Reptile & Amphibian Forums

When my friends came over today they were like "dude you have a snake your gonna die", I had to educate them (3 of them). They asked questions such as, "when it gets older it will try to kill you", and "if it bites you on the neck or temple your finished". Oh I had to take an hour to tell them about venomous vs non venomous, that snakes should be fed F/T,snakes wont try and devour you (unless python *wink wink*), and the infamous "they can make their heads huge and swallow you!".I mean how why would your temple be close to a snakes head anyway? It was stressful and one actually said he will eat you even if he's five feet, I said "even if he tried he could not get me down past my shoulders". So much stupid questions Its hard to understand why people believe these urban myths. The funny thing is im only a newb imagine in a few years when I have dozens. Well thats my story.

i love when you are showing people snakes and everyone you take out the first thing they ask is if it's poisonous. i mean i wouldn't handle all these snakes like nothing if they could kill me. what would i do with 60 venomous reptiles? What's great is when they think the mexican black kings are black mambas.

try having tarantulas, most can get past the snakes.... but my spiders, every one thinks a tarantula will kill you.....

LoL @ the black mamba thing. I thought all turantulas had venom and had toxic bites. If thats the truth then people have a right to be somewhat afraid. Educate me on turantulas please

Well, to the best of my knowledge, all tarantulas do have venom. The nice thing is, in most species the venom is so mild as to be medically irrelevant. Like a bee sting. Though a wise keeper would watch for and prepare ahead of time in case of a very small chance of an allergic reaction.
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0.1 chickens (Condor)
0.2 dog mutts (half ownership, only mine when they misbehave, Lucy & Amy)
0.1 Halflinger horse (Crissy)
0.1 Normal phase California Kingsnake (Sophia)
1.1 parents
Still searching for 1.0 WC human

yes you are right always be prepared in case you are allergic... most tarantula wont try to "bite" anything bigger than they are. also some tarantulas do have dangerous venom, thats why its important to research each species.

Around here people try and tell me that Hogg Island Boas are venemous. I find it trying at times to explain to people who don't want to believe you... Also has anyone else heard that copperheads bread with garter snakes and now garters are deadly? If I had to guess I would assume that somebody 1/2 explained that garters are technically venemous and it just took off from there.
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
0.0.1 Butter Corn "Butters" (South Park)
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"

i didn't know garters were venomous. Like a bee sting or how sever is it?

I would guess less than a bee. It is very unlikely that you would be envenomated since they are rear fanged. There are several species that people don't know are technically venemous. many water snakes, garters, hognose, lyres and I'm sure there are one or two more.
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
0.0.1 Butter Corn "Butters" (South Park)
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"

Wow ya learn something new each day. I ALWAYS wondered if some water snakes were in fact venomous because of there head shape and eyes. Garters too? Thats freaky lol. Hognoses also? AND some lyre snakes you say? Thanks for telling me, front or rear fanged its always good to respect them.

See, this is the response that makes me want to keep this a secret EVERY spider on earth is venemous.....but only a handfull on the planet can kill you. The ONLY reason you should be nervous about handling the afore mentioned snakes is if you are allergic to bees. I only say that because if you are allergic to bees there is a slight possibility that you are allergic to them also.
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
0.0.1 Butter Corn "Butters" (South Park)
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"

im training my dog (pit bull terrier) for weight pulling.... and im walking him around the apartment grounds, in harness, pulling a grocery bag full of old sneakers (for the noise and weird way it moves. good desensitization) and some people came up to me and started yelling at me for being mean and forcing my poor dog to pull and blah blah and how thats pit bulls are made mean is being forced to do stuff like "that". i didnt even know what to say. i looked at the bag of sneakers and kicked it, picked up my foot and looked at the sneaker on me, and looked back at the people. i think they got the hint after i then pointed at my dogs tail wagging so hard his butt shook

farkin idiots
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1.0 alb. okeetee "Grissom"
1.0 American Pit Bull Terrier "Vanyel"
0.1 Somali "Willow"

I am yet to hear that garters are slightly venamous. I half suspected it once. I picked up a wild garter and it bit me. It just kept chewing but I didn't want to injure it so I let it keep going. When it's large back teeth hit, I thought wow, those look like hog snake teeth.

right here in central Va. the black ratsnakes breed with the copperheads!you really have to watch out for the spread head moccasins.some folks are plain illiterate or just dont give a crap. jeff

"Around here people try and tell me that Hogg Island Boas are venemous. I find it trying at times to explain to people who don't want to believe you... Also has anyone else heard that copperheads bread with garter snakes and now garters are deadly? If I had to guess I would assume that somebody 1/2 explained that garters are technically venemous and it just took off from there."

Copperheads are not deadly unless you are allergic, with a few exceptions. I know it will sound like i am full of it, but i was bittin by a northern copperhead when i lived in mass when i was about 11, i had stuck my hand down a hole in my back yard in search of some garters and i felt a sharp pain in my hand, and i pulled out imidetly and attached to my hand was a copperhead and i am 100% positive it was one, because i have studies snakes since i was about 6 or 7. When i reliezed what it was i pulled the snake off of my hand and droped it it went back into the hole. I was in shock and didnt kno what to do i sat there for a minute like a idiot and passed out, i woke up about three hours later and went inside to my house and told my mother and said i was fine.She thought i was lieing. I didnt seek any medical attention and i was fine the next day. In some cases i have heard of people dieing and stuff but i dont think it is very common. But i swear i was truly bittin by a copperhead.It was a very strange experience.
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1.0 Albino Corn "Lucky"
1.0 Snow Corn "Snow"
0.0.3 Southern Ringneck "Collar", "Bc", "Lazy"
1.0 Green Amevia "Gizard"

soon to aquire

Corn- (not sure what morph yet)

I know what you mean. I've had to explain many times about my snakes to people. I certainly don't mind doing it, i've spoken at various 'shows' before, but when its the same people, who dont 'believe' that they're harmless, well, it gets a little tedious
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To those of you that believe corn snakes just look like big worms, at least admit they're the most beautiful worms you've ever seen...

A kid at my school still doesn't believe me that lizards have scales . It can get pretty frustrating. I don't really get upset until they tell me how they kill all the ferocious snakes in their neighborhood. It's like they feel big for killing little snakes. They always say it was a copperhead. THEY DON'T EVEN LIVE HERE. Even if it was, just because something can harm you doesn't mean it should die. People can and are more likely to harm you.