collection so far but maybe one day if I find a captive bred (which is the only kind your legally allowed) I'll bring one home. |
| stotty01 |
Posted - 29/04/2011 : 10:22:57
my family have always been interested in animals. my dad had a red knee tarantula, chillean rose tarantula and a goliath bird eatting tarantula as a kid and my grandad bred and still does breed moths and butterflys and he used to breed tropical fish and some ended up being on a james bond film xD
my dad and grandad were friendly with someone who owned a tropical fish and reptile shop and one day i walked and i just stopped and stared at all the snakes he let me handle a corn and i loved it:) few years on my friend got one so i asked my mum and dad and my dad was more than thrilled that i had a interest in reptiles....then i got my corn....then i got a job in a reptile shop :D |
