Meet Monty. He is our newest pet snake. And the kids just love him.
Monty is a 4.5 foot, 1227 gram ball python. We got him from Willa a few weeks ago, who was making room for two adopted iguanas. My concession to Pamela was that she could choose the breed when the time comes for us to get a pet dog. I had been pushing for a large canine, but I think her preferences lean toward the lap dog end of the spectrum.
Ever since I became the “weird snake guy” (my wife’s new affectionate term), I have been amazed at the number of people who are afraid of snakes. Some people actually admit to their fear being irrational. Wikipedia says that ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) usually stems from “an incident in the person’s childhood or the person’s societal upbringing.” My mom was “deathly afraid of snakes” (her words), but thankfully that sentiment did not stick.
Most of my encounters with snakes — either in the wild or in captivity — have been positive life affirming experiences. All of them except for the time I was bitten by a black mamba while on a mission trip to Africa. Thank goodness for antivenom. Truthfully, all three mission trips that I have been on were to Latin America (Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Mexico). But I have truly been bitten before by non-venemous snakes and I can tell you that it *pales* in comparison to every dog bite I have ever suffered.
When people find out that we have pet snakes (three so far), the most frequent question is, “Why?” Below are ten reasons to have a snake as a pet (courtesy of aboutsnakes.com).
- Easy To Keep (easier than Aidan’s goldfish)
- Little Time Required (they don’t *need* playtime)
- Low Maintenance Costs (they eat every 7-10 days)
- No Smell (Monty poops once a month)
- No Noise (except right before they strike … j/k)
- Little Space Required (a 20 gal. terrarium works for most)
- Your Life Is Not At Risk (a dingo is more likely to eat your baby)
- A Fantastic Display (check this out)
- A Fantastic Talking Point (you’re reading this, right?)
- Fantastic Community (can you say herpetoculturist?)
And while part of my passion for pet snakes is personal and self-serving, there is a good part of me that wants to ensure that my kids grow up to appreciate all creatures great and small. I still vividly remember the time I killed a smooth green snake with the butt of a wooden toy rifle. My friend (also named Scott) saw it on the trail and pointed at it exclaiming, “Look. A snake!” I immediately bashed it into a bloody pulp. After all, my mom told me that snakes were bad, right? I instantly regretted my actions. Especially after Scott asked me, “Why did you do that? It wasn’t going to hurt you.”
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Happy Father’s day Scott! I guess your kids aren’t afraid of snakes. I am surprized that they are so calm.
I’m so glad I could do my part in helping your family… btw, I have three large bags of frozen “meat” in my freezer for you.
hey snake-man, I’ve got a proposal for you. would you like to try out life with a yap/lap-dog? we have a golden opportunity for you, as our little Katie needs a home July 1-11. we even have a bark collar when you tire of the yapping. she’s a little high-strung at first, but once she settles down she just lies around all day. great with kids. doesnt shed. uber cute. let me know if you’re interested. we may be able to sweeten the deal with cash and/or prizes too.
Oh, I’m so happy to see Aidan and Izzy enjoying Monty. He’s such a good snake with kids. *sniff*
However, our iguanas seem to be responding well to the love and attention they are getting now that they’ve been rescued from the biology lab. We’ve been taking them for walks in the yard for about 30 min a day and have them eating entirely fresh greens and veggies-no more dry “iguana food”. We’re finding it much more efficient to be an “all-lizard household”.
Oh, and BTW . . .HOLY COW!! You were once bitten by a black mamba? how many people can say that? What a cool story to have now that it’s over with a happy ending.
Bob: I’ll have to talk to the lady of the house. What kind of yapper is it…poodle or bichon?
willa: Can’t thank you enough. Weird to think of our church having a “snake house” and a “lizard house” — what with my imagination and all.
As for the black mamba bite (hehehe
), with good pre-hospital first aid and in-hospital antivenom treatment, 99% of victims survive without any complication. Funny, how a lot of the mystique around black mambas is legend and not reality (kind of like how wolves used to be viewed). I gotta go to Africa sometime!
she’s a maltese. and I think Pam has met her. I hope she doesnt hold that against her, since she’s hyper around guests but is pretty mellow otherwise.
I cringe at the site of these pictures. Aidan and Izzy are much braver than their Aunt K.
Oh, but Aunt K! Think of what a good education they are getting. They are learning about reptiles, cold blooded species, the food chain and more. First hand knowledge is always so much more memorable!
ummmm, yeah. wow. well. good to see you are encouraging the love of snakes and tattooes in your children. Hey, if your daughter ever wants to replace that butterfly with a REAL one, just tell her to give me a call. I know some places:) only partially serious. hehe. I dont know WHY I am afraid of snakes. you sure it is more of a nurture thing than nature? I just dont like bugs/reptiles period. hm. perhaps it is time to confront the fear and meet Monty. eh, maybe next life:)
In the words of Brian Fellows friend of animals, “Snakes are of the devil.” Brian fellows aka Tracy Morgan.
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[...] Now Monty, on the other hand, would cause me greater concern if he escaped. Not so much now, but the moreso as time goes on. You see, it turns out that Monty is not a Ball python at all. Our little adopted pet is actually a Burmese python, something that has come as a surprise to both his previous keeper and us. Currently he weighs 1,710 grams and measures five feet long. When we got him he was 1,227 grams. Several weeks ago he was only four and a half feet long. If this means nothing to you, then consider that Burms are the second longest snake in the world (behind the Reticulated Python). Next year Monty ought to double in length and weigh at least twelve times his current three and three quarter pounds. At full maturity he could be over sixteen feet long and weigh two hundred plus pounds. That’s only fifteen pounds less than me! [...]