Unsupportive Spouse

Kids must be kept safe at all costs, but not keeping venomous, is not necessarily the answer.

Here in Florida, USA, a Florida Fish and Wildlife officer must come to your home and inspect the room where you will be keeping your venomous animals, before you have them, to make sure you are going to be keeping them safely. If you have locking cages, you do not need a separate room, but the cages must be locked when you are not working with that particular snake.

If kids are in the home, a separate room is warranted, and several locks should be used. Also, safety glass in the windows of the room to the outdoors. In Florida, a/c - heat vents must even have secure screen covering them, so snakes can not go in vents. With all the regulations we have, there is no reason to think kids are not safe in the house. Especially if the snakes are kept in the basement, or better yet in a separate building on your land.

Kids are kids. When I was a kid, my friend Eddie and I used to ride our dirt bikes down the railroad tracks, across a train bridge, through a corn field, to an old dirt race car track, and lift pieces of metal and find snakes. We found Garters, Ribbons, Milks, and rarely but sometimes, Copperheads and Timber Rattlesnakes, but we never brought the venomous home, as our mom's would have tanned our hides. Come to think of it, Eddies mom and dad were divorced too. We read about snakes as kids and were always careful and never got bitten. Neither of us had a father to teach us. I had a stepfather, but he was deathly afraid of snakes. I am honored to say, after 43 years of looking for and keeping snakes, and 33 years of keeping venomous, I still have not been bitten, knock on wood. If you live where venomous snakes are, your boys will look for them, or at least look at them if encountered away from home.

Serious education about all wildlife, especially venomous snakes, is much more important than giving up your dream, especially when your dream does not really put your kids in danger, if your a responsible keeper. Sometimes I wish I could have a son, so I could spend time with him, teaching him about the snakes that I love so much.

Randy

Guenter Leitenbauer wrote:

I won't dare to give advice here and I am a bit scared that others do so without exact knowledge of Your specific situation.
Regards,
Guenter

Guenter , Mr Caswell did request advice, so do not be scared We simply offer a point of view based on the information he provided. He can do with it what he likes.

Thank you to all the suggestions and input.

I was not expecting such a response to this. I really appreciate all of the suggestions and words of wisdom. It seems to me that everyone has a valid point. I am trying to figure out a way to take a little bit of everyone's insight and turn it into a resolution.

Obviously her main concern is safety. Which I understand completely. What I cannot support is her unwillingness to compromise. She thinks that she has already compromised by "letting" me have snakes in the house. To me this in itself is not fair. Davina, what you said about her not accepting me for who I am and what my hobbies are is my life in a nutshell. With this I totally agree.

Peter, my setup at home is quite similar to yours. I have a dedicated herp room in the basement of my house which locks by key. My venomous snakes are in key lock enclosures. My 5 year old son, knows he is not allowed in there alone and I would never take a venomous snake out in his presence. He has a pet crested gecko in his bedroom to show friends and to try to keep him interested in reptiles.

Are there any reptile keeping singles sites out there??