Frustrated......
I am highly frustrated right now with my current work situation. So I don't want to talk about that. However I have been on a great forum debate on the snake website I frequent. It all started with humane ways to euthanize snakes. I choose the freezer, as do many people. It turned into a long discussion on what is humane etc. So then I posed the question about what is role as snake keepers and what are we trying to do.
There were so many people who first say they are selfish and like looking at the animals but then go into how they feel they are conserving the species, helping the species survive, and on and on with that BS.
So here is the response I put up.....
I am not saying keeping snakes is wrong, I am not joining PETA, and I am not judging. What I am trying to do is bring to the surface our nature as snake keepers. If you look at a lot of these posts many people started it with something along the lines of "I guess I am selfish". That is my whole point!!
Ty summed it up perfectly with....
Quote:
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I keep snakes in boxes. They are well cared for.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That is what we do!!!
Of course we all find them beautiful and fascinating.....why else would we have them. However I find a lot of things beautiful and fascinating but I don't put them in a box and admire them for my own selfish wants. I find my girlfriend beautiful but I don't cage her up so I can admire her when I want (insert joke here).
We convince ourselves that we are doing good by keeping them in captivity, we are conserving the species, we are preventing wild collection, yadda yadda yadda, fact is if we were so altruistic and so bent on doing the right thing for this species instead of spending thousands and thousands of dollars on buying snakes to put in boxes we would spend thousands and thousands of dollars on land conservation where the snakes live!!! Or thousands and thousands of dollars on lobbying the government for land conservation etc.
BUT there is a selfish reason behind it, the chondros give us pleasure, we want them.
SSSSOOOOOO the million dollar question: Why do I keep snakes?
First and foremost I AM SELFISH! I love the way they look, their behavior, their morphology, etc. However it is even more selfish than that.
When I was working with Trooper he always told me about snake zen. I didn't quite understand it until I spent some time with him. Now I sort of view my snake keeping as an art form and self discipline.
"Zen and the Art of Chondro Keeping"
The snakes are sensitive and need experienced and good care. You must be able to read them, understand them, and know them to keep them alive. Then once you have achieved this understanding you move on to breeding them and raising them. If you are disciplined and work hard you can produce more snakes and bring life into this world. By the same token if you are disciplined and work hard the eggs may not hatch, or the female dies eggbound, or the babies are deformed, or won't eat, you can take life from this world. It keeps you humble and lets you know that no matter how much control you think you have.....you really don't. No matter how much you think you know, they can still surprise you and go against 30 years of experience. It constantly lets me know that I really don't know.
Not a single person on here has this species figured out.
No one here is a "Chondro Master".
So that is why I keep them....for my own selfish reasons.
END POST
I think that about sums up my position. I am sure I made a few people upset but I think people really need to step back and take a look at what we are doing with these animals. It is pretty selfish of us. But damn they are gorgeous.
There were so many people who first say they are selfish and like looking at the animals but then go into how they feel they are conserving the species, helping the species survive, and on and on with that BS.
So here is the response I put up.....
I am not saying keeping snakes is wrong, I am not joining PETA, and I am not judging. What I am trying to do is bring to the surface our nature as snake keepers. If you look at a lot of these posts many people started it with something along the lines of "I guess I am selfish". That is my whole point!!
Ty summed it up perfectly with....
Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I keep snakes in boxes. They are well cared for.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That is what we do!!!
Of course we all find them beautiful and fascinating.....why else would we have them. However I find a lot of things beautiful and fascinating but I don't put them in a box and admire them for my own selfish wants. I find my girlfriend beautiful but I don't cage her up so I can admire her when I want (insert joke here).
We convince ourselves that we are doing good by keeping them in captivity, we are conserving the species, we are preventing wild collection, yadda yadda yadda, fact is if we were so altruistic and so bent on doing the right thing for this species instead of spending thousands and thousands of dollars on buying snakes to put in boxes we would spend thousands and thousands of dollars on land conservation where the snakes live!!! Or thousands and thousands of dollars on lobbying the government for land conservation etc.
BUT there is a selfish reason behind it, the chondros give us pleasure, we want them.
SSSSOOOOOO the million dollar question: Why do I keep snakes?
First and foremost I AM SELFISH! I love the way they look, their behavior, their morphology, etc. However it is even more selfish than that.
When I was working with Trooper he always told me about snake zen. I didn't quite understand it until I spent some time with him. Now I sort of view my snake keeping as an art form and self discipline.
"Zen and the Art of Chondro Keeping"
The snakes are sensitive and need experienced and good care. You must be able to read them, understand them, and know them to keep them alive. Then once you have achieved this understanding you move on to breeding them and raising them. If you are disciplined and work hard you can produce more snakes and bring life into this world. By the same token if you are disciplined and work hard the eggs may not hatch, or the female dies eggbound, or the babies are deformed, or won't eat, you can take life from this world. It keeps you humble and lets you know that no matter how much control you think you have.....you really don't. No matter how much you think you know, they can still surprise you and go against 30 years of experience. It constantly lets me know that I really don't know.
Not a single person on here has this species figured out.
No one here is a "Chondro Master".
So that is why I keep them....for my own selfish reasons.
END POST
I think that about sums up my position. I am sure I made a few people upset but I think people really need to step back and take a look at what we are doing with these animals. It is pretty selfish of us. But damn they are gorgeous.