# Snakes not recommended as pets



## Harimoni Proudswift (May 19, 2018)

My mum's told me that some places, including the Australian Reptile Park, don't recommend that people keep snakes as pets because they're not very friendly and not the type of animal that likes human contact.


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## Wally (May 19, 2018)

Yup

Snakes aren't that friendly and have evolved to the point where interaction with humans is to be avoided where possible.

Not that surprising really.....

They are fun to keep though....


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## cris (May 19, 2018)

Harimoni Proudswift said:


> My mum's told me that some places, including the Australian Reptile Park, don't recommend that people keep snakes as pets because they're not very friendly and not the type of animal that likes human contact.



The best pet would be a dog or a rat, if you want a pet that will bond with you socially. Some lizards like bearded dragons are cool with some human interation, but they don't have much interest in doing anything other than eating or chilling out.


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## dragonlover1 (May 19, 2018)

That is true but I still keep pythons as well as lizards because I like to observe their behaviour and they DO interact with us.


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## vampstorso (May 19, 2018)

For some people these are the exact reasons they can be good pets.

For people who travel, don't want to handle, would otherwise feel guilty not having enough time to interact etc


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## Flaviemys purvisi (May 19, 2018)

One of the Best bonding pets are budgies. My little 4 year old budgie is like my shadow at home.


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## Stuart (May 19, 2018)

Snakes shouldn't be kept as "pets" in the first place. Thats likely half the issue.


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## Wally (May 19, 2018)

Stuart said:


> Snakes shouldn't be kept as "pets" in the first place. Thats likely half the issue.



Its a fine line for sure. I wonder how many people have actually given serious consideration to the reasons why they keep what they do.


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## Nero Egernia (May 20, 2018)

What a load of rubbish. And this coming from people who apparently like reptiles!

Why wouldn't snakes be considered good pets? They're awesome pets! They're clean, low maintenance and easy to care for with proper research. Pets are defined as an animal kept by humans for _pleasure_. It doesn't mean that they have to be friendly and cuddly, and you have to bond with them. In most cases I find needy attention-seeking mammals to be irritating. I like my reptiles. I feed and care for them, and every once and a while I'll pull them out to admire them. There's just something incredibly soothing when you watch a snake gracefully cruising about, interacting with its surroundings. I'll take that any day over a farting dog sitting on my lap, licking its genitalia, and eating its own feces.


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## Pauls_Pythons (May 20, 2018)

Good point Kayla. 
Better pets than fish and how many people have an aquarium at home?


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## Nero Egernia (May 20, 2018)

I actually don't mind fish either.


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## Pauls_Pythons (May 20, 2018)

Nero Egernia said:


> I actually don't mind fish either.



Could never see the point myself


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## Nero Egernia (May 20, 2018)

Pauls_Pythons said:


> Could never see the point myself



I guess they're a bit like snakes. They can be beautiful to look at. Some fish can be highly interactive. A well designed aquarium can be a magnificent feature. I don't keep fish myself but I enjoy viewing aquariums whenever I visit someone who has them. But each to their own, I guess. Some people want a pet they can cuddle and bond with, while others are just as happy to do without.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (May 20, 2018)

cris said:


> The best pet would be a dog or a rat, if you want a pet that will bond with you socially.


+1 for rats.


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## danyjv (May 20, 2018)

I guess it’s whatever floats your boat . 
Spiders , dogs , snakes . I’ve seen ants for sale on gum tree and other web sites so i guess a good pet is some thing that interest you in keeping ... 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Flaviemys purvisi (May 20, 2018)

I have a room dedicated solely to aquariums. Nothing more soothing than the sound of running water and watching fish. Like a massage for your mind at the end of a long day.


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## danyjv (May 20, 2018)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> I have a room dedicated solely to aquariums. Nothing more soothing than the sound of running water and watching fish. Like a massage for your mind at the end of a long day.
> View attachment 324295



Always liked the idea of aquariums but very overwhelming when people show me the filter set up and start talking about that side of it ...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Flaviemys purvisi (May 20, 2018)

danyjv said:


> Always liked the idea of aquariums but very overwhelming when people show me the filter set up and start talking about that side of it ...
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Aquariums can seem overwhelming but the key is the bigger they are the easier they are to maintain. I've got some teeny tiny 10, 20 & 30 litre nano setups, they look awesome but they are a very fragile system that can "crash" in a very short time. My larger 600-1000 litre setups are a dream to maintain. They virtually look after themselves.
The more water an aquarium holds, the easier it is to maintain.


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## Pauls_Pythons (May 20, 2018)

Nero Egernia said:


> But each to their own, I guess.



Absolutely correct


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## Harimoni Proudswift (May 20, 2018)

Not every pet has to be cute and cuddly. Look at the people who keep spiders as pets. Spiders aren't cute and cuddly, but some people still choose to keep them as pets rather than having a dog or cat.


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## Bl69aze (May 20, 2018)

Harimoni Proudswift said:


> Not every pet has to be cute and cuddly. Look at the people who keep spiders as pets. Spiders aren't cute and cuddly, but some people still choose to keep them as pets rather than having a dog or cat.


That’s called having a fascination//wanting to start a hobby OR they arent allowed a dog/cat because of landlords


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## Flaviemys purvisi (May 20, 2018)

Harimoni Proudswift said:


> Not every pet has to be cute and cuddly. Look at the people who keep spiders as pets. Spiders aren't cute and cuddly, but some people still choose to keep them as pets rather than having a dog or cat.


Yep, I keep spiders too. They can live for 25 years, longer than any cat or dog.



Got several scorpions and Centipedes too.


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## Stompsy (May 20, 2018)

Nero Egernia said:


> What a load of rubbish. And this coming from people who apparently like reptiles!
> 
> Why wouldn't snakes be considered good pets? They're awesome pets! They're clean, low maintenance and easy to care for with proper research. Pets are defined as an animal kept by humans for _pleasure_. It doesn't mean that they have to be friendly and cuddly, and you have to bond with them. In most cases I find needy attention-seeking mammals to be irritating. I like my reptiles. I feed and care for them, and every once and a while I'll pull them out to admire them. There's just something incredibly soothing when you watch a snake gracefully cruising about, interacting with its surroundings. I'll take that any day over a farting dog sitting on my lap, licking its genitalia, and eating its own feces.





vampstorso said:


> For some people these are the exact reasons they can be good pets.
> 
> For people who travel, don't want to handle, would otherwise feel guilty not having enough time to interact etc


This ^

I work full time, am a single mum running a household with a 15 year old and I’m studying to be a vet nurse... I don’t get a lot of downtime and like keeping reptiles as pets because they are low maintenance and don’t care if I don’t handle them for months on end. In fact, I would hazard a guess in saying they probably prefer it that way.


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## Harimoni Proudswift (May 20, 2018)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Yep, I keep spiders too. They can live for 25 years, longer than any cat or dog.
> View attachment 324296
> 
> 
> Got several scorpions and Centipedes too.




Believe it or not, some cats can live well past 25 years. Currently, the world's oldest cat is a 30-year-old Siamese from Texas. The oldest cat ever recorded lived to be 38.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (May 20, 2018)

Damn. That would have to be a rare occurrence. I think I saw something a while back, could have been Australia's oldest cat, was like 23, blind, deaf, the whole deal. Thought that was a pretty good wicket. I've got a mate at work who's got 2 Jack Russell Terriers; Clancy & Murphy and they're 19 & 20. The oldest dog ever to have lived in Britain was a Jack Russell which died in 2014 aged 25. Jack's (as a breed) have a highly protected gene pool and are renowned for being very long lived as far as K9's go and they're my all time fave dog breed.


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## Bl69aze (May 20, 2018)

my last cat lived to 21,thought she was going to live forever, the way she moved and ate all day, then one day, went to take the bin out  and there she was all curled up in the sun


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## Flaviemys purvisi (May 20, 2018)

Bl69aze said:


> my last cat lived to 21,thought she was going to live forever, the way she moved and ate all day, then one day, went to take the bin out  and there she was all curled up in the sun


Can you believe the oldest recorded dog in the world was an Australian cattle dog from Victoria?? Lived to be 29 years and 5 months, from 1910-1939. That's insane. Most likely never saw a yearly C5 injection or a worm tablet and all the other modern meds our dogs get today. Probably just lived off table scraps.


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## Bl69aze (May 20, 2018)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Can you believe the oldest recorded dog in the world was an Australian cattle dog from Victoria?? Lived to be 29 years and 5 months, from 1910-1939. That's insane.


i do believe it, it would have to be 100% pure cattle though, none of this hybrid stuff that every single dog seems to be now


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## Flaviemys purvisi (May 20, 2018)

Bl69aze said:


> i do believe it, it would have to be 100% pure cattle though, none of this hybrid stuff that every single dog seems to be now


My dad has his father's Sulphur crested cockatoo. It's about 109 now. Was about 75 when pop died in 1983.


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## vampstorso (May 20, 2018)

Bl69aze said:


> i do believe it, it would have to be 100% pure cattle though, none of this hybrid stuff that every single dog seems to be now




Dogs aren't hybrids, different breeds are the same species.


Edit: I'm sorry this made me sound like a nitpicking butthole, wasn't the goal.


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## dragonlover1 (May 20, 2018)

Stuart said:


> Snakes shouldn't be kept as "pets" in the first place. Thats likely half the issue.


Then what exactly are they????


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## Harimoni Proudswift (May 20, 2018)

In December 2009, "Julius Squeezer", a 6-metre-long Burmese python, died at the age of 43. The average lifespan for a Burm is 20-30 years.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (May 20, 2018)

Harimoni Proudswift said:


> In December 2009, "Julius Squeezer", a 6-metre-long Burmese python, died at the age of 43. The average lifespan for a Burm is 20-30 years.


A lot of turtles don't even start breeding til that age.  all my turtles are in my legal will. They're all gonna outlive me by decades. Haha.


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## Bl69aze (May 20, 2018)

vampstorso said:


> Dogs aren't hybrids, different breeds are the same species.
> 
> 
> Edit: I'm sorry this made me sound like a nitpicking butthole, wasn't the goal.


i meant cross breeding different breeds :L


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## vampstorso (May 20, 2018)

Bl69aze said:


> i meant cross breeding different breeds :L



Yes I knew it and really shouldn't have been a butthole and just kept it to myself. 

For some reason I have to admit that the word hybrid being used wrong makes my eye twitch, when realistically everyone knows what you meant, and I should've been an adult and shut up. Apologies.


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## Lanea (May 21, 2018)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> A lot of turtles don't even start breeding til that age.  all my turtles are in my legal will. They're all gonna outlive me by decades. Haha.



I like the fact you have implemented this. I’m not yet 40, so not dying anytime soon, but definitely gives me something to think about (Unexpected death/accident) If one were to pass away suddenly & you had family that were ‘meh’ about snakes, is there a plan in place? Would they keep them? Do they know herp contacts of yours that may be able to re home or adopt them? What are your wishes for them etc.


Anyone else:

PET Insurance. Do you have it?
What about contents insurance. If your house caught on fire, of course nothing could replace an animal you loved and lost. But some animals go up in the 1000’s!! Worth considering. Also is theft of a pet covered under pet or house insurance??

Currently my GTP is worth more than my wedding rings. They are insured but he is not...

(Note to self, must check my policy)


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## Bl69aze (May 21, 2018)

Lanea said:


> I like the fact you have implemented this. I’m not tet 40 & not dying, but definitely gives me something to think about (Unexpected death/accident) If one were to pass away suddenly & you had family that were ‘meh’ about snakes, is there a plan in place? Would they keep them? Do they know herp contacts of yours that may be able to re home or adopt them? What are your wishes for them etc.
> 
> 
> Anyone else:
> ...


I’m not sure you can get pet insurance for reptiles 
Atleast not from one of the big names


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## Pauls_Pythons (May 21, 2018)

Lanea said:


> PET Insurance. Do you have it?
> What about contents insurance. If your house caught on fire, of course nothing could replace an animal you loved and lost.



Hi Lanea, YES, contrary to popular belief you can insure your snakes BUT, it is very expensive. You would need to go through a specialist livestock insurer such as those used by farmers. Its been a while since I had a quote but it was a ridiculous sum that I couldn't justify. (If the Kardashians can insure their asses I'm sure you can insure just about anything if the price is right)

House/contents insurance will cover the enclosures BUT if the enclosures are homemade/wired and can be blamed for any loss from a fire the insurance company may quickly back away from paying out. Electrical work should be done by a qualified sparky or you risk loosing everything.

https://www.quoterack.com.au/UnusualRareBreedsPetInsurance.aspx


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## SpottedPythons (May 21, 2018)

Harimoni Proudswift said:


> My mum's told me that some places, including the Australian Reptile Park, don't recommend that people keep snakes as pets because they're not very friendly and not the type of animal that likes human contact.


??? Loads of people at the reptile park constantly tell visitors that they're a joy to keep when I go there.


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## bluedragon (May 21, 2018)

Nero Egernia said:


> What a load of rubbish. And this coming from people who apparently like reptiles!
> 
> Why wouldn't snakes be considered good pets? They're awesome pets! They're clean, low maintenance and easy to care for with proper research. Pets are defined as an animal kept by humans for _pleasure_. It doesn't mean that they have to be friendly and cuddly, and you have to bond with them. In most cases I find needy attention-seeking mammals to be irritating. I like my reptiles. I feed and care for them, and every once and a while I'll pull them out to admire them. There's just something incredibly soothing when you watch a snake gracefully cruising about, interacting with its surroundings. I'll take that any day over a farting dog sitting on my lap, licking its genitalia, and eating its own feces.


thats right snakes are the best pets there clean they are low maintenance and there a lot calmer than a dog especially children's pythons


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## Stuart (May 21, 2018)

dragonlover1 said:


> Then what exactly are they????



Depends on your definition of "pet".


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## dragonlover1 (May 21, 2018)

Stuart said:


> Depends on your definition of "pet".


A pet is an animal you care for


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## Pauls_Pythons (May 21, 2018)

Stuart said:


> Depends on your definition of "pet".




a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship or pleasure.
"the pony was a family pet"
Not convinced that captive bred snakes meet the definition of 'tamed' though the rest of it fits


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## Bl69aze (May 21, 2018)

Pauls_Pythons said:


> a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship or pleasure.
> "the pony was a family pet"
> Not convinced that captive bred snakes meet the definition of 'tamed' though the rest of it fits


 Depends on your definition of “tamed”


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## Pauls_Pythons (May 21, 2018)

You think they are all 'tamed'?
If you do you are very mistaken.


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## Bl69aze (May 21, 2018)

Pauls_Pythons said:


> You think they are all 'tamed'?
> If you do you are very mistaken.


No lol, ofc not but captive snakes for the vast majority are different from wild snakes


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## Pauls_Pythons (May 21, 2018)

Bl69aze said:


> No lol, ofc not but captive snakes for the vast majority are different from wild snakes



In no way can they be called tamed. Tolerant maybe but anyone who thinks they have tamed their snake is a bloody fool in my opinion.


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## GBWhite (May 21, 2018)

Bl69aze said:


> No lol, ofc not but captive snakes for the vast majority are different from wild snakes



No not really. The only difference is they are captive bred. Open the cage door and let them out and go free and see what happens. They will adopt their natural, instinctive habits immediately.


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## Stuart (May 21, 2018)

We have to be careful about not confusing behavioural changes of an animal that we have chosen to confine in a box with that of a wild animal when we are defining if a snake is called a "pet".

However in saying that, there are exceptions to every rule or situation so each to their own.


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## GhoulGecko (May 23, 2018)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Yep, I keep spiders too. They can live for 25 years, longer than any cat or dog.
> View attachment 324296
> 
> 
> Got several scorpions and Centipedes too.


That's cool but it's freaking me out.


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## Mick666 (May 23, 2018)

Pauls_Pythons said:


> In no way can they be called tamed. Tolerant maybe but anyone who thinks they have tamed their snake is a bloody fool in my opinion.


I had a woma that was toilet trained, just kidding, but sometimes when you put him on the ground he would take a crap.


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## Bl69aze (May 23, 2018)

Mick666 said:


> I had a woma that was toilet trained, just kidding, but sometimes when you put him on the ground he would take a crap.
> View attachment 324330


This is more common than you’d think, put them on the grass a 3-4 days after eating and they’ll take a dump within 5minutes


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## Pauls_Pythons (May 23, 2018)

Bl69aze said:


> This is more common than you’d think, put them on the grass a 3-4 days after eating and they’ll take a dump within 5minutes



And people do have the gaul to call this training. Gee..........Its called bloody movement and nature taking its course. Guess what, its got naff all to do with the grass or being outside. Put them on the lounge carpet and see if they do the same.


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## Magee (Jun 4, 2018)

Snakes have reptilian brains, which aren't wired for affection, but they can be beautifully ambivalent...


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## Bl69aze (Jun 4, 2018)

Pauls_Pythons said:


> And people do have the gaul to call this training. Gee..........Its called bloody movement and nature taking its course. Guess what, its got naff all to do with the grass or being outside. Put them on the lounge carpet and see if they do the same.


Idk about you but my snakes never crapped on me or any furniture, only in his enclosure and on grass


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## Shire pythons (Jun 5, 2018)

Bl69aze said:


> Idk about you but my snakes never crapped on me or any furniture, only in his enclosure and on grass


Its only a matter of time haha.


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## Bl69aze (Jun 5, 2018)

Shire pythons said:


> Its only a matter of time haha.


For sure, but I’m just saying snakes tend to crap as soon as they go on the grass


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## Scutellatus (Jun 5, 2018)

Bl69aze said:


> For sure, but I’m just saying snakes tend to crap as soon as they go on the grass


As had been stated before. It likely has nothing to do with the grass and is more so the movement that makes it happen.

Why is it that questions you have been given answers for are repeated by you and statements that are completely incorrect and have been corrected by others with vastly more experience than yourself, are still being pedalled by you as fact.
Ask a question, take the advice on board and move on. The way you are going no-one will want to give you advice at all, no-one of substance anyway.


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## Hanz Hapin (Aug 9, 2018)

danyjv said:


> I guess it’s whatever floats your boat .
> Spiders , dogs , snakes . I’ve seen ants for sale on gum tree and other web sites so i guess a good pet is some thing that interest you in keeping ...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


well said.... Dont let others dictate what pets you should get... otherwise, Might as well get an instruction on How to Live.

I have snakes & majority of my family and friends thinks Im weird. Others say I worship satan because of my serpents.
I think they are very cool, my favourite creatures in the world, and it all comes down to the individual's interests... as long as we are not breaking the law, should be able to express freely.


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## Imported_tuatara (Aug 9, 2018)

Harimoni Proudswift said:


> Not every pet has to be cute and cuddly. Look at the people who keep spiders as pets. Spiders aren't cute and cuddly, but some people still choose to keep them as pets rather than having a dog or cat.


 Gonna have to stop you there bud.


Spiders are cute!


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## Ella C (Aug 9, 2018)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Yep, I keep spiders too. They can live for 25 years, longer than any cat or dog.
> View attachment 324296
> 
> 
> Got several scorpions and Centipedes too.


Is he venomous? Aren't all Australian tarantulas venomous?


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## dragonlover1 (Aug 9, 2018)

Imported_tuatara said:


> Gonna have to stop you there bud.
> 
> 
> Spiders are cute!


Only when they are on the other side of the glass


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## Imported_tuatara (Aug 9, 2018)

Ella C said:


> Is he venomous? Aren't all Australian tarantulas venomous?


 All spiders are venomous


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Aug 10, 2018)

Ella C said:


> Is he venomous? Aren't all Australian tarantulas venomous?


Australian Tarantulas are venomous... if one bit us, we would experience severe localised pain and swelling and not a whole lot more, however, Australian tarantula bites spell death for domestic pets (cats & dogs).... interestingly though domestic pets are immune to funnelweb bites... the Toowoomba funnelweb for example would put me in a box 6ft under in a matter of minutes whereas my Jack Russell Terrier wouldn't be bothered by it at all. Crazy stuff.


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## Sdaji (Aug 10, 2018)

Imported_tuatara said:


> All spiders are venomous



Almost all, but there are actually a few rare exceptions.

As for the original topic, I think snakes are brilliant pets. According to some definitions they're not strictly 'pets' but we don't have another word in English to call captive animals kept for enjoyment which are not domesticated or tamed. No one seems to have this argument about fish for some reason, even though they are usually not tamed and often aren't in any way 'domesticated'.

If you want something to love and cuddle which will love and cuddle you back, sure, they're terrible, but I figure that's what women are for, not so much animals, at least for me personally (not that I don't appreciate sharing affection with friendly animals, but it's not my personal favourite way to give and receive affection). Each to their own, of course. Some people love fish or pot plants or stamp collections. There are plenty of positives to all these things, and it all comes down to individual taste and circumstance. As far as animal keeping goes, snakes are absolutely perfect for many people, myself included. If I didn't have humans to interact with, then yes, I'd probably have a collection of cats and dogs and weasels and stuff.


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## Ella C (Aug 11, 2018)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Australian Tarantulas are venomous... if one bit us, we would experience severe localised pain and swelling and not a whole lot more, however, Australian tarantula bites spell death for domestic pets (cats & dogs).... interestingly though domestic pets are immune to funnelweb bites... the Toowoomba funnelweb for example would put me in a box 6ft under in a matter of minutes whereas my Jack Russell Terrier wouldn't be bothered by it at all. Crazy stuff.


Sounds like fun..
You ever been bitten? I suppose it makes maintaining the enclosures difficult?


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Aug 12, 2018)

Ella C said:


> Sounds like fun..
> You ever been bitten? I suppose it makes maintaining the enclosures difficult?


Hi, no, never been bitten. Anytime I'm going near my spiders, it's from behind the safety of 14' stainless steel tongs. Maintaining the enclosures are easy, 98% of the time they retreat to their burrows as soon as they're disturbed.  If they don't, I gently blow a little puff of air on them and they quickly run down their burrow.


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