I know what I have to look forward to, but I have to say that the people I talked to face-to-face I take more serioulsy than someone on the internet no matter how smart they are. It is just a pet peeve of mine
I can't say that I blame you, to be honest. I have some friends near me that I always talk to first when I have a question or an issue. I know them better, have seen them with animals, and have dealt with their animals, so I trust them. But I don't discount what someone says to me on the internet, unless I know it to be blatantly false. If I question it...I research it. If everything I find in researching tends to agree with what the person says, but my local friends say something different...I'm liable to go with what I researched and heard elsewhere.
Nobody knows everything. People make mistakes. And some people think they know more than they do.
In regards to this king rat...nobody ever said that you absolutely, definitely, without a doubt would end up with an aggressive snake that you can't handle. What was said is that this is a species generally regarded as aggressive, and typically reserved for experienced and advanced keepers...which many of us felt did not include you.
Many people get retics or burms for their first snake. Is this a good idea? No. Never, under any circumstances, do I believe that a 'tic or burm make a good "first snake" for any person. But it can be done successfully. Many people have done it, wuite well, and many more will, I am sure. It doesn't mean that people advising against it are wrong. It means the other person has made good choices in research and care of the animal. But the intial warnings and advice are every bit as valid as they were at the time.
I won't pat you on the back and congratulate you for the work you're doing with the king rat, because I STILL believe that you would have been better off waiting a few more years before getting this snake. It doesn't matter if she is sweet, and it doesn't matter if you do well with her, and have her until death do you part. My opinion is still valid, and based on sound evidence and reasoning.
Just because you and this snake are an exception does NOT invalidate the rule. In other words....one good experience with a docile king rat does not mean that every experience with every king rat will be the same, nor does it even remotely imply that your experience with this snake is typical. It is not. You got lucky. Good for you. Congratulations, enjoy your new snake, and let it go. Stop trying to prove people wrong, because nobody was wrong. Our advice and tips were reasonable and based on species-related evidence. They are STILL reasonable and sound bits of advice, regardless of your individual experience with this individual snake...
