I think the comments were based on a genuine misunderstanding of your first post, Martyn.
As you'll see if you stick with us (and I hope you will) cohabiting is a ticklish subject round here. I don't think the humour has come across well as a result, but please bear with us. We mean well and our main concern can sometimes be for the welfare of the snakes rather than the finer feelings of the people we're speaking to.
It hasn't worked for any of us in this instance, but we really can be a source of useful info, which I hope you'll find out. When you're being misunderstood, I've found the best approach is to explain what has happened and clarify your original comment.