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There was also a guy who had lived with a group of bears for years and felt safe with them. But one day all of a sudden one of them attacked and killed him..
That was Timothy Treadwell. He spent years with Grizzly bears in Alaska. He developed a returned respect with them. The one fateful trip he had taken a girlfriend to impress at the end of season. The bears he encountered were none of the ones he had developed friendship with, the ones he had been safe with had went into hibernation. Timothy had substance abuse problems, to me his behavior was that of one on heroin.
I myself have had many unusual pets. I had a raccoon for 12 years. For the last 12 years I have had many ferrets in our home. Most people never know as I do not advertise.
Each persons pet and relationship with is their own. Many may do so to impress, many are just impressed by a animal. Some people are scared of dogs of any size. Many do not like cats.
How quickly we are forgetting the snake that ate the two year old child? That one was just like a pet too.
It was also a ~15ft Burmese Python, who was improperly housed and grossly underfed... but if you can prove pet snakes kill more humans than pet dogs, I will consider discussing your concerns. I'll be even more impressed if you can explain how my 3-5ft non-venomous snakes are capable of killing me.
P.S. The snake never ATE the child, it constricted & killed the child - which is an important distinction, especially considering snakes can't/don't really swallow humans. Get your facts straight, please, as you're only sensationalizing a (tragic yet) poorly reported story.
Now to answer the OP's question, all I can say is "why not??" I have a dog and three cats, who give me that mammalian affection people like, and that's fabulous. But I also have 20+ snakes, who offer something completely different... they are beautiful to watch, fun to interact with, easy to maintain (hence the reason I have so many), scientifically interesting, and yes - a good conversation starter. But to clarify that last statement, it only comes up if I start the conversation, as I'd never randomly walk around with a snake... anyone who does that is irresponsible, and really shouldn't be owning these pets.
I've always been fascinated by reptiles, had a few lizards & turtles when I was young, and finally got into snakes in 2009. Not sure why, just as we can't explain food preferences & why some are cat people vs dog people... they're just cool animals! Why do people own fish, birds, hamsters, hermit crabs, etc? Those are all common household pets, but nobody questions their validity. Do you get "love" from a fish? I also agree with some of the earlier comments, about how ANY pet can provide a certain form of affection - just spend a few minutes with my western hognose snake, Charlotte, and I dare you to say she has no personality. Also look at my ball python Toby's face, and say this isn't somewhat adorable!
P.S. Questions like the OP's are precisely why I'm interested in doing educational programs, as so many are uninformed about these wonderful creatures... already booked myself for a job (at the library where I work) this summer, and can't wait to get more gigs!
Lizards are interesting pets to have. I guess I have one just to have a different pet. Reptile keeping is addictive, as are fish.
You can say that again, LOL. Never in a million years did I imagine I'd end up with so many, but they're as addictive as Pringles... once you pop, you can't stop!
I think Toby's face is precious! I have a pretty little ball too. And we have a bearded dragon and if we weren't so far from family (and had to rely on pet sitters when we were out of town) we would have a MUCH bigger collection. If you open our snakes cage, she'll slither out the top and go straight into your hands. And once our beardie is out she's a happy camper and NOT interested in going back in the cage. She'll run up your arm if you try to put her back too early, and when it's bedtime she snuggles into your hair to sleep. They have ways of showing affection, you just need to get close enough to learn them.
I think Toby's face is precious! I have a pretty little ball too. And we have a bearded dragon and if we weren't so far from family (and had to rely on pet sitters when we were out of town) we would have a MUCH bigger collection. If you open our snakes cage, she'll slither out the top and go straight into your hands. And once our beardie is out she's a happy camper and NOT interested in going back in the cage. She'll run up your arm if you try to put her back too early, and when it's bedtime she snuggles into your hair to sleep. They have ways of showing affection, you just need to get close enough to learn them.
Exactly! Beardies in particular have soooo much personality, don't they? I've considered getting one myself, but they're a bit high-maintenance for me... the cats & dog are enough, in terms of higher-maintenance pets. I am getting a crested gecko soon, though.
my fave snakes are the hognoses, i thin they are the puppydogs of the snake world, never met a mean one.
the only reason i dont want snakes myself (and i realy do want a pink corn :P) is the cost of running the heat lamps lol.
Besides a domestic houshold of dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, birds and fish, I've also enjoyed owning chinchillas, ferrets, hedgehogs, sugargliders, snakes, lizards and tortoises. Each is unique and special in their own way and full of personality.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gizmo980
Exactly! Beardies in particular have soooo much personality, don't they? I've considered getting one myself, but they're a bit high-maintenance for me... the cats & dog are enough, in terms of higher-maintenance pets. I am getting a crested gecko soon, though.
Oh, and Toby says thanks!
gizmo, Beardies aren't they high-maintenance. You can buy the organic baby spring mix and add to it. They do need crickets and will eat pinkies when they get bigger. I love their personality. Mine will look at me and look down to his bowl to show me it's empty. Here he is giving me a stardown.
My daughter has a Crested Gecko. He's adorable, but very fast! He won't sit still for long. I love this picture of him w/ his reflection on the glass.
Here's a couple of my husband's snakes when they were younger.
Nicaraguan Boa
Salmon Boa (now almost 6 ft)
I'm really fascinated w/ our Redfoot Tortoises. We also have a Russian and I want to get a Leopard next.
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I have a dog and three cats, who give me that mammalian affection people like, and that's fabulous. But I also have 20+ snakes, who offer something completely different... they are beautiful to watch, fun to interact with, easy to maintain (hence the reason I have so many), scientifically interesting, and yes - a good conversation starter. But to clarify that last statement, it only comes up if I start the conversation, as I'd never randomly walk around with a snake... anyone who does that is irresponsible, and really shouldn't be owning these pets.
And we have a bearded dragon and if we weren't so far from family (and had to rely on pet sitters when we were out of town) we would have a MUCH bigger collection. If you open our snakes cage, she'll slither out the top and go straight into your hands. And once our beardie is out she's a happy camper and NOT interested in going back in the cage. She'll run up your arm if you try to put her back too early, and when it's bedtime she snuggles into your hair to sleep. They have ways of showing affection, you just need to get close enough to learn them. 
