What would you do?

Hey everyone

Just out of curiosity: What do you do if you're talking to someone who keeps snakes, or someone who's giving advice about snakes, and their advice/husbandry is so far off of the mark that it's scary. I haven't met too many in the flesh yet, but I always feel awkward, especially when they give you the 'I know what I'm doing' stare.

Like earlier, my Mum's friend came over and brought her Polish sister-in-law. Now the Polish woman has a snake, she just said 'guttata' so I assumed it was a Cornsnake. She then proceded to talk to me about how they're boas, so I told her about Corns being colubrids etc. She then asked to see Salazar, so I showed her, and sure enough, hers looked just like it. She said her snake was 10 years old, and roughly the same size as Salazar, who's 11 months old... She said she keeps it on wet turf, and it's fed once a month. Also, she said she fed it pieces of raw beef when it was a baby, because it wasn't big enough for pinkies. So I tried to explain and correct these points, but due to the language barrier, it wasn't that effective. Her English is pretty good, and she understood the pinky point, but I just hope that she got the month and week mixed up... Is it possible for a Corn to live for that length of time on such a poor diet?

So what do you when faced with such conditions? My Mum had a go at me for being rude (she wasn't there, but assumed that I was being a know-it-all), was I? I spoke perfectly politely, and a little tentatively even.

All the best

David

Do you have any interest in checking out her husbandry? You could always say it was because of a mutual attraction to snakes.

If the corn really is 10 years old, and the size of a corn less than a year old, then presumably something is definelty amiss in the animal's diet... could well be she really does feed it monthly. What size food is the snake getting now?

As far as the politeness factor goes - for me it depends if I think their husbandry is having a truly detrimental effect on the animal. I've had friends who co-habbed snakes, for example, and they claimed to know all the risks and were aware that it was a touch and go subject. The snakes were otherwise well fed and cared for. I didn't agree with it, but it wasn't really my place to kick up a song and dance about it. But if someone shows me a snake which is skin and bones and covered in old shed you can bet your bottom dollar I'll have something to say.

It's a tough one. Would this lady maybe email you some pics of the corn - just say you'd like to see him. That might tell you more. As there was the language barrier, perhaps she was having trouble describing the snake properly and you just got your wires crossed somewhere. :shrugs:

alan said:

Do you have any interest in checking out her husbandry? You could always say it was because of a mutual attraction to snakes.

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I'm just praying Wade doesn't see this comment...

Plissken said:

If the corn really is 10 years old, and the size of a corn less than a year old, then presumably something is definelty amiss in the animal's diet... could well be she really does feed it monthly. What size food is the snake getting now?

As far as the politeness factor goes - for me it depends if I think their husbandry is having a truly detrimental effect on the animal. I've had friends who co-habbed snakes, for example, and they claimed to know all the risks and were aware that it was a touch and go subject. The snakes were otherwise well fed and cared for. I didn't agree with it, but it wasn't really my place to kick up a song and dance about it. But if someone shows me a snake which is skin and bones and covered in old shed you can bet your bottom dollar I'll have something to say.

It's a tough one. Would this lady maybe email you some pics of the corn - just say you'd like to see him. That might tell you more. As there was the language barrier, perhaps she was having trouble describing the snake properly and you just got your wires crossed somewhere.

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She just said 'mice', I didn't pry further because of the language barrier.

Fair enough, thanks Becks, that helped

I did ask if I could see some pictures, she says she has some, so hopefully I'll get to see them sometime soon.

As much as it pains me, I'm afraid these days I just walk away. I've tried dealing with people like this on occasions over the years (thankfully they're few and far between) and the bottom line is that they'll never listen, no matter how polite or tactful you are.

Nobody wants to admit that they're doing something so radically wrong. It doesn't sound like she's deliberately trying to cause harm or being neglectful, so anything you say will put her on the defensive.

Just offer help if needed in future e.g. by snake-sitting if she goes away on holiday, and be there if your help is asked for. But trying to push your way in - no matter how politely and how well-meant - will just result in the shutters coming down.