# How do you feel about snakes?



## Ronni (Feb 13, 2020)

Snakes as pets.  What do you think?

I had a 6 foot boa when the kids were little.  I LOVED that guy!  Named AC, short for Alice Cooper, because of the markings around his eyes.  AC would hang around my neck and dip his head in and out of the soap bubbles when I washed dishes.  I didn't much care for the feeding part  but I dealt with it.

More recently, my daughter Paige became the proud owner of two small snakes...a young corn snake and a calico ball python.

Technically the corn snake is her son River's.  He really really wanted a snake, so Mom and Dad told him if he saved up enough money, he could buy one.  He saved every single bit of his chores money, asked Mom for extra chores so he could make more, checked books out of the library, watched youtube tutorials on snakes, rearing, care etc., and was so diligent for so many weeks that they decided to match his savings so that he could get one sooner than he would have otherwise.

Meet Candy Corn the corn snake:




And then Paige became so enamored of Candy Corn that within a few days she decided she wanted her own snake, so she and William decided to give each other the Valentine's day present of their own pet!

Meet Puppy aka Puppers, Pup-Pup, Pupster (I made the mistake of mentioning that his sweet face looked like a little puppy and it stuck!!!) He's a calico ball python





Given the reaction of Paige's friends both in person and on facebook, there seems to be a very black/white reaction to snakes.  You tend to either love 'em or hate 'em.  Personally I think they're so cool!


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## toffee (Feb 13, 2020)

when I lived in south Africa ..we was by a big open field, ad many a morning we would find one asleep on the step .
myself I dont like them .


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## RadishRose (Feb 13, 2020)

Negative


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## ClassicRockr (Feb 13, 2020)

I've held a small one, but not fond of snakes at all. 

I remember when wife and I went into a store that sold snakes and other venomous creatures. I walking by a row of small snakes, in glass containers, and I heard a "rattling" noise coming from one on the bottom row. I looked down and "low and behold" it was a rattlesnake with its head and rattler up shaking. I looked at my wife and said "time to leave, NOW!!" I remember seeing a sign on the door that read, "This is not a zoo! These reptiles are dangerous and require a license to keep."


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## Gary O' (Feb 13, 2020)

Ronni said:


> Snakes as pets. What do you think?


Uh....no

Hate snakes....any...pets or no

It's what I appreciated about our cabin property
Zero snakes
Snakes hate pumice, of which makes up a good percentage of the soil, since it's just a few miles from Crater Lake (Mt Mazama)

Dealt with water moccasins down south....no thank you

Even garter snakes give me the willies


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## ClassicRockr (Feb 13, 2020)

From what I've seen, snakes in movies are always portrayed as "danger". I seen that movie, Snakes On A Plane, and it sure looked freaky. Samuel L. Jackson starred in it.


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## rkunsaw (Feb 13, 2020)

I really like having rat snakes and king snakes around because they eat poisonous for lunch.

But having snakes for pets is crazy. Just look what former pets have done to Florida.


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## Lee (Feb 13, 2020)

I just knew I should not have even peeked into this thread.....now that I have seen the pictures it will be nightmares for nights on end.

A snake tempted Eve....that does it for me, I simply don't like them


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## Don M. (Feb 13, 2020)

We have some black snakes, and garter snakes that we often spot around the yard.  I leave those alone, as they do a good job of keeping the mice population, etc., under control.  Occasionally, I see a Copperhead, which are poisonous, and I take a broom, or stick, and scoot them away...again because they, too, help control rodents.  
Insofar as having a snake for a pet....No Way!!!!


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## Pinky (Feb 13, 2020)

Not a fan. One of my sisters has an extreme snake phobia. These photos would freak her out. We did have our share of garter snakes when we lived in Alberta, and they're small. Anything bigger, uh-uh!


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## Keesha (Feb 13, 2020)

I’m ok with them. They may startle me but I’m not the least bit scared of them. As far as having one as a pet? I prefer the furry kind myself but find snake lovers on the eccentric, exotic side which I find interesting.


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## Judycat (Feb 13, 2020)

When I was a little kid I was terrified of snakes. My mother became so tired of my screaming and crying she picked up the snake, and while explaining to me that a snake is just another kind of animal, had me hold it and pet it. Of course she told me there were venomous snakes but most garden snakes were harmless. After that I was fine with them. Never felt people should have them as pets though. Let the snakes be free.


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## win231 (Feb 13, 2020)

rkunsaw said:


> I really like having rat snakes and king snakes around because they eat poisonous for lunch.
> 
> But having snakes for pets is crazy. Just look what former pets have done to Florida.


Uh....just a bit of info:  The Burmese Python problem in Florida is the fault of thoughtless, inconsiderate people who decide they no longer want the snake & just release it.


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## win231 (Feb 13, 2020)

Lee said:


> I just knew I should not have even peeked into this thread.....now that I have seen the pictures it will be nightmares for nights on end.
> 
> A snake tempted Eve....that does it for me, I simply don't like them


That's the irrational reasoning behind most people's disdain for snakes.  Rather ironic, because, if you're religious & believe in God, guess who created snakes?


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## win231 (Feb 13, 2020)

People fear what they don't understand.
I had several pet snakes as a kid.  They are fascinating.  As an animal lover, I did have a problem with how they eat, but I eventually realized that all carnivorous beings are the same in that respect.  We disguise animals before we eat them by cooking, seasoning, etc.  And we have someone else kill & cut them up for us.  Animals can't do that. How do wild dogs & cats eat?  (coyotes, wolves, lions, tigers)  Snakes are no different.
One of my pet snakes was a Boa Constrictor that was 3 feet when I got him.  When he reached 13 feet & 80 lbs, I was faced with feeding him larger food like rabbits.  I didn't want to, so I gave him to the zoo.  They had the right size enclosure for him & he also had a girlfriend.


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## Aunt Bea (Feb 13, 2020)

No snakes for me but I am in favor of anything that helps young people overcome irrational fears, bias, prejudice, etc...

Good for them!


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## jerry old (Feb 13, 2020)

Being raised in rattlesnake country-kill 'um.
Black snakes are good, as are most other snakes, but you DO NOT LET
SOMETHING THAT CAN KILL YOU LIVE, IF YOU HAVE A CHOICE.

Rattlesnakes are hell on livestock.

I find those that keep snakes peculiar, probably not exposed to poisonous
snakes.
If you want to play with your pet snake, well I just don't know what to think about that.


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## Duster (Feb 13, 2020)

As a child I played with harmless snakes. Hognose snakes play dead and can be very entertaining.

Though not afraid of snakes generally, I do respect them and give them wide berth until they are identified as poisonous or not.
Living in the country in poison snake territory, we hold a live and let live position. We have rattle snakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads on our land.  Snakes sometimes get in the house through the cat door.  I remove them. Long reach grabbers come in handy.


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## Rosemarie (Feb 13, 2020)

As I have guinea pigs and rabbits as pets, I'm very aware that they are often bought by snake owners to feed to their pets.....eaten alive! That horrifies me. How can anyone sit and watch a live creature being devoured by another?


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## Keesha (Feb 13, 2020)

Rosemarie said:


> As I have guinea pigs and rabbits as pets, I'm very aware that they are often bought by snake owners to feed to their pets.....eaten alive! That horrifies me. How can anyone sit and watch a live creature being devoured by another?


As sadistic as it sounds, some snake owners purchase snakes for that very reason; to watch them eat. It’s beyond belief but fact. 
Humans have the ability to be heartless


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## rkunsaw (Feb 13, 2020)

win231 said:


> Uh....just a bit of info:  The Burmese Python problem in Florida is the fault of thoughtless, inconsiderate people who decide they no longer want the snake & just release it.


If those snakes were never brought here there wouldn't be a problem. Non native species usually thrive because they have no natural enemies to keep the population under control.


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## ClassicRockr (Feb 13, 2020)

Rosemarie said:


> As I have guinea pigs and rabbits as pets, I'm very aware that they are often bought by snake owners to feed to their pets.....eaten alive! That horrifies me. How can anyone sit and watch a live creature being devoured by another?



How do you think animals in Africa survive...….eating each other. Same goes for national parks in the U.S. where wolves live.


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## AprilSun (Feb 13, 2020)

I stay as far away from them as possible. If I see one, I go the opposite way.


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## jujube (Feb 13, 2020)




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## drifter (Feb 13, 2020)

No way, Jose!


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## win231 (Feb 13, 2020)

AprilSun said:


> I stay as far away from them as possible. If I see one, I go the opposite way.


They do the same.


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## win231 (Feb 13, 2020)

Rosemarie said:


> As I have guinea pigs and rabbits as pets, I'm very aware that they are often bought by snake owners to feed to their pets.....eaten alive! That horrifies me. How can anyone sit and watch a live creature being devoured by another?


I hope you never visit a slaughterhouse.  If you did, you'd find snakes humane by comparison.
Some people have an aquarium with fish in it - and they eat fish.
Some people eat birds, chickens, ducks, lambs, baby cows, pigs.  Many people also have pet birds & pigs.
Humans and carnivorous animals have been devouring creatures since the beginning of time....why doesn't that bother you?

By the way, you are mistaken.  Snakes kill their prey before eating it (just like humans do).  Snakes that are constrictors kill their prey by constriction.  Venomous snakes kill with their venom.


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## Pepper (Feb 13, 2020)

I lived in country settings on and off.  I remember sitting outside and there was a frog about 10 feet away.  I was staring at the frog but did not notice a snake appeared behind it, opened it's jaws wide and the last I saw of the frog was it's horrified face as it was being swallowed.  Decades ago, but can never forget it.


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## Nautilus (Feb 13, 2020)

Somehow, a 4' black snake got into the house.  I wasn't home so my wife called 911 while standing on a chair.  The 911 operator said, "Honey, if I was you, I'd be gettin' out of that house right now!"...and then hung up!  My wife ended up getting a neighbor to come deal with it.  He chopped it's head off with a shovel...right on my hardwood floor.


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## Pepper (Feb 13, 2020)

yuck


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## Warrigal (Feb 13, 2020)

I'm not afraid of snakes. I leave them alone and they return the favour. However in my bushwalking days I was always careful to wear thick socks and long pants and to look carefully before stepping over any logs. A startled snake coming out of hibernation will strike out but since it cannot eat humans they do not see us as prey. Boa constrictors? Not sure, we don't have any of those.


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## Duster (Feb 13, 2020)




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## C'est Moi (Feb 13, 2020)

I think snakes are disgusting and I can't imagine the attraction of owning one as a pet.  And don't get me started on the idiots who released their "pets" into the wild in Florida.  Good grief.


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## Duster (Feb 13, 2020)




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## fmdog44 (Feb 13, 2020)

This a serious question, it only sounds like a joke but birds fly, fish swim, mammals walk, what is the term for snake movement? "Slither"?


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## Llynn (Feb 13, 2020)

Not much of a fan of snakes. When I wander my property, I ususally have snake shot in the chambers of my revolver.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Feb 13, 2020)

I don't like snakes but I'd like to know what the attraction is for keeping a snake? I've had many small animals as well as our cats and dogs and they all had personalities. Even a gold fish I had came up to be fed and followed my finger around the bowl. My daughters hamster learned to sit up for a treat. 

I may be wrong but all I've seen a snake do is lay in the bottom of the enclosure or slither around if taken out. Can they show affection? Do they have a personality?


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## Pepper (Feb 13, 2020)

@Ruth n Jersey 
Goldfish can recognize a human face.  I was friends with a family and this fish loved the husband over his wife and kids, and even appeared to respond to his voice.  Never saw that before, and years later read research that it was true.


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## Gardenlover (Feb 13, 2020)

They have their place in the circle of life.


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## win231 (Feb 13, 2020)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> I don't like snakes but I'd like to know what the attraction is for keeping a snake? I've had many small animals as well as our cats and dogs and they all had personalities. Even a gold fish I had came up to be fed and followed my finger around the bowl. My daughters hamster learned to sit up for a treat.
> 
> I may be wrong but all I've seen a snake do is lay in the bottom of the enclosure or slither around if taken out. Can they show affection? Do they have a personality?



Some snakes do show affection.  You tell me:


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## peppermint (Feb 13, 2020)

NO THANK YOU!!!!!


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## katlupe (Feb 13, 2020)

I have never minded snakes that are not poisonous. I grew up in FL and we had a lot of snakes where we were. My brother saved me from being bit by a rattler when I got off the bus and was walking in our sandy driveway wearing sandals. The house I lived in before I moved here had a lot of garter snakes around our barn and even in my garden beds. I was not afraid of them and they were actually helpful for mouse and mole control. I prefer living without them and now that I am not in the country, I doubt I will run into very many.


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## Keesha (Feb 13, 2020)

ClassicRockr said:


> How do you think animals in Africa survive...….eating each other. Same goes for national parks in the U.S. where wolves live.


You missed the point. Of course animals in nature eat these other animals. That’s just nature doing it’s thing. They don’t do it for entertainment.

Some humans enjoy watching this as a form of entertainment.


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## jerry old (Feb 13, 2020)

post 40
Is the snake showing affection or checking her out for a meal?


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## Ruthanne (Feb 13, 2020)

I like them and would pick one up as long as I know it's not poisonous~


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## Ruth n Jersey (Feb 13, 2020)

win231 said:


> Some snakes do show affection.  You tell me:


I'm still not sold on the snake idea but they do seem to be enjoying each others company but really can't tell. It doesn't hiss or purr,can't bark, squeak,or put its ears back. Hard to read a snake.


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## win231 (Feb 13, 2020)

Keesha said:


> You missed the point. Of course animals in nature eat these other animals. That’s just nature doing it’s thing. They don’t do it for entertainment.
> 
> Some humans enjoy watching this as a form of entertainment.


That's _your _interpretation - which calls for the operation of someone else's mind (whom you don't know).
Humans watch nature because they find it interesting.  Watching an animal that has no arms or legs kill & eat something much larger than he is is fascinating.


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## Keesha (Feb 13, 2020)

win231 said:


> Watching an animal that has no arms or legs kill & eat something much larger than he is is fascinating.


And that’s YOUR interpretation. YOU may find it fascinating.

I also said ‘some’ people enjoy watching this as a form of entertainment which, in MY opinion
(cause last I remember I was allowed to have one), is saddistic.

I’ve got personal experiences regarding the subject but would prefer not to share them so  I don’t ‘need’ you to change my way of thinking


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## win231 (Feb 13, 2020)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> I'm still not sold on the snake idea but they do seem to be enjoying each others company but really can't tell. It doesn't hiss or purr,can't bark, squeak,or put its ears back. Hard to read a snake.


Snakes can't change their facial expressions & they have no eyelids, so it may be difficult for some to know what they're thinking.
But, it's really quite simple.  When a snake seems to be exploring, with it's tongue flicking every few seconds (instead of several times per second) & is not making an attempt to get away, & is not hissing or curling its neck into an "S" shape & keeping it like that, it is content.
Like most animals, snakes have different personalities.  Compare an aggressive snake (below) to the one in the above video with the child:





Compared to a non-aggressive one:


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## Keesha (Feb 13, 2020)

The snake whisperer


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## jerry old (Feb 13, 2020)

win231 said:


> Watching an animal that has no arms or legs kill & eat something much larger than he is is fascinating.


well, okay I guess, rather different, way too different-huh?


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## terry123 (Feb 13, 2020)

No to snakes in any form or fashion. When I had a house and patio I would have a snake there sometimes. Usually a copperhead that I got rid of with a hoe.


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## Ronni (Feb 14, 2020)

win231 said:


> People fear what they don't understand.
> I had several pet snakes as a kid.  They are fascinating.  As an animal lover, I did have a problem with how they eat, but I eventually realized that all carnivorous beings are the same in that respect.  We disguise animals before we eat them by cooking, seasoning, etc.  And we have someone else kill & cut them up for us.  Animals can't do that. How do wild dogs & cats eat?  (coyotes, wolves, lions, tigers)  Snakes are no different.
> One of my pet snakes was a Boa Constrictor that was 3 feet when I got him.  When he reached 13 feet & 80 lbs, I was faced with feeding him larger food like rabbits.  I didn't want to, so I gave him to the zoo.  They had the right size enclosure for him & he also had a girlfriend.


@win231 I never enjoyed the feeding part of snake ownership.  Boas are constrictors, and the one I had was very good at it.  He was 6" long, VERY strong, and the mice didn't stand a chance.    But he had to eat, y'know?  

Paige's snakes eat small mice too.  But things have come a long way since I owned my boa.  You can now purchase humanely euthanized mice to feed pet snakes, so that you don't have to watch the actual killing.  I believe you have to train the snakes from birth to eat dead prey rather than live, but whatever, both of her snakes have no trouble feeding.  So at least there's that. River, her oldest boy, is incredibly tender hearted and I don't know how well he'd do having to watch a live animal being fed to his snake.  This way, he doesn't have to


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## gennie (Feb 14, 2020)

I thought pets were happiest when their living conditions most closely simulated their natural environment.  Because of its very nature, a snake kept as a pet must be closely confined, monitored, and fed by a master.


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## win231 (Feb 14, 2020)

jerry r. garner said:


> post 40
> Is the snake showing affection or checking her out for a meal?


If he wanted a meal, it would take a fraction of a second.  Think about what a typical pet dog could do to a person - if he wanted to.  And they sometimes do.


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## old medic (Feb 15, 2020)

Kinda do.... I have brought many Black and King snakes home over the years... At one time the kids named 2 Spanky and Sparky...
Sparky was about 8 ft and loved hanging out in my shop... open a draw and the there he is.... was like getting a shock....
Reach in to get eggs and grab a snake... gotta love country life....


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## charry (Feb 15, 2020)

Hate them, Hate them ...YUK.....Shivering , just thinking of them !!


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## Gardenlover (Feb 15, 2020)

old medic said:


> Kinda do.... I have brought many Black and King snakes home over the years... At one time the kids named 2 Spanky and Sparky...
> Sparky was about 8 ft and loved hanging out in my shop... open a draw and the there he is.... was like getting a shock....
> Reach in to get eggs and grab a snake... gotta love country life....View attachment 91699
> View attachment 91700


Both great snakes to keep the rodent population down. 

I love the look on the young man's face.


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## win231 (Feb 16, 2020)

Interesting update on the same mean, nasty biting snake in Post #49.  She is a "Senior" snake - 22 years old; that type of snake can live 30-35 years.  After a few months of handling, look at the difference in temperament:


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## oldman (Feb 16, 2020)

Definitely not a fan of poisonous snakes. I have spent a moderate amount of time in the "Glades, or Everglades and have seen several Pythons. They are depleting the deer and gators very slowly, but nonetheless, those populations of Pythons are decreasing and credit for this has been given to them.   

I have a picture of me with a 20+ foot Reticulated Python around my neck, which was taken down in the 'Glades. One thing that I did not know about Pythons is that they will not constrict if their mouth is held shut. The picture that I have shows the snake around my neck, but also the trapper holding his mouth shut, so it will not constrict. (Thank you, Billy.) 

I once saw a video on NatGeo Wild about poisonous snakes and it showed this father and son walking down a road and they came upon a dead Black Mamba in the road. The boy, which I would say was about 10 years old picked it up and began to finger the fangs on the snake. He managed to get the fang to pierce the skin on his finger, which allowed the venom from the fang to enter the boy's bloodstream. 

The boy became very ill within minutes and had to be rushed to the hospital where he was given 10+ doses of anti venom and they were able to save his life, but he remained ill for a long time. 

There used to be a series on NatGeo Wild named, "Snake City." It's about this couple that would go from village to village and remove poisonous snakes from people's homes, sheds or whatever. It was produced by the BBC and the couple was British, I believe. His name is Simon and her's Siouxsie.

Snake City


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## old medic (Feb 16, 2020)

Gardenlover said:


> Both great snakes to keep the rodent population down.
> 
> It  was more to fix the copperhead problem we had


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## RadishRose (Feb 16, 2020)

Have any of you seen the snake handler's religious services? This is just a short clip... there are other parts on YouTube I think the guy lived, but not sure I'm remembering correctly.








Tried to put an spoiler alert on this, but it doesn't work. So, be aware there is blood.


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## win231 (Feb 16, 2020)

RadishRose said:


> Have any of you seen the snake handler's religious services? This is just a short clip... there are other parts on YouTube I think the guy lived, but not sure I'm remembering correctly.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## charry (Feb 17, 2020)

I seriously think, people are not all there,if they keep, spiders, snakes and any reptile as pets.....


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## Pecos (Feb 17, 2020)

Nope!


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## win231 (Feb 17, 2020)

charry said:


> I seriously think, people are not all there,if they keep, spiders, snakes and any reptile as pets.....


Perhaps a good therapist can help you with your judgment & controlling issues.


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## gennie (Feb 17, 2020)

Interesting that the OP is from and lives quite near the portion of the U.S.  where snake handling religious groups were and still are located ... middle and eastern TN, KY, and western VA .  Ronni, were they a part of your culture when growing up?


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## Ronni (Feb 17, 2020)

gennie said:


> Interesting that the OP is from and lives quite near the portion of the U.S.  where snake handling religious groups were and still are located ... middle and eastern TN, KY, and western VA .  Ronni, were they a part of your culture when growing up?


No ma’am. I’m Australian by birth, grew up there till I moved to California in my 20’s then  Tennessee in ‘94. Oz is home to some of the deadliest snakes in the world.

I just like ‘em.


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## gennie (Feb 17, 2020)

Ronni said:


> No ma’am. I’m Australian by birth, grew up there till I moved to California in my 20’s then  Tennessee in ‘94. Oz is home to some of the deadliest snakes in the world.
> 
> I just like ‘em.



Sorry.  I misinterpreted .  No offense intended.  I love Aussies, also Tennesseans as I have many ancestors and living  kin from there.


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## Ronni (Feb 17, 2020)

gennie said:


> Sorry.  I misinterpreted .  No offense intended.  I love Aussies, also Tennesseans as I have many ancestors and living  kin from there.


OH no it’s fine!  No offense taken!


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## charry (Feb 18, 2020)

win231 said:


> Perhaps a good therapist can help you with your judgment & controlling issues.




im lost......sorry win..?.....controlling , and judgement issues  ?   your having a laugh arnt you ....
i ll stick to the fluffy kittens and puppies smelling of biscuits ...


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## charry (Feb 18, 2020)

win231 said:


> Watching an animal that has no arms or legs kill & eat something much larger than he is is fascinating.






your def not all there ....


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## Ken N Tx (Feb 18, 2020)

charry said:


> your def not all there ....


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## oldman (Feb 19, 2020)

I think I told this tale previously, but it makes interesting reading. I was fishing along the banks of a medium size stream one sunny afternoon. I wasn’t having much luck, so I decided to move to a different location. As I was walking along the bank, I stopped and thought for a moment about casting my line from there. Without any warning, I felt something crawling around my ankle. When I looked down, I saw a bunch of small garter snakes wrapping their self around my ankle. I quickly picked up my foot and shook them off. Pretty cool, I thought at the time.

Then, there was the time I was walking through the grass in back of my home in Florida when I felt something “pinch” my leg just above my ankle. When I looked down, I saw this brownish colored snake with very cool looking markings scurrying away. I had no idea what kind of snake this was, but I walked back into the house and told my wife what had just happened.

She insisted that I go to the hospital, even though I told her that if it was poisonous, I would know something by now. And, besides, “Do you know how long we’re going to be there?” After a 10-minute go around, I finally convinced her that I was going to be OK. We looked up Florida snakes on the Internet and I am pretty sure that it was a rat snake. (Non Poisonous) I think they were after the Geckos that are all over the place in my area.


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## JaniceM (Feb 19, 2020)

Snakes:  no.  Enough said.  I don't want to be anywhere around those horrible things.


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## oldman (Feb 19, 2020)

We have a Copperhead Hunt here every year. I never participated in it as a hunter, but I have ate it as a spectator. The snakes are then ‘milked’ for their venom and released. It’s unlikely that anyone would die from a bite, but I have seen a few of the hunters who had been bitten become very ill.


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## win231 (Feb 19, 2020)

oldman said:


> I think I told this tale previously, but it makes interesting reading. I was fishing along the banks of a medium size stream one sunny afternoon. I wasn’t having much luck, so I decided to move to a different location. As I was walking along the bank, I stopped and thought for a moment about casting my line from there. Without any warning, I felt something crawling around my ankle. When I looked down, I saw a bunch of small garter snakes wrapping their self around my ankle. I quickly picked up my foot and shook them off. Pretty cool, I thought at the time.
> 
> Then, there was the time I was walking through the grass in back of my home in Florida when I felt something “pinch” my leg just above my ankle. When I looked down, I saw this brownish colored snake with very cool looking markings scurrying away. I had no idea what kind of snake this was, but I walked back into the house and told my wife what had just happened.
> 
> She insisted that I go to the hospital, even though I told her that if it was poisonous, I would know something by now. And, besides, “Do you know how long we’re going to be there?” After a 10-minute go around, I finally convinced her that I was going to be OK. We looked up Florida snakes on the Internet and I am pretty sure that it was a rat snake. (Non Poisonous) I think they were after the Geckos that are all over the place in my area.


In the entire United States, there are only 4 venomous snakes:
Rattlesnake
Copperhead
Water Moccasin
Coral Snake
Of those 4, Rattlesnakes are easy to identify with the rattles at the end of their tail & the large, triangle-shaped head.  Coral Snakes are usually hidden & rarely bite, even when handled by people who don't know any better.  And their Red & Yellow rings around their entire body is a warning.
The fact is, when venomous snakes are left alone, they don't attack.  They know they'll starve for months while they make new venom, so they don't want to waste it on you - that's why they avoid people whenever they can.
Here is someone who tried to get 50 Rattlesnakes to attack him.  Note their reactions:


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## oldman (Feb 19, 2020)

win231 said:


> In the entire United States, there are only 4 venomous snakes:
> Rattlesnake
> Copperhead
> Water Moccasin
> ...


That’s interesting. Learn something new everyday.


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## danielk (Mar 30, 2020)

Ball pythons are excellent pets, had one in college. Very mild mannered, in fact the first time we put a mouse in his tank he ended up curling up in a ball(which is what they're named for) to hide from it. However we realized later that the mouse ended up biting him all over his back. He had scars from it that never went away. Great experience owning it and very easy to care for. I just didnt like dealing with the rodents when it was feeding  time, especiially when it got bigger and moved on to rats.


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## squatting dog (Mar 30, 2020)

fine with rat snakes... not fine with copperheads, feet would get a real workout if I came across this fella.


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## Em in Ohio (Mar 30, 2020)

In one of my more rustic homes, I had a garter snake who would enter the bathroom through an old plumbing cut-out.  Really enjoyed our morning meet-up.


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## Ferocious (Mar 30, 2020)

*How do you feel about snakes?*

*Feel snakes?   Feel snakes?   I wouldn't touch them buggers with a barge pole.....urrrrh. *


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## Don M. (Mar 30, 2020)

We have several snakes in our area....mostly garter and black snakes....and I see an occasional Copperhead...which I give a wide berth.  They do a good job of keeping the mouse population under control.  If I see one in the immediate yard around the house, while I am mowing, etc., I stop and scoot it away with a stick, so I don't run over it.  Keeping a snake, as a pet, however, is not something I would Ever consider.


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