It makes me sad that so many people here are afraid of snakes. I have two ball pythons, and though you might not believe it, they have very similar personalities to tortoises!
They are shy, and gentle and quiet, and they are docile unless they feel threatened. Both my boys are kittens. I don't think any animal should be equated to the devil. Anger and evil are human emotions with no place in the animal kingdom. A snake will not bite because it is angry. It bites because it is scared, or threatened. Snakes are not evil. They will not search you out to harm you. They are heat-seekers. All those "horror" stories of snakes in with babies and that sort of thing are not because the snake was trying to eat the baby....have you ever felt how warm a baby is? They are the perfect hot pad for a cold little snake! I try to teach tolerance for everything.
(this is Korrin, she's 3--in the first picture she's holding one of my snakes. You can see Nigel's home in the background. In the second, she's holding a crested gecko. She loves Anouk and Nigel. She calls the baby her "fancy little turtle
)
But anyways, I love my tortoises because they are different than anything else that I own. (snakes, frogs, geckos) They have a higher capacity to learn, and feel I think, than my other reptiles who act mainly on instinct. I know Nigel recognizes my voice, and I know that he has favorite foods and a favorite sleeping spot. They are so prehistoric as well.
I guess I just love that you have to really pay attention to them to see their beauty. Most people ask me what my tortoises DO. To those that can't appreciate them, they seem dull. They are not as flamboyant as other reptiles, like chameleons. I think that they remind me alot of the best people in life...the ones who don't stand out until you know them, and then, you just can't stay away!
They are shy, and gentle and quiet, and they are docile unless they feel threatened. Both my boys are kittens. I don't think any animal should be equated to the devil. Anger and evil are human emotions with no place in the animal kingdom. A snake will not bite because it is angry. It bites because it is scared, or threatened. Snakes are not evil. They will not search you out to harm you. They are heat-seekers. All those "horror" stories of snakes in with babies and that sort of thing are not because the snake was trying to eat the baby....have you ever felt how warm a baby is? They are the perfect hot pad for a cold little snake! I try to teach tolerance for everything.
(this is Korrin, she's 3--in the first picture she's holding one of my snakes. You can see Nigel's home in the background. In the second, she's holding a crested gecko. She loves Anouk and Nigel. She calls the baby her "fancy little turtle
)
But anyways, I love my tortoises because they are different than anything else that I own. (snakes, frogs, geckos) They have a higher capacity to learn, and feel I think, than my other reptiles who act mainly on instinct. I know Nigel recognizes my voice, and I know that he has favorite foods and a favorite sleeping spot. They are so prehistoric as well.
I guess I just love that you have to really pay attention to them to see their beauty. Most people ask me what my tortoises DO. To those that can't appreciate them, they seem dull. They are not as flamboyant as other reptiles, like chameleons. I think that they remind me alot of the best people in life...the ones who don't stand out until you know them, and then, you just can't stay away!
