To Snake or not to Snake, that is the question.

[ishy]

G'day all,

Please bare with me for my first post. I have a habit of making long winded posts, I will do my best to keep it to the point!!

I have kept reptiles for many years now. I have a short necked turtle, a beardie and a blue tongue and in the past have kept frogs and scorpions. For a long time now I have wanted to take it to the next level (in my eyes anyway) and get a snake. Theres a slight problem however that deters me.

I am terrified of snakes.
Ok, not terrified but decently scared. Ok, terrified.
When I first got my lizards and turtle, I was scared of them too, however over the years have lost this fear completely. Something im proud of even more so considering the blue tongue was a "rescue" (from SUPER poor living conditions eg, never had heat or light in its very small tank.) and is very moody most of the time. It has however calmed hugely over the years.

To further explain my fear of snakes..
Stems from a childhood incident. At 6, I was pushed into the middle of a dam, in a canoe, that was surrounded by red bellied black snakes.
I have held a snake twice. The first time, an old friends Large Python. I lasted two mins before I couldnt hold it any longer from fear.
The second time was a SUPER huge snake at Australia Zoo. This time there was no fear what so ever. This could have been from watching the hundreds before me hold it without incident.

Even through all this fear, I so desperately want a snake still. However theres a few things I have considered and would some input and advise etc.

Firstly, I wouldnt want to put the snakes care and safety at risk because of my fear. (eg scared to clean the cage, feed etc)
Would I be correct at assuming my fear, like that I had for the lizards, would dissapear? (even though the snake fear is far worse than any lizard fear I ever had)

If I was to continue and get a snake, would I be better off getting an established, docile, adult or would it be better to get a snappy baby that would help me become immune to bites etc (assuming I could indeed take a bite! From what I understand, it doesnt hurt to much from a baby *glare*. What would you compare it to? A diabetes test?)

Are babies generally docileish or are they quick moving little things?? (I dont think I have ever seen a snake under about 50 cms)

What sort of snake would suit a person like me? I always imagined a smaller, childrens python type snake as my first but it does seem theres a huge range of suitable snakes out there.

Anyway, I better end this here for now, before this turns into a long novel.

Im not one that rushes into pet adoption, I really REALLY want to research the possibility of owning a snake so any of your stories or opinions etc are highly appreciated. Thanks so much in advance for any given!!!!

A wanna be snake owner.
Eden.

 

[Shalinor]

The advice I was given was that you will often find that the smaller snakes are snappier, so while the thought of a big carpet python may scare people, they are usually more placid (once they grow up).

As to the fear - I was bitten by my snake the first night I got him (largely due to me stressing him), but since then he hasn't.
After the first bite, I left him until after he fed, for about 2 weeks, and even then (after reading several threads on the subject here on APS), I took the Nike approach (just do it) and after holding my hands above his open click clack for around half an hour, I got the courage up to pick him up.

I still get adrenaline going when I have to pick him up, but the fear is slowly going away as my confidence builds.


As to cleaning, the first time, I just guided (with the lid) him into a chinese food container with scrunched up paper towel in it, cleaned the click clack and then put him back in. Since then, half the time he is in a toilet roll, so I just lift that out, clean and then put it back in (just keep an eye to make sure he doesn't escape).


So, hows that for a book?

good luck

 

[first_time_owner]

You could try to get a smaller snak like a spotted or stimsons which might not be as scary for you

 

[reconeyez]

go to a local pet shop, or a friend who has a snake......

ask them to talk you through handling them and ask for a handle..
keep doing this til you get the confidence...... also you can buy mini hooks to help you get your condience...

it my soound bad but the best thing for your confidence i found was to get bitten by a small childrens, spotted or stimi. can barely feel it.

good luck

 

[ishy]

Thanks for those replies!!

My initial thought was to get myself the baby snake and hopefully, after a few painless bites, I would become immune to such (general understanding from reading other posts etc) Also like my other animals, I have really enjoyed watching them grow from babies/very young ones. I figured I would be the same with a baby snake.

Could you compare a baby snake bite to something??
Could you compare a adult snake bite to something??

I can understand the fear factor subsiding over time, the same thing happened with my lizards however the fear I have for snakes is far greater than any fear I ever used to have for lizards.

I always thought the snake I would get would be a childrens...however like I said, after reading many posts etc, the options seem endless. At the moment, it is a Stimsons thats now looking the most promising. I will have to look further into the spotted.
When it comes down to it, I like the look of all snakes....all colors and patterns, however plain they might be...

this leads me to my next thought.
Are snakes very active? When are they most active. Im the type of person that can sit in front of my fish or other lizard tanks for hours upon hours. watching. Does owning a snake offer the same level of entertainment? Or is it likely to spend most of the time hiding. (why I stopped keeping scorps)
Combining this chain of thought with fear, are baby snakes quick moving??

Sadly, my friends already think my selection of pets is wierd. I personally know nobody that owns or keeps a snake. Luckily however, I am in South Australia where there are a few well known pet stores that specialize in reptiles....I will have to get down to one sometime soon and request a handle etc.
If and when I do get a snake, I will be doing later this year though, when I have moved to QLD and have settled there. From now til then, its research research research!!
Again thanks for helping me with such!

 

[BT]

a baby snake bite is no pain not even a sting just like a little flick with your finger, lizards bites are way more painful

 

[natrix]

Just buy a young Childreni , see how you go & don't make such a big deal about it .
getting nipped by a little snake feels like a light finger flick.

 

[reconeyez]

baby childrens bite is like a someone flicking you............. if that!
adult childrens can draw a little blood but doesnt hurt much.
this probably isnt what you want to hear but.... its funny.. my scrubby gave me a black eye one day.. so just dont get one of those yet...

mine are most active early morning, and evening....
always entertaining.. especaily when they eat and shed..

 

[MatE]

Trying to think of something to compare a snake bite to and well the best i could do was maybe a bee sting.But then thought bees can kill some people,the bee sting also last alot longer whereas a bite from a little snake might hurt for like 5 minutes if that.As has been mentioned a smaller species of snake can be more snappy than a larger one.If you can get to a pet shop you can pick a python that has a good temperatment or maybe call around to a breeders place and pick one.

Cheers MatE.

 

[natrix]

I reckon the Bee-sting analogy is way too much . a bee sting can hurt like hell , alittle python bite
really is nothing , I'm not just being butch here , you honestly can hardly feel it.

 

[FNQ_Snake]

Ever had a cat scratch you as you throw them out of a moving car? :shock:

Well, an adult python feels nothing like that. :lol:

LOL.

That'll stir the pot!!

 

[Lesa]

My second snake was "snappy", I thought he would be, being young and never handled. He's bitten me about 20 times - (4 times on the 1st hold; 4 times on the 2nd, 3 times on the 3rd etc.) He hasn't bitten in a month or more and the last couple didn't break the skin, he just opened his mouth and touched my hand. The pain (if you could call it that )is way less than a diabetic finger prick. I was able to stand there with no problems and let him strike - I didn't even feel it until after he let go and the air hit it. It's more a sensation than real pain.

 

[swaddo]

i reckon the diabetes test analogy is right on.

 

[Ishah]

Thanks for those replies!!

My initial thought was to get myself the baby snake and hopefully, after a few painless bites, I would become immune to such (general understanding from reading other posts etc) Also like my other animals, I have really enjoyed watching them grow from babies/very young ones. I figured I would be the same with a baby snake.

Could you compare a baby snake bite to something??
Could you compare a adult snake bite to something??

I can understand the fear factor subsiding over time, the same thing happened with my lizards however the fear I have for snakes is far greater than any fear I ever used to have for lizards.

I always thought the snake I would get would be a childrens...however like I said, after reading many posts etc, the options seem endless. At the moment, it is a Stimsons thats now looking the most promising. I will have to look further into the spotted.
When it comes down to it, I like the look of all snakes....all colors and patterns, however plain they might be...

this leads me to my next thought.
Are snakes very active? When are they most active. Im the type of person that can sit in front of my fish or other lizard tanks for hours upon hours. watching. Does owning a snake offer the same level of entertainment? Or is it likely to spend most of the time hiding. (why I stopped keeping scorps)
Combining this chain of thought with fear, are baby snakes quick moving??

Sadly, my friends already think my selection of pets is wierd. I personally know nobody that owns or keeps a snake. Luckily however, I am in South Australia where there are a few well known pet stores that specialize in reptiles....I will have to get down to one sometime soon and request a handle etc.
If and when I do get a snake, I will be doing later this year though, when I have moved to QLD and have settled there. From now til then, its research research research!!
Again thanks for helping me with such!

I would say, from my experiance (however little it may be), and being bitten many times, that being bitten by a baby snake is like a diabetes test but not as bad... It's more the shock of it that scares you. I have been bitten by snakes aged from 4months to a year old, so can't really tell you what an adult bite is like. But depending on what species and age of snake you have, it can hurt little or more than the diabetes test as some have longer teeth etc than others.

If size doesn't matter, I would suggest getting a Murray Darling Carpet as these have a reputation of being quite docile and not biting. I, myself have both a hatchie and a yearling and neither have bitten yet.

The activity of the snake depends on a number of things, but I'd say that generally, a warmer snake is a lot more active than a cold one. Also it may depend on the tameness and personality of the snake and also the "breed" of snake too.

I don't think that it is the best idea to get a snake if you are petrified of them, you should probably wait until you are comfortable with them first. Also I don't think getting a snake because you want to "move up to the next level" in reptile owning is such a great motive either and neither is "because its entertaining to watch", you should get a snake because you really like them and aren't completely petrified of them among other things IMO. And like you said, you got rid of your scorpions because they were "boring" and hid all the time...So if that is true, then don't get a snake, get a budgie instead, because you may well just be selling it again anyway...snakes can be exciting some of the time, but they can also be "boring" and sit in their hide other times, more often than not, they do the latter.
So I think that maybe you should re-consider your motives on getting a snake.
This is just my opinion and my suggestion from what I've read of your thread.

Anyway, all the best in whatever you choose to do.

 

[adazz]

My coastal has never even taken a snap, you'll find a good many snakes have fair temperaments as long as you treat them well and handle them regularly. They can move quickly, faster as they grow in size but generally don't unless you leave them out in the open and they can see an escape route :lol:

 

[888lowndes888]

I was a bit hesitiant when i got my snake but am now not afraid at all, not even a tiny little bit and i havent even been bitten yet. You are braver then me im $#!+ scared of frogs and wouldn't even think of getting some.

 

[Holylemon]

i advise a childrens python they are very docile when they get older but are a wee bit snappy at a young age but i personally dont think it hurts a bit

 

[ishy]

Ever had a cat scratch you as you throw them out of a moving car? :shock:

Well, an adult python feels nothing like that. :lol:

LOL.

That'll stir the pot!!

ROFL! :lol:

Well thanks for that input everyone.
All your words have been quite helpful indeed...infact, I almost now want to go get bitten by a baby!! (Just to see what its like of course)

Would you say babies are quick moving. I mean, if you were to hold a baby, would you be struggling to keep it from wriggling or darting all around everywhere?

Ishah, I respect your opinion....this was one of the main reasons of my post. Owning a snake is something I have thought about for many many years. However its not something I am just going to jump into at a whim. Im not even sure owning a snake is for me, hence the threads title. Its not something I need to REconsider. The point to all this is im considering it in the first place before making any decision. Maybe after I have made a decision I can REconsider it.

Please dont quote "boring" as if I used such a quote. I didnt.
Like snakes, I found scorps extremely interesting. I thought they would suit me as I wouldnt handle them at all and I could happily study them in thier little enclosure. I did this for many many many years. I did not rehome/resell them. I simply choose not to continue keeping them cause I felt the study level they provided was too little payoff for the care and work I had to provide. I do believe you have to weigh the pros and cons of anything one does in life...even more so if it involves the care and well being of another life.

Like my above post said, I already have lizards im extremely happy with. My Blue tongue and beardie are not very active at all however they still provide alot of entertainment value. Sure they go into hiding (which as you say can be boring) but the majority of the time is out sleeping/basking. This is enough to satisfy me and again, I can be found sitting in front of thier enclosures for hours upon end.

May I ask why you keep snakes...and everyone for that matter. Perhaps my motives are wrong. What are acceptable motives to keep another life in ones care?

Like mentioned previously, I do intend to visit a herp breeder/keeper/store and asking if I can have some more interactive experiences with some snakes. Even if I decided not to adopt a snake, at least I might overcome a fear?!
I certainly wouldnt be adopting a snake with my current fear state of mind, hence why I have allowed myself months and months to research to decide if a snake is a pet for me.

 

[natrix]

If you want to get a snake , get one . whatever anybody says will not make you know if you like it or not.
If you get one & then find that it's not for you , sell it. It really is that simple.

 

[swaddo]

If you want to get a snake , get one . whatever anybody says will not make you know if you like it or not.
If you get one & then find that it's not for you , sell it. It really is that simple.

all good except the 6 month minimum time between purchase and sale in NSW

I reckon you go and someone close by with a snake or 2 you can have a look at before committing yourself as you, I think if you find a nice little one you'll see how lovely they are. My kids were terrified of mine til last week, and now they are begging me to get her out to play with.