QUESTIONS FOR THE FEMALE SNAKE-OWNERS

RDR Dreamsicle

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Nice taste!

11. Kinda got another one- any single ladies, how do you break the news to potential b/f's?

I'm a loner who isn't interested in a boyfriend...so...yeah. In the realm of rhetorical questions, though: As long as he doesn't mind my keeping/breeding them, then it wouldn't be a problem. He doesn't have to like them, but if it's going to cause problems, then he would pretty much be out. My snakes are my kids.

12. How do your friends view your hobby / deal with your obsession?

Most of my friends are supportive, even if they think it's a little goofy or disturbing.

11. Kinda got another one- any single ladies, how do you break the news to potential b/f's?

Well. Heh. Ill be finding that one out as the months go on. but more than likely ill just tell them right off the bat. "I keep snakes, and breed them." there is either immediate interest or not. I wont be going for the Semi tolerant, because i just dont want there to be any issues in regards to how i build my collection in the future... IF the relationship lasts. Basically I dont want someone complaining about how many enclosures/animals are around in the future! And besides...... I cant have any competition! ..the basement is MINE hahaha! so another reptile person would be pretty darn sweet.... ( then we can share the basement, LOL!)


12. How do your friends view your hobby / deal with your obsession?

yeah, this one ranges... from mild interest, to fascination to just outright finding it weird and disgusting.... lol. Most of the reactions i get are Interest though. People just seem curious, and ask lots of questions. I even get some who come in and ask how all my snakes are... too funny i like those people!

Abish said:

11. Kinda got another one- any single ladies, how do you break the news to potential b/f's? In the getting to know you stage, they typically inquire about hobbies, interests, 'what do you do for fun', etc. It always seem to fit quite naturally into the conversations one has when trying to get to know new people.

12. How do your friends view your hobby / deal with your obsession?

It runs the gamut from distaste to mild curiosity.

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Pretty much exact same answers from me.

I don't have a lot of friends as I am a homebody and kind of a loner, I spend most of my time hanging out with my guy and our various pets. My friends will feign excitment about a litter or new snake if they know that's what I'm looking for but basically they have no interest. I've made a few reptile friends via various forums and websites which is nice. Overall, the more people I meet, the more I like my snakes.

April Yohn said:

Overall, the more people I meet, the more I like my snakes.

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April Yohn said:

Overall, the more people I meet, the more I like my snakes.

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Oh yes! I am so with you.

A Gentleman's Perspective

Well, this has been very interesting. Reading the ladies' responses. I checked in with Troi at about page 2 or 3 of this thread. I told her I had crunched some numbers that she might be interested in.

She asked that I let the thread run its course and not post anything yet.

She sent me a message last night to let me know that she would be OK with me putting in my findings at this point. So AWAY WE GO.

If there are any math "super freaks" out there, I ask that you cut me a little slack. I'm just using what I have, and I have had an adult beverage or two , but I hope you all like what I have found.

What does the average Fauna Female look like?

What type of snake do you keep?
67% have Ball Pythons
63% have a Boa of one type of another
38% have Corn Snakes
21% have Rat Snakes
17% have Kings
75% have more than one type of snake
The field is rounded out with milks, bulls, garters, pythons (other than ball) and one who has none at all, but enjoys herping in the local area and will "come over to the dark side" as soon as she is able i"m sure.

Do you have any help?
50% have no help at all, Where have you ladies been all my life?
30% have some help, or get help if they ask.
17% get help.

Average Height
Short and Sweet, no pun intended..5' 4.5"

The next two I grouped together

Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your size/age? Or your safety/security?
These two I grouped together as they were sort of similar and got responces that were almost indentical
30% said that it was something that they considered
31% said it had some influence
39% said it made no difference

I would watch out for Willow, she will shoot you, also for Brandi, she will kill you with her bare hands. I Love you both.

Average Age
83% are 40 or less,
58% are 26 - 40
13% are 41 - 50
1 person admits to being over 50, she is on Fiji, maybe we can herp there together some day.

Ever had your love for herps wreck a relationship?
I didn't count in-laws since they are stuck with you, and you with them, if you like it or not.
60% said No
4% said Yes

The Die List
35% have one
56% do not, but now they are all thinking about it
9% said that the local pet store is going to have a field day.

Some of the questions were a bit nebulus and I had a hard time figureing out how to tally them, What got you started?, Why do you have what you have? So I left those off, as there was a unique reply for each person.

With that said I will now open the topic for the guys by submitting my answers.

What type of snakes do you own?
Ball Pythons is all I have. 6.5 with 5 eggs in the cooker.

What sparked your interest in the snakes you have
The first pied I ever saw. After that I said to myself, I said self, I said, I'm going to have one of those.

Do you get help
I am with most of the ladies here...not really, no

How tall are you?
6' 3" Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your size/age?
Simple answer, not really

Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your security/safety factor?
Again, not really.

What is your age group?
41-50

How many of you have had your love of the scaley ones ruin a relationship ?? Friend? Lover?? IN LAW??
I got into this well after the wife thought she could replace me...now I want a bird eating spider

Do you have an "if I die" list, of who gets, or what to do with the "collection" once you pass?

My son will get what he wants as a pet (not really his thing). Local petstore can come in and care for everything if needed. A Fauna member who happens to live close will have right of first refusal. After that my son will be able to care for and distribute to my satisfaction.


Why do you keep the species you work with? What are your goals with them?

As I said before, when I saw my first pied I just had to have one. I have been married for 25 years and started working with herps about 4 years ago, it took me that long to convince the wife that a snake was not going to kill her. Once she said she would not divorce me if i got a snake, I took the bull by the horns and went for all I could. I'm still working on my collection, but hope to keep my snakes in rats and me in new snakes till I die

Jerry_c_62 said:

also for Brandi, she will kill you with her bare hands.

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ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

1. What type of snake(s) do you own? a lav albino retic, pair of eyelash vipers, and a pair of carpet pythons that I purchased, plus various others that my husband has.

2. What sparked your interest in the particular snake(s) you own? my interest in snakes in general started at a very young age after my attendance to a demonstration about snakes at a local museum.

3. Do you have help with your snake(s)?
Yes, my husband has many snakes as well so its a joint effort.
4. How tall are you? 5' 6"

5. Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your size/age? No

6. Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your security/safety factor? No, however, if it was just me I pro. wouldn't have the eyelash vipers, my choice to get them was greatly influenced because of my husbands background with venomous snakes.

7. What is your age group?
15-25
8. How many of you have had your love of the scaley ones ruin a relationship ?? Friend? Lover?? IN LAW?? Never ruined any relationships although i don't get many vistors to my house. my grandparents refuse to step foot in the yard.
9. Do you have an "if I die" list, of who gets, or what to do with the "collection" once you pass. my husband would assuming i was the first to go, i have thought of this but do not actually have a list or will so to speak.

1. What type of snake(s) do you own?
0.2 Peruvian Red Tailed Boa
1.0 normal ball python
1.1 pastel ball python

2. What sparked your interest in the particular snake(s) you own?
Loved the color on the pastels and relatively cheap to start off breeding ball morphs. Got both Peruvians 6'5 and 6'2 for $75.00 love the big bodied snake.

3. Do you have help with your snake(s)?
(This is NOT a married/single question! Some of us have snakes & husbands/boyfriends that want nothing to do with them!)
No

4. How tall are you?
6'3

5. Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your size/age?
Not at all, being bigger does help with the Peruvians though.

6. Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your security/safety factor?
Nope, I do not fear the snakes at all. Can pet them on the head like a dog.

7. What is your age group?
20

1. What type of snake(s) do you own?

7 Ball Pythons
6 Boas
1 Burm
1 Retic
and a partridge in a pear tree (seriously, I have a cockatiel, lol)


2. What sparked your interest in the particular snake(s) you own?

Their Personalities mostly

3. Do you have help with your snake(s)?

No. Although my husband lays claim to "his" snakes, he has yet to clean a cage or feed a single one.

4. How tall are you?

4' 11" I bet I'm the shortest one here I wear heeled boots like my life depends upon it.

5. Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your size/age?

Nope, My Retic could probably eat me if she got the mind to (she's pondered it a few times I think)

6. Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your security/safety factor?

If you mean when I'm walking down the street I'm less likely to get mugged when I'm carrying an 8 foot retic... then yes!

7. What is your age group?

Early 20's


8. How many of you have had your love of the scaley ones ruin a relationship?

No, we have too much other stuff to fight about

9. Do you have an "if I die" list, of who gets, or what to do with the "collection" once you pass

My son gets it all!! If he promises to maintain them properly. If he can not maintain them or doesn't wish to keep them, he can sell them for a house payment. I've thought about this a lot

10. Why do you keep the species you work with? What are your goals with them?

Breeding now, but it started with just having pets. More the balls and boas

11. Kinda got another one- any single ladies, how do you break the news to potential b/f's?

I may be single soon sooo... I think that would be the first thing I would say... but I intend whole heartedly to become asexual after this

12. How do your friends view your hobby / deal with your obsession?

1/2 of them buy from me and come to me for advise, the other half wants nothing to do with them. I don't torment the ones that don't like them, I don't want to hear about their dog for hours on end!

10. Why do you keep the species you work with? What are your goals with them?

I deal with the ball pythons and boas for their personalities and colours/patterns. Just love em !!!

11. Kinda got another one- any single ladies, how do you break the news to potential b/f's?

pfffffft.. you know within 5 minutes of meeting me about my love for the reptiles. Since I am married this is not much of a worry.. but when I started dating him back in the day.. He knew..

12. How do your friends view your hobby / deal with your obsession?

they don't care..

lol a couple do like reptiles and have a few.. a couple could care less either way, and a couple started out deathly afraid and now have some sort of critter..

lol, in fact. 2 of my co workers were VERY afraid of snakes and such.. But have greatly improved.. I do a "reptile petting zoo" every so often at my work, so they got to see babies, and lizards and handle ones that were very calm and trustworthy.

one has now TOUCHED a snake.. (which is a HUGE step for her) AND has a young bearded dragon, another now has 3 leopard geckos and is getting a bearded dragon today

12. How do your friends view your hobby / deal with your obsession?

I can add to what Brandi says about bringing friends around. 10 years ago my next door neighbor moved in...invited them to a little get-together, you know, watch a race, grill & drink some beer. She had to use the bathroom and the in me came out when I told her the bathroom was the first door on the left...instead of the second door on the left. She walked right into the snake room & it scared the crap out of her. She now has an 8 yr old boy that always wants to see the snakes but won't come near them when I show him.
She actually HELD one (we got pics); and she's up to holding one 3 times now. Maybe one day her son will grow a set & hold one as well...

1. What type of snake(s) do you own?

Ball pythons
Kenyan Sand Boas
Corn Snakes

2. What sparked your interest in the particular snake(s) you own?

Their colors, their smaller sizes, and with the KSB's, I think it'll be cool to get live young vs. eggs.

3. Do you have help with your snake(s)?

Yes, from my kids (to some extent)

4. How tall are you?

5'5"

5. Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your size/age?

Yes. And also my hubby is not too keen on me having snakes, so it's partially done out of respect for him (since he lets me keep snakes at all, LOL)

6. Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your security/safety factor?

I, like most everyone else, want - no, need - snakes I can handle myself.

7. What is your age group?

Mid 30's

8. How many of you have had your love of the scaley ones ruin a relationship?

Fortunately, not me. Not yet anyway....

9. Do you have an "if I die" list, of who gets, or what to do with the "collection" once you pass

I'm sure it'll pass onto my kids, who love snakes too

10. Why do you keep the species you work with? What are your goals with them?

I like the variety of colors and combos, and the smaller sizes

11. How do your friends view your hobby / deal with your obsession?

I'm sure lots of people think I'm nuts, because most folks I'm around tend to be mostly afraid of snakes and not understand them. For the people who know me well, they understand and respect it. Most of my kids' friends think I'm "pretty cool" for keeping snakes. Honestly, most of my "outside" friends are really not into reptiles at all, and it's in the different communities where I "reside" that I find understanding and sympathy, LOL!!

1. What type of snake(s) do you own?
Ball Pythons-6

2. What sparked your interest in the particular snake(s) you own?
I saw a Albino BP in Reptiles Mag.

3. Do you have help with your snake(s)?
(This is NOT a married/single question! Some of us have snakes & husbands/boyfriends that want nothing to do with them!)
NO
4. How tall are you?
5'4

5. Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your size/age?
Somewhat
6. Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your security/safety factor?
No
7. What is your age group?
15-25
26-40
41-50
Older than that, but none of your business!
None of you're business, no matter how old I am!

I have a question!

13. Were you considered a tomboy growing up?

I would say that yes, I was. I loved to play in dirt, catch bugs and just wasn't a very girly-girl unless I had to be. I did play with Barbies but they were always getting caught by my Transformers and put into lego prisons. (am I giving away too much about myself?) lol

April Yohn said:

I have a question!

13. Were you considered a tomboy growing up?

I would say that yes, I was. I loved to play in dirt, catch bugs and just wasn't a very girly-girl unless I had to be. I did play with Barbies but they were always getting caught by my Transformers and put into lego prisons. (am I giving away too much about myself?) lol

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HA HA HA HA. Quit talking about me. LOL

Tonka trucks baby!!!! and G.I. Joe's!!!

I am still a "tom boy" gimme a tree.. I will climb it!!!! Show me a puddle.. I will jump into it.. LOL

ok..

so maybe I am just a 5 year old. LOL

April Yohn said:

I have a question!

13. Were you considered a tomboy growing up?

I would say that yes, I was. I loved to play in dirt, catch bugs and just wasn't a very girly-girl unless I had to be. I did play with Barbies but they were always getting caught by my Transformers and put into lego prisons. (am I giving away too much about myself?) lol

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Kind of. I liked being outdoors; running in the rain, mud, trees... and I still do! Although I did play with dolls some.

Funnily enough, I was OBSESSED with dinosaurs for a few years of my childhood. I knew every species, I had a million plastic dino figures. I also had a few plastic dragons. Who would imagine, all these years later, that I would still love dragons--bearded ones!

1. What type of snake(s) do you own?

2 Colombian boas, 2 jungle-corns, 2 ball pythons, 1 spotted python, 1 Burmese python, 1 milk snake on the way.

2. What sparked your interest in the particular snake(s) you own?

My kids chose the littler half of them and I prefer the larger snakes for myself….although the spotted was my choice cause she is so aggressive for being so tiny.

3. Do you have help with your snake(s)?

I have three sons who are snake lovers and my b/f is learning more about them all the time. He actually helps with the larger snakes more than the smaller ones.

4. How tall are you?

5’10”

5. Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your size/age?

The older I get the more I like the larger snakes.

6. Does your choice of snake have anything to do with your security/safety factor?

No.

7. What is your age group?

15-25
26-40
41-50
Older than that, but none of your business!
None of you're business, no matter how old I am!

8. How many of you have had your love of the scaly ones ruin a relationship ?? Friend? Lover?? IN LAW??

My best friend is terrified of them and won’t come into my home, other than that no problems.

9. Do you have an "if I die" list, of who gets, or what to do with the "collection" once you pass

My kids get the all the pets, spiders and snakes.

10. Why do you keep the species you work with? What are your goals with them?

My snakes are pets only.

11. Kinda got another one- any single ladies, how do you break the news to potential b/f's?

Openly and up front. “I keep snakes as pets, no dogs and no cats. If you don’t like them tell me NOW.”


12. How do your friends view your hobby / deal with your obsession?

If they don’t like snakes I go to their house, the ones that like them go to the reptile shows with me!

13. Were you considered a tomboy growing up?

Yes, I climbed trees, played football and basketball, caught wild snakes, all that fun stuff!

Tomboy all the way. My favorite activities were populating my Fisher-Price Village with whatever insects I could catch and pegging my brother with spiky green gumballs from my tree house (I HIGHLY recommend building your tree house in a sweet gum tree, if one is available). Trucks, yeah. Playing "war," yeah. I did play some with Barbies; I loved to decapitate them and tear them limb from limb. I will NEVER hear the end of shearing my grandmother's collector Barbie like a sheep LOL. To this day I do not own a single pair of high heels or makeup compact.

Great thread, BTW - I'm enjoying getting to know my fellow female herpers better!