Hi, I am new to the forum, and have not yet got a pet snake.

Whenever I mention to people that I want a pet Ball Python they say:

"Ewww not my choice!"
"They are smelly!"
"Won't he crush you?"
"Don't like snakes"
"Can't you get a normal pet like a cat or dog?"
"They are hardly cute to look at"
etc etc

Do I assume you have heard this all before, and people you know said similar stuff?

The most important thing though is:

How do people react now you have a pet snake? Do people get used to the idea? Do people insist he/she is in his enclosure? Are people scared of your pet?

Clearly everybody on this site who has a pet reptile disagrees with the above views and sees these things as out of proportion, or misconseptions.

Clearly many people don't differentiate between venomous and non-venomous species and lump them all together. People seem to have a natural dislike or fear, thinking they are aggressive.

I live with my husband. He is currently NOT saying "No under no circumstance" He knows I like snakes.

I know people who have screamed at a little frog in their garden! LOL.

That isn't what it's about, just having a pet I feel I would enjoy.

So be honnest, how do you find people's reactions to your loved pet? Are people used to the idea? Do people enjoy handling him/her after all?
Do let me know.

from Fiona

It really varies. Some people are very interested in them. I frequently get requests for people to come to the house and "see the snakes."
On the other hand I have friends who will not go down in to the "critter room." And ven go so far to look around before they come in the door to make sure nothing is out lying in wait for them!

You have to remember that people are all different and you MUST respect peoples' fears and concerns,...even in your own home. No matter how foolish they may seem to you. If people don't want to be around your snake, don't bring it out.
One of my main pet peeves are people who find out someone is leery of snakes and then ether tries to force the snake on them or actually uses it to scare them.
You have a choice to make.
You can be a good will ambassador, educating people as to what harmless, wonderful, creatures snakes are.
Or you can walk the other path and continue to reinforce that snakes are scary slimy things to be feared.

My snakes have been instrumental in turning around the attitudes of many people regarding snakes, even going so far as to work with people who were phobic about snakes.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Yeah I know what you mean. I saw a youtube video of a lad with a snake, and his sister was screaming her head off. In the end she did handle the snake, but I was thinking that could scare the snake. I agree a bad move that kind of thing, and not funny.

I have to say I am an honnest and caring person, and I would hope to be a 'good will ambassordor' that you mention.

So where do people keep their pet snake? In the lounge? or in an upstairs room?

from Fiona

Most people don't like snakes, so think you're crazy for wanting or having one.

Others find it fascinating but would never have one themselves.

Others are just fine with it.

But mostly I get the, "Eeugh! You're crazy. *shudder*" reaction. Many people are very closed minded to things they aren't familiar with.

__________________
"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

I don't own a snake. My husband told me its grounds for divorce if I get one.

However watching him run like a little school girl away from a teeny tiny garder snake is fun.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

it was kinda funny when I told my girlfriend I had a snake, she was like "ew ew ew" and jumping around and stuff and shes like what do you feed it and i'm like "mice that I keep in the freezer" and she gave me that like "are you ****ing serious" look, sorry for my langue. but that was a few months ago and i'm still with her so shes gotten used to the fact and sometimes jokes around saying "you love that snake more than you love me" and i'm just like "yup" hahaha..although she has yet to actually see the huge monsterous 18" corn snake hahaha. i'll make her come see him by the end of the summer though.

__________________
"Reality is wrong, Dreams are for real"
-Tupac Shakur

0.2.1 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 Corn Snake
0.2.0 Green Frogs
0.0.1 Eastern Garter Snake

I really think that if I got a snake, like a really pretty corn, my husband might get over his fear. He held one for the first time at a reptile show, so that was a good step.

Getting a corn snake would also keep my mother in law away

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

ya it works my dad used to be terrified of snakes but now he hows citrus and enjoys watching her, although one time we were at Zoo Creatures (NERDS) in New Hampshire and he was talking to lady about their birds and she went on to say that a corn snake escaped crawled into a bird cage and ate a $300 parrotlet and left the other 1 with out a mate so once he heard that he looked at me and said if my snake and of his parrotlets her heads coming off (i'm hoping he was just kidding) but now I have to make sure her enclosure 100% escape proof lol

__________________
"Reality is wrong, Dreams are for real"
-Tupac Shakur

0.2.1 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 Corn Snake
0.2.0 Green Frogs
0.0.1 Eastern Garter Snake

You can keep your snake wherever you want to. Its your house.
I used to have my ball pythons in a 55 gal in the living room and the rest were in our bedroom. My mother wouldn't come over because we had "those THINGS in the living room where you HAVE to look at them!"

We have since bought a house and the garage had been converted into a room that the former owner had used as a beauty shop and had it plumbed for hot and cold water with a sink.
I converted it into a reptile room.

As long as the cages are secure(and they SHOULD BE!) you can put them anywhere you want.
I would advise against the kitchen due to fumes from cooking and cleaning.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Thanks everybody for such quick replies!

Lounge would be my preferred place, as we are in the lounge in the evenings.

Must go to the reptile shop this weekend and take another look. Must have a handle and be sure us BOTH are OK with that.

Very fascinating all this.

from Fiona