Sunday, August 2, 2009

How can you best get over the fear of snakes?

The reason that I'm asking is because since my fiance became an OTR truck driver, he's been gone for weeks at a time, which leaves me to take care of our pets (including his ball python). The snake is not very big now (he's just over a year old), so it's not so bad when I have to feed him. I've gotten used to him since we got him, but I'm concerned about him getting bigger. I've heard that the males can get to be 5 feet long, and I don't know if I would be as comfortable feeding him at that size; it would be a little scarier, I think. Right now he's so little that it doesn't bother me as much...what can I do to get over this fear so that I will be able to take care of him when he's bigger? Thanks in advance for your answers.
Answers:
Hello,
It doesn't sound like you actually have a true phobic fear of snakes, just of this one getting bigger. As long as your fiance's snake has a cage or pen he/she can't get out of, your needn't be afraid if it gets bigger (after all, children get bigger, and not all of them cause us to become frightened). It may need more (quantity) to eat as it grows, but if you're pretty comfortable with it, you'll probably continue to be comfortable as it grows, which they do very slowly. You won't notice its growth until you look back and remember when you asked this question and realize it's bigger. If you're comfortable touching the snake and sure it can do you no harm at its current size, try picking it up and holding it, or just petting it while it's in its cage/pen or terrarium. If you can get comfortable touching and/or holding it, you will bond to it and gain a sense of its safety and lack of threat to you, and your own ability to control it and your reactions to it.

Many people have a true phobic reaction to snakes (one of the most common phobias). Your "fear" sounds more like worry, but with the passing of time, and growing familiarity with the critter, you should both do fine.
feel him and say i dont care about that u r cool and be gentle!!
Start holding him. He wont bite you if you cause him any harm. But dont smell like something he would eat! Then he will start liking you and u can trust him more
I've had my ball python for over a year now i think their the most gentle of snakes, but don't feel scarred about that now just relax and wait for that time to come because I'm also not sure how I'm gonna handle it and i actually like snakes. So i say play with him as much as possible and get comfortable and just let the time flow because you got like years before that happens and you may be in a different place in life then so just chill out and enjoy.
if you speend as much time as posible with the snake and dont acked scared around it or they mite get scared and bite but dont be scared becouse when they bite when there scared they grab and let go. just be jental

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