Sizing you up

I thought about putting this in the just for laughs section because I get a chuckle out of it every time I think of it but in some ways it's kinda sad when you think about it.

Yesterday a customer came in and we were talking about our likes and dislikes in the reptile world. She was saying how she doesn't mind snakes but she would never own one and she proceeded told me of how a friend of a friend (yeah that person again) had a large python that she let sleep with her in her bed. As the story goes the snake hadn't eaten for a while and one day she noticed the snake lying all stretched out next to her. She called the vet and explained the situation and the vet told her she had to get rid of the snake ASAP because it was sizing her up.

My first words were "that's the stupidest vet I've ever heard about" Then I told her that I have been hearing variants of that story for years and that 1) its just and urban legend and 2) Snakes don't do that.

I think I offended her a bit because she seemed to relish telling the story and seemed to be so proud that she was privy to some sort of inside information.

Like I said, every time I think of it it brings a smile to my face but the sad part is that some people believe crap like this. This is the sort of mentality we are working against and it won't be easy to overcome.

I'm thinking about putting a section on my webpage regarding animal urban legends and myths. If you can think of anything that I might want to include you can email me, PM me or post it here if think others might like it.

Well Dave is an urban legend. I guess the sasquatch is an animal

I've heard that aswell, but it wasn't a "friend of a friend" it was "brother in-law". Rather sad that people believe that

Also heard this too. As I heard it, a pet snake was slithering up to a baby, stopped and stretched to see if it could swallow it.

The OP reminds me of a funny and similar story....

I was in line at a local department store and I overheard one woman telling another all about her special hybrid cat. It was called a "cabbit". It was a cross between a cat and a rabbit. I sat there for a few minutes, deciding whether or not to go make the woman look stupid, but I felt bad for the woman who believed her and it was better to have just one stupid woman than two, so I went over and inserted myself into the convo, asked her where she got it. She said a breeder, I told her she got taken. I explained what she had was a cat with a defect in its back hips and legs that caused them to "hop-walk" like a rabbit does. She goes, "Oh no, I saw the parents." Of course she said she didn't see them actually breed. I tried to give her a layman's view of genetics and how two separate species cannot breed. I finally put it like this, "A cat is a predator, a meat eater. A rabbit is a vegetarian, only eats plants. What you are asking us to believe is like telling us you had a cross between a lion and a zebra or a bear and a deer, or a dog and a goat. Its impossible, you ended up paying $500 for a defective, albeit adorable cat.". She still stuck to her guns it was a cabbit and was pissed and left.

LOL, Steve.. I am so happy you wrote this! I work at a pet supply store.. and JUST had a lady a couple weeks ago, word for word, tell me about that vet that told her friend blah blah blah..

I replied just about the same way.. LOL.. I told her either the person was just pulling her leg, or the vet was a complete moron, and then explained to her about how it does not work that way and so on..

hilarious (that this has become an "urban legend", not the fact that stupid crap like this does play a role on our hobby)

Absolutely hilarious ( both the OP and the cabbit story) there should be a sticky for urban legends or other such rediculous nonsense that gets passed around. The myths vary from region to region I assume.. like how in the midewest and south coachwhips will chase you down and put their tail up your nose to see if your still breathing LOL..absurd