Pet Snake? - General Discussion Discussion

[–] Nipsey_Russell (1339) 8 years ago

I've always wanted a pet snake but can't stand the idea of feeding them live mice☹️

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

You could feed them frozen and thawed mice, but that's not that much better. 😣

I've been poking around the web, and apparently there are these things called Reptilinks, which is basically rodent meat grinded up and made into sausage links...

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 8 years ago

I had a red tailed Columbian boa constrictor named Jagged for 10 years. The more often you feed them, the faster and bigger they grow. I fed mine once a week. They will get loose. They try and try until they do.

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

Well, we'd probably start with something smaller/tamer than a boa constrictor, lol, but good to know. 😅

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 8 years ago

Try a milk snake then. They are beautiful and look like coral snakes but not poisonous.

https://aos.iacpublishinglabs.com/question/aq/1400px-788px/milk-snakes-poisonous_84a13e845ae86d31.jpg?domain=cx.aos.ask.com

Coral snake - poisonous
https://www.evergladesholidaypark.com/images/everglades-airboat-tour-coral-snake.jpg

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[–] Prelude (1443) 8 years ago

What is that saying that helps you identify a coral snake -- "Something and yellow kills a fellow?"

I can't remember if the "something" is red or black, but a coral snake has both of those colors next to the yellow. . .?

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 8 years ago

Red to black, venom lack. (Milk snake)
Red to yellow, kill a fellow. (Coral snake)

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[–] Prelude (1443) 8 years ago

Ah that's it, thanks I see how that works now.

I'm glad I never had to actually remember that out in the TX woods!

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[–] kspkap (13555) 8 years ago

"If the nose is black, beware of Jack." I'm from Florida, the boondocks, and this is what we've always went by to identify a coral snake. The following works also....if you can think straight when meeting up with one! Yeah, right!

*Red touches yellow, kills a fellow. Red touches black, friend of Jack.
*Red touches yellow, kills a fellow. Red touches black, venom lack.
*Red touches yellow, death says hello. Black touches red, keep your head.
*Yellow touches red, you'll be dead. Red touches black, eat Cracker Jacks.
*Red touches yellow, you're a dead fellow. Red touches black you're all right Jack.

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 8 years ago

They both have black noses/heads. And that whole spiel is just way too much lol. My rhyme is straight forward and much easier to remember. 😉

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 8 years ago

Oh wait.... On second look, are these each separate sayings, or is it all together in one song/poem?

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[–] kspkap (13555) 8 years ago

They are separate. Read my reply to you referring to the five.....whatever they're called.

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 8 years ago

Ok, my bad. I was thinking it was an entire thing/rhyme/song/ode. So I'm thinking, I'll never remember all that!! But one line, yeah, that'll do it lol. 😂😂😂😂

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[–] kspkap (13555) 8 years ago

Can you imagine someone running into a coral and attempting to remember even one of those? 😳😳😱😱 Not me!

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 8 years ago

I would definitely remember (the one I know). I have a memory like a sponge. As for you, before today you probably would have drawn a blank. But after today, you will never forget lol!! 😉

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[–] Prelude (1443) 8 years ago

Lol, I'm glad it's not the whole thing, just one line you have to remember - if anyone had to mentally recite that whole thing, the snake would have already bitten them by the end, haha!

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

Hmm. Maybe. Again, I doubt we'll go through with it, but I was just curious.

Wasn't there an Arthur episode ages ago where he caught a milk snake while they were playing hide and seek, then it got loose in the house, and they were worried it might be the poisonous coral snake? 😂

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[–] kspkap (13555) 8 years ago

So, what happened to the snake? These large snakes are destroying the Everglades (people let them loose) as the eco system is becoming greatly affected. The small wildlife is disappearing which means no food for the indigenous wildlife. They are even grabbing fawns and household pets. Anything that moves and looks good enough to eat. They are multiplying like crazy, are out of control and the hunters can't kill enough of them to get things under control. One of them thought a human baby looked good. The parents (stupid people bringing one of those monsters into the house with a baby) got up one morning, the snake wasn't where it was supposed to be....it was in the crib with the baby! Of course the baby was crushed so it could become a meal for the damn thing. I hope the hunters find and slaughter all of them. They do not belong here as this is not their native habitat. Leave them be where they belong.

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 8 years ago

My snake Jagger? He's buried in my yard along with some other family pets. I keep my pets for life. And it is messed up what's happening in FL. People have definitely been known to set their snakes free unfortunately. And what really sparked the population growth out of control was hurricane Andrew. Thousands of animals were flooded out of pet stores and nurseries. Tragic all around. 😔😔😔😔

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[–] kspkap (13555) 8 years ago

You are correct! Andrew not only destroyed South Florida in '92, in the wake of the destruction non-indigenous animals were flooded out into the swamps and the Everglades. Hmmm...we may not have an EVERglades much longer.

As far as those little rhymes I posted, maybe someone can put a tune to the five lines. It would make it easier to remember them when coming upon a coral snake. Of course, by the time we sang the little ditty the darn snake could be chomping on us. 🐍🐍🐍🐍

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 8 years ago

Thank the powers that be for cell phones and antivenin LOL!!

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[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

Even worse, you're actually supposed to feed them *live* mice! That's what they'd eat in nature, and you can't improve on nature for having a healthy pet.

In fact that's how I got my first pet mouse (a sweet and personable thing). My brother had a pet boa, and it rejected the mouse for its dinner.

Personally, I'd never get a pet snake. Not because I dislike them, but because they've evolved for hundreds of thousands of years to roam in a large territory, not kept confined in a tiny terrarium for the rest of their lives.

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

Some sites actually say not to feed them live mice, because the mouse could actually hurt them, which is pretty sad. But if we're supposed to feed it live mice, I'm definitely going to oppose it now.

That's an adorable story. Poor mouse. What happened to the snake, anyway, if it didn't eat live mice?

That's a good point, but it could be an argument for any pet. It is almost tragic if you really think about it.

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[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

You have to think in terms of what an animal needs in order to thrive, in nature, as it was intended to do. Snakes only eat live food. They're not scavengers. The only reason they'd eat dead food is to prevent themselves from starving :(

I'm not sure if the boa then ate other live mice offered to it. I believe it did. But, eventually it died :(. I think the mouse outlived it, and truly was a wonderful pet. She wasn't caged, but had free run of a reasonably decent area.

It is tragic when you think about it. It's why I'd never have a caged bird (or any bird, unless I had a good amount of property and could keep chickens), or any of a number of other animals. Few animals can thrive as companion animals, and all need to be given as natural an environment and diet as possible.

Dogs can do well, given the right diet (raw meat, not cooked), and are given good daily exercise and not just on a leash, and not just let out into a back yard. Cats can too, provided they're given the right diet (again, not cooked meat), and one lives in a place safe from traffic and predators.

I'm sorry, Leia, I don't mean to be a killjoy here, but it is something I know and care a lot about.

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[–] TexasJack (12516) 8 years ago

I'm with you. I'm very against caging animals of any kind. I don't even like zoos.

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[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

I don't like zoos either, for the same reason.

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

Don't worry about being a killjoy. It's great that you care so much about animals and their wellbeing. I can't stand any form of overt animal cruelty.

Also, we probably won't end up getting a snake anyway. If we do, it would have been born in captivity and trained (definitely not wild-caught).

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[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

Thanks for understanding, Leia.

Getting a wild-caught animal would be terrible. But what I really mean is that various animals' bodies have evolved for many thousands of years to thrive in whatever natural environment they evolved in. Born in captivity and trained doesn't change that.

I like Klownz' suggestion of a bearded dragon, because you *can* allow them free range, which is a hell of a lot better than a terrarium as an environment, even though not natural, and would be a lot more fun than a snake.

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

Hmm. That's a good point. I think I posted somewhere else here that animals bred and raised in captivity usually can't survive in the wild anyway, as far as I know, so wouldn't it be better for them to be loved as a pet rather than waste away in a pet shop? I definitely don't claim to be an expert, though, so I could be wrong. Animals born in the wild should be allowed to live free regardless.

A bearded dragon does seem more interesting than a snake, to me, anyway, so I'll ask my brother later if he would settle for one instead. Still not likely that we'll get one. However, I think my mom said she'd be more willing to get a lizard than a snake, but still not like it very much.

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[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

I completely agree with you that animals bred and raised in the wild should be let alone and left free!

It depends on the kind of animal, and how strong their innate survival skills are as to how well they would or wouldn't be able to survive in the wild, if raised in captivity, but this is too often an unknown factor. Depending on the person who adopted an animal from a pet shop, their understanding of the particular animal, and their ability and willingness to provide it with as close to a natural habitat and food, it may or may not be better off.

But honestly, I'm not down with pet shops. I don't think animals should be bought and sold like products. You may be able to give an individual animal a better life than it had or has there, but at the same time contributing to the support of pet shops, and the supply and demand of their "products."

Your mom probably would dislike having an animal that is given relative free range even more than one kept contained. Allergies aside, she doesn't sound like she's an "animal person." Maybe your brother should wait until he's out on his own, with his own place, and then make an educated and responsible decision about having a companion animal?

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

That's a good point about pet shops. If you think about it like that, it's almost like slavery, but with animals instead of people, which is a rather depressing picture.

Well, my brother's only 15, so he has quite a way to go before he can live on his own. He'll probably end up commuting to college when it comes time for that, so that makes it almost 10 years from now, but he'll likely stay at home for a while after that. My mom isn't much of an animal person, but she did have a dog when she was a kid; she got allergic after I was born (no idea why it worked out that way).

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[–] Prelude (1443) 8 years ago

I too feel that a pet shop is never the best place to actually buy an animal -- the reason being, the animals that pet shops trade in are usually mass-bred in very crowded, bad conditions expressly for the pet shop trade -- think puppy farms, and then apply that to hamsters, birds, lizards, snakes, etc.

The animals there will not have been bred and raised in a loving, responsible situation but in a mass breeding industry; they will be stressed, not socialized etc.

The best way to acquire a pet, really, is to seek out rescue centers and animal shelters where there may be abandoned animals of the kind you're looking for, pets that have had to be given up by their owners, or the owners died, or for whatever reason they need to find a new home.

There are lots of homeless animals of all kinds, who desperately need a new loving owner.

There are also small-time breeders who breed responsibly, that you can buy direct from, if you want a baby animal to start from scratch with rather than a grown animal previously homed.

There are bad breeders but if you check into them and find a responsible one who doesn't overbreed, it's better to buy from them than to support the pet shop animal industry.

To my mind, pet shops shouldn't have new young animals to sell -- if they have animals at all it should only be shelter cases/rehoming/adoption.

Not saying my family never bought from pet shops -- we did. But I've learned better now and it's a bit sad for those animals.

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[–] BiffGG (662) 8 years ago

Honestly, it does not sound like your household is ready for such a pet. Since your mother presumably pays the rent/mortgage, food, utilities, etc she should have more of a say than a child in the household. Further, it sounds like your brother needs to develop a much higher level of responsibility before having such an animal as a pet.

If such a pet is to be considered it should be of a variety that is native to the area and non-venomous. This way if it gets loose and is not recovered it is not going to impact the area ecosystem any differently than it already is. I question based on reports I have seen that a snake will develop any sense of rapport with a human such as what is seen with dogs or cats. At best a snake will stare indifferently at you and at worse it will bite. Even if non-venomous the owner still risks tetanus and infection from such a bite.

I think animals such as snakes should be left alone in their native habitat and at best humans should go in to observe and not interfere. The same goes with primates and other wild animals in terms of just leave them be where they are supposed to be. Perhaps your family should read up on the impact of invasive species and the negative impact they have on non-native ecosystems. Just because we can move animals about without regard does not mean that we should. Just because we were ignorant of doing such things a few generations ago does not mean we are entitled to do the same things now.

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[–] Strannger (2007) 8 years ago

I kinda agree. I'm not a fan of snakes. I know some do take them as pet. I think if you can take them and care for them as pets you should. Otherwise, let them be free. Born free.

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

We would definitely go for a non-venomous species, and probably one that has less of a chance of biting someone (if that's possible). I'm not sure how many snakes live around our area, but that's a good idea just in case it does manage to get loose.

I believe that animals born in the wild should stay in the wild. The only exception might be if they were seriously injured and needed to be rehabilitated. Ones born in captivity often don't learn the surivival skills they need to live in the wild (granted, a lot of it is instincts, but still).

And it's doubtful that we will actually get a pet snake, but I was just wondering if anyone had experience with them or suggestions on the best snake for beginners on the off chance that we do get one.

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[–] arvin g borkar (2854) 8 years ago

Your brother does not touch normal food? How in the world is he still alive?

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

He lives off junk food, pretty much. I don't know how he does it. Pop tarts, sugary cereal, chips, popcorn... It's really bad, but we try to get him to eat better. At least he does drink milk and sometimes has yogurt.

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[–] arvin g borkar (2854) 8 years ago

You must have pretty chill parents because at some point, they would have decided to only allow him to eat what is on his plate. Judging by how parents are now days, to get their kids to eat something, it would be all or nothing. You see that piece of broccoli or spinach? You better eat that or else you are going to bed without anything.

Then again, all he really needs is a multi-vitamin and he's good to go (do not take my word for it).

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

Yeah, our parents are pretty chill, lol. My brother does take vitamins, as do I, but my diet isn't nearly as bad as his. We do go to the doctors for yearly physicals, so if something is horribly wrong, they'd find it.

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[–] klownz (478) 8 years ago

My sister keeps a Mexican King snake & an albino rat snake.

The king is in a 4 foot vivarium & the Rat is in one about 6 foot that is also much bigger front to back. If you are getting a snake just keep it simple at first & don't get anything that grows too large or anything that has special requirements.

Both my sisters vivs have a ceramic vivarium heater on one side of the viv in a cage so it can't be touched which is connected to a habistat thing that keeps it the right temperature & both vivs have chip wood covering the base, large water bowls & various hides & plastic plants. You will need a temperature gun as well.

You feed the snakes defrosted dead mice or rats depending on the size of the snakes so when they are young and really small you start with "pinkies" & just keep increasing the size as the snakes grow. Don't feed live food.

Snakes are escape artists as well so you must have a lock on the viv!You will need to do a bit of research as well because snakes can have all sorts of requirements & problems like the Mexican king snake had to have assisted feeding when she first got him.

Ball Pythons are popular & usually recommended to beginners because they are simple, small & come in a huge range of different morphs so you will easily be able to find one you like the looks of.

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

My brother was actually looking at a ball python, but looking online it seems like those sometimes refuse to eat for extended periods of time.

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[–] BiffGG (662) 8 years ago

I can't stop your brother from doing that but chances are he is adding to a problem ecologically. Here in the US scientists are concerned that such snakes are surviving weather that normally would be fatal to them as these snakes can find shelter due to human activities. Not that I think this way but too many people think such snakes are cute because these people do not see the snakes in the general environment. Rather such people think that these snakes are only in cages and/or containers. I really do not want to meet such snakes on a path if I am walking next to a river in North Carolina or Virginia. In their native environment everything is balanced where the food intake is such to survive and minimally grow. Here pythons have access to a wider and larger selection of prey so their growth tends to be on the large side. Just as with people the larger the body the more food it takes to survive so the intake increases. In the Everglades this has meant the elimination of some species of animals that were native to the area. People need to stop screwing with the ecosystem just to satisfy a personal whim.

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[–] croft_alice (12180) 8 years ago

I don't understand why someone want to have as a pet a snake,what is that special on a snake that mades him a human companion😉

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[–] BiffGG (662) 8 years ago

I don't get it either. Most snakes "cuddle" with humans as people are a heat source that is comparatively warmer than the air around them. Snakes usually want the air temperature in excess of 75 degrees F which most people keep their residences under that so the snake seeks out an alternative. This is why snakes end up in sleeping bags when people camp out where it gets cold at night. The snakes are not trying "to get you" but rather are seeking out a source of heat. I just do not see an emotional bond with a human on the part of the snake. Then there is the issue of people who own snakes because they have an esteem issue such as wanting to think that they are a "badass."

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[–] croft_alice (12180) 8 years ago

What is so "badass" in having a snake!?

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[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

It's because they're predator animals, with little (if any) emotions -- at least not any we humans can understand or relate to.

Same reason people get pit bulls, even though one of the sweetest dogs I've ever known was a pit bull. They can be fearsome fighters, with *enormous* jaw strength. But they were also once known as "nanny dogs," excellent and gentle with children. But all too often ignorant people get pit bulls because they think the dogs are "badass," and getting one will somehow make them "badass," or perceived that way by others. It's all very stupid.

My brother was one of those people Biff was talking about. It's why he not only got a boa, but also a piranha, and a baby alligator, although I sincerely doubt he had any clue about his motivations at the time. But the reality is he felt powerless within our (dysfunctional) family, and getting such animals as "pets" made him feel -- or so he thought -- more powerful, more "badass."

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[–] BiffGG (662) 8 years ago

Good comments. I doubt snakes have much in the way of emotions but operate from small set of instinctive impulses to survive. Pit bulls for the most part get screwed up because humans mistreat/mismanage them. Talk about an animal with a misrepresented reputation. Some people dismiss domestic cats as simple minded but I have had quite a few that acted fairly complex. I think that a couple of them understood strategy as opposed to being equipped with survival impulses. One cat we had correctly identified the correct position in our hallway to watch traffic from all doorways as to the coming and going of the other cats to playfully ambush them. One time I went away on business for five days and when I got home it took a couple of days for them to want to interact with me again. I suspect not because they forgot who I was but they were feeling hurt that I was gone. They simply would not even look at me or take me petting them until a couple of days had passed. The dog we had years ago made feel that there was another human living in the house albeit one that could not use the toilet or speak English.

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[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

Thanks, Biff. I've enjoyed reading your posts too.

They probably don't, but we're learning so much more about animals than ever before, I can't discount the possibility that snakes are more complex than we've thought.

You're right, the vast majority of the problems with pit bulls is not the dogs, but their irresponsible, and too often outright cruel, owners. Pits, like any of the other powerful breeds, are not for novice, first-time dog people, but can also be one of the most loving, sweet, and gentle dogs if properly socialized to both people and other animals and, obviously, not mistreated.

I've yet to have had a simple-minded cat, although I have had a couple of simple-minded dogs. I think many dismiss cats as being simple-minded because they equate intelligence with obeying commands, and cats usually don't work that way.

Most dog breeds, on the other hand, have been bred to respond to and obey commands from humans. They're more dependent on us than cats.

I agree your cats didn't at all forget who you were, they were miffed that you'd (inexplicably to them) abandoned them.

The dog we had years ago made feel that there was another human living in the house albeit one that could not use the toilet or speak English.

Ha! Yes, I know that feeling :D

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[–] R_Kane (15828) 8 years ago

It looks like a penis. Do you remember that scene from Blade Runner?

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[–] croft_alice (12180) 8 years ago

What scene?

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[–] R_Kane (15828) 8 years ago

Where "she takes the pleasures from the serpent" in Taffi Lewis's bar.

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

I definitely don't want to risk messing up the local environment. Maybe I'll trying to convince him to think of a milk or garter snake instead (although the chances of us getting one in general are pretty slim).

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[–] klownz (478) 8 years ago

You can have problems feeding any snake & sometimes snakes will go off their food for a while but its not generally a major problem & its usually with baby snakes but you can just assist feed them if you have to & that is pretty straight forward.

I would definitely recommend fully researching any animal before buying it though and having its home set up 100% perfect before buying it.

Also with snakes you need to handle them fairly often especially when they are young because they can of course bite... doesn't hurt much when they are little though but sometimes they don't like to let go and another thing with snakes biting is they strike so it makes people jumpy around them.

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

We'd probably get an adult snake, so it's more tame. Definitely continue researching before we actually get one (if we get one).

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[–] Prelude (1443) 8 years ago

I have no experience with that type of pet, but in general terms it does not sound like your family is going to be ready for a snake, particularly since your mother has so many reservations about it.

A household shouldn't be taking on responsibility for a life unless everyone is onboard and okay with the decision, particularly if it's an escape artist animal like a snake, and someone wouldn't want to find it roaming the house.

Your brother is just going to have to pick a different animal that everyone is happier with. In a family, what one person does affects every other person. There has to be compromise and consensus.

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

Yeah, it's not likely that we will, but I just wanted to poke around and see what kind of information I could find in case we do.

The problem is, we can't have a cat or dog, since half the house is allergic to it. No interest in rodents. So that pretty much leaves fish and reptiles.

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[–] BiffGG (662) 8 years ago

Nothing wrong with fish. Turtles for the most part are safe pets. Birds....

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[–] klownz (478) 8 years ago

Fish are much harder to keep than most things assuming you are getting tropical fish or marine.

If you like lizards a really simple one to keep that is also a lot of fun is bearded dragons but just make sure you get one from a good supplier & not some shit hole place.

My brother keeps lizards & they are great & much more interesting than snakes in my opinion.

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

Freshwater fish aren't bad, which is what we currently have. They just aren't very responsive/interactive.

Maybe we'll compromise on a lizard instead of a snake. Hmm.

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[–] klownz (478) 8 years ago

There are loads of lizards that are difficult to keep & unsuitable for being a family pet.

My brother keeps three:

1. Crested gecko: Only really comes out at night & is mostly hidden away in general. It looks cool as fuck but to be honest is mostly boring and not ideal to handle & they can drop their tail (often) but his hasn't done that because it has had loads of time put into it... (could still do it tomorrow no warning though)

Leopard gecko's are insanely popular but in my opinion really boring. Mostly just hide all the time or out at night. Easy to keep though.

2. Panther chameleon: These are awesome! Really fun to look at & fairly easy to keep but ideally you want a viv with live plants & you have to keep good humidity & water on a regular basis... they only take dripping water.

3. Bearded Dragon: Had a rescued one once that was just a survivor BUT these common lizards are amazing if you spend time with them! My brothers "Orange" has a huge viv & when my brother is home the viv is always open so has run of the house! Orange also in summer goes out to the pub, shopping, round friends houses... in summer he goes everywhere!

Loads of character & even has toys... he likes "wrestling/fucking" small teddies :D They actually have character so are the perfect pet... just be warned that the bite off them comes hard! My brothers never bit anyone and kids love him but the rescue one i had bit everyone!

Really fun to feed as well Godzilla style!!! Guarantee you will never get tired of the fun feeding them!

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

Sounds interesting. Maybe we'll look into some kind of lizard, then. Would you say bearded dragons are the best kind? Or are there ones that are easier to care for?

Also, what's a viv?

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[–] klownz (478) 8 years ago

bearded dragons are the easiest to care for & the most rewarding if you put in the time & effort. They learn to know their owner & have huge personalities... like knocking on the viv window to get out & even knocking on the shut window if they want back in & it is closed :D

viv is just short for vivarium which is what we keep reptiles in.

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

That sounds pretty cool, lol. I'll look into it a bit more.

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[–] Prelude (1443) 8 years ago

Bearded dragons sound amazing! I'm starting to want one myself now.

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[–] klownz (478) 8 years ago

Watch this vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDFXdS4FtGA

This is pretty accurate on how cool they are... amazing dudes and the more you pamper them the better they are ;)

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[–] [email protected] (5854) 8 years ago

Why would anyone WANT a snake in his house on purpose? If I saw one, I'd call the Game Commission and run! lol

I guess I am just a dog/cat person. I like animals I can interact with, cuddle with, take on walks,etc. Not a pet who stares at me without blinking and is searching for a rodent dinner. Yeech!

Yes, snakes are kinda beautiful in their own way, but they need to remain in their natural habitat, OUTSIDE and away from me! Along with all those other exotic creatures, they are not pets.

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[–] klownz (478) 8 years ago

People keep exotic animals more as specimens for various reasons Like how people collect art ... I have always kept animals as specimens & only that but my bro & sis they keep them like family.

They look at pets in a very different way i look at them & it is awesome but different.

To each their own ;)

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[–] [email protected] (5854) 8 years ago

Oh I have no problem with people wanting to keep exotic animals. If they can properly care for them, that's fine. Heck, there are people who have dogs but keep them chained up outside and never walk them or interact with them. Makes me furious! Dogs are social animals.

Some people do want animals but not the socializing aspect, so I suppose reptiles and/or fish are better pets for them.

I guess that's how I look at pets. I want animals with whom I can socialize. I can't fathom having a "cuddly" relationship with a snake or a lizard. lol

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[–] BiffGG (662) 8 years ago

My feeling is that nobody outside of a zoo should be allowed to own the typical exotics such as snakes, primates, wildcats, etc. Most of the time these people do it for dipshit reasons such as wanting to make others uncomfortable or as a display of aggression or dominance of other people. As far as I am concerned one irresponsible owner is one owner too many. We see this in South Florida as people dump such pets in the wild because they could not perform the management involved with exotics or got bored. I've gone on about the damage to the environment it may cause and all we need is to have exotics running wild in every US state (sarcasm). I don't want to have to walk around with one eye looking for unfriendly exotic animals like they do in some parts of our world.

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[–] db20db (17235) 8 years ago

I'm reminded of the Zanesville, Ohio massacre of 2011 where 49 exotic animals had to be put down by law enforcement. It was a real crisis situation for them.

Apparently, the owner was the type you described here, a loose cannon who opened all the cages before committing suicide in their midst.

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[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

God, what a depressing story, from all aspects. First I've heard about it.

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[–] db20db (17235) 8 years ago

Yes, I remember following the media coverage, it was riveting, a huge story. Some of the animals killed were rare, endangered Bengal tigers.

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[–] klownz (478) 8 years ago

Perhaps you should google about what you mistakenly think you are talking about then recheck a few hundred times... you will almost be on the right path... almost.

How old are you?

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[–] [email protected] (5854) 8 years ago

BiffGG--- Yes, some people have no clue with what they are dealing with. When I was a kid , one of our neighbors had a nephew who was living with him for a while. The young guy was into exotic animals. He had a small wild cat (can't remember the breed), but it shredded his uncle's curtains and he made him get rid of it.

Later he got a pair of baby alligators which he kept in the backyard. I had NO idea at the time or else I would have stayed OUT of our backyard. One day they escaped from their pen. He never found them. No one in the neighborhood ever encountered them so I don't know where they went.

Truth is, a lot of people want exotic pets but they have no idea nor any training on how to handle them. South Florida? I have seen a few documentaries of people dumpng their pythons and other snakes into the Everglades when they grow too big. It's a nightmare for the local ecology.

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[–] db20db (17235) 8 years ago

When I was a teenager, I lived on the island of Okinawa for awhile. A huge part of the culture there is the presence of the habu snake, very similar to our rattlesnakes and the island is teeming with them.

For entertainment, I used to attend habu/mongoose fights, much like the cockfights in Mexico. I can remember a mongoose in one such encounter take on two of these vipers and kill them both. I believe these are now banned but there are videos on YouTube.

And then there's Habu Sake, rice wine which ferments with a dead habu snake immersed in the jug. It's considered a rite of passage into manhood for young Okinawan males to drink this because of the supposedly libido enhancing properties of the snake being transmitted to the wine.

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[–] BiffGG (662) 8 years ago

One less place I want to think about living at. I suppose it is all about what you grow up with. Perhaps the Habu is such that even though they are plentiful a person has to go out of their way to find them such as with the timber rattler as that snake is considerably shy. And at the same time the Europeans who came to settle the US found rattlesnakes so abundant they felt a need to dispatch (kill) them in great quantities as you could not walk 20 feet in any direction in quite a few areas with coming across one. While the rattler is not aggressive towards humans it will strike if it does not sense a practical escape route. Remember that back then humans used outhouses to take care of their "waste disposal" and it was common to have snakes inhabit those outhouses and a person probably can only handle so many such encounters before action is taken. I have a feeling that rattlesnake encounters with humans would be far more frequent today if it was not for some of the non PC methods they used to deal with the snakes centuries ago.

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[–] db20db (17235) 8 years ago

Actually, living on an island overrun by these things, it wasn't uncommon to have an accidental encounter in one's back yard.

The western diamond back rattlesnake, one of the largest, most aggressive and venomous, not indigenous to my state, has taken up residence here during the past couple of decades. According to local herpetologists studying the phenomenon, they were deliberately planted here. They're breeding, growing in numbers, a menace along the hiking trails of a popular state park during the summer.

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[–] db20db (17235) 8 years ago

I once read outhouses were also a common place to encounter black widow spiders. And what was their preferred location for lurking ? Right underneath the rim of the toilet seat! There's a creepy scenario for you.

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[–] April-151-CT (10210) 8 years ago

This is a daily occurrence for people in Australia. In their houses. All kinds of poisonous spiders under the seat and in their shoes. They have constantly be checking. ::::shudders::::

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[–] db20db (17235) 8 years ago

My area has one of the most abundant populations of the brown recluse spider , which is also very venomous. And this is the time of year when they emerge from dormancy and become most active. And they also frequently hide in shoes ( true to their name of 'recluse' ). So, I have that in common with the Aussies; I'm also in the habit of checking my shoes in the morning before putting them on.

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[–] MovieManCin2 (26342) 8 years ago

How about a nice dogie or kitty? Or maybe even a parrot (a live one that is).

😎

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[–] R_Kane (15828) 8 years ago

How about an alligator? Easier to find than a snake when it gets out, and, if it ever becomes too much work, its meat is really healthy and yummy. Snake, not so much. And you could pretend it is a dragon, Leia!

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[–] MovieManCin2 (26342) 8 years ago

Probably not a good idea.

😎

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[–] R_Kane (15828) 8 years ago

I'll let my friend, Leia, decide.

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[–] MovieManCin2 (26342) 8 years ago

Well okay then.

😎

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

I'm not quite sure if you're being serious or not. Still waking up here, haha.

But lizards are more like baby dragons than alligators are, especially a lizard called a bearded dragon. 😌
Alligators get too big, anyway.

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[–] R_Kane (15828) 8 years ago

Don't always take me seriously, Leia😜 I might tell you the moon is made of green cheese!

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[–] LeiaOfLothlorien (1980) 8 years ago

Pfft. I know that the moon isn't made of cheese!

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