Breeder Q&A #2!

Today's Q&A is brought to you by our friends Tailor Made Reptiles!  Enjoy!


1. I always liked reptiles and amphibians growing up. Of course, my parents, did not share the same enthusiasm. It wasn't until 18-19, that I started keeping reptiles. First it was Bearded Dragon named Jack. Than Crested Geckos, Leopard Geckos, and the list goes on.

Ball Python's didn't come along till I was 23. Ever since than, they've been my favorite animal to keep.

2. The first time, was....an accident really. I bought a female and didn't know she was gravid at the time. About a month and a half later, I was cleaning her tank, and bam. Snake eggs! Well, I thought they were eggs, but she slugged out on all 3.

3. Seeing the babies pip from the egg's for the first time. Seeing the babies not make it. Like this year, we lost 15 snakes.

4. The wait! It kill's me every time waiting for the females to lay eggs. Than waiting for the incubation to finish.

5. We keep Ball Python's mainly, we currently have 30+. We also have a corn snake and a western hog-nose snake.

6. The biggest regret I have is....I don't really have any regrets so far.

7. Anytime I see a healthy snake poke its head from the egg.

8. Like the above, health is the biggest goal I have. As long as I breed healthy, living snakes, I'm good. Short-term goal, is for this year, hoping to produce a pastel red axanthic ghost. Long-term, well...I gotta keep some secrets.

9. I can't really think of any misconceptions when it comes to breeding. When it comes to snakes themselves, there are too many I can think of.

10. People. Specifically the anti-snake types. The one's trying to push all these bills in the US and Canada, to ban the keeping of certain types, if not all. I understand the fears that some people can have in regards to the larger breeds, (Retics, burm's, etc), but a lot of those fears are unfounded. I've seen 15+ foot reticulated pythons with better temperament than a 6lb toy poodle.

11. If you're getting into it thinking you;ll be making tons of money, just...take your savings now, put it on the ground, and light it on fire. Breeding animals, are not for the get-rich-quick types. Most of that's due to the demand for the animals. Reptile's and such, are still in the dark when it comes to keeping as pets.

If you're going to breed your snakes, do it because of the love for the animals.

Thanks, Tailor Made, for an awesome Q&A!  Hopefully your words will inspire and educate others.

Breeder Q&A!

I decided a few days ago to try and do a Question and Answer session with as many breeders as I could get to agree, from big breeders to small time guys and girls breeding in their spare bedrooms.  My goal was to get several different perspectives on the breeding industry to give others like me, who are interested in breeding reptiles someday, a big of a heads up as to what to expect and what the life is like.  

The response has been overwhelming, and I have several interviews to post.  I would like to start off with a bang and post an interview with Garrick DeMeyer of Captive Reptile Specialties Inc.  I've admired Garrick's work since I discovered snakes, and getting a chance to pick his brain was amazing.  The questions are below, as well as links to his websites.


Breeder Q&A with Garrick DeMeyer

1. What sparked your interest in snakes and caused you to start collecting?

I've been interested in reptiles and amphibians since I was only a few years old.  I was always the kid digging in ponds and swamps, flipping over logs, etc.  Back in the 70s, that was just about the only place to find herps.  I do remember seeing a nice selection of reptiles in a chain of stores in the Chicago-area called Noah's Ark.  I used to love going to those stores and seeing all of the exotic chameleons, frogs, geckos, and snakes.  I also used to buy every reptile book I could find, or check them out at the library.  There just wasn't much good info about reptiles back then- especially about their captive care and breeding.  I still have all of those books (other than the ones I checked out from the library!).  I always kept a few lizards in display tanks in my bedroom.  I wasn't allowed to keep snakes in the house and I almost always obeyed that rule.  When I was in college in the early '90s, I started breeding Giant Day Geckos- mostly just to see if I could do it.  I could.  One thing led to another and soon I had Leopard Geckos, Leaf-tail Geckos, Chameleons, Bearded Dragons, and finally snakes!

2. Why did you start breeding snakes?

Breeding snakes was a natural progression from breeding lizards for me.  I still love to breed lizards, mostly geckos, but I became fascinated with ball python morphs- back in the mid-90s when there were only a few available- albinos, piebalds, clowns, caramels, and axanthics.  Many of those weren't even proven to be inheritable at that time.  I planned to focus my business on my lizards and just keep a little collection of ball pythons and other snakes.  The ball python addiction hit me hard and within a few years, I started amassing a pretty impressive collection of them. 

3. What is your favorite part of the breeding process? What part do you like the least?

I think my favorite part of breeding ball pythons is producing new morphs.  Very few snakes that I produce are new morphs to the industry, but if I haven't produced them yet, they are still new for me.  I love looking in the incubator every day during the hatching season to see all of the new babies poking their heads out of their eggs.  There are so many different morphs out there.  I consider myself a bit of a ball python hoarder.  I would like to have a pair of every combo if I could.  I think there are too many morphs out there for any one person to have them all, so I try to focus mostly on the morphs I like the most.

The least favorite part of breeding ball pythons is when I lose one.  My survival rate is extremely high- probably around 99%, but losses do happen from time to time.  Out of 2000 babies, you can't expect every single one to come out perfect and healthy.  Still, these are living things and I never like to see anything suffer or die.

4. What is the most difficult part of the breeding process?

The most difficult part for me has nothing to do with breeding.  They are incredibly easy to breed if you have quality snakes and a proper environment.  Having clutches of slugs (infertile eggs) is probably the most frustrating- especially when it is a "big" clutch you are really looking forward to.  Overall, I think the most difficult part of doing this is getting a consistent supply of rodents.  With 700 adults and around 800-1000  babies here at any given time, that is a lot of mice and rats to come up with.  Many of my ball pythons eat frozen/thawed, but there are quite a few that will only consistently feed on live.  It is very difficult to come up with enough live rodents every week- even though we produce several thousand mice and rats per month here.  We still never have enough.

5. What species of snake do you breed? Have you bred others? If so, which is the most difficult?

The main species I work with now is the Ball Python.  I've breed many other species including boas, retics, rainbows, womas, green trees, carpets, corns, kings, hognose, milks and probably a few more that I'm not remembering right now.  I've had some success with other species, but I think my talent definitely is with ball pythons.  I've actually cut back my collection of "non-ball python" snakes so I can focus more attention on the balls.  That is the only way I can devote as much time and effort as possible to produce the largest variety of morphs possible.

I think boas have been the most difficult for me.  I've never been able to have a high success rate with my litters.  Lots of litters of slugs.  I'm not sure why that is, but it may be something about the environment in my facility that they don't like.  My employee, Kyle, can breed boas at his house all day long with excellent results and yet I can't do it here.  Very strange.

6. What is your biggest regret in regards to your breeding venture?

Oh, if I only knew 20 years ago what I knew now.  I could write a book on what I would do differently.  I used to keep all kinds of rare, stranger species in the hopes to become successful breeding stuff that nobody else was.  I had a lot of different geckos like Helmeted, Knob-tail, Leaf-tail, Velvet, rare Day Geckos etc,  and different lizards like Water Dragons, Frilled Lizards, Basilisks, Dwarf Monitors, and dozens of other species.  I spent thousands of dollars on some of this stuff, only to never have any real success with many of them.  It wasn't until I decided to focus on the species I knew I could breed, and also knew there was a good market for, that I started having success.  Bearded Dragons, Veiled Chameleons, Leopard Geckos, and Crested Geckos were all key to me digging myself out of my debt.  Sure, most of those didn't command a huge price tag, but I made up for it in volume, because of consistent, reliable production. 

Another regret was not getting into ball pythons much sooner.  Back in '96, I bought an albino boa and several hets for around $10k.  Had I just put that money into an albino ball python and a het or two back then, I'd be much more advanced in that industry at this point.  I also used to amass a group of normal female hatchlings every year, maybe 20-30 of them.  I'd keep them for  a few months, thinking I'd start breeding ball pythons at some point, then I'd end up selling them.  If I had kept those back in the mid-90s, I can't imagine how far along I'd be now.

My other big regret is being too trusting of too many people.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of dishonest people in this industry, as well as in any other industry.  I've shipped animals out to people I thought I could trust to pay me for them.  I've received counterfeit cashier's checks and didn't find out until after the animals shipped out.  I've also been burned by buying "hets" that prove out to be normals.  You live and learn, but unfortunately, some people will still find new ways to take advantage of you.  That's why it is so important to buy from reputable breeders with a good track record.  Great deals aren't that great if you don't get what you think you are buying.

7. What is your greatest accomplishment in breeding?

I don't know if I have a single greatest accomplishment.  I've produced the first of several leopard gecko and ball python morphs.  Those were pretty proud moments.  I really think the greatest accomplishment for me is to turn a little hobby into a successful career.  To be able to do this for a living for over 11 years now is still amazing for me.  I wish it was more about "playing with lizards and snakes" all day, but the cumulative result of what I'm doing is extremely rewarding on a personal level.

8. What are your primary goals for your breeding project? Short-term and long-term?

My goal has always been to produce as many beautiful, healthy, top-quality reptiles as possible.  I want to continue to add new genes and combos into my gecko and python projects.  Every year, I make up a "wish list" of a few things that I want (need!) to add to my collection.  I don't end up acquiring all of them, but I put a big dent in my list each year.

9. Are there any misconceptions regarding snake breeding you'd like to dispel?

I think the biggest misconception about snake breeding is how easy it is to make a lot of money.  This business is very hard work.  Not like working for a construction company physically hard, but still very challenging.  Reptiles are not a "get rich quick" scheme.  Once I started breeding reptiles, it took me about 7 years before I wasn't losing money every year, and still a couple years after that before I could do it full time.  I went to college and worked part-time jobs while I was growing my business.  After I graduated, I worked a full-time job and worked on my business in my spare time.  It was a long, hard, struggle figuring this all out.  Most people that I knew thought I was crazy for trying to do this.  They couldn't understand how much I loved it and what kind of sacrifices I was willing to make to see it through.  I did it because I love reptiles and couldn't see myself doing anything else.  I've never been one to settle for a job that I don't find rewarding, just for the paycheck.  I want to spend my life doing what makes me happy.  For me, that was REPTILES!  I see a lot of people getting into breeding reptiles just to make money.  Unless you really enjoy them, it is hard to spend all of the money and time required to become successful.  If I won the lottery and never needed to make another dime, I would still breed reptiles. 

10. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the reptile breeding industry today?

Definitely anti-reptile legislation.  Reptiles are becoming more popular every year, but if the wrong laws get passed, it could all be for nothing.  A ban from interstate transport and sales would cripple the industry to the point it would probably never recover.  It would affect breeders, wholesalers, retail pet stores, pet supplier manufacturers, shipping companies, insect and rodent breeders, and dozens of other industries.  The worst part about it is most of what the proponents of these bills are using to plead their case just isn't true.  In the case of pythons, some of these people claim that they will eventually spread through the bottom 1/3 of the US, possibly as far North as Ohio.  Really?  These snakes can get an upper respiratory infection in a breeder's facility that is temperature controlled similar to a rainforest.  Now they are supposed to survive sub-freezing temperatures and snowfall?  Most of their arguments just aren't accurate.  I encourage everyone to become members of USARK so they can become better-informed on what is going on.  You can't rely on someone else to take care of these pesky laws for you, even if it doesn't affect a species you work with.  The organizations that want these animals banned believe in dividing and conquering.  Take out the big pythons first, then the little ones, then colubrids, then geckos, etc., etc.  The reptile industry has shown they can rise up and defend their hobby when needed.  We all need to keep doing it and increase in numbers if we are going to keep our hobby alive and well.

11. Do you have any advice for would-be breeders?

I think I answered this question pretty well in #9 as far as being properly-motivated.  I would also like to add that most new breeders should work with species that are proven to be fairly easy to keep and breed- even if they aren't very valuable.  Producing "cheap" reptiles is better than not producing any at all, and it goes a long way to give you the experience needed to one day tackle the more challenging species.  Make sure to buy quality animals from reputable breeders.  Buy the best equipment you can afford.  A quality cage/rack, thermostat, and a temp-gun are probably the most important things you can add to your collection.  Always go for quality!

Garrick's websites:

http://www.crestedgecko.com/

http://www.royalconstrictordesigns.com/

Thank you for a great Q&A, Garrick!

Stay tuned for more Q&A's from breeders of all shapes and sizes, and don't hesitate to comment or contact me if you have questions or suggestions.

Pet Stores and Snakes

Many people will tell you to avoid buying a snake from a pet store.  I am one of them.  This is due to several reasons.

Reasons to Avoid Pet Stores

• Pet stores charge way more than breeders.  A "normal" ball python at Petsmart runs $80-$100.  A ball python hatchling from your local breeder will cost $20-$30.  This is quite a difference.
• Pet stores often do not take proper care of the snakes in their stores.  They are often malnourished and sometimes ill.
• Pet stores will tell you anything necessary to make a sale.  They don't just want you to buy a snake, they want you to buy the snake, a tank, a heat pad, a heat rock, hides, and anything else they can pile in your arms.  Snakes are money makers.  This is why people often see two or more hatchling ball pythons in the same small enclosure.

Reasons to Support Breeders

• Breeders put the snake's health and well-being before the money they make.  This means that, most of the time, your new snake will be healthy and will have eaten 3-4 times successfully.
• Breeders know where their snakes come from.  Reputable breeders know the genetic history and family trees of their hatchlings.  They know that Clutch A came from Adult Female A and Adult Male B.  A pet store won't be able to give you this information.  Breeders will also usually provide photographs of the parent snakes.
• Breeders will offer advice and support, including refunding purchase price and even shipping charges sometimes if something goes wrong with the snake that is not the fault of the new owner.
• Breeders will ensure that new owners know everything they need to know about properly caring for their snake, ensuring that the snake lives a long, healthy life.

These are just a few of the reasons why both people with dozens of snakes and the person looking for their first snake should look into finding a reputable breeder rather than buying from a pet store.  Please don't hesitate to post your thoughts, either agreeing with or disagreeing with this post, in the comments.  Debate is welcome!

The Cons of Snake Ownership

I said back in June that I would write a post about the cons of owning a snake in an attempt to be more objective and give views from both sides of the fence.  Some of the cons are obvious.

That snake doesn't love you!

            Simply put, your snake doesn’t love you.  That cute little flicking tongue, the way your snake ‘bumps’ your nose with his are not signs of affection.  Your snake is simply examining his or her environment in the best way he/she knows how.  The way they wrap around your arm or neck is not to cuddle with you, but rather an attempt to feel safe and secure.  This is especially true with ball pythons, which are used to small, tight dark spaces.

Husbandry can be complicated.

            Caring for your dog or cat is easy.  Feed and walk, bathe and brush, play and love.  These are basic components of caring for a furry four-legged friend.  Snakes are different.  Snakes require precise temperature and humidity levels and very specific habitats.  Ball pythons require hides (hide-boxes, caves, etc) that are almost too small, to the point where they touch the snake on all sides.  Their enclosures should have a hot side and a cool side, with temperatures ranging from roughly 90 degrees on the hot side to 80 degrees on the cool side.

Feeding can be messy!

            Snakes eat live prey.  For popular snakes like ball pythons, boas, corn snakes, and the like, this means rats and mice.  There are three options for feeding your snakes.  Live prey, frozen/thawed prey (prey that has been frozen, and then thawed and warmed to a temperature the snake can sense), or pre-killed (prey that has recently been killed specifically for the purpose of feeding a snake).  This is generally not for the faint of heart, regardless of the method.  Live prey can be uncomfortable for keeper and snake, as well as the rodent.  Rodents will sometimes make quite a bit of noise when being killed by a snake, and they will do anything they can to escape, including injuring the snake.  If a snake is injured, it is up to the snake’s keeper to provide proper care of any wounds or if severe enough, arrange a visit with a qualified veterinarian.  Frozen/thawed prey has been known to ‘pop’ or explode upon constriction if heated unevenly or too much prior to feeding.   

Snakes don’t want to be held.

            Your snake might curl around your neck while you watch T.V and poke his head down your shirt as if he’s checking out your incredible physique, but he’s not cuddling with you, and he really doesn’t care that you are holding him.  Generally, snakes enjoy being left alone in their enclosure.  Ball pythons for example are content to hide and sleep all day, while roaming their enclosure at night.  They tolerate us holding them, but it doesn’t matter to them if you are holding them or not.

They live in their bathrooms.

            Some people are lucky and have snakes that seem to be relatively considerate when disposing of bodily wastes.  They’ll find a corner somewhere and leave a stinky present far away from where they sleep.  Other people are not so lucky.  Horror stories abound of people discovering that their snake has decided to ‘body paint’ their enclosure with a foul-smelling substance.  Other owners have discovered that their snakes prefer to defecate while being held, leaving a mess down the front, back, or inside of one’s shirt.  This is something you will generally not see with your furry dog or cat.

This is all the cons I can think of right now, but feel free to leave more in the comments and I’ll address them in a later post!

Snakes vs The United States

Do you hate snakes?  The United States does.  Several attempts have been made by the U.S government, some successfully, to restrict or outlaw ownership, trade, sale, or interstate transport of snakes.  The earlier post about the current legal contest in the state of Ohio is one example of this.  Part of the problem stems from the fact that Florida is in the midst of a Burmese Python epidemic.  There are an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Burmese Pythons in the 1.5 million acres of land that comprises the Florida Everglades, many of which are thought to be descendants of a flood of baby snakes released from a research facility that was destroyed when Hurricane Andrew ripped through the state in 1992.

With the death of the Florida toddler in 2009, (see previous post, The Snakey Story Returns!) officials have been eager to crack down on reptile ownership in the state and across the country.  Snakes are commonly misconstrued as wanting nothing more than to suffocate and swallow small children, other pets, and even adult humans.  However, incidents like the one in Florida are rare and usually occur because the owner was negligent in caring for the animal, or mistreated the poor thing, causing it to act in an unnatural manner.  One thing you should realize as a snake enthusiast or someone that is just learning about them and is possibly intrigued by the controversy is that if the United States government gets its way, it will be a felony to own or sell any type of constrictor, be it the small Children’s Python, the notoriously large Burmese or Reticulated Pythons, the Colombian Red Tailed Boa or your relaxed little Ball Python.  

The government believes that snakes are dangerous to their owners and small children, and generally bad pets because of a few isolated incidents and widespread misconceptions. It is a shame that the livelihood of so many is being threatened.  Everybody from the guy with one snake to the woman down the street that runs a small breeding operation out of her spare bedroom would be considered a criminal if the anti-snake movement got its way.

Next time you visit a pet store, take a peek at the reptile section.  Pay close attention to those beautiful little snakes you see.  Millions of snakes like them could be in danger of being euthanized if these laws are passed and hundreds of people will be without jobs.  Hopefully, the reptile industry can fight back and squash yet another attempt by others to destroy something they fear and do not understand.

The Snakey Story Returns!

Hello everybody!  It has been a long time since I posted, and I apologize for that.  I've been reading about a current event regarding snakes and other exotic animals and it has me wanting to write a blog post about it.

The state of Ohio is currently attempting to pass a bill through the state House that will ban all constrictor snakes,  venomous snakes, and other exotic pets.  This bill is broad, far-reaching, and far too open to interpretation by local officials.  The bill's text will be linked after the post.

There are at least two major events that brought national attention on the ownership of exotic or wild animals as pets.  The first was a terrible incident in 2009 in which a young girl in Florida was killed by a Burmese python.  This is a tragedy, to be sure.  However, there is more to this story than has been reported by local news.  This snake was starved, fed only roadkill.  It's last meal had been one month prior to the accident.  The snake's enclosure was also not secured.  It was kept in a bag, within an aquarium that had only a blanket for a lid.  The snake was 8 feet 6 inches long, and a toddler would look like prey to a starving, neglected snake.

Keep in mind, however, that this in no way is justifying this little girl's tragic death.  There are facts not reported by mainstream media in an effort to encourage the propaganda that results in things like Ohio's H.B 352.

Just recently in Ohio, a local farm owner opened the cages of dozens of exotic animals, including lions, bears, wolves and tigers, then ended his own life.  The majority of the animals had to be shot by local law enforcement and wildlife officials.  This is unfortunate, but understandable.  Something had to be done, a decision needed to be made, in order to protect nearby citizens.

Because of incidents like this, organizations like the Humane Society of the United States, PETA, and the ASPCA are all encouraging state and federal governments to ban the exotic pet trade.  Not only would they have sale and interstate transport of exotic pets made illegal, they would also make it a criminal act to just own a snake!  Organizations like USARK (United States Association of Reptile Keepers) are working hard to combat this threat.  

Incidents like the ones discussed above are terrible and unfortunate.  However, these irresponsible or uncaring owners are not examples of the reptile community.  If concerned readers visit the discussion boards at Fauna Classifieds, Ball-pythons.net and other reputable communities, it will quickly become apparent that the reptile lovers in the United States and around the world want nothing more than a happy, healthy home for them and their unique pets.

Relevant Links:


United States Association of Reptile Keepers
Fauna Classifieds
BP.net
Ohio House Bill 352 - Snake Ban

As always, feel free to comment.

Snake Mites

What is a Snake Mite?

My interpretation of a snake mite.

What are snake mites?  If you ask anybody that has ever dealt with them, chances are they'll tell you "Mites? I hate those blood-sucking little bastards!"  Mites are parasites that feed off blood.  They are arachnids, but because of their love of blood, I compare them more with mosquitos than I do spiders.

How Do I Tell If I have a mite problem?

Imagine that you're holding a snake, smiling proudly as his tongue flickers and he moves smoothly through your hands.  Then, out of the corner of your eye, you notice a little black speck scurrying across his head.  Upon closer inspection, you hear a high pitched, menacing chuckle and a sound similar to liquid being sucked through a straw.

Okay, maybe I made that last part up.  But all joking aside, count yourself lucky if you notice only one little hitchhiker on your snake.  They usually travel in groups.  If you see one or more crawling bugs on your snake, you most likely have mites.

Why are they so serious?

Mites can carry serious illnesses from one snake to another, quickly spreading sickness throughout a private collection.  Many people have lost entire collections of reptiles worth thousands of dollars because of diseases spread by mites.  They can be very deadly, and affect snakes in a number of ways.

They can cause loss of appetite

They can cause poor shedding

They also lay their eggs around the eyes and anal vents of the snakes, and I'm sure each and every person reading this can imagine how uncomfortable that would be.

How Do I Treat Mites?

There are several treatments available for mites, some more effective than others.  There are a number of steps that should be taken in preparing to eliminate a mite infestation.  Most of them, I'm sad to say, are "snake oil" treatments.  By this, I mean they claim to treat mites but they are ineffective at best, and absolutely useless at times.  One of the most used and most effective treatments is the Provent-A-Mite spray by Pro Products.  It is specially formulated for snakes (and perhaps other reptiles, but I'm not sure on that), and from everything I've heard it works wonders.  Others use Equate Bedding Spray, which is typically for lice.  Many people have used this with no problems, but I've read pros and cons of using it.

There are other sprays out there and some very unorthodox treatments as well.  The bottom line is, mites are bad.  Very bad.  They can kill your snake if left untreated.  I sincerely hope that this post is informative and helps every reader learn something.  I will provide links to some websites discussing mites as well as the Pro Products website so you can see for yourselves what the hype is about.

Links:

Dealing With Snake Mites

http://lllreptile.com/info/library/care-and-husbandry-articles/-/dealing-with-snake-mites/

The Life History of Snake Mites

http://www.vpi.com/publications/the_life_history_of_snake_mites

Pro Products

http://www.pro-products.com/

Enjoy!

Rick

Snake Related Television

There are some good, solid, educational television shows out there regarding snakes.  The one that always comes to the forefront of my mind is Python Hunters.  These guys are awesome.  Not only are they licensed by the state of Florida to study and help fight the Burmese Python infestation of the Everglades, but they educate viewers while they are doing it.

There are other shows that start off interesting but eventually disgust me.  Dangerous Encounters with Brady Barr is one of them.  When I saw that Mr. Barr was doing a show on large pythons, I thought "Excellent!  Now is my chance to learn!"  And I did learn.  I learned that this show was not worth my time.  I watched him force a snake out of it's cover - a little cubbyhole in the rock of a cave, and point out that it had just eaten.  I've been taught that a snake's digestive system is very delicate, and this is why we leave them alone for two days or so after they eat.  It gives them time to properly digest.  However, he proceeded to actually force the snake to regurgitate it's meal!  This astounded me.  Why in the world would anyone do that just to point and chuckle at what it just ate?  What educational purpose did that serve except to teach young snake lovers that making a snake regurgitate must be okay because some supposedly respected man on Animal Planet did it, and Animal Planet is a good channel!

I do not claim to be an expert.  My opinions are just that - opinions.  However, I strongly believe that if you want to entertain people, you can do it by educating them at the same time.  This is especially true for snakes. Rather than follow this philosophy, however, shows like Dangerous Encounters and channels like Animal Planet would prefer to go with 'shock value'.  The more blood, the more ratings, it seems.

I am also fed up with the television shows that tell people that a Burmese python or similar sized snake can and will eat a full grown human.  Less people are killed in the United States by snakes than by dogs.  Educate, don't exaggerate.

That's all for tonight, folks.  I don't want to get too long winded on a post like this.  Thanks for reading, please chime in!

Why snakes?

One of the most common questions I'm asked is, "Why snakes?"  Many people don't understand why I, and others, would choose to own a scaly reptile instead of a cute furry puppy or kitten.  The reasons are many.  I will list some of them here.

• Snakes don't require as much attention.  True, temperature and humidity levels must be monitored and maintained, but this can be done easily with thermometers/hygrometers, allowing for easy reading of the temps/humidity levels, even in a hurry.  Snakes do not require the attention and affection your dog or cat requires.  In fact, they are quite content if you leave them in their safe, secure habitats for weeks at a time.  They don't need love, they don't need to go for walks, and they don't expect you to play with them. (I'm telling you right now, if my snake dropped a rawhide bone in my lap, I would throw it for him!)
• Snakes eat, on average, once a week.  Compare owning one snake to owning one dog.  My snakes eat once a week or so, while my dog and cat eat every day.  I spend about as much feeding three snakes as I do feeding one dog and one cat every month.  If your snakes are eating frozen/thawed prey, the food bill is even cheaper.
• Most apartment complexes will let you keep multiple snakes.  The apartment complex I live in restricts us to one dog and one cat.  However, they have no restrictions on animals that are kept in cages.
• They are easy to care for.  This ties in with the attention point above.  On average, I clean my snake enclosures once a week.  I 'spot check' for waste, wet shavings, and other issues every time I take them out, which is usually 1-2 times a day for a few minutes at a time.
• Snakes are cheap once you get past the initial investment.  For a person on a budget, snakes are a great pet.  We've already discussed feeding, which can run anywhere from $3-$4 a week for a full grown ball python.  Many snakes are fine being kept on newspaper or something similar.  I prefer aspen shavings or cypress mulch, both of which are fairly inexpensive.
• Space.  Depending on the type of snake you own, you can keep one in a small apartment with no problem.  One ball python can happily live its life in a 20 or 30 gallon aquarium.  Many people with multiple snakes use rack systems that allow them to stack their snakes on shelves, similar to the three or four drawer Sterilite shelves you can purchase at Wal-Mart.
• Snakes are quiet!  Your snake won't bark when somebody knocks on the door, and he won't paw at your face, meowing in your ear to wake you up in the morning to give him breakfast.  They will hiss if startled or frightened, but with many snakes that isn't a regular occurrence.  There is always the exception, though!  Some people have very "hissy" snakes.
• Snakes are odorless.  Snakes generally don't stink.  The only time I smell anything other than the smell of the aspen shavings or the cypress mulch (I enjoy the damp, earthy smell of the cypress), is when my snakes leave waste for me to clean up.  Once that is disposed of and the enclosure cleaned, the smell is gone.

That's everything I can think of for now.  I will be doing a 'cons of owning a snake' feature as well.  The only way to properly educate people is to give them all the information available!  Please chime in via the comments if you can think of more pros!

Rick

Ew, snakes! I'm afraid of them!

Hello again, everyone!  This entry will be about fear of snakes, both the rational and irrational sides of the coin.  First, I would like to thank Brian Barczyk from BHB reptiles for this topic.  Thanks Brian!

Now, let's get down to business.  People are afraid of snakes for any number of reasons.  Some of these are:

1.  Religion:  The Bible tells the story of the serpent tempting Eve in the Garden of Eden to eat the apple.  Because of this, mankind is cast out of Eden.  Due to this, many people believe that snakes are evil and cruel.  This is far from the truth.  Snakes are not evil, but stories like this give them a bad rap.

2. The Media:  Hollywood loves snakes.  How many of you have seen the Anaconda movies?  I am not condemning movies like this, because they make for great entertainment.  However, this is all they are.  Entertainment.  Snakes are going to grow to be fifty feet long and as big around as a school bus with the desire to consume human flesh on a daily basis.  While there are some big snakes (Reticulated and Burmese pythons are a popular big snake), they do not have the desire to kill and eat humans, or anything other than the prey they are normally fed (rats or, in many cases, rabbits).

3. Ignorance:  Many people that are afraid of snakes have seen few, if any, in the wild.  Many of them have also never handled a pet snake like a ball python.  Some people have an irrational fear of snakes.  This is called Ophidiophobia.  It is a very real affliction and those afflicted by it have a very real fear of snakes.

4.  Snakes are strange:  Snakes are weird looking creatures.  From the way they move, to the way they eat (think constrictors) to their little forked tongues and their lidless eyes.  Everything about them is alien to most people.  Some snakes are even recognized by their 'alien heads'.  Again, there is nothing wrong with this.  Humans are afraid of the strange and the unknown.  That is the reason horror stories are so wildly popular.

Many people are afraid of snakes.  Many people in my family call me weird or crazy or a freak because I love and own snakes.  This is understandable.  However, there are many excellent websites out there that are full of people ready and willing to help people better understand and, maybe eventually, banish their fear of snakes completely.  That is the focus of this blog.  I want to educate and inform you.  If I can make one person think "Huh, snakes really aren't that bad!", I've done my job.  Of course, I'd like to convert more than just one person!  Please, comment if you have more reasons for people being afraid of snakes!  I'll do a "part two" if I get enough ideas.

The Three Stooges (Our Snakes)

To those people that say snakes are too primitive to have a personality, I say ha!  Our snakes are crazy.  This post will serve as an introduction to them for the people that don't know them.

Gene (Snakeyface)

This is Gene.  He was our first snake.  He is a ball python, and he is roughly ten months old.  He is, to put it simply, a hippie in snake form.  He is absolutely the most calm, relaxed snake I've ever seen, either in person or on TV/YouTube.  He eats like a champ (except for his issues with frozen/thawed), even when he's in deep shed.  He is absolutely incredible. His full name is "Slinky Gene the Peekaboo Bandit".  Each individual name has a story behind it.  He's slinky for obvious reasons.  He's a snake, and he has a tendency to fall like, well, a slinky.  He is Gene because he reminded Kara's mom of her obsession, Gene Simmons.  They both use their tongues quite a bit.  He is Peekaboo because when we first adopted him, he would "peek" out of his hide, and when he saw us watching, he would duck back in and hide.  Kara called him bandit because of the stripes on the side of his face.  They reminded her of a bandit mask.  He is my buddy, and Kara's mom wants to steal him.  Not happening, lady.

This is Fuzzy.  (He's not really fuzzy)

This is Fuzzy.  He is a very cranky ball python.  When we first got him, he wanted absolutely nothing to do with us.  He tried striking at Kara twice, hitting the side of the tub both times.  Then, last week or so, he had spilled his water, soaking his tub.  I reached in to take him out so I could clean the tub, and he hissed at me.  First time ever, it was pretty awesome.  Then, Kara grabbed his head by accident, causing him to hiss again!  He's a pretty cool snake though.  He gets an attitude when I open his tub, but once he's out of the tub he relaxes.  I'm very glad he is part of our family.

This little beauty is Ruby, our red tail boa.  She has a temper.  She doesn't have a problem being taken out of her tank most of the time.  Putting her back in, however, is a totally different story.  She will do everything she possibly can to stay out.  She's bumped Kara with her nose several times, as if she's threatening to bite.  We suspect that she's bitten her once or twice, but there's no evidence to support the theory.  Her tail is absolutely gorgeous.  I'll post pictures of that some other time.  She thinks she runs the house.  She's half right.

Those are our scaly family members.  I hope you enjoyed the introductions.  I will be posting about them a lot, as they are one of the primary reasons for this blog.  They are incredible and I can honestly say that having snakes has changed my life for the better.  Please comment, and don't be afraid to request topics!  I love talking and writing about snakes.

Rick

Myths and Misconceptions Part One

This is an informational post meant to educate the uninformed.  I do not claim to know everything, but I do enjoy sharing what I know in hopes of teaching even one person something they didn't know before.  This post will focus on common myths and misconceptions of snakes, including things such as snakes being slimy, evil, baby murderers.  I hope you enjoy it!

1. Snakes will only get as large as the enclosure you keep them in.  If you keep them in a large (150 gallon) aquarium, they will grow to fit the tank.  FALSE


Snakes are like humans.  They grow to an average length and generally stop.  If you wear a size six shoe and you buy a size twelve pair of shoes, will your feet grow to fit the shoes?  No.  The same goes for snakes.  Each species is different, but each has average lengths and weights, and they generally fit into these categories.  There are exceptions, but you're not going to see a ball python grow to be ten feet long just because you keep it in a fifteen foot long enclosure.

2.  Snakes are slimy.  FALSE


Snakes are not slimy.  They have scales, and this leads some people to compare them to fish which, obviously, can be rather gooey and slimy.  They are also compared to worms.  The truth is, snakes are fairly soft to the touch, and very dry.  Their scales actually feel quite pleasant, if you want my opinion.

3. Snakes will constrict just for the pleasure of doing so.  FALSE


Constrictors such as pythons and boas will not constrict just because they feel like it.  They constrict their prey to kill it so they can eat.  When holding a snake, they will also sometimes grip very tightly in order to feel more secure being held and/or carried.  This leads some people to believe that the snake has some malicious intent. They do not.  They are simply frightened and they use their natural abilities (powerful muscles) to grip and hang on.  They will not intentionally constrict you.  Of course, this being said, if you put a Burmese Python around your neck and it grips you tightly, causing you to have trouble breathing, A) You're not very bright if you're putting an eight foot or longer snake around your neck, and B) The snake is just using what it has available to keep itself secure and safe.  If your neck happens to be in the way, don't blame the snake.  Blame yourself.

4.  Snakes will only eat live prey.  FALSE


Snakes are scavengers.  They will eat what is available.  In the wild, this means live or dead prey.  They will eat carrion, like many other animals in the wild.  In captivity, they will eat live or a number of dead prey options.  These include prey that has recently been killed or stunned, either via blunt force or euthanized prey. This also includes prey that has been killed, frozen, and then thawed and warmed up before feeding.

5.  Snakes will kill your dog, your cat, or your child.  FALSE


I call this false because your snake is not going to eat your German Shepherd, your Husky, or your teenager.  Of course, if you tempt your giant hungry snake (and by giant I mean Burmese or Reticulated Python, and similar snakes), with a yapping, rabbit size terrier, don't hold it against the snake if it makes a meal of it.  Chances are, though, the snake will be frightened by the incessant yapping of the dog and will attempt to escape.

- That's all for now, folks.  If you have questions or want a myth challenged, comment and I'll do my best to answer.

Rick

Hello one and all

Lately I've been ranting on Facebook, but the character limit drives me crazy.  So, I shall rant here and link to it on Facebook.

I'll start by saying something everybody that knows me is well aware of by now.  I love snakes.  I have always been fascinated by them, but when we got our first ball python, Gene (Snakeyface, as I call him), the obsession was born.  They fascinate me.  The markings, the temperament, even the way they move is incredible.  They are wonderful examples of what nature can create.

They are carnivores, tried and true.  They do not eat plants.  They do not want green beans, spinach, beans, or bread.  They want meat.  Hot, ready to be swallowed rats or mice, at least in captivity.  Many larger snakes will eat rabbits, even baby chickens.  That is another topic, however.  This rant is dedicated to the people that think that snakes are cruel because they eat rodents, or that I am cruel because I enjoy watching my snakes eat.  To make it clear, I do not enjoy feeding my snakes live prey.  It worries me because they can be injured.  It saddens me because I do not enjoy watching the life fade from a cute, furry animal.  However, my snakes are totally dependent on me, and they need to eat.  It is no different, in fact, it is more humane, than your cat batting a mouse around your living room for four hours.  Some people call that cute.  My snakes kill their prey within minutes, then the fun begins.  I get to watch them methodically swallow the rodent.  It is absolutely fascinating.  If you don't believe me, check YouTube, you will be surprised.

I love my snakes just as much as I love my dog or my cat.  They are a very different pet, however.  They need minimal care.  I feed them once a week or so, and I make sure that humidity and temperature levels are right.  Other than that, my snakes don't need 'cuddled', played with, petted, or even acknowledged.  They would be perfectly content being left alone.  This makes them ideal pets for a person on the go.

As much as they enjoy being left alone, I enjoy taking them out.  I especially enjoy walking around the apartment complex with them.  I've done this several times since the weather warmed up, and I've talked to a lot of people.  People that were unsure about snakes before now know just a little bit more about them.  They know that ball pythons are constrictors and are not venomous.  They also know that my ball pythons are not going to eat my dog, my cat, or as my mother likes to wish for, my face.

Those of you that are afraid of snakes, I respect that.  I will never shove a snake in your face and expect you to smile.  I will however try to convince you that snakes are amazing creatures.  I will cite examples, most of them personal experiences.  I will talk with you about the facts I have learned.  I will do my very best to turn you into a snake lover.  If that doesn't work, I will respect your feelings if you respect mine.  Snakes are not evil, they are not "Satanic", and they are not minions of the Devil.  They are innocent, fairly primitive creatures that need to be cared for in captivity and, for the most part, left to go about their business in the wild.

That's all for now, thanks for reading.  Please comment!