I doubt that the snakes were the only reason that the children were removed from the home, although they may have been the final factor in deciding for removal. Chances are there were other factors in the decision as well.

I am a teacher of young children, and we keep 2 reptilian classroom pets: a mexican kingsnake(Inkus), and a leopard gecko (Laverne). Unfortunately, Shirley died. The cages are locked, and the children only touch the animals when I am holding them. I also bring in herps from home for my children to observe, touch and learn about. They learn about respecting the animals.

My own son got into reptiles at about 11 yrears-old. He is turning 21 this week. Last year he joined the army and left my collection with his leopard gecko colony, golden gecko, and a kingsnake. Several of his leos are 10 years-old. No longer breeders, but living long lives because of the good care he learned to give them.

My heart skips a beat when someone posts a photo of their toddler hanging out on the floor with their huge burm. Even if "Fluffy" has been dog tame for 15 years, all it takes is one grumpy moment for tragedy to happen. I feel the same way about photos of toddlers with aggressive looking dogs in spiked collars.

If the unthinkable happened, would the adult be able to intervene and keep the baby safe? Children are innocents. It is up to the adults in their lives to protect them from harm. If the parents demonstrate poor judgement in other aspects of their child's care (such as hygiene), snakes in the home would be a concern beyond the child being bitten (possible salmonella). Just my opinion.

althea

[ Show Entire Thread ]