Why do YOU love them?

[clipclopclip]

So I finally figured out the exact reasons why I love snakes. I tried to write it out as best as I could with my limited eloquence.

I would love to hear anyone else's reasons why they love snakes! I don't mean the laundry list of "1. Don't have to take for a walk 2. Is pretty" but more of a description of an underlying reason for the allure of snakes.

Here is my description of why I find snakes so attractive:

"There is something so incredibly exciting and calming at the same time about these animals. It is probably a feeling close to what a bonsai keeper feels for his charges. They are aesthetically pleasing while being deeply meditational.

Their symmetry, muscular bodies, brightly contrasting colors and subdued hues, their scale shapes and habits of living….all of these things fascinated me and appealed strongly to my sense of art and life at the same time. Living works of art.

To hold one of these animals is to feel the strong push and pull of deep and old natural longings. To hold a creation made perfect in many ways for many situations. A masterpiece of evolution and color, never tamed.

I think that because it is hard to anthropomorphize a snake I love them even more. There is such a destructive quality to how humans try to create animals in their own image. It really sickens me and fascinates me at the same time. Since snakes don’t get anthropomorphized often I don’t feel like I need to fight the tide of human egotism and superstition.

Snakes have their share of myths of course. But since the myths are so old they have taken on a more sterile and historic quality that precludes them from the realm of crude and dirty humanity today. It makes the animal feel special, not sucked into the industry of mistaking animals for humans by dressing up dogs in clothes, and pretending that Fifi is a child.

Snakes seem to be inherently scientific. Hard facts of genetics and possibilities for color combinations make them the ultimate artist’s palette. Captivating and intrinsically worthy of respect, snakes are my hobby, reason for continued learning, and excuse for the acute observation of life."

What are your reasons?:crazy02:

 

[snakewispera snr]

Whew....I can't say it like that....LOL
I love them because they are inanimate, They can't telegraph their emotional well being to me. But I have spent enough time getting to know them, I can second guess....
That makes it easier to second guess more animate speicies...LOL

 

[chicelias]

i like that they don't have legs....there must be a better way toput that but that's actually on of the reasons, oh and b/c they're beautiful and strong

 

[clipclopclip]

Whew....I can't say it like that....LOL
I love them because they are inanimate, They can't telegraph their emotional well being to me. But I have spent enough time getting to know them, I can second guess....
That makes it easier to second guess more animate speicies...LOL

So snakes are like an animal that takes work and observation to understand, which helps you understand other animals better?

 

[clipclopclip]

i like that they don't have legs....there must be a better way toput that but that's actually on of the reasons, oh and b/c they're beautiful and strong

I agree that the lack of legs and the way their muscles are arranged makes them very beautiful

 

[Nanci]

I like snakes because they don't _require_ attention every day. They are relaxing- holding a snake is like having water flow through your hands. They are mesmerizing. I wouldn't call them inanimate- they communicate very well through body language! All the different types and colors and their fascinating evolution. If my lizard Isabel wants something- she's bored, she wants to come out- she's relentless. I give in before she tires out. Snakes never demand to come out in pesky ways- although they glass surf and make it known that they are available. I love snakes as photography subjects. Feeding snakes is simple- no running to the store for live prey or preparing a gourmet nutritionally balanced and supplemented salad. No expensive fancy lighting required. No intricate temperature zones. You can make an attractive natural display and they don't destroy it! Easy to keep clean.

 

[SnakesRule1234]

I like them because I don't have to sneeze everytime I hold them.... But really, I don't know. I just do...

 

[snakewispera snr]

So snakes are like an animal that takes work and observation to understand, which helps you understand other animals better?

Sort of.......
I breed English Bull Terriers.... Sometimes.... (I haven't for a couple of years)
These are expressionless dogs... Yet with time you can *guess* emotions...
Same with snakes......Weird in I....LOL...Just my opinion....

 

[Raiyne]

I like them because most people don't. They judge them without giving them a chance. I suppose as a kid I was a loner, and that I felt a bond between me and the "icky" reptiles.

 

[xxFrootLoopxx]

Snakes are simply beautiful. Their bodies are smooth, cool, and they are very clean. Handling them is very relaxing, and as Nanci said, like water in your hands. I think they can be a great stress reliever. Snakes really are just amazing creatures.

Whoever decided that they were evil had it backwards; man is evil... snakes are serene and beautiful

 

[alan]

I don't love snakes, but they are very interesting creatures. Add to that their relatively easy care and the visual appeal (well, not for everyone).
There is definitely something about the way a snake moves in your hands that I like. One of my favorite visuals is a snake's dorsal pattern moving past itself in three lines, in alternating directions.
I would have taken care of just about anything my wife brought home, but I'm glad she brought a snake.

 

[xxFrootLoopxx]

Clipclopclip's original post said it all, and poetically at that. Perfect, in my opinion.

 

[alan]

Clipclopclip's original post said it all, and poetically at that. Perfect, in my opinion.

Yeah, I wasn't about to challenge Rachel on the eloquence, beautifully stated.

 

[jamay]

I cannot really say that I "love" snakes either but I am deeply fascinated by them. I enjoy sitting back and watching them move about their vivs as if they were in their natural habitat. The fact they are so different from other animals makes them appealing to me. As others have mentioned, I also feel a therapeutic effect from handling and watching my snakes. They are just friggin cool animals!

 

[Maize411]

I like them for their color, beauty and grace..The way they are made is pure elegance...yet so much strength being within every inch of their body..The way they just live on pure instinct..Eat, sleep, stay warm, and mate..that is all that really goes through their minds probably..And to live such a carefree life (at least when your not worrying about predators) I'm sure is something that any person can relate to dreaming of..

 

[jmksnakes]

This is a great idea for a thread! It's a question I personally get asked quite often. On a first impression, I'm a straight-laced guy, don't smoke, don't drink, married with 3 children, work almost 60 hours a week, know all my neighbors, blah, blah, blah. My wife says people say "He just looks so normal... what's the deal with the snakes?"

I think it starts with being an animal lover in general, and being a big supporter of wildlife protection/conservation. Don't get me wrong, I have no ambitions to work for GreenPeace, but most of us that love owning snakes probably feel this way.

I love them because no matter how much I know about them, I've got A LOT more to learn... forever! They will always be mysterious to me. Even though I've witness thousands of feedings... I can't help to stare every time they feed... it's an awesome thing. They are such a misunderstood creature, and it's like I have some personal mission to change the way the people I know look at them. And it works, most of the people I know would have killed any snake they stumbled upon 5 years ago. Now, most of them don't freak-out anymore, they don't kill them anymore (they usually call me... "Come get this thing now!!")

You cannot truly appreciate the beauty of most corns unless you see them in person. Even people who wouldn't come within 10 feet of one, usually always comment how pretty they are... you gotta' love that! They make a great family pet, low maintainance, don't take up too much space, don't chew on the furniture or your shoes, don't scratch at the door, don't shed all over your house and your clothes, etc., etc.

 

[clipclopclip]

This is a great idea for a thread! It's a question I personally get asked quite often. On a first impression, I'm a straight-laced guy, don't smoke, don't drink, married with 3 children, work almost 60 hours a week, know all my neighbors, blah, blah, blah. My wife says people say "He just looks so normal... what's the deal with the snakes?"

Haha that's how everyone else views me too.

"She seems like a bright girl....why does the have those creatures!?"

 

[clipclopclip]

I like them for their color, beauty and grace..The way they are made is pure elegance...yet so much strength being within every inch of their body..The way they just live on pure instinct..Eat, sleep, stay warm, and mate..that is all that really goes through their minds probably..And to live such a carefree life (at least when your not worrying about predators) I'm sure is something that any person can relate to dreaming of..

It is hard work for me to imagine being a snake. There is a certain allure to the idea of being purely instinctual and not fretting about things unless they happen. I am such a high-wired personality that to imagine being an animal with a less highly evolved brain is relaxing.