Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello again everyone,

This is about naming your pets. To the point - I don't. As I see it, it is inappropriate anthropomorphism which serves only to satisfy us (the keepers) as a means of establishing a personal connection and intimate identification with an animal.

Now, I am not 'against' naming pets. If a person enjoys the comforts afforded by doing such a thing, then I will encourage that person to do so, as it would benefit the keeper (in making him/her feel good in it's own right) and it doesn't actually harm the animal in any way.

I only bring this up in defense of my own belief that it is unnecessary - especially as it relates to an animal that can't hear it's name being called anyway. I feel that I have a very good connection with my snakes, and that we (my pets and I) identify each other very effectively without names. And whenever the occasion happens that I have to speak of my snake I simply refer to him as my python; or otherwise in that way.

I will admit though, that there is one possible underlying factor in my choice to avoid naming my pets. Many years ago (more than 15yrs I believe) I had a cornsnake, as my first pet - my first snake. He was absolutely great in every way - great personality, great eater, great looking (I still love the checkerboard belly he had), and so on. His name was Kahn. Inevitably, as all living things do, he died. It was quite some time before I eventually got my next pet (a ball python). To this day I haven't ever named a pet again.

I know that I'm very likely the only one who doesn't name his pets, but I'm just curious what your thoughts are on the matter. I also wonder about those who keep very many snakes - do you name them all?

Thanks,
- Mark
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My burm has a name, it's Hubert. I don't really use it that much though. I just call him my burm when talking about him with people. My leopard geckos don't have names. I usually don't name reptiles. Dogs and cats get names.
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My blood is workin', but my, my heart is...DEAD!

For the longest I chose not to name any of my snakes (burmxrock,ball,and boa). Everyone thought that was really wierd and that it signified a lack of importance that I placed on them, which was quite the contrary. Anyway, I decided to name one of them but the other two are nameless. It just seemed weird for me to refer to a python or boa by a name. I dont know, thats just me. It is an inconvenience though when youre in a vet waiting room and they call your pet by your name when theyre ready to see you or have it in the database as "NONAME".

Youre reasoning sounds like it may stem from that childhood experience though.

I used to name but now I don't. Only the animals I have had for quite sometime. I have had my pot belly pig for like 7 years and I named it pumba. My sav monitors name is spyro (from playstation game spyro the dragon). I have had it for like 3 or 4 years. I still name dogs though and hate cats and just name them dead (if they come around my animals. Of course unles it is my neighbors cat). I quite naming becasue it is rather pointless to me and I will only name things that are just like you know totaly different from anyhting else. Only one snake has a name and that is my forst snake that I got. A ball pyhton we named curly. I have had him for like 5 years. I mean if my retic or any burms get like over 16' long I would deinately name.
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Justin

We have 3 snakes. Naming them makes it less of a Dr. Suess episode (Snake 1, Snake 2 etc.)

I think naming pets gives an intimacy that without, seems mechanical. They seem more of a thing than a living creature.

I also believe you should only give a name that rings to the owner. When I got my first burm, a baby, I named him fluffy (at the time I thought it was original). Unfortunately it was an impulse buy and I didn't have sufficient caging. He died while I was building his cage. I waited until the cage was finished to get another one and found an 8 footer. No names seemed to fit so my kids called him all kinds of names but I didn't decide on one until 9 months later. At that time he reminded me of the staff that Moses carried in the movie The Ten Commandments. His name is Moses and I like it.
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DZ
1.0.0 Burm, Moses
0.0.2 Ball, Chico & Chewy (rescue, many scars)
0.2.0 Cats, Merideth & Hannah
1.0.0 Black Chow, Pivo (tumor in liver, will euthenize Oct 23)
Lotsa fish
1.4.0 Rats
0.2.0 Humans (a little obnoxious though)

My 8 year old son names my snakes...And would'nt you know it!
All my pythons have the same name...Monty!Talk about original.
And he very nicely named all my boas...Monty!
Ok..Monty Boa is not as cool as Monty python.
I do have one large male albino burm that I named.
Snowflake.
I did that for shock value... I ask people if they want to see snowflake. They're expecting a nice kitty, or bunny.
I love the looks I get as they digest the name Snowflake...lol
I do disagree about pets never learning they're names.
Dogs are quite adept at it, and some horses too.
I would guess there are other animals that understand.
I used to train Schutzenhunds... ( police dogs,guard dogs )
And we trained them in German.
Another reason I give names...so I know who is who. I do that with all my animals.
Even when I have a litter of puppies, I name them so I know who is who.
I wil give that snakes and other herps dont understand. But to say pets dont, is a pretty broad statement.
I agree with Captain Hook, that a nameless pet becomes a thing.
There is no intimacy involved.( I dont get really "intimate with my pets...wanna clear that up)
Think of it this way...why name family members...some dont listen, and eventually they die too.
And life goes on...

You can name them things that you would never name your kid, or a dog that you would have to call outside. If you had a particularly nasty tempered animal, you could name it jack@#$$. I named my Suriname Boa "Barabbas," my wife named our female BCI "Xena," and my son named his Snow Bull snake "Snowball." I would've named Xena "Bathsheba" and my son's snake "Judas," 'cause I like biblical names, but some things you gotta compromise. I know, no burms, but this forum has been more interesting lately.

For some of us, our pets are our family. For me, my pets are my kids. I guess that is symbolistic of my desire for a large family (once I'm married and prepared for the financial dependance of children). I have 9 rats, 2 burms, 2 dogs and a cat. I name them because I DO feel they are my children. When I started naming snakes, I used a "movie or mythology" scheme. We came up with Kaa, Posidion and Ariadnae. Hence, I've moved on to "mountains" in which we came up with Shavano and Sierra. Since then, we've added Trouble. With my rats, I named them accordlingly as pairs of twins-- Winkin' and Blinkin', Kanga and Roo. Others came with names like Noodle, Symone, Cy (short for Cyclops, see? back to that mythology thing), Pyp, Rex and Vyolet.

Sam

Back when I used to raise snakes and pac-mans, we named every single one.

It helps me remember who is doing good or bad... and helps when I refer to them for someone else... Go get the snake on the second shelf from the top, third from the right...too hard...
Go get samson... easy

I now have:
Kimba, my albino burmese
Lillith, my Coastal Carpet
Squishy, my red tail boa
Shai'halud - Kenyan Sand Boa
Fang - Brown Water Snake
Sherman - Florida Snapping Turtle
Tiger - " " "
Abrahms - " " " (RIP little buddy)
Speedy - RES

I like naming them since they are family after all
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Coastal Carpet Python 0.1 (Lillith)
Albino Burm 0.1 (Kimba)
Columbian RedTail 0.1 (Squishy)
Kenyan Sand Boa 1.0 (Shai'hulud)
Brown Water Snake 0.1 (Fang)
Common Snapping Turtle 1.1 (Sherman and Tiger)
(RIP Abrahms)
RES 1.0 (speedy)

Right before I typed the previous message, I went in and checked on my kids (pets) and all seemed well. Then I came in here and typed... got a drink and went into the kids room to give some feeder fish to my two snappers... When I stopped to do my ritual wake up tap on Kimba the albino burms cage, she didnt respond, so I tapped harder, then leaned in to see her mouth partly open..
I tore the cage open and reached in and she was cold... but the thing is... she is still moveable... and she WAS alive when I checked in...
I saw my snake alive, minutes before she died. Now I sit here watching her, warming her, making sure. Every little thought makes me think she moved again... And my luck is there is no 24 vet nearby, lest I drive 40 miles or so to the one who only has 1 herp vet for a nite a week...
My beautiful little blondy...gone.
This is it, no more new pets for a long time. Nothing can replace Kimba... She was my baby... I took her for walks, showed her off... Fed her the best of rabbits and rats... Bathed her weekly...
She is gone...
I'm going tomorrow to bury her in the family pet cemetary... along with Sherman and the dogs... Sorry to drag on....

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Coastal Carpet Python 0.1 (Lillith)
Albino Burm 0.1 (Kimba RIP 10/23/04)
Columbian RedTail 0.1 (Squishy)
Kenyan Sand Boa 1.0 (Shai'hulud)
Brown Water Snake 0.1 (Fang)
Common Snapping Turtle 1.1 (Sherman and Tiger)
(RIP Abrahms)
RES 1.0 (speedy)