Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I had a table with a friend at a very small Boyscout daycamp this weekend. We were going to talk about the basics: Mammals v. herps, the differences between toads and frogs, what to do when you see a rattlesnake, etc. I had brought along two of my snakes, one of them my original male normal BP, and my friend had brought along some of her herps.

The little workshop went well with each group coming through until at the end I would pull out Krispin (the Ball Python) so kids could see and hold him. My friend and I grimaced each time we had to answer two questions:

Q) Is that a python?! ...........A)Yes, but...
Q) Will it get big? Will it eat us? .....A) No, this is about as big as he will get....

None of the kids asked these questions about the monster Cornsnake my friend had, or the monitor lizard the size of a small dog. No, the *python* was going to eat them.

Do peoples' mindsets ever worry you? I think as long people think that all pythons get large enough to eat people persists, we are always going to have a fight on our hands....
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1.1 ball pythons
1.1 kingsnakes
0.1 crazy cat
?.? ASFs
1.0 husband

How big do they get and do they bite, what do they eat and are they poisonous are usually the type of questions I get. But I do like to have a myth busting round when I do presentations. I don't recall anyone seriously thinking the snake would eat them (their dog maybe).

Snakes are just a creature that people are phobic about that's not ever going to change. What we can do is educate because education will dispel the fear and ignorance. We can also be responsible about how we present these creatures so that they aren't something that is scary, weird or freaky but something to be awed and admired.
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Tosha
JET Pythons
Toshas Blog

Herp Medicine does not equal a bottle of Baytril - Dr. Scott Stahl

What dissapoints me is, that is a "learned" response! Someone "TAUGHT" them to be afraid! My kids on the other hand, have no fear! They were all raised around snakes! Just shear ignorance on those kids parents!

That is very true. There were several boys who wouldn't touch the snake because it was "slimy". All the while their mothers (and even a father) stood a "safe" distance away, refusing to come nearer.

Though I do have to say I was pleased with the progress made. Even the kids who refused to touch the snake ultimately held one, though it was the smallest snake we had. I look forward to doing this more over the summer.
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1.1 ball pythons
1.1 kingsnakes
0.1 crazy cat
?.? ASFs
1.0 husband

Thank you for your efforts! Keep it up, we may not receive much "good press" from the media, but hands-on education is the ABSOLUTE BEST method to dispel the myths, fear and ultimately, the stigma that our industry/hobby has to deal with.

Education of the general public should be first and foremost on our minds. Everyone who is able to should take every opportunity they can to educate and present their animals in a positive light. We need our pets and breeders to become "mainstream". If we can get to the point where the general public thinks nothing more of a pet snake, turtle or frog than they do about fish, dogs, and cats- we will have achieved a MAJOR success.

Of course, this is an uphill battle and it has to be won one person at a time, but every time you are able to educate or change a person's viewpoint about reptiles and amphibians you also empower THAT person to point out the false myths to someone else. Plus, it's an excellent way for more people to discover our "industry/hobby". You would be amazed at the number of people that are completely unaware that others keep and breed some of the amazing species we work with. Some of those "new explorers" will eventually end up joining our ranks.

Growth Through Education, Strength Through Continued Unification!
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Stay United!

There is Strength in Numbers... Protect Your Rights!"
Growth Through Education, Strength Through Continued Unification!

E X A C T L Y as you wrote in your post,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

quote "Stay United!"

quote "There is Strength in Numbers... Protect Your Rights!"
"Growth Through Education, Strength Through Continued Unification!"

I agree,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

sincerely, Kyle

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Proud supporter of USARK and Kingsnake.com
“We stand together or we fall apart”

Kyle
www.royalvariations.com

"be safe, be happy and dont let anyone make you afraid"
David Coverdale

whenever i do lil "shows" for kids i always like ta bring a skin or 2 so the kids can touch that first if they dont wanna touch the snakes themselves. sometimes after feelin the skin and seeing a parent or two touch one most kids will touch them by the end of things. i usually bring my snakes in for my mothers classes and sometimes since she does summerschool kids in the summer i sometimes get the same kids and its really rewarding when ya had one kid that was terrified of snakes the first time ya brought one in to be completely relaxed and actualy enjoy them after a few interactions with them.

I know I'm late here but I had to comment..

My dad was like Indiana Jones, the biggest bravest most bad-a$$ Chief of Police in the inner city when I was growing up, but he was so darned scared of snakes that he'd take welding gloves and a bucket to try to capture a little garter snake that made its way into my grandma's house. & that did nothing but make me want to know more about snakes!

To this day I'm pretty sure if he ever knew I'd had snakes in the house when he was there.. well.. he'd roll over in his grave!

Not all of us learn fear. Some of us learn to be inquisitive, thoughtful, & even grow up to be vet techs with a special interest in herps.

-Tami*

in those situations, i like to explain that boas and pythons are a group of varied types, just as dogs are... you have your mastiffs and you have your chihuahuas. i explain that banana boas (bromeliad) stay extremely small; in fact many species stay smaller than the snakes that live in their own backyards, and that there are only really 6, out of hundreds, that get quite large... and those 6 are the ones the media chooses to focus on for "news".

all are poisonous
all have fangs
all will bite
all are slimy
all big snakes can eat us
pythons/boas....are the same thing....

people.....the stupidest animal ever made......LOL.......gotta wonder huh....

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Someone once told me, in a matter of fact tone, that all snakes were poisonous.
I almost slapped him silly...

Instead I explained that he was wrong.
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"What is man without the beasts?
If all the beasts were gone,
men would die from great loneliness of spirit.
For what happens to the beasts,
soon happens to men.
All things are connected."

-Chief Seattle (Duwamish Tribe)

I've heard arguments from people that all snakes are "technically" poisonous due to the bacteria they may carry in their mouth. Which is true, the bacteria in any wild animals mouth can make you sick (including a human bite!). However, I don't think those who purport this ideaology would be likely to go around claiming that EVERY animal you come across is "technically" poisonous, although it is consistent with their inital claims.

After diving into the realm of herpetoculture I felt a strong inclination to do presentations at schools or other public functions displaying snakes and how tame and harmless they can really be. A few of my co-workers catch me checking the classifieds on here when I'm bored and exclaim how all snakes are evil, terrible, viscious creatures and that by god - if they ever see one they will do their damn best to kill it.

Needless to say, as many have already stated, the abolishment of an ignorant public would make for an easier time.
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Adam

"I wish I were wise! I wish I were wise from the heart of me, like my serpent!"

Fortunatly, it IS possible to change this mindset, as I seem to be slowly proving with my mother... It's just a slow, painful process.... I posted this on the kingsnake forum earlier today...

"I'm so proud of my mom, I had to post this.... She was working in the yard today and saw a little garter snake, and DIDN'T kill it....

This is the same woman who just a few short years ago trashed the blade on the riding lawn mower chasing a black racer and smashed a rock instead, so I'm very happy my insistance that she stop killing snakes is getting through....

Just thought everyone would like to know it is possible to reverse the "anti-snake" mindset, even if it is slowly...."

She also told me after I posted this that her boyfriend shooed another garter out of the yard, so apparently my love of my snakes is leading others to understand that its best to not harm the wild snakes they come across....
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~Maggie~

"Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious."
1.1 Cal Kings (Spot and Fry)
1.0 Florida King (Gamble)
1.0 Ball Python (Mitch)
0.1 Red Belly Piranha (Fluffy)
1.0 Australian Shepherd (Spooky)
1.0 Springer Spaniel/Beagle mix (Snoopy)
0.1 Cat (Ecco)

First of all, that is my dream job. going to schools, etc, and educating about the animals, esp reptiles..i havent landed it yet, or started out...so if anyone in GA (atl area) is doing that already, please let me know if i can help!!

and...
yes, people are STUPID. and ignorant, uneducated.
when i was a LITTLE KID, i was terrified of snakes. no one in my family had them. i didnt touch them. i didnt go near them without crying. we went to the zoo on a field trip for school when i was in the 5th grade. that night i had a nightmare about the big ones. they were still scary. but as i got older i was willing to look at them without crying. and then i liked watching them on tv and learning about them. they were ok, as long as they were on tv. lol..but then i learned MORE. i became fascinated with them. i did allll kinds of research. i would look at them in the pet store and then i finally got the guts to hold one. I held a king snake. then i just keep doing research. i grew within myself. and became less afraid. then. i had to have one as a pet. i wanted it soooo bad.
i settled on corn snake since it didnt get tooo big, but was forgiving to errors of newbies. i got a little albino and named it noodles (another story lol)...
after several months i had to give it away, due to life changes...
fast forward a couple of years. i had fallen in love with ball pythons over that time. i would stand in the pet store and stare at them. i did more research. after moving to ga i got my first..and now i own 4, and a king snake....and the rest is current history lol

i am currently trying to help a coworker/friend sell her red tail boa. her hubby took some pics of her and the snake for me (via the cell phone cam) to help sell with but she didnt know which pics he sent me. so today, i was in the break room showing her the pics i got. well, it was like show and tell. my phone got passed to several people for almost each pic. they asked the DUMBEST question. and said some STUPID comments. One lady said "they are nasty!"...
one lady asked if we could "train" them...i told her you cant train them like you can a dog.
i will answer the stupidest questions and comments because thats how they will learn different.
another lady is terrified of them, but she asks me questions alll the time. i show her my pics alot. i would make her hold one if i could bring it up there too..ahahahahaha...
anyways..
yes, people are stupid. but they can learn, and grow and KNOW different.
i am prime example

i want more...i still have a reptile addiction...
they think im crazy. and maybe i am. but i think theyre stupid. at least i can be "treated" if im crazy...ahahahahahahaahahahahahah
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~Snake Charmer~
0.1 russian tortoise (natasha)
3.1 dogs (church, bandit, willy and tonka)
1.2 cats (taz, squeaky, cami)
0.1 king snake (q aka curly q or queenie)
2.2 'normal' ball pythons (zenith, butters, zahara, and shadow)

I've had people come over my house, well, barely entering the house! After deciding to use my energy to persuade, had them hold a baby ball! Most common response; "It's not slimy"! No kiddin', who told you that? Then, low and behold, I can't get it away from them! "I can't believe I'm holding a snake"! EUREKA!

I read in one of the pet trade magizines a while back that "the newest trend for first time reptile owners are now 7 to 13 year old girls and they weigh in at 45% of all first time reptile owners" that was kind of shocking for me but I even see it everyday. Yesterday as a father his daughter (about 8) wanted to see the ball python. His two sons 6 & 8 years old ran off before I even got the snake out! the dad had kept a ball or two before so was some what knowledgable. his daughter was holding the snake and was begging the father to buy it, the boys finnaly came back but were still scared and wondered if it was going to eat them (we found that they learned it on the playground that all snakes are deadly and pythons will eat you) (thanks news teams) and the older one very convincingly told me that all snakes had fangs. Well after a long session of q&a everyone was "reprogramed with the truth" and they were on their way with sally the little girls new pet.

It just amazes me what people teach/pass on phobias to their kids.
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1.0 Sunrise (sshhh)
1.0 Yellow Belly
1.0 Het pied
1.0 Green Hypo
1.0 Spider Het B Hypo
0.1 Green Hypo
0.5 Het nerd Orange Hypo
0.2 poss Het nerd Orange Hypo
0.1 poss Het albino
0.1 het pied
0.1 Bell Jungle
0.6 Breeder normals
0.1 black pastel (unproven)
0.1 Tiger ball (unproven)
0.1 genetic reduced pattern
0.1 mojave (best looking one ever! thanks Jeff Luman)
0.1 Pastel Het ghost
0.1 BCI 8ft
1.0 snow corn
0.1 albino Het snow corn
0.1 amel corn
0.1 amel corn
0.1 ghost motley corn
1.0 albino vanishing pattern nelsons
2.0 Het albino vanishing pattern nelsons
0.1 blue tail monitor (adult male wanted)
2.0 Reed frogs
2.2 felines aka boa food ;o
And I am not gonna count all those rats . . .

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