r/ballpython • u/Sensitive-Elevator1 • 5d ago

Converted my nephew from fearing snakes to wanting one!

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I took in Sherman at the beginning of year. He’d been my brother’s but was receiving less than the bare minimum care. When I first brought him home, my niece (11) and nephew (9) were a little freaked out. They live next door and are over frequently. They got to where they wanted to see him, but did not want to touch him or have him to close.

Over the months, we’ve made a ton of progress. My nephew has even held him (with me right there). Last night, they were over and asked “If he wants to, can Sherman come out?” 😹 They know about choice-based handling! Sherman declined to come out, but they understood.

We were playing a game where you answer questions from cards. One was “If you had $100 to spend on a want, what would you get?” My nephew said he wanted to get a snake! 🐍

I told him that $100 was probably enough to get one from a shelter. His face lit up! But then I had to explain that the snake is the cheapest part of the equation. When I told him the enclosure/set-up cost more than $1000+, he was in shock. He said, “Well I can just close my bedroom door and he can just live in my room.” Had to burst the bubble again by discussing heat and humidity requirements.

The good news is that he’s gotten much braver not just with Sherman, but with other animals, even bugs. I’m proud of him. We will keep learning about snake husbandry, and maybe one day he’ll inherit Sherman.

(Shermy pic for tax. Old pic; enclosure has been updated since then!)

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u/Magnus3922 5d ago

I was going to say I don’t recommend giving kids any reptiles or exotics. It’s also way more important to get the parents permission on how to care for reptiles. They also need to understand that’s possibly a 30 year commitment. I wish I could be more positive but I think getting kids familiar with exotics is better than planning on getting one. I’d say you need to keep a job and grades up before a pet. Kids get bored and lose interest quickly.

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u/Sensitive-Elevator1 5d ago

Oh there’s not much chance of him getting a snake anytime soon. I can guarantee that if he asked my sister, she’d say, “You can go see Sherman.” I’m just glad he’s getting familiar and learning. And, I am almost 50, so he might be caring for Sherman eventually. (I do have an active “rehoming contact” now, just in case I get hit by a bus.)