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is easily iterated as plain stupidity. The owner of a monstrous python reaches a point of unwarranted trust with the pet that causes a lax in caution with handling. If you prefer not do die, the simplest step to take against untimely demise is not to put two hundred pounds of cylindrical, instinct-driven muscle around your neck with no one present to aid you in the event that the animal decides the beat of your pulse and the warmth of the blood flowing in your veins is just too much to pass up. If, however, this is something your comfortable with, perhaps a gerbil is a better choice for a pet.

"But I hate snakes. I just don't get it. Snakes scare me to death."

Understood. And someone who regards a snake with this amount of fear is not someone you want to ask to drop by the house in order to try and have them face their fear. Respect their wishes as much as you want them to respect your own.

Owning a reptile is not limited to any type of person. Granted, owning them requires a deep interest in how they live, how to care for them and mandates time and a lot of effort for the sake of the owner and the pet. And if you want to answer the question of why own them properly, refer to your own perspective. Reptiles demand a different sort of care than the average domestic animal. Many wonder how owners can fall in love with coldblooded animals that don't fetch toys, purr or bark at intruders. Completely understandable, but also a misunderstanding of the nature of pet ownership and husbandry.

Owning and caring for a pet always comes down to satisfaction and return for the owner. Domestic pets have instant return. There is no question that owning a faithful dog or purring cat is a relationship that grants an immediate, warm satisfaction that cannot be matched by a reptile. And for the truly dedicated reptile owner, such was never the point in the first place.

When you take an animal whose ancestors enjoy teeming jungles or vast deserts and unceremoniously drop them into 20 gallons of glass, the task then falls upon you to provide this animal with the utmost care, requiring imaginative ways of matching natural habitat as closely as possible, given whatever limitations might be present. Research is needed. Finding out the proper food combinations, how the reptile processes light and vitamins and which supplements to include once this is known, the natural environment and how to safely match them. Not to mention the proper handling as some reptiles have rather fragile innards and are best not handled frequently, and some are downright dangerous and demand the utmost respect.

After all these requirements are considered, and one decides to take the plunge and own a reptile, the kind of satisfaction and return is wholly different than the domestic pet. It is a kind of pride in knowing that you have gone above and beyond to provide your pet with the safest and most pleasing home for them. It is the fascination of seeing the animal grow and mature and become accustomed to your presence, and allowing you to handle it.

This is how you intelligently answer the question. Draw from your perspective. Respect the person asking the question. Never assume a mutual understanding is going to be reached immediately, but rather, be patient with the Inquirer and explain the dedication, time and effort, and the satisfaction returned. Never undermine the ownership of more common, domesticated animals. This will put the Inquirer on the defensive right away. Perspective is lost then and there.

Just tell them the truth about your enjoyment, and let that speak for you.

Learn more about this author, Carey Henderson.
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