Reptile & Amphibian Forums

With only one corn, I am truly addicted. Not only to corns, they just happen to be my starter herp...next a beardie, another corn (and another, and another...=)) and eventually a tortise. But I have been wondering...what is it about herps that makes people so addicted? With dogs and other furry critters you don't see people getting 10 of them. Just wondering if anyone else was thinking about this.

Jamie

Ok, I'm addicted with snake, too. I started with a corn and now have 2 corns, a milk and a jungle carpet python. I just find them fascinating. I also have 4 cats and 2 dogs. Snakes are much less demanding with care and attention. For me that makes them a great pet. They don't need yearly vaccinations and do find with eating once a week or so. They are very inexpensive to keep.
Now I don't know about lizards, tortosie and those kind of herps. From what I've read they do require more maintance then snakes.
I wish to get another snake but running out of room :0)

I think part of my herp addiction is the "unrequited love" that herp keeping involves. These critters are beautiful and fascinating, but show no affection, so to fulfil our longing for response from them, we keep getting more and more. It's like the little interest that comes back from them stacks up by having more and more snakes.

Either that or we're all just odd (or looking for that big super-albino-pastel-carmel-jungle-stripe payoff!): )

Welcome to the exclusive club of herp addicts. Why are herps so addictive? I think it's because they are so beautiful and different. It's only natural to want the best, and in this hobby you can never really obtain the best. There is always that one more snake that you have got to have. By the time you get that one, theres another one out there that you have to have. So on and so on. Thats me any way. Thanks, Jim
-----
1,0 snow
1,0 amel

1,0 aney stripe motley
0,1 normal
0,1 anery
0,1 motley
1,1 oketee
1,1 tx rat
4,4 ball python
1,1 dumerils boa
1,0 columbian red tail boa
1,1 green iguana
1,0 leopard gecko
1,3 dogs
freezer full of mice & rats

I think it has to do with snakes being extremely easy to care for unlike dogs and cats.

If I had the room and those other animals (non-herps) were as easy to care for as snakes, I'm sure I would have more than just one dog.

It's really not that much harder caring for 4 snakes as it is for 1. I'm sure after you get a lot more, it does become a bit harder, but it would definitely not be as hard as caring for the same amount of dogs, for example.

-----
alstiver@hotmail.com

Current snakes:
1.0 2001 Hypo snow cornsnake
0.1 2002 Pastel Ghost cornsnake
1.1 2002 Bloodred cornsnakes
To be added when it gets warmer:
0.1 1998 Het Hypo, Het Caramel cornsnake
1.0 2000 Hypo Het Caramel cornsnake

I can tell you in two words why I keep the furry critters to 4 or less. LITTER BOX! haha, I use a 32qt sweater box as a litter box and they still fill it up in a day and half. Not to mention the little pieces of kitty litter they track out of the box with them.

The reason I keep getting more corns is also easy, they are fascinating! It's a true "wild" animal doing what it normaly would, and yet letting you into it's world. After a year and a half I still find myself eagerly watching as Ruby "attacks" her rat. And then to handle her and have her be comfortable, or at least not completely irritated with me. It's "raw nature" and completely amazing to me. The fact that their care is so easy just makes it easier to have more than one
-----
Dianne
AKA IcedGoddess
6.7 Cornsnakes
1.3 Cats
0.1 Child
IcedGoddess Creations
Castle Serpents

!
-----
Emily

"His will was set, and only death would break it."

I read somewhere:
"There is a fine line between hobby and obsession"
I've crossed that line way too many times.

How else can you explain countless hours each week on internet forums, looking at pictures, reading books, and best of all: handling, observing, feeding, and the shocked expressions from people you know that considered you a "normal" person.....

>>I don't have as many snakes as a lot of people but I have a few. And Turtles and a Beardies and dogs and cats and a tortoise

1.2.0 Creamsicle corns
0.0.1 striped creamsicle
1.0.0 Amel Motley
1.0.3 Okeetees
1.0.0 Anery
1.0.0 Ghost
0.2.1 snows

1.1.0 Bairds Rat snakes

1.0.0 Red-Foot Tortoise

1.1.0 Diamondback Terrapins
1.0.0 Common Musk Turtle
0.1.0 Florida Cooter
1.0.0 Northern Redbelly Turtle
1.0.0 Big Bend (Rio Grande) Slider
1.0.0 Barbours Map Turtle
1.0.0 False Map Turtle
0.1.0 Cumberland Slider
( I used to have many more turtles but backed off on turtle rescue and adopted out most of my collection so I could devote more time to my snakes.

1.2.0 Bearded Dragons

1.0.0 Chocalate Lab
1.0.0 Beagle
0.2.0 Sheltie/mutt mixes
1.0.0 mix breed

4.5.0 assorted cats (mostly domestic shorthairs)

and a very understanding wife
-----
Remember, my posts are MY opinion only.
Jimmy (draybar)

It is great to hear your comments. In the just the past four weeks into my new "hobby" (cough obession), if I even had just a quarter for the looks, shivers, and comments on you have a baby what?!
-----
Jamie

Trying telling people you have a snake that COULD grow to 12ft. People lose interest in visiting and some actually fear for their lives.

But they all love the baby corns, especially my amel!!!
-----
-Iman

2.0 Balls
0.1 Boa (BCI)
0.0.1 Amel Corn
0.0.1 Motley Anery Corn

Loving to Learn
Learning to Help
Helping to Love

Ha... YOU GUYS... THERE NEED TO BE WARNING LABELS ON HERPS!

I'm serious, 6 mnths ago I got my first Ball Python! Then one month later I got another, then one month later I got a Red Tail, then one month later (and after the serious realization of the adult sizes of my 3 snakes) I got a corn!...

But wait... it gets worse... one month later... WHAM... another corn.

It is month 6. I am fighting with all of my energy not to get another. I've tried to convince myself that I'm not getting another snake unless it's a patternless snow corn with BLUE eyes... (Rare or Impossible?). I never seen or heard of one, so it gives me something to live up to. (When that day comes though, it will be 6...)

How do you cure this wonderful disease?
-----
-Iman

2.0 Balls
0.1 Boa (BCI)
0.0.1 Amel Corn
0.0.1 Motley Anery Corn

Loving to Learn
Learning to Help
Helping to Love

Since I started keeping snakes my nosey next door neighbor wont come in to my house. Why didn't I think of it sooner? Of course it does draw in the neighborhood kids. It works both ways.
-----
1,0 snow
1,0 amel

1,0 aney stripe motley
0,1 normal
0,1 anery
0,1 motley
1,1 oketee
1,1 tx rat
4,4 ball python
1,1 dumerils boa
1,0 columbian red tail boa
1,1 green iguana
1,0 leopard gecko
1,3 dogs
freezer full of mice & rats