8. How many of you have had your love of the scaley ones ruin a relationship?
Never had them ruin a relationship. My husband has an aunt that hates snakes, and one of my grandmothers can't even stand to see an 8-bit digital one from a 20-year old computer game. Good for us they are relatives we don't like much.
9. Do you have an "if I die" list, of who gets, or what to do with the "collection" once you pass?
Having an RLT drawn up is definitely on my to-do list. Sam knows that if I die before him, he's in charge of taking care of all of the animals for the rest of their natural lives. I have detailed instructions for them all typed up on my computer, which I update when things change (like when my rabbit had to go on meds for cardiomyopathy).
Since my reptile collection is so small right now, I don't see why he couldn't keep Xerxes for the next 20-30 (or 40?) years. If it gets bigger, I'll tell him to work with Dr. Bruce to rehome them. I know he doesn't want to take care of a couple dozen reptiles alone for the rest of his life.
By the way, I definitely advise anyone with living animals to put them and any finances for said animals in an RLT (revocable living trust) instead of a will. Wills can be tied up in court for over a year, RLT's are pretty cut and dry, and much faster. I'd like to think the courts would not deny your dog money from your account with which to be fed until the will has been completed, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
10. Why do you keep the species you work with? What are your goals with them?
Goals with Xerxes are simply to let him live out his natural life without having anyone try to kill him again. I do want to get into breeding P. anchietae, one of these days. Mostly I just enjoy having them, I've always thought reptiles were fascinating.
11. Kinda got another one- any single ladies, how do you break the news to potential b/f's?
I never really broke the news... I got Xerxes years before I met Sam. I also had a very pissy BCO when I met him, and a nice, laid back Dumie. He just was over at the house one day when I was taking care of the animals. Pretty sure that's how he found out. Then again, I met him through rat rescue, so it's not like he could say anything about me being weird.
12. How do your friends view your hobby / deal with your obsession?
My friends are actually really cool with it. One friend in high school even let me keep a couple snakes at her house for a while (I wasn't supposed to have them and had no way of hiding them from my parents). Another friend got bit by the Northern water snake--the only time I saw that snake act pissy, ever--and she was still cool with them. But, well, they knew me long before they knew I had reptiles, so I guess it wasn't a real big surprise.
