Pet snakes.
On the surface, the phrase seems oxymoronic, simply because most people don't associate the word 'snake' with the concept of 'pet.' Generally speaking, most people are frightened of snakes, believing them to be slimy, nefarious creatures descended from the Serpent mentioned in the Bible, the Serpent that beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden.
In reality, such attitudes ignore a number of crucial factors. For example, snakes are anything but slimy. Snakes are covered with scales composed of keratin, the same material that constitutes nails and hair. The scales are smooth, sometimes shiny, but dry, just like fingernails. Thus, the quasi-universal attitude toward snakes is not the definitive verdict. And snakes are not nefarious, intent upon attacking humans just for the fun of it. Of the 3,000 species of snakes on the planet, 600 species are venomous, but fewer than 300 of the venomous species are dangerous to humans. Only four venomous snakes are native to the U.S. - the rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth and coral snake. More people are killed by bee and wasp stings than venomous snake bites. In fact, your chances of being bitten by Fido are200 time greater than being attacked by your pet snake.
Like dogs and cats, snakes have personalities. They make excellent pets, taking up little space, eating just once per week and even enjoy being handled. And they don't have to be walked! According to vetstreet.com, in 2013, 735,000 people kept snakes as pets in the U.S. Most of these pet snakes are purchased from pet stores or snake breeders, which number in the thousands. Reputable breeders, like El Segundo Pythons, Prehistoric Pets, Bob Clark and HLH Reptiles, sell high-quality, captive-bred snakes for big bucks. Desirable reticulated pythons go for thousands of dollars, far more than any AKC bred specialty dog. Indeed, the two sub-cultures - snakes and dogs - contain many similarities, the most pregnant of which is the personalities of the individuals involved in the two disciplines.
Speaking psychologically, breeders of specialty dogs tend to be status-seekers who believe their dogs imbue them with a certain aristocracy. Usually, dog breeders are aggressive and have Type-A personalities. Meanwhile, snake breeders and snake owners tend to be rule-breakers who want to be different, people who don't like routine jobs, like working for some mega-corporation.
Subcultures, of course, make life interesting. Almost everyone claims membership in one subculture or another. If they don't, there's probably something wrong with them. They need to visit their psychiatrist, get on meds, join a group and become part of the Great American Society. And because snake breeders are so sui generis, I decided to interview one and find out if being a snake owner automatically guarantees depravity of character or if, perchance, they are actually complex, interesting human beings that have managed to escape the relative ease and facility of orthodoxy, a goal common to most Americans.
To that end, I contacted Jackie Bujalski, owner at Cold Hearted Exotics, located in beautiful Southern California. She agreed to sit down with me and answer my questions. Not too surprisingly, I discovered her to be a personality of overwhelming calm, spiritually tranquil, eloquent and passionate about her chosen endeavor.
Randy Radic (RR): How did you become involved with snakes?
Jackie Bujalski (JB): I became fascinated with snakes and reptiles at a young age, but I didn't get my first snake until I was 21, a gorgeous Coral Albino Red Tail Boa.
RR: Did your involvement begin as a hobby and then evolve into a business naturally or was the intent commercial from the beginning?
JB: It started as a hobby, but very quickly led to much greater things. I obtained a male for the Albino Red Tail Boa after my husband also wanted a snake and looking into the genetic compatibility and what would happen if I mixed morph X with morph Y. The genetic aspect is very intriguing to me.
RR: Who inspired you to breed, and what was your first pairing and what was produced?
JB: Breeding wasn't an inspired decision, it evolved. My first breeding ever was of two Burmese Pythons. Both Albino and the female had an irregular pattern. She had 29 eggs and 30 babies. That's right, my first clutch yielded twins, two snakes born in the same egg. The following year, I found out through breeding that the female carried the trait for another morph called Granite, a pattern reduction trait.
RR: Do you have a background in biology, zoology or animal husbandry?
JB: I have no formal training in biology or zoology, but I do have animal husbandry experience and veterinary skills from being a veterinary technician. I
On the surface, the phrase seems oxymoronic, simply because most people don't associate the word 'snake' with the concept of 'pet.' Generally speaking, most people are frightened of snakes, believing them to be slimy, nefarious creatures descended from the Serpent mentioned in the Bible, the Serpent that beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden.
In reality, such attitudes ignore a number of crucial factors. For example, snakes are anything but slimy. Snakes are covered with scales composed of keratin, the same material that constitutes nails and hair. The scales are smooth, sometimes shiny, but dry, just like fingernails. Thus, the quasi-universal attitude toward snakes is not the definitive verdict. And snakes are not nefarious, intent upon attacking humans just for the fun of it. Of the 3,000 species of snakes on the planet, 600 species are venomous, but fewer than 300 of the venomous species are dangerous to humans. Only four venomous snakes are native to the U.S. - the rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth and coral snake. More people are killed by bee and wasp stings than venomous snake bites. In fact, your chances of being bitten by Fido are200 time greater than being attacked by your pet snake.
Like dogs and cats, snakes have personalities. They make excellent pets, taking up little space, eating just once per week and even enjoy being handled. And they don't have to be walked! According to vetstreet.com, in 2013, 735,000 people kept snakes as pets in the U.S. Most of these pet snakes are purchased from pet stores or snake breeders, which number in the thousands. Reputable breeders, like El Segundo Pythons, Prehistoric Pets, Bob Clark and HLH Reptiles, sell high-quality, captive-bred snakes for big bucks. Desirable reticulated pythons go for thousands of dollars, far more than any AKC bred specialty dog. Indeed, the two sub-cultures - snakes and dogs - contain many similarities, the most pregnant of which is the personalities of the individuals involved in the two disciplines.
Speaking psychologically, breeders of specialty dogs tend to be status-seekers who believe their dogs imbue them with a certain aristocracy. Usually, dog breeders are aggressive and have Type-A personalities. Meanwhile, snake breeders and snake owners tend to be rule-breakers who want to be different, people who don't like routine jobs, like working for some mega-corporation.
Subcultures, of course, make life interesting. Almost everyone claims membership in one subculture or another. If they don't, there's probably something wrong with them. They need to visit their psychiatrist, get on meds, join a group and become part of the Great American Society. And because snake breeders are so sui generis, I decided to interview one and find out if being a snake owner automatically guarantees depravity of character or if, perchance, they are actually complex, interesting human beings that have managed to escape the relative ease and facility of orthodoxy, a goal common to most Americans.
To that end, I contacted Jackie Bujalski, owner at Cold Hearted Exotics, located in beautiful Southern California. She agreed to sit down with me and answer my questions. Not too surprisingly, I discovered her to be a personality of overwhelming calm, spiritually tranquil, eloquent and passionate about her chosen endeavor.
Randy Radic (RR): How did you become involved with snakes?
Jackie Bujalski (JB): I became fascinated with snakes and reptiles at a young age, but I didn't get my first snake until I was 21, a gorgeous Coral Albino Red Tail Boa.
RR: Did your involvement begin as a hobby and then evolve into a business naturally or was the intent commercial from the beginning?
JB: It started as a hobby, but very quickly led to much greater things. I obtained a male for the Albino Red Tail Boa after my husband also wanted a snake and looking into the genetic compatibility and what would happen if I mixed morph X with morph Y. The genetic aspect is very intriguing to me.
RR: Who inspired you to breed, and what was your first pairing and what was produced?
JB: Breeding wasn't an inspired decision, it evolved. My first breeding ever was of two Burmese Pythons. Both Albino and the female had an irregular pattern. She had 29 eggs and 30 babies. That's right, my first clutch yielded twins, two snakes born in the same egg. The following year, I found out through breeding that the female carried the trait for another morph called Granite, a pattern reduction trait.
RR: Do you have a background in biology, zoology or animal husbandry?
JB: I have no formal training in biology or zoology, but I do have animal husbandry experience and veterinary skills from being a veterinary technician. I