Why - What is the fascination with Reptiles ?

[IceWhiteFreak]

To make me feel like a big man.

 

[joelysmoley]

You stole my life story :shock: I've loved sharks for years and everyone knows me as sharky because dad and I go diving with them every year .....and I have 42 books on them and other stuff

Back on topic....

Thats cool i went diving with them in new zealand. I want to go cage diving with great whites and tiger sharks in S.A.. that would be so cool

 

[sharky]

hahaha, it is! I love great whites My dad is taking me down to Victor Harbour to go diving for my birthday! What sharks do New Zealand have? Are they basically the same species found off our shores???

 

[Xeaal]

I have always been an animal person - from my first pony at 2yrs old, animals have always been in my life. When I met my partner, he said he wanted a snake. I'd never thought about them much before (though I had lizards and turtles as a child) and 6 months later we're looking at snakes in a store and there were 2 HUGE BHP in a tank inches away from me. I literally went white with panic for a few moments, because I had no idea they got that big and it was so close to me. Then we saw a little baby MD and it was just like a little sock puppet, it was so cute and curious.. and I wasn't afraid. So we bought an enclosure and decided to raise a baby snake. When we went to get the enclosure, the guy walks out of the unit with a 7ft coastal python and says "You want this too?" He said he would just get the snake put down if we didn't take it, so of course we did. When we got everything home and set up, I would spend hours just watching Salem.. I couldn't believe how amazing and beautiful he was. Every scale was perfect. And he would watch me, and follow me with his head if I walked around the room and I just realised that there was so much more to this creature than I had ever thought about. Within a fortnight I had my own spotted python and was devouring every book and internet article I could find.. the more I learned, the more I wanted to know. Everytime I hold any of my snakes, I feel like I am so lucky to share my life with these incredible creatures - everything about them is so unique. I am fascinated with genetics, husbandry, evolution, species.. everything about snakes and would love so much to work with them in an educational environment. Owning snakes has really enriched my life and I am perfectly proud to say I am obsessed by them

 

[Red-Ink]

Snakes are expensive to buy and keep? I think the complete opposite... anyone else thinks snakes are expensive?

Heatmat cost + a rat or mouse a week? lol hardly even a coffee!

Some of us have multiple big cups of coffee and some of us have a heck of a lot of espressos...

 

[joelysmoley]

I went somewhere similar to seaworld and they had grey nurses, 7 gilleds, schoolies and a big wobbygong though the kingfish were more scary they tried to bite your fingers off thinking they were food.. Back on topic

 

[sd1981]

Snakes are expensive to buy and keep? I think the complete opposite... anyone else thinks snakes are expensive?

Heatmat cost + a rat or mouse a week? lol hardly even a coffee!


I have mates who want reptiles but they reckon its too expensive..they keep dogs instead... I use this as my point of argument.... I used to breed English Bull Terriers which would sell for $1500-$2000 each, would eat about $25 a week in food each, would make a mess of everything, poo everywhere and would only live for 15 years give or take... I compare this to purchasing say a hatchy python $150-$1500 depending on species and quality or in my case hatchy lacie for $450 -$550, an enclosure for $300 or build your own for 1/2 that... Feeding it for the first year costs about $75-120 depending on growth rate and power feeding/ slow growing them and living for around 15-20+ years.... I don't take electricity on board as its only a small cost on top of my bill anyway....

not too expensive until you have a health issue and require a vet trip with additional costs such as surgery, antibiotics and other incurred costs.... Still, that's the price you pay to keep one of these magnificent creatures and I wouldn't have it any other way....

 

[longqi]

Interesting as to try and define exactly why
born Ireland... no snakes
raised South America.....Africa... until 10... only good reptile dead one in the pot
then NZ no snakes
army in asia with a few slitherers I knew nothing about
then Aus
goulburn river fly fishing trip
on all fours creeping along the bank
hissss and big brownie up close and personal right in front of me
froze through fear rather than anything else
it was shedding and casually used the crook of my elbow to complete the job

that gave me far too many question and there werent many answers then
La Perouse and the snakes taught me lots too

Interesting story about Eric Worrell
Had a house in WoyWoy if I remember correctly
was teaching me about diamonds etc and I was abseiling the hawkesbury and found a beauty
walked into his house with it draped round my neck

that night he taught me about the difference between sydney broadheads and diamonds

 

[whyme]

Snakes are expensive to buy and keep? I think the complete opposite... anyone else thinks snakes are expensive?

Heatmat cost + a rat or mouse a week? lol hardly even a coffee!


I have mates who want reptiles but they reckon its too expensive..they keep dogs instead... I use this as my point of argument.... I used to breed English Bull Terriers which would sell for $1500-$2000 each, would eat about $25 a week in food each, would make a mess of everything, poo everywhere and would only live for 15 years give or take... I compare this to purchasing say a hatchy python $150-$1500 depending on species and quality or in my case hatchy lacie for $450 -$550, an enclosure for $300 or build your own for 1/2 that... Feeding it for the first year costs about $75-120 depending on growth rate and power feeding/ slow growing them and living for around 15-20+ years.... I don't take electricity on board as its only a small cost on top of my bill anyway....

not too expensive until you have a health issue and require a vet trip with additional costs such as surgery, antibiotics and other incurred costs.... Still, that's the price you pay to keep one of these magnificent creatures and I wouldn't have it any other way....

Purchasing a hatchie whatever has nothing to do with breeding English bull terriers. Have you ever had to raise and then try and sell multiple clutches of python hatchies. 6 odd at 2k a pop per year would be awsome, but 150+ that need to be fed and cleaned, and given water, and recorded, and fed and cleaned, gets pretty expensive......... and time consuming. Then you have to sell them. Cant compare it to breeding dogs! If you were getting 150 odd dogs per litter, I would have massive sympathy;D






=

 

[Darlyn]

I like snakes cos they are locked up in a box. They don't pop next door
like Oliver Twist begging for food and companionship.
They're mine all mine!

 

[ronhalling]

@ longqi Yep Eric was a legend to us in the 70's just like Steve Irwin and his father Bob were to the people in the 90's and on, not steve's sensationalism but his education of the world to the importance of reptiles, the same as the late George Cann "the snakeman of La Perouse" he sensationalised the snakes to get his donations after the show but he also educated alot of people who would ordinarily have shovelled the snakes regardless of the type...........................................@ whyme, i don't think "sd1981" was comparing the work involved with breeding dogs versus the work breeding snakes, i think it was more of a generalization of the costs involved......................................................Ron