Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, I went to the local hardware store (orange and white were the comapany's colors) the other day to purchse some materials to build a rat rack. Because I am not using wood or metal, the cashier asks me what I am going to build with what I am purchasing. I told her I was building what is called a rat rack to breed rats. She looked at me like I had just fallen of of a cantaloupe truck and asked "why in the world do you want to breed a bunch of rats?" I explained that I was raising food for my snakes, and that is where the same old song and dance started.

The cashier began telling me about being chased by snakes called Coachwips. She made it sound like they would chase her around the back yard in circles and it was an endurance competition to see who wore out first. She said that she would scream the whole time for husband until he would come and cut the snake's head off.

I get so tired of hearing these BS stories that I know aren't true from people who have no knowledge what so ever of reptiles, but think it's cool to tell a story like this. I think it is a good time to educate them and try to pass on a few real facts if at all possible.

And, I hate it when people call my albino ball an albino boa and say "I saw an albino ball one time that was 20 feet long."

I wish people had more factual education about reptiles in general. I think it would go a long way to changing the image of the animals we love. Until then, it gives me something to talk about.

Sorry so long.
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Happy Herping,
Jody Barnes
Royal Kreationz

My snakes aren't fat, they're big boned.

i just got a call for an albino "ball" thats 7 ft. long....

once we had a call for an "articulated python" (snakes talk?).... a retic i was assuming..... nope- it was a burm... hadn't been fed in 8 months, was pissed as hell, and had roaches-- not mites--- roaches on it... *shudder*... how can you have a snake for 2-3 years... and not know what it is...
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

It's only going to make a difference when people start caring. The majority of the population still has a real fear of snakes in general. Many, particularly in the south and southwest, were bought up believing everything was poisonus(venomus). It's difficult, to say the least, to change the thinking of generations of wrong beliefs. Public displays such as herp societies put on and pet days at schools help, but it's only a permanent help if the info we pass on is in turn passed on. Just some of my thoughts on this.

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

Experience it almost everyday. I never stop explaining my point to people. My partner said the other day he had just stopped telling people about his snakes. I wont, I love my ball pythons and are proud of them. I will explain my passion 1,000,000 times a day if it takes that. I also do presentations in schools every chance I get to try and show the kids they are great animals and wonderful pets.
Link

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www.fbballpythons.com

I run into this pretty often too. At work a lot of people come in exclaiming over what we have and asking who would be so crazy as to buy a snake like that (while pointing at a cornsnake).
It is also somewhat suprising how many people expect that they can just walk in and throw some money at us and get an animal. No, bud, we are not going to sell you the 12 foot burm if you keep calling it a "ball boa" and talk about keeping it in your bathtub.

Some people, no matter how you explain it, will never understand, believe, or even remember what you say correctly, and these are the people who ALWAYS OPEN THEIR MOUTH. I am always suprised when someone who seems to be making stuff up off the top of their head gets a huge audience listening to how snakes can become vegetarians if you switch them slowly over to crickets.

Even at the store, with people who own snakes, we get stories about how such and such snake chased so and so twenty yards, or how so and so got bit by a rattlesnake but they sucked the poison out and they lived...and so on.

I don't mind explaining, but I do mind people not remembering what I say correctly, and then passing on very bad information. I am almost on the same page with FatBoyBallPython's friend, who doesn't tell anyone about his snakes. Why on earth do I want to tell people about my snakes only to be confronted three days later about "how could you really feed baby rabbits to your snakes?!!". What? I CAN'T feed baby rabbits to my snakes...and I never even said anything ABOUT rabbits! People make stuff up to fill in gaps of what they weren't listening to.

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

"The cashier began telling me about being chased by snakes called Coachwips. She made it sound like they would chase her around the back yard in circles and it was an endurance competition to see who wore out first. She said that she would scream the whole time for husband until he would come and cut the snake's head off."

I used to get similar stories almost every day when I worked in a reptile house at a zoo. I was always tempted to say, "yeah, the same thing happened to me...only it was a cat not a snake. Good thing I had that shovel around." A cooler head always prevailed, however, and I managed to attempt a more educational conversation. Bottom line is, though, some people can never be turned and those are the ones that usually feel the need to tell you about it.

Rob

While I appreciate this post for its content, I keep thinking on just what the heck you are building your rodent rack with...

M.

It's a new concept I am working on. I get the last parts today from UPS so I can start on the prototype. As soon as I get it assembled, I am going to put some rats in it and go from there. It should be the only shippable rat rack that can be bought for $225 and produce 150-300 rats per month.
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Happy Herping,
Jody Barnes
Royal Kreationz

My snakes aren't fat, they're big boned.

YES...please do post some pics and info about the new rack that you are building...I am tired of building mine with wood. And I am actually in the market for either materials to build a new one...OR...If the one you make works well...and you are going to sell them....I want one..LOL

I am taking a break from working on the prototype now. I hope to have something ready for tomorrow.
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Happy Herping,
Jody Barnes
Royal Kreationz

My snakes aren't fat, they're big boned.

Unfortunately something in the area of 70% of Americans have a fear or general dislike of snakes - doesn't matter if it's irrational or not - you are in a hobby or business which entails collecting animals that most people do not like - you have to deal with it.

I personally don't like spiders - I know in that little part of my brain that tells me I don't need to scream like a little girl every time I see one crawling across the floor that they are ok creatures - but I don't like them and I wouldn't want some "collector/breeder" to expect me to be educated and informed on them. Just as you probably wouldn't want some Trekkie nerd enforcing their love or knowledge on you (sorry if you are a Trekkie nerd - no offense intended).

Look at it this way - most people have a very limited personal experience with snakes to draw upon when in a conversation. That they want to relay their experience on you - no matter how embellished or "incorrect" it is - instead of passing judgment - take the time to laugh and relate and maybe you'll get a chance to turn someones "bad" experience into something positive.
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Tosha
JET Pythons

Thats exactly right...Evryone is not going to understand our love for snakes, we shouldn't expect them to. 90% of the population probally doesn't like snakes. That's what I like about forums like this one, we can talk to others who share our passion and understand exactly how screwed up we are!!!!!!
Keep Herping...I'm with ya!
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www.fbballpythons.com

When I was in college we visited a coal town in WV to help out with some of the cleanup stuff, and while I was there I was told to watch out for snakes. When I asked why kind they were seeing they told me that the blacksnakes were known for breeding with the rattlesnakes so now all the snakes were venomous.

I have never understood why when people hear you like snakes, they think you want to hear your stories about killing them. Some of those stories are horribly graphic and tortuous and people tell them with a smile on their faces... If someone told me how much they loved dogs, I certainly wouldn't tell them all about how I stuck a bucket over its head and jumped up and down on it until the dull edge of the bucket cut though its neck and killed it. I really don't think people will ever understand.

I had to go through this with my fiancee's parents. They don't understand why we own snakes, and I tried to explain that it is about the same as them owning a little dog that they keep in a pen, just cheaper to feed, and less time to clean up after, and the only response I could get was "yeah, but that is a dog, it is a pet... not a snake!"
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1.0 100% het albino ball python (Junah)
0.1 normal Ball python (Alana)
01 50% het albino Retail Boa (Hitomi)

"Ignorance is Bliss"