KIMBALL FAMILY LOVES SNAKES

It's a family affair.

The Coleman family – dad Mike, mom Jenn, and children Anna, 14, Sophie, 13, and Luke, 7 – have an unusual hobby and business of raising and selling ball pythons. The ball python is a constrictor snake, but he/she has no venom.

When you mention the snakes, everyone in the family gets a little gleam in their eyes and a grin on their faces. They really enjoy their snakes.

According to Mike, when people come over, they all want to go down and see them, "even those that don't like them want to go down and see them."

Most people ask the Coleman's "Why?"

"That is always the question," Jenn said. She explained that "Sophie is allergic to every animal out there but not a snake."

Three years ago, on a whim, the purchase of one ball python has grown into 50 snakes, 5 eggs in an incubator, and six pregnant girls. Mike actually performs the ultrasound on the pregnant snakes to see how many eggs there are.

Then, once they are hatched, the eggs are moved to an incubator. The incubator is kept at 90 degrees and 100% humidity. Just like at the doctor's office, the ultrasound is hooked up to a laptop, and the eggs are visible. Mike said, "Then we can freeze the computer screen and measure how big the eggs are." The Colemans' snakes usually have between four to seven babies and the breeding period is about a six month process.

As they show off their snakes, they describe the personality of each and whether they are shy, rambunctious, docile,or friendly. Mike said, "Some are friendly, and some you are very careful around."

Jenn explained, "We have one who is very friendly. He just wants to know what you are doing. He likes the attention."

Every snake has a name.

"For a while, we were going with the Greek theme so we have Aries, Aphrodite, Persephone, Zeus, Athena and then some of them just their personality comes out in their names," Jenn said. "But then there is Roman, whose name is spelled out in the pattern of his skin."

Even as proud and thrilled as they are with their snakes, the family understands people's reluctance to move closer and "pet" their pride and joy. Even famong non-snake lovers, they may be considered beautiful and fascinating reptiles. Jennifer acknowledged that adults are much more hesitant or afraid than kids.

The Colemans aren't likely to buy many more snakes than the 50 they have accumulated. Some of their babies are sold to pet stores, locals, and to individuals on a Facebook site, but certain ones are kept for genetic purposes.

Mike explains the dominant, recessive, co-dominant genes necessary to have the right genetics. As they look to keep certain snakes, "What genetics does it have? The better the genetics, the more likely we are to keep it. Maybe one in 10 we will keep."

Armed with a legal studies and criminal justice degree from Chadron, Mike has researched and watched hours and hours of You Tube videos to gain the knowledge for the genetics that they are breeding towards. Their intended breeding pattern is a black and white snake with blank space which is white, called axantic pied.

Even as a pet, the ball python is a healthy commitment because it can live over 40 years and large females may reach 6 feet long. The name ball python refers to the snake curling into a ball with its head in the middle when they are frightened or stressed.

The Coleman snakes have their own room in the basement – The Snake Room. The room is maintained at 75-80 degrees and 40% humidity, with a hot spot so they can thermo-regulate themselves according to Mike. The ball pythons are native to West and Central Africa.

The snakes do not require a lot of daily attention and care once they are established and exert their personality. They are only fed once week at the most – their meal consists of African Soft Fur Rats. The family raises its own rats to maintain a disease-free environment.

"That is our least favorite part of the hobby, but it beats getting rats that are sick or have bugs on them," Mike said.

Additionally, raising their own rats is more cost-effective than buying them at $3 each.

Ball pythons have been known to survive without eating for a year and not losing much weight, according to Mike.

Jennifer ,who works at the University of Nebraska Extension Office in Kimball, said both Anna and Sophie will be showing one of their ball pythons at the Kimball-Banner County Fair, and the snakes will be featured in a scavenger hunt activity called "Face Your Fears."

Jennifer said, "Rattlesnakes give all snakes a bad name."

When asked if any of the snakes had ever escaped, Sophie and Anna laughed and got a chuckle out of the story.

Last year, while Mike and Jenn were on vacation, Grandma and Grandpa were tending the family. One snake escaped, "Well, not really escaped, the enclosure was left open, and it did get out, and it was missing for a week and a half," Jenn recalled.

They ended up finding her in The Snake Room.

"She didn't go far," Mike assured.