Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Yesterday, I posted a picture (on an unrelated site) from a trip where a friend of mine and I had caught a few snakes. (they were released almost imediately, so that's superfluous) Someone posted a comment which really annoyed me. For one, this person -knows- that I study snakes. For two... well... it's just plain ignorant.

Here was her comment:

"Ehehehe. You look silly. ^_^
But really, you should watch out for snakes that you don't know. Not all are as nice as you proclaim [your kingsnake] to be. Have you ever seen the movie Anaconda? Yeah. :nod:"

I guess it's mostly frustrating because I thought I was doing a pretty good job of educating people about snakes. Hollywood clearly isn't helping any. I suppose some people are just too stuborn to open up and discover just how awesome snakes are. It's pretty sad.

Could it be that you read too much into her comments?
Personally, I believe she was taking a shot at some good natured sarcasm and I would not hold a grudge or allow such comments to get me riled…

Best regards,

Jeff

-----
Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

If it had been anyone else, that's how I would have taken it. I know this person though. She's constantly trying to convince me that my reptiles (especially snakes) are dangerous and that I should get rid of them. Luckily, that's not something she has any control over. It's mostly the fact that I've failed to enlighten her that annoys me. Of course, I can't expect to convince everyone that snakes are great, I suppose.

I have found the best method to be simply ignoring such individuals and their comments. It appears she is merely trying to get a reaction out of you, some folks are like that and prey upon those they know are reliable for such.
Of course, Bob could be hitting the proverbail nail on teh head too, as she may very well be sweet on you! ;0)
Anyhow, this is a great place to vent, as we have all, at one time or another, faced such a demon...

Best of luck to you,

Jeff

-----
Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

LOL If she is sweet on me, I have to admit, she did find the only way she'll get attention from me!

I think by "some folks" you mean stupid people under the age of 14 who believe that it is "cool" to fight on the internet.

I've met a handful myself.
-----
0.1 Irian Jaya carpet python
1.0 Hogg Island Boa
0.1 Ball python
1.3 Crested Geckos (harlequin/fire, dalmatian, fire)
4.6.0 Leopard Geckos (nrml, abno, htct, blz, lcs)
0.1 Western Hognose snake
1.0 Albino Lavender California Kingsnake
1.3 Bearded Dragons
0.2 Water turtles
0.0.1 Rose Haired Tarantula-Sammy
1.0 Umbrella Cockatoo (belongs to my mom and I)

ive run into 45 year olds who enjoy a good flaming.
-----
jake

my addiction:
0.0.2 normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
1.0 amelenistic corn snake (zyklon)
0.1 blizzard corn (blizz)

but it sure looks very Cobra like.

Yes, that is one of my D. corais (Yellow-tail Cribo), she is from Don Bordner's '03 clutch and is now pushing 9', with a lot more growth ahead.
The semblence to Naja is one reason the good Dr. Wuster coined Drymarchon spp. honorary cobras...

Best regards,

Jeff

-----
Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

I wouldnt let it bother you.

It could be a bit of jealousy, you know, your useing your intelligence for information and they dont know what intelligence is.

Or she likes you dude and is trying to get on your radar.LOL

Complaining about it was my way of getting over it. Maybe someday I'll get her to like snakes.

I love the snakes in that pic, btw. Pueblan milksnakes? I'm thinking about getting a milksnake (or possibly a few...) but I'm kinda partial to the Sinaloan Milksnakes.

...i can't help but wonder,why are you allowing this person so much control over your life? she says blah blah and you CHOOSE to get annoyed.just a thought,have fun!

>>Have you ever seen the movie Anaconda? Yeah. :nod:"

This leaves me with three possible conclusions I can think of:
1) She's kidding with you (but you seem pretty sure she isn't)
2) She's intentionally trying to annoy you
3) She's a world class moron

Whenever I'm doing a snake show and someone asks any question about anacondas, I ask who in the audience has seen that movie. Lots of people raise their hands. I inform them that EVERYTHING in that movie was wrong, and noone has ever expressed any doubt about that contention... (It's probably not precisely true though, I'm sure someone must have gotten something right by accident somewhere in the movie.)

the consriction, other than that your right on target
-----
jake

my addiction:
0.0.2 normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
1.0 amelenistic corn snake (zyklon)
0.1 blizzard corn (blizz)

Never underestimate the stupidity of Hollywood. My folks have a family friend who won an Olympic medal years ago. These Hollywood types once wanted to do a movie about this person's life. They brought a script to the family and asked for their comments. The family said that it wasn't a bad story but that it was 100% wrong in the way that this athlete was portrayed. The Hollywood types said that they didn't care. They had the story that they wanted to tell. They were just looking for a real name to stick in the story.

I used to know many people who knew Karen Silkwood. I knew a guy who was talking to her ten minutes before she died in that auto accident. (At one time, I was using the same microscope that she had used.) The folks who really knew her said that about everything in the Silkwood movie was a lie.

The moral of the story is that Hollywood has no concept of reality. When Hollywood types stick to complete fiction, they can sometimes do something right. When they try to introduce any reality to what they do, they only succeed in making ignorant people even more ignorant.

Bill
-----
It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

Hold it a minute... Are you saying that 'Anaconda' did NOT correctly portry the snake?!? Your kinding right? Give me a break, next you'll tell me that Boa, Python, their sequals and King Cobra were just hollywood and I shouldn't really worry that my ball python is going to eat me first chance he gets!

People take too much stock in what they see on tv and care little about finding out the real facts. But I am sure that every one of us has one thing or another that we are sure is right and true that in reality isn't.

On my part, I got a ball python to help me get over a fear of snakes and to bring me and my parents closer (I'm mid thirties but it is never too late to try, unless they or you are dead). My mother, and soon my father, are ordained ministers in the Church of God... I thought all of the Church of God affiliated churchs handled snakes every Sunday (that is how they are always portrayed on tv and in movies). Needless to say I was wrong and they refuse to come to visit due to the snake... had I known that I would have gotten one years ago!

As for my fear of snakes... I go to sleep everynight looking at him in his cage beside my bed plotting my death.

So maybe she believes it is all true, maybe she doesn't, maybe she likes you, maybe she doesn't, all I know is that when you look into that cage and your 'pet' looks back at you that look in his eye isn't love, its just that he sees dinner! LOL
-----
Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
0-1-0 Rescued Mountain Horned Dragon - Ki
0-0-1 Rescued Aggressive Bearded Dragon - Zeus
0-0-1 Rescued Non-Alpha Green Iguana - Bud
1-1-0 Rescued Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
0-0-1 Rescued Dieting Panda Hamster - Mr. Fluffy
0-1-0 Rescued Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

I make all of my students watch “Anaconda” and “Boa Vs. Python”, they are quite educational! I also know that one of the ornithology professors shows Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds"; while the mammalogy professor cannot develop a syllabus exclusive of "The Killer Shrew"; I was under the impression every entomology professor I know has a copy of the 1977 hit "Tarantulas"; I can’t think of anyone who hasn't sat in an ichthyology class without watching "Jaws", or my personal favorite, "Pirannah" and what self respecting botany professor would be without the infamous "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes". I happen to know a mycologist that is just stewing over the fact; she cannot find comparable educational quality material for her class! ;0)

Best regards,

Jeff
-----
Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

>>I happen to know a mycologist that is just stewing over the fact; she cannot find comparable educational quality material for her class! ;0)

I love the internet:

http://www.hollywoodvideo.com/movies/movie.aspx?MID=41749
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051418/
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0094761/

I also found a reference to an alleged 1953 movie called "Killer Slime Mold", but that one's so obscure I can't even confirm it's existance.

Classics! I will have to give a couple to her for Christmas!

Thanks again,

Jeff
-----
Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

LOL My parents still visit, but my grandma thinks I'm in a cult and worship my snakes. She doesn't speak to me anymore! I think I'm a little more worried about my dangerous frogs. They seem to have become canibals, and when they run out of frogs for dinner, maybe they'll become man-eaters as well!