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Who/What got you started?

El Guapo

El Guapo

New member
Didint see much in the search so I thought I'd throw this question out there.
Do you remember who or what events took place to get you into the herp culture? Or maybe just critter keeping in general. Have you had the disease since you were young? Or just recently?Any takers or givers? :wavey:
 
I've pretty much been completely obsessed with snakes since the first time I saw one. Can't remember when exactly that was, but since then it's been an addiction that no support group can cure.
 
I've always liked reptiles but never had much opportunity to own any until recently. Joe, (CaptBogart) my roommate, purchased a cornsnake earlier this year which started an addiction for him and then subsequently rubbed off on me.
 
I can remember as young as 10-11 I would ride my bike for what seemed like
100 miles,was actually only about 5, to go to the May Co. mall in Northhollywood CA. just to go see the snakes.Eventually my moms best friend who was a absolute critter keeper convinced my mom and dad to let me get one. It started with a Garter snake and just kept going from there. The two corns I have now are going to be my first attempt to breed though.
 
I've always been fasinated by snakes and never had the opportunity to own one as a pet until around 2 yrs ago. The password into herp heaven for me? "My mother hates snakes." The hubby has been helping me feed my addiction ever since! :grin01:


Haven't regretted it once... well unless you count the times when the evil root beer tried to take finger food instead of the mouse for dinner. :twoguns:

But I love my critters!

Jenn
 
Around 7 years ago a reptile shop opened in Norwich, the city near me.
I asked to go in there everytime my parents went to Norwich and for 3 years I did this, taking a special interest in the snakes.
I then decided I was going to research them, the first snakes I looked into were corn snakes, king snakes and rosy boas. After that year of trying to convince my parents to let me have one, using my knowledge I had picked up, they finally did give in.
I purchased my first 2 snakes (a sub-adult pair, hypo and anery het bloodred corns) 3 years ago to this very day from a couple that were emigrating.
It took me a while to get me really really hooked but the Norwich reptile show in September 2004 soon changed that and Ive had over 35 snakes since then.
Certain events have tested my passion for these reptiles but in the end I could never properly give them all up.
cheers for reading
:wavey:
 
My brother is five years older than I am-- and as a kid, I wanted to be just like him. He used to catch snakes and salamanders and the like.. so I did too. I still love all the things we used to catch.
 
When my hubby brought home the first king did it for me. Not that I don't love the corns but... something about that black, shiny baby.
 
I was actually known in my neighborhood as one of the best at spotting and catching snakes (mostly garter). I have always loved them, but never had my own until 3 months ago. Now I have two. My favorite has to be my ball python though.
 
When I was nine my friend told me about his and I thought that a snake would be the coolest thing ever so I read up on corns and went and bought one. But the kid who got me into it's snake died of an inner parasite so it's a good thing I never took his advice on how to care for my snake.
 
I needed a pet with the least amount of maintenance possible. I mean, what other pet do you feed once per week, doesn't stink up the house, leave hair all over, have to go out on walks, etc... :shrugs:
 
I used to be deathly afraid of snakes to the point of hyperventilating if someone tried to make me touch one...but I had always been fascinated by them, by their movement.

My fiance and I had been talking about eventually getting a snake for a pet during the latter part of last year and started researching.

Then one evening after dinner out, we stopped at a pet store and it was all over...went back and got the same ball python the next night and I've been snake bonkers ever since!
 
My wife and I were at a reptile show. She likes to look at all the lizards and I had plans on picking up a scorpion or tarantula to replace my old emperor who passed. Then she found the corn snakes and fell in love with one. I had wanted one when I was little so we bought it, took it home and after properly housing it, I became a member here. Out of all the pets I have had, I am surprised at how simple and fun a pet snakes can be.
 
The pet shops fault, I was thinking about an iguana and I mentioned the size problem. They offered to find a smaller type for me and I said the corn snakes looked sweet, 5 minutes later I had a yearling sunglow in my hands and off went my sanity. Now I'm trying to convince my mum that a second snake wouldn't be a bad idea.
 
I remember touching a boa constrictor when I was 7 & in Brownies (a younger version of the Girl Scouts), and I was fascinated with the feel of their smooth, shiny, cool skin...I was also in awe of the mammoth size of the creature! However, I wasn't interested in owning a snake; they were beautiful to look at it, but they gave me the heebie-jeebies. It wasn't until earlier this year, though, a few events collided & voila, I'm a twice-over snake owner:

I teach & I wanted to get a classroom pet. While at a grad class with other teachers held at a local zoo, we got to see & touch different reptiles, including a lovely little Kenyan sand boa. I couldn't believe how sweet & small he was. Then, a few weeks later, at the same class but at a nature museum, the local herpetology society had an exhibit and they had several corn snakes out on display, simply swarming all over this tree with the branches trimmed off. I even got to hold one, and we talked about how they were the ideal snake pet & especially for a classroom. :) I didn't want a typical classroom pet of a rat or bunny, because ultimately this animal is *my* pet because he'll go home with me over the holidays & summer and I'm the prime caretaker for him, so I wanted something that would enthrall the students but also provide tons of learning opportunities. So, I did a bunch of research on corn snakes, decided that my fascination outweighed any existing skittishness, and ta da: a few months later, I bought my little juvenile & then a yearling was donated from Terri/CornCrazy for my classroom. :) Every day I'm more in awe of these creatures...in fact, all of my creatures. :)
 
I had a tank of tropical fish that were a complete PITA.

Then I went to bird park who had a 'bug tent' with various things, Tarantula, gecko, scorpian, Giant milipead, giant snails.. and a corn snake. I had to hold the snake, and I'd not held a snake since I was about 6 and had a python round my neck at the local zoo (long time ago!)
I loved it, and decided to get rid of the fish for a snake - much less maintenance than the fish, and much more interesting too!

I saw my first baby snake yesterday and it was the cutest thing I ever did see, I just wanted to take him home.....
 
i was going to set up a salt water aquarium in a 30 tall...wound up deciding i didn't feel like investing the time/money at that point in my life, and wound up (somehow) getting the idea of keeping tarantulas. did a bit of research and wound up getting my first one. soon i ordered a couple more etc etc now i have 49 :rolleyes: but it led me into scorpions and centipedes...and after doing a lot of reading about these, and other random subjects, i had come across numerous threads about snakes (just to clarify, i used to only go to arachnoboards.com which has a section called "not-so-spineless.."something or other..forget the last word)

so after a while, i started thinking of getting a snake. didn't want a huge one, wasnt as much of a fan of the pythons and boas (except those chondros :D ) as i am now, but i wound up deciding on a corn snake. after a bit of research online and reading the latest book from b&k love, i picked up a small corn. then another ..and thats where i am today.
 
Checkerbelly said:
I needed a pet with the least amount of maintenance possible. I mean, what other pet do you feed once per week, doesn't stink up the house, leave hair all over, have to go out on walks, etc... :shrugs:
Click to expand...

spiders :p snake poop smells horrible! spider poop doesn't smell..though i've never stuck my nose right up against it haha
 
I have always had a fascination about snakes. I always caught them (and chased my sisters) with them as a young girl.

When I was in my early 20's I was into motorcycles and spent lots of time out in the desert. I remember one day I was riding alone and spooked a sidewinder...he trucked out over a dune and I followed... not chasing just watching how he moved... it was amazing. He stopped, coiled and looked at me while I circled him (From a VERY safe distance). He had the most amazing black eyes, or at least they looked black from where I was. I walked back into camp and annouced to my husband that I wanted a snake. My first was a little corn for mothers day a few weeks later. hehe..

I've had them on and off since, but when my daughter annouced that she wanted a snake I had her shopping within 24 hours. The pretty amel brought home mites, I did some research and found this site. I looked in the morph section and WHAM - hooked is an understatement. I found my passion again!! Whew...I was worried it was gone forever! :)

It's something in the eyes... the shape of the head with the little elegant necks and how they "look" when they look at you...sizing you up. The little hatchlings... are hours of laughter. TV for Tonya!!

Good times. Good times.

-Tonya
 
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