Reptile & Amphibian Forums

He's around 8 feet or so, I named him Rodimus

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Well my snakes serve a second purpose...they keep my family out of my house

Greg, that's a good lookin' burm, and please don't take this the wrong way but has what you're marquee says got to do with the fact most blacks are just fearful of snakes? I spent a year in a neighborhood in Pontiac, Michigan was all Bikers and black folk, mostly druggies. While many people in the apartment building were getting broken into on a fairly regular basis we never got hit. I kept a seven foot red tail boa in the window of our basement apartment .

Quig
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

Actually I do take offense to it... that is among the most antiquated of stereotypes. What does someones' ethnic background have to do with everyday fears? Most "Blacks" aren't afraid of snakes, we routinely keep them as pets and often times breed them as well (they also play a key element in several religions). I have the signature set up like that because some of my family members don't like snakes... not because they're black because some of the non black members of my family don't like them either. My girlfriend (who by the way is white) was terrified of snakes when she and I first started dating. I've kept snakes since I was 10 years old, work for a vet clinic that counts several Black owned reptiles as clients and I have one year left before I go off to vet school.
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Well my snakes serve a second purpose...they keep my family out of my house

Greg, my apologies. I ment no harm. I have had, and do have several black friends in my life. No, I don't know the general population, but in many years of associating, and making friends, with them it's just something that caught my attention over the years. Again, I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong foot.

Quig
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

No worries Quig. Lol its just that after years of hearing that a guy gets a lil agitated at times.
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Well my snakes serve a second purpose...they keep my family out of my house

Understood
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

Where have you guys been hearing that? I've never ever heard that before. Now swimming...
Lol,
Just kidding, great snake Greg.

I would be the girlfriend he is referring too, lol..and I wasn't just afraid of snakes, I was PETRIFIED...literally. Greg was patient enough to answer any questions I had and was thrilled the first time I asked to hold our female albino burm and I was woman enough to not expect him to give up something he is so passionate about.

kelly
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1.0 CB Boyfriend (Gregory)
1.1 Burmese (Gravity, Niran (turns out hes a she!)
1.1 Albino Burm (Rodimus, Typhoid Mary)
4.9 Ball python(too many to list)
1.0 Green tree Python (Scotty Don't)
1.0 Amazon Tree Boa (BigE)
0.1 Hog Island (Jane)
0.1 Nic red tail (Bonita)
1.1 Central Amer. Red tails(Pugsy, Odessa)
0.1 Ambon Retic(marilyn)
4.3 King snakes (various phases)
1.2 Rat snakes
1.1 Blood Pythons(Taint, Dee)
2.4 Leopard Geckos
2.0 dumb-estic cats (nugget & pedro)
1.0 Pit Bull (joker)
0.1 Jack russell/chihuahua (Harley)
1.0 MinPin (Bishop)

I know exactly what you mean... my boyfriend had to leave his snake behind when he moved across the country with me. When he talked about gettin another one I was terrified I asked about a million and one questions and did not want to go near her. When he fed her for the first time I screamed my lungs out. Now we have 1 albino burm, 1 reg burm, 1 ball python and a 1 red tail boa and love them as much as i do our two girls they are just like our kids.. lol.. and i can also relate to them keeping family out of the house lol my family wont walk 2 ft away from the threshold... well good luck with your new burm.

That's a beauty! Congratulations!

I got a kick out of your marquee, about snakes keeping your family out of the house. LOL!!! I can imagine. I'll bet that you're the talk of the neighborhood, too. You're one of a very few and I think that's cool.

So how did you get into snakes?

Have a good one!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

I got into snakes when I was pretty young, growing up in Southeastern Georgia you see them everywhere. I work for a vet clinic right now and I have one year left before I head off to vet school so I can specialize in reptiles and exotics. Actually there are a lot of people just like me in my town as far as the reptiles and amphibians go.
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Well my snakes serve a second purpose...they keep my family out of my house

I wish you well with vet school. Try your best to hang in there as life can get difficult and knock us off track sometimes. 26 yrs. after graduating high school I finally made it to a community college and I'll graduate this Spring with an AA in Network Administration & Support.

My snakes haven't kept any family members out of my house but they have kept a few good friends at bay. They'll hang out in the yard all day long but won't set foot in the house because of my 10ft & 8 ft regular burmese pythons. One friend said I don't even need my german shepherds. LOL!!!

Have a good one!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

Lol with the 36 snakes that my girlfriend and I have most of our friends who are afraid of them stay out of our snake room. Congrats on your AA!
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Well my snakes serve a second purpose...they keep my family out of my house

np
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Well my snakes serve a second purpose...they keep my family out of my house

it isn't a matter of race it is just human nature to be scared of snakes I am also black and have no fear of snakes and own a burm

I am white and have dated several black women(including my current fiance which is bi-racial). While getting to know their families, etc. I would give them background on my interests and career, etc. At the mention of reptiles and snakes, it is automatically assumed by many black individuals that animals like that are simply a "white people thing". As a matter of fact, my fiance's mother is black and (while not telling me this directly), tells my fiance that people who keep reptiles and other exotics are a backwater rednecks and that decent people (including decent black people) dont do stuff like that.

Now, over a period of getting her to know me...she has warmed up and has learned quite a bit and I feel that I have changed her mind on that a great deal. Now she just feels that 80% of people owning any type of exotic animals are backwater rednecks (Before anyone gets defensive...I am from West Virgina myself and could technically be considered a redneck).

Ultimately, like Jaycoop says....It's a human thing. It has nothing to do with race. Blacks will say it's a white thing...white's will say it's a black thing. However, I think it is simply a matter of how the individual grows up and how their experiences effect them as to how they will view reptiles or snakes in general.

JMO,

Chris
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My Website
www.herpfanatic.com

I know I'm a black man who has had reptiles for years! Born and bred in midwest Ohio. As a matter of fact I had a boa as a child back in the late 70's so you could imagine how that was taken back then. I have been very suprized that in the last decade the black community it has become almost common place for some to have atleast interaction with the Reptiles. If the truth be told it has been the last decade or so before Herps have become mainstream. I almost feel ackward calling a snake a "exotic" pet. but maybe that's just me? LOL!

I can say I agree with the observation that different cultures do relate to herps differently! As I'm married to white lady and it's funny how different people react to these great pets!

Just curious, what vet school? Only askin', cause that's what I'm doing right now, and in an unexpected place... Kansas has a better exotics program than what folks might expect, since there' way more cows than people out here

-P
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1.0.0 Normal corn snake (Frito)
1.0.0 Creamsicle corn (Tang)
0.1.0 Ghost corn (Raynham)
1.1.2 Bay of LA rosy boas (Rivet, Cali, and Cali's unnamed babies)
0.1.0 Cape Gopher (Mole)
0.0.1 African House Snake (Casa)