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Help converting snake phobes?

C

chelslp

New member
I need some advice.

I am getting my new baby on Wednesday from VMSherps and am being forced to keep it at my friend's place. My two roommates are not actually afraid of snakes so much as they just think they're gross. My friend wants to help learn to take care of a snake so he can get one for himself a little in the future, so it's not that huge of a deal besides the obvious fact that I will not be able to see my snake as often as I would like.
Any tips on how I can convince my roommates that snakes are really cool little buggers and not as gross as they think?
 
chelslp said:
I need some advice.

I am getting my new baby on Wednesday from VMSherps and am being forced to keep it at my friend's place. My two roommates are not actually afraid of snakes so much as they just think they're gross. My friend wants to help learn to take care of a snake so he can get one for himself a little in the future, so it's not that huge of a deal besides the obvious fact that I will not be able to see my snake as often as I would like.
Any tips on how I can convince my roommates that snakes are really cool little buggers and not as gross as they think?
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My first advice: You should have asked your roomates before you considered getting a snake. Just my opinion there. Second: start showing 'em websites like this one, and other informative sites that show the good side of snakes.
 
I did ask them first. They said it was fine as long as they didn't have to see me feed it.
Then I brought home the empty tank and set up, and then they flipped out. This was after everything had already been settled.
 
chelslp said:
I did ask them first. They said it was fine as long as they didn't have to see me feed it.
Then I brought home the empty tank and set up, and then they flipped out. This was after everything had already been settled.
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Is it going to be in your room, or a part of the shared area? I would recommend keeping it in your room, that way they don't have to see it if they don't want to.
 
Trust me, I was planning on it. They confronted me and starting talking about how the presence or even thought of it being in the apartment would make them uncomfortable. I tried my best to explain to them that snakes are quiet, don't smell, spend a lot of time hiding from sight and it would be living in a locked cage.
Still no go.
 
chelslp said:
Trust me, I was planning on it. They confronted me and starting talking about how the presence or even thought of it being in the apartment would make them uncomfortable. I tried my best to explain to them that snakes are quiet, don't smell, spend a lot of time hiding from sight and it would be living in a locked cage.
Still no go.
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Did you show them pictures of all the different and beautiful morphs? The only thing I can really recommend doing is taking them to a reptile shop and getting them to hold a couple.
 
I did! And I can barely contain my excitement for my new beautiful, picture perfect butter motley baby! I even tried to get them to at least let me settle it in here, so they could see it first hand and maybe change their mind.
That was a big no-no.
I just feel cheated out of a gift. I work my butt off to pay for everything (rent, bills included) out of my own pocket while going to school and they get to live life through their parents' pockets still. I even explained to them how I just wanted it to help relax me a bit and give me something to help sort my mind.
They were very unwilling to listen.
 
I also work at the Museum of Science in Boston and tried to convince them to come to one of my live animal shows (I mostly do snakes) so that I could maybe educate them a little.
Its surprising how many people who think they're afraid of snakes find themselves captivated when they see one in person.

Sadly, my roommates always have class when I do my presentations.
 
chelslp said:
I also work at the Museum of Science in Boston and tried to convince them to come to one of my live animal shows (I mostly do snakes) so that I could maybe educate them a little.
Its surprising how many people who think they're afraid of snakes find themselves captivated when they see one in person.

Sadly, my roommates always have class when I do my presentations.
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Then drag 'em over to your friends house when it comes in so they can see it!
 
That is a fantastic idea. I'll lure them over with pictures of his kitten, then bust out the "Well, now that you're here, come look at how awesome my snake is! Isn't he just precious?"
;)
 
chelslp said:
I also work at the Museum of Science in Boston and tried to convince them to come to one of my live animal shows (I mostly do snakes) so that I could maybe educate them a little.
Its surprising how many people who think they're afraid of snakes find themselves captivated when they see one in person.

Sadly, my roommates always have class when I do my presentations.
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That's so cool! How is it working at the MOS? I was just down there last week for my cousins wedding lol we tried to check out the live animal exhibit but everything was closing down when we got there.

As far as your roommates go I would have to agree with Robbie, education and actual hands on experience with them would be the only real way to convince them that they are not just "gross scaly creatures". It sounds like you're in a pretty good situation to do that :D. I loved that rat snake that they had on display up there he/she was a really nice looking wild type rat :D. Good luck!
 
Thanks for the advice!
And the MoS is incredible. I'm doing an unpaid internship there and I don't even mind the lack of money and that I have to work long, long hours at my other job to make ends meet.
All of the animals there are fantastic. A few of them that are in the center but not available to view to the public are: a one-eyed eastern screech owl, a great horned owl, a red-tailed hawk, a kestral, a three-legged meerkat, a whole bunch of snakes included a very nice, very pretty yellow snow corn, a pair of incredibly chubby flying squirrels, alligators, boa constrictors..
Getting to learn about all of them and how to care for them all is the absolute highlight of my week.
Come by and see one of my shows sometime (mon, tues 1:30pm)

:)
 
Monday and Tuesday, you said? I may just have to go check that out!! What school do you go to?

I have to agree with Robbie, education would be best and maybe you could browse the photo section here and show them pictures of people holding their snakies (there are some really cute pictures of members' cute kids holding snakes as well).

Good Luck!
 
I normally would probably feel weird telling perfect strangers what school I go to, but good luck finding me at my school! I go to BU, and if you're a bio major you can use the same internship I'm using for credits :)
 
chelslp said:
I normally would probably feel weird telling perfect strangers what school I go to, but good luck finding me at my school! I go to BU, and if you're a bio major you can use the same internship I'm using for credits :)
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Lol- I'm sorry, I guess that is kind of weird asking online- sorry!!

I'm actually an anthro major at Umass but I have a friend who breeds ball pythons and is a bio major so I may have to tell her about that!

anyway, good luck converting your friends and that sucks that they flip flopped in their decision...
 
No way! I started out as an anthro major and thought it was very interesting but then had a huge conflict in my head about it really being glorified psychology (no offense).
And I kind of tapped into my long-lost love for animals.. actually that love just manifested itself into an academic endeavor.
And are you at UMass Boston or one of the other campuses? I have some friends there.

Ah, Boston. Such a good city.
 
chelslp said:
No way! I started out as an anthro major and thought it was very interesting but then had a huge conflict in my head about it really being glorified psychology (no offense).
And I kind of tapped into my long-lost love for animals.. actually that love just manifested itself into an academic endeavor.
And are you at UMass Boston or one of the other campuses? I have some friends there.

Ah, Boston. Such a good city.
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lol- no offense taken! I'm actually more into the linguistic aspect of anthropology, like how languages evolve over time and across cultures. Bio would be interesting but I've always been terrible at math and science!
Yes, I'm at the Boston campus! I love this city too! (although I'm finding it hard to get used to the New England weather!
 
Have you thought about convincing them the place is haunted so they move out? Not that I'd recommend doing something so sinister... :devil01:
 
Lol. Surprisingly, they are afraid of ghosts and sometimes I joke about "Sally" our resident spirit =P
They haven't talked about moving out yet.
 
What is their major fear/worry? It's hard to know how to approach it unless you know.. It sounds like it might be feeding related. Are they the variety who thinks it's mean to feed mice to snakes? Or the kind who freaks out at the thought of mice in the freezer. There's good answers for both.

For them to just put their foot down outright seems unfair to me though. They agreed until after you spent the money. That's something I'd just feel is too bad so sad, lol. You're approach is probably more understanding and better advised than mine though.

I have one niece who is scared of snakes. I've tried having her pet them (while I held them) and talking to her about snakes and what they are about and what they are after... Best I can tell though, she just enjoys being scared of them. She like to squeel and say 'Ew Gross'. Can't help them unless they are willing to meet you half way!
 
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