Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm doing a speech on Reptiles. The basic point that I want to relay is the fact that if you're educated, you're usually not as afraid of them. The focus has to be narrow, so I've decided to base it on Ball Pythons. I'm trying to get typical stereotypes of snakes and then disprove them. I have 10 minutes in which to speak. These are my common misconceptions so far: a. They are not venomous
b. They do not grow to tremendous size and eat humans
c. They are not vicious
d. They are not slimy

I wanted to bring in a snake but my college has notified me that I won't be allowed to have one on campus. I think I'm going to use a Petco box with a fake snake in it as an example and like ask the class how many people are afraid...or something like that.

If anyone has any more things that I can argue, please let me know. Thanks sooo much.

-Drako
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The answer is purple because dolphins are allergic to sofas!!!

maybe construct a powerpoint slideshow with a bunch of pictures of you handling a variety of ball pythons...maybe go to your LPS's and say you'll mention their name if you can let someone take pictures of you handling their bp's. or maybe a video.
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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

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great idea crtoon.....

if it was me.....i wouldnt have asked about bringing a snake that way they wouldnt have given you an answer and it would have been a grey area.....i would have just done it! (i never minded gettin in trouble lol) mine was always an albino burm and was about 13 feet and the sweetest burm you ever seen.....it was shock value....ive taken it to grade schools and even gave presentations at the college while still in high school.......its great to inform people of the benefits and beauty of snakes......

maybe try a different kind of snake.....couldnt hurt to ask

good luck

keith
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I'm not sure I want popular opinion on my side -- I've noticed those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts.

Of course, there ARE some poisonous snakes, so it might be interesting to research your geographic location and find out if there are any in your 'hood. Another option with the pics would be to go to the ball python forum (other forums if you branch out) and ask permission to use some of the pics posted there. I would make sure to use some pics of children holding them, as many adults will mentally ask themselves the question, "If these kids aren't afraid of snakes, why am I?" Also, you might consider featuring a snake from your area, such as one of the many kinds of North American Ratsnakes. Good luck. Duffy