Why did you get your first snake?

[Tamberav]

Just curious as to what made you guys get your first corn snake! or first snake in general.

For me, my fiance has a phobia of snakes and thought they were SLIMY. I love animals in general and I had to prove him wrong! He finally admitted that one of the corn snakes "looked cool".

He's handled him a few times but the last time he finally stopped trembling :rofl:

 

[Irish Eyes (Mrs.Z)]

I've always loved snakes, but never had one because I didn't know there were any options to feeding live, which I refuse to do. When I found out they can eat F/T, which I can buy already killed and frozen, it opened up a whole new opportunity. Jadie.Glitch just happened to be selling a drop-dead-gorgeous Okeetee at the time, so the time was right! I took Fiesta home with me, and now we're living "happily ever after" . *knocks wood 'cause I'm kinda superstitious*

 

[wstphal]

Well, I always liked snakes but my mother was terrified of them so I never kept any wildcaught even overnight as a child. A friend gifted me with a hatchling in about 1998, but I stupidly assumed she gave me good care instructions only to find out she didn't & probably that's why that snake died. Didn't try again until last year, then said to myself maybe if I get an adult & look up the care? Enter Humphrey from CL. Now look at my sig!

 

[K. Rene]

Never really had a burning desire to have A pet snake. But when we were in an apartment that didn't allow pets (cats and dogs) I felt very pet deprived. My Boyfriend and I had talked about what kind of pets we would like to have now that we no longer lived with our parents, a snake was on the top of the list. As they don't bark or destroy things in the apt. I got our first two for a Christmas present (2009) and that was all it took to get addicted. Were up to 11 Corns and we'll have 2 more of the King snake variety within the next few months.

 

[kalena]

I always liked snakes, but never really considered having one as a pet - and yes, it's amazing how many people think they are slimey! I found an ad from a breeder on Craigslist in January, and bought an amel from her. Now I'm up to 10 snakes and buying two more this week!

 

[Lolo]

I've always loved snakes, but never had one because I didn't know there were any options to feeding live, which I refuse to do.

I'm not trying to pick on you, since I had the same mindset at first... but if you had a snake who absolutely wouldn't take f/t, would you then offer it a live mouse? One of my corns (ghost motley) and most of my ball pythons flat-out REFUSE to eat frozen, so luckily for them I'm over the ickiness of live feeding. It's so nothing to me now, LOL. Just wondering what you'd do, since there are snakes who will starve themselves to death before eating f/t prey.

And to answer the original question, I can't honestly say why I wanted a snake - I just always did! People have asked me this question before, and I really can't think of an answer. :shrugs: Snakes have always fascinated me, so I finally got one after East Bay Vivarium did a program at the library I used to manage... talking with the presenter afterward convinced me it was time, when he basically said "If you want one so badly, why not stop by the store and get one?" A few weeks later I did go there, and came home with my ball python Delilah.

 

[Irish Eyes (Mrs.Z)]

I'm not trying to pick on you, since I had the same mindset at first... but if you had a snake who absolutely wouldn't take f/t, would you then offer it a live mouse?

No I wouldn't. I would give the snake to someone who wouldn't mind feeding live, though. Snake can't be "punished" because I choose to only feed F/T .

 

[Tamberav]

it's amazing how many people think they are slimey!

My fiance is a city boy and me more of a country girl, I remember catching Garter snakes as a kid. So when he said they were slimey I was like wahhhh You actually believe that?!

I've always loved snakes, but never had one because I didn't know there were any options to feeding live, which I refuse to do. When I found out they can eat F/T, which I can buy already killed and frozen, it opened up a whole new opportunity. Jadie.Glitch just happened to be selling a drop-dead-gorgeous Okeetee at the time, so the time was right! I took Fiesta home with me, and now we're living "happily ever after" . *knocks wood 'cause I'm kinda superstitious*

It looks like you have a lot of animals! I wish I had room for more I'm not sure how you keep up with so many macaws and boarder collies. hehe! I really miss having a parrot though. Had a love bird when I was a kid, cuddly little guy!

As they don't bark or destroy things in the apt.

Yes, the snake is defiantly my most best behaved pet. Can not say the same about my cat!

 

[K. Rene]

it's amazing how many people think they are slimey!

I was watching Animal Planet's "the Most Extreme" the episode was Horrors like animals ppl were afraid of, among bats, spiders etc. Snakes were number 2! Second only to worms (like that live inside you and make you sick) I'm like since you can't really see those that makes snakes number one, which of course is crazy to us. Stupid Sissy @$$ people lol

 

[wstphal]

I'm not trying to pick on you, since I had the same mindset at first... but if you had a snake who absolutely wouldn't take f/t, would you then offer it a live mouse?

I'd try fresh killed first. I know how to kill a mouse reasonably humanely from working in a lab. If that didn't work, then I'd feed live while working to rehome the snake with someone who was comfortable with feeding live AND took proper care of their snakes & supervised live feeding closely enough to keep the snake safe from rodent bites.

 

[sarae]

I never had anything against snakes, but never really wanted one for myself. When I transferred back to the store I'm currently working at, I found out the sand boa there had been there for almost a year.
I felt bad for her and started handling her more and started to fall for her.
I'd just about convinced myself to get her, when someone sold the snake to someone else.
I figured it wasn't meant to be.

Two days later, they returned her saying "she doesn't DO anything!" ... better for her, since the guy that sold them the snake sold a whole lot of stuff to them that was unnecessary/bad.

I brought her home and never looked back

Kept saying "it's just because she doesn't look like a snake. She looks like a worm with eyes. AND she'll never get big enough to eat my other pets."

And all was fine for almost two years until I started caring for the evil non-feeder corn that I ended up falling in love with

 

[oneirogenesis]

That's a really sweet and sad story at the same time, Sarae. Lucky for the boa that you took her in.

My reason is fairly typical: I've wanted a snake since I was four or five years old, but the timing was just never right until I moved in with my current boyfriend. I bought my first snake at an expo, and I decided to choose a corn snake because they're the most highly recommended beginner snake. At the time I didn't care what kind of snake I got, as long as it was a snake and I could handle it. I went with the breeder I was most impressed by and bought his last baby corn. I'm very thankful that I did.

 

[Lolo]

No I wouldn't. I would give the snake to someone who wouldn't mind feeding live, though. Snake can't be "punished" because I choose to only feed F/T .

Fair enough. I thought I'd have a major problem with feeding live, so my roommate initially offered to do it (when my first snake refused f/t)... I ended up having to do it anyway, and got over the hesitation rather quickly. Now I feed an average of 15 live mice weekly, and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Maybe I'm more sadistic than I thought?

P.S. It's mostly just the Ball Pythons who get live, and they are all closely supervised - no incidents so far!

 

[Christen]

Mine story was purely out of spite. I wanted to set up a bigger tank for my fish and my husband didn't want me spending that kind of money on fish. So I was kind of frustrated with him as I went with my sister in law to get snake food. I had always liked snakes but never owned them however my husband had his whole life. So on our way to the reptile store I had made decision to get a snake to make him mad. I was torn between a snow corn and albino king. When the King bit me I took the corn home and fell in love with her. My husband was mad for a split second. Now we have 3 corns and their 13 babies and all my fish are now gone to make room for all my snakes babies.

As for all of you that say you love your snakes more than your furry babies. I am the same way. They make less mess and you don't have to walk them.

 

[BelovedRebellion]

The reason I'm so interested in getting my first snake is all my friend Shelbie's fault. >.<

I had no interest what so ever in EVER owning a snake. A snake was just NOT something that I ever thought I'd want to own. Shelbie, however, was snake-sitting the most beautiful, heart warming Ball Python I'd ever seen named Bella. I held her for a good 15 minutes in complete awed silence.

I've been somewhat obsessed with the idea of getting my own ever since. However, I've turned my attention to the more active cornsnakes instead of a Ball Python like Bella. Maybe for my second snake, though.. hehehe.

 

[Butch]

Always wanted one, snakes have always intrigued me and for something to keep my interest is pretty spectacular. The reason I chose corns, I don't know, I guess just because they're the most popular pet snake thats found naturally around here, so I started researching care for them, stumbled across CS.com found out Katie had Miami phase for sale and the rest is history.

 

[1TimeMoM]

I got my first corn cause my mom wouldnt let me get a red tail like I wanted LoL. I wouldnt trade Whiskey for the world even tho he is weird. LoL

 

[Taz Monkey]

I was going to take in a coan snake for an acquaintance that was being deployed. I was all excited and joined here to ask for advice, etc etc, and then he told me that someone from where he lived was going to keep the snake, so I he didn't have to drive him all the way here. But, I was already obsessed with the snake that I didn't have so I still went out and bought everything I needed, and then went to Baltimore to the Charm City reptile rescue on June 24th and brought Fluffy home!

 

[Kiddycorral]

Well our snake is officially my 13 year old's and she got him because she's been drooling over her friends 2 corn snakes for years. Since we already had a dog, Holland Lop rabbit, hermit crabs, fish, Chinese hamsters and a mouse I said no more animals.

Well since the caretakers of our fish, mice and hamsters managed to kill all but one Chinese hamster, while we were away on vacation I said ok to a snake as long as she started out with a small one.
I'm impressed and am really enjoying having him. (we think it's a him) We are now considering getting a second and we've only had him a week!

 

[wretchedprocess]

Always loved them, and it was finally time. I have two corns now and will have two more soon, and we just ended up with a Chinese Green Snake, which is a fairly new import that no one really knows how to take care of, so I am on a Mission to keep this utterly charming little guy alive and happy. I am most excited that getting the lovely little green guy seems to have finally pushed my husband over the edge into enjoying snakes, and admitting it! So I'm expecting him to pick out a boa or python that I get to play with too shortly after we move!

I've wanted snakes since I was tiny, and for the past few years I've been planning a snake tattoo, so none of this is new besides actually getting to own and play with them. And I LOVE it!