Snakes:who likes them?

[bb07]

I know many people do,obviously JonathanD for sure,but am curious as to how many of you really like them and why.
For the record I will say that they sort of creep me out,possibly because I have no experience with them.
I haven't seen a snake since I was a kid growing up in the southern part of Saskatchewan,in the late '60's,and they were only small garter snakes.That was the only kind we ever saw in that area.
In the far northern part of the province there are no snakes.It's a sub-arctic climate and I really like the fact that all sorts of creepy crawlers are absent,as well as other(to me) undesirable creatures such as skunks,rats,ticks,politicians and so on.
I know we all like different creatures,and this is as it should be,but snakes to me really don't seem to fall in the cute and cuddly category.I'm not trying to belittle anyone's interests,but rather am trying to understand the attraction to what many people I know do not like.

 

[MSkiba]

I woudnt say I like them, but I do not fear them.

I have never seen one in the wild and look forward to seeing my first one.

 

[Loenja]

the are beautiful and amazing,
but i have a large amount of respect for them.
seen a few here and there, and a friend had a couple in a terrarium(?), but never actually had much contact

 

[Tengu]

A friend of mine had a ball python.

we used to make an obstacle curse for him and watch him crawl over it. fastinating.

Snakes in spite of their strange locomotion are very sucessful animals.

 

[demographic]

Looked after a Californian kingsnake for about a year, nice to look at a few times and watch it eating but as a pet it was as boring as it gets.

At least you can take a dog for a walk.

 

[Geoff Dann]

I know we all like different creatures,and this is as it should be,but snakes to me really don't seem to fall in the cute and cuddly category.I'm not trying to belittle anyone's interests,but rather am trying to understand the attraction to what many people I know do not like.

I like all creatures, with the sole exception of those whose only purpose of existing is to be a pain in the **** - e.g. mosquitoes, wasps... I am particularly fond of those which irrationally "creep out" other people, and that would include rats, bats and snakes. It also includes the pigeons and seagulls which have chosen to live with humans. OK so they make a mess and a noise (particularly the seagulls) but I consider it an honour that such a large wild bird has chosen to live amongst humans in cities. As for snakes...they are both beautiful and fascinating. It's a long time since I've seen a wild adder, but I've seen a couple of grass snakes this year whilst out mushrooming. Rats you just have to respect for beating humans at their own game ecologically and bats fall into the category of actually cute and cuddly even though they are ugly as hell. However, I think first prize for irrationally creeping people out probably goes to this creature:

What is there not to love about an aye-aye?

 

[Bush_Man]

Snakes are just gorgeous. In Portugal if you really wanna see them you can find them with ease... We have poisonous snakes but they're easy to identify.

 

[JonathanD]

The thing that I find most people cannot understand is that each snake has a distinct personality. This is something people only associate with mammals and birds, but from someone who has studied venomous snakes firsthand and puff adders (Bitis arietans) in particular, I can judge how each snake will react after spending time with them, and some are curious, some bold, some aggressive and some are even timid. To take it a step further, in my studies with our own adder (V.berus), I've got to know certain individuals so well, that I can pick them up with bare hands. Although you have to judge what mood they are in that day, because their moods can change like any other animal.

As with all animals though, wild specimens can be unpredictable and I wouldn't recommend anyone try it.

 

[Harvestman]

Snakes, like just about all animals, are wonderful. Generally, Homo sapiens is the only species I don't really like, although I make exceptions for some individuals.

 

[gsfgaz]

Snakes are amazing things , i had two years ago it was amazing seeing them fleshing there skin ...

 

[Shambling Shaman]

I'm OK with them, My Dad on the other had cant watch them on TV lol..

Seen plenty when living in Hong Kong, like most thing if you give respected to it nature then you should be ok.

 

[lab72]

Snakes, like just about all animals, are wonderful. Generally, Homo sapiens is the only species I don't really like, although I make exceptions for some individuals.

Second that !

 

[Silverhill]

..... I can judge how each snake will react after spending time with them, and some are curious, some bold, some aggressive and some are even timid. To take it a step further, in my studies with our own adder (V.berus), I've got to know certain individuals so well, that I can pick them up with bare hands. Although you have to judge what mood they are in that day, because their moods can change like any other animal.....

Fascinating stuff. I've never seen anything other than grass snakes and slow-worms (do they count being a legless lizard?) but find them fascinating.

 

[rik_uk3]

If they taste as good as eels then I love them

 

[Nick93]

I love them. I have one on my shoulder right now My female royal python.

 

[ged]

Funny question. Is there a particular reason for it? Yes, I like bats, and frogs, and scaly anteaters, and I like snakes, but no more than many other creatures. Apparently when I was a very young kid I wanted one as a pet but I can't really remember that. My wife has had some as pets, but nowadays we tend to think that 'exotic' pets in general aren't a great idea. They can be difficult to care for properly and I don't think it's doing the creatures any favours. Snakes are just creatures and they have as much right to exist as I do. I don't think it matters much whether we like each other as long as we don't deliberately go out of our way to cause each other trouble. Unfortunately that's where humans tend to fall down. We heap a lot of mindless violence on other species -- particularly species we don't understand very well -- and we selfishly destroy their habitats.

I wonder what snakes think of us?

 

[resnikov]

I can look at snakes on TV and through the glass at the zoo, but that is as close to snakes as I like to get.
Only snake I have seen in the wild is Tiger Snake in Tasmania and I killed it by accident and still feel bad about it now 5 years latter. I don't like killing animals unless for food.

I was driving along a road in the bush there and saw a piece of rubber on the road, I didn't think much of it as it was a forestry area so there were always lots of trucks about. It was only once I had gone over it and saw in the mirror it raise its head.
Went back to have a look and it tried to strike the car, I wasn't silly enough to get out of the car and check it.
Spoke to a Park ranger and he said I would have broken its back.

If someone knows better that would take a load of guilt of my mind.

 

[Tengu]

Look at the ayeaye, isnt he delightful?

 

[Gill]

I like all creatures, with the sole exception of those whose only purpose of existing is to be a pain in the **** - e.g. mosquitoes, wasps... I am particularly fond of those which irrationally "creep out" other people, and that would include rats, bats and snakes. It also includes the pigeons and seagulls which have chosen to live with humans. OK so they make a mess and a noise (particularly the seagulls) but I consider it an honour that such a large wild bird has chosen to live amongst humans in cities. As for snakes...they are both beautiful and fascinating. It's a long time since I've seen a wild adder, but I've seen a couple of grass snakes this year whilst out mushrooming. Rats you just have to respect for beating humans at their own game ecologically and bats fall into the category of actually cute and cuddly even though they are ugly as hell. However, I think first prize for irrationally creeping people out probably goes to this creature:

What is there not to love about an aye-aye?

Good grief what are they ? they should be called NONO ....

 

[_scorpio_]

yeah i do. i have kept a few species over the years, but i am cautious with most things with the potential to do me any kind of damage. i keep everything the general public is scared of, scorpions, tarantulas etc, and i dont really like mammals, especially big mammals.
however, if i saw a snake outside of captivity i would keep my distance, and would maintain a reasonable fear of any kind of venomous creature. my tarantulas make me nearly sick with fear when i am moving them from one tank to another, but im not irrationally scared of them.