Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know it is because you think they are beautiful. And so do I!

But this question is for those who have been keeping them for a long time. For those that the original facination has worn off.

So is there any other reason why you want to keep snakes?
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www.Bluerosy.com

>>I know it is because you think they are beautiful. And so do I!
>>But this question is for those who have been keeping them for a long time. For those that the original facination has worn off.
>>So is there any other reason why you want to keep snakes?

I've only been REALLY keeping snakes 20 years and breeding them 17 years or so....

Two reasons....
I enjoy the "look" each one expresses as compared to "wild-type" animals of each species and subspecies.......

I also enjoy being on the "cutting edge" of producing some nice "hobby" animals that have yet to be produced........Not at all for the money but for the fame and such....LMAO!!!!!
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

good answer John.

And i knew you would post.

But this place has become really silent all of a sudden. LOL!
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www.Bluerosy.com

I'm utter crap at articulating why I do *anything* unless there is a real physical reason (i.e I have a job because I like having food & shelter).

But there's a few things:

I like how they look and act. I can go watch my animals in thier cages, or take them out and handle them (depending on the animal) and it's aesthetically and personally enjoyable. Same reason I go hiking or look at artwork really; it feels right.

They're educational. There's nothing like actually working with animals to get you a feel for biology
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.

I feel really bad for you if the original facination has worn off. I dont think thats possible for me. It evolves to different areas but never goes away. I like to look for and keep locality animals. I do not sell any snakes. Its all to learn and have fun. Finding them in the wild is probally the best part but keeping them the way you find them is just as cool. Why do you keep snakes Rainer?
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Gerard
www.livebaitclip.com

GONE FISHING!!!

I don't really know why I like keeping snakes. I guess it takes my mind off the chronic anxiety and panic attacks I have struggled with all my life. Like, doing all the little chores and so forth with the snakes calms me down. The snakes themselves are calm and tranquil, which is also soothing. Having babies hatch is a joyous event. Never running out of things to learn is invigorating.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

The facination i was referring to was "liking" snakes.

From time to time people ask me why i like snakes. My answer always is "because I think they are beautiful". Of course that is not the answer they expected and stops any further inquiry.

But I am way past the liking of snakes. Kinda like when you are first attacted to a girl . For men it is usually physical attraction, mannerisms, the eyes, the nose(feet if you are like Jorge who has a foot obession, lol!). But then you want to get deeper into the person. You want to know what makes them tick. So the facination is no longer is just keeping them in a box. But understanding... the challenges that come with keeping different species.

So yes i "like" the way they look. But my reasons for "keeping" them have gone ay past just liking them because i think they are beautiful.

Gerard, i think for you and your turtles it is similar. Same with FR and his Goanna Ranch. You enjoy learning and watching them. I worked with torts, phelsuma and lots of other snakes. The greatest joy is learning from trail and error. and always trying to improve.

The physical attribute facination are just secondary now.It is kinda like a prize at the end of the day. But it still ROCKS!~

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www.Bluerosy.com

Ok nevermind about all that....you just gotta go down the list and ID all of those snakes you just posted!

Ok nevermind about all that....you just gotta go down the list and ID all of those snakes you just posted!
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They are all Florida kings morphs.

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www.Bluerosy.com

Yeah no sh1t sherlock! hahahahha!!!!! WHAT ARE THEY!!!!!!!!!!! Tell me NOW!!!!!!!!!!! smartass.

I wouldn't have been able to articulate why I took a fascination with animals when I was a little kid, but for some reason, I was chasing lizards in south Florida as soon as I was out and about.

I can probably come up with some reasons why I still keep reptiles, but the accuracy still lies with my two-year old self that can't articulate it.

All I do know is when I see them out "in the field" or even catching a glimpse of one of my snakes outside its hide, I get an excited rush and am drawn to them. That includes those ubiquitous racers all around my yard.

That's one of the reasons I've opted for a much smaller collection and more spacious display cages. I'm not sure how you keep your extensive collection (and with all the talks on bonding, I'd be curious as to other husbandry practices you employ, e.g., cage sizes, that allow a snake to "be itself", but I'm enjoying potentially visible animals rather than stacks of foggy plastic bins. For example, I right now have a ~two-foot pueblan in a 55-gallon tank. And I stop and admire every time I catch a glimpse of him.

Because they're cool.

Newts are cool.
Turtles are cool.
Treefrogs are cool
Lizards are cool.

And although I keep all of the above, snakes are low-maintenance, which means I can keep alot more of them with only a fraction of the work involved in keeping just about any other vertebrate.

Tim

One of my Barking Treefrogs:

I LOVE BULL SNAKES AND I WONDER ABOUT THEM ALL THE TIME ESPESHELLY THE RED ONES AND SUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!O.H. Y.E.A.H.!!!!!

>>But this question is for those who have been keeping them for a long time. For those that the original facination has worn off.
>>
>>So is there any other reason why you want to keep snakes?

Great question, Rainer. Although I'm not sure my fascination's ever worn off. because the introduction of new morphs, or acquisition of a new species, always keeps things fresh.

Generally, I think I'm attracted to keeping snakes because they remind me vicariously of what i might run across in the woods some day (I know that contradicts the morph aspect of my interest). A splendida in a cage reminds me of the chilly night in the desert with my daughter, when we caught and released a great desert king on a road in SW new mexico (link below the photo, below); a captive arizona mountain king reminds me that--someday--one of my trips to the chiricahuas will bear tricolored fruit; a beautiful Okeetee red rat conjures stories of the old-time herpers' books describing their field trips to the SC hunt club; and so on. It's the animals' connection to the wild that hooks me. A chain king in a cage reminds me of the site below, where i found my first one, under the railroad ties lower left--and every time i cross RR tracks like that, I'm reminded of chain kings. All these experiences make my life richer.

Heck, I bred exotic birds for 20 years and was moved 3 years ago to go to australia for a field count, in hopes of seeing in the wild some of the species I'd bred for so long.

Always: the connection to nature.

on the road in new mexico

>>>>a beautiful Okeetee red rat conjures stories of the old-time herpers' books describing their field trips to the SC hunt club (photo at link below)

>>>and in addition to birds, my australia trip led to this children's python (I think) that showed up in our campsite (photo)

Breeding snakes also gives me the feeling they're well cared for: good health = good breeding results, so that's gratifying. And what could be bad about making more of such beautiful animals available so others can marvel at them too.

link to pic at the okeetee hunt club

I keep them because I am still fascinated by them. That has never worn off over the 25 years I have been keeping them. I still enjoy watching them shed or swallow their prey. I still am fascinated by how colorful and graceful they are.

Its also a great stress relief for me to go in the snake room after a long day at the office and work with the animals.

Dave
DNS Reptiles

ive always felt a kinship with snakes. i love them all, for many of the same reasons others have stated. but in the end it(keeping,breeding) is all about us not the snakes.
,,,,,,,thomas davis
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Morphs... just like baseball cards BUT ALIVE, how cool is that???

my website www.barmollysplace.com

OH YEAH!!! Me to I love snakes and snakes love me to and that's a prety great piture and such so keep up the great work and never give up trying to do stuff!!!

its a fun hobby...I really enjoy the genetics part...Im a high school science teacher...plus...my hobby pays for itself and then some...
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Michael Enriquez

Enriquez Reptiles

I have been keeping snakes on and off since 1975 and everything from garter snakes to black-headed pythons. The original appeal had a lot to do with the fun of field collecting and everything I kept back in the 1970's (corn snakes, kings, rat snakes, EDB's) I had to collect myself. There were no other options because very few people were breeding and selling snakes until late 1980's - early 1990's. Then the herpetoculture explosion hit and amazing captive produced snakes were available. Man, I wanted some of everything. Now, I have gone full circle and my favorites are (once again) common kings and corns.

I keep them because they are beautiful. Simple as that. To me they are living art. I buy babies from some of the people who post here, particularly those who are passionate and knowledgeable. I breed a few kings and corns just for the heck of it, but I have no desire to sell anything. I would rather give babies to friends. In the future, I would like to get into keeping snakes communally, but I need some larger cages for that effort.

Ever since the boa in high school biology class I have found every aspect of their behavior fascinating. I also think they are beautiful of course.

In college (Abilene, Texas) I became friends with some guys who were into snakes and we did alot of field collecting. That was when I started keeping snakes. Except for a break of several years when my kids were young, I have had them ever since.

I still find them fascinating and beautiful, and also enjoy the challenge of learning better ways to keep them.

I also find it difficult to explain to my non-herp friends why I keep snakes.
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
0.0.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 2000 and something

Colossians 3:17

I have to stop and even look at dead snakes on the road, lol! I was born in August so maybe I have some snake blood in me? I am still fascinated by everything they do, except when they poop on me! I am SnakeHead!

Slip and slide
in the grass I hide
You can't see me
but I'm near to strike
Step on me it'll be your last mistake
Watch for me, I am the Snake!

I was cursed, on my belly I crawl
If I see you first, your gonna take the fall
My venom strike,, is so quick and deep
I'll end your life and start your final sleep!
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
Jorge Sierra

My Site > www.Sierrasnakes.com

I was born in August]

Where your parents properly bonded? Cause bonded parents get clutches year round.
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www.Bluerosy.com

I guess they were'nt, cause they ended up divorced, lol. Plus I don't think the temps get low enough in Cuba for proper brumation!
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
Jorge Sierra

My Site > www.Sierrasnakes.com

see I told you.

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www.Bluerosy.com

Snakes have always been a lifelong obsession of mine.
Besides, I get to breed all kinds of florida king morphs.
It doesn't get any better than that.
Hope you have a good year Ranier.
Jeff

Hi Rainer,

The novelty still hasn't worn off for me. I've been doing this since the mid-70s and still look forward to going out to the snake shack every single day and looking at them, feeding them, collecting eggs and...the most fun, watching what comes out of those eggs. The fascination still hasn't faded with time and I am very grateful for that.

The morph thing has kind of run its course for me though, at least for the time being. Although that is kind of hypocritical, because even though I will turn my nose up at albinos and the like, I still want to see my next generation of jungle carpets get even brighter yellow, which is kind of the same thing.

I guess that I am just very lucky to have found something early on that I really like doing....and I'm still hooked.

Will