Shira Loa of Snake Therapy discusses her journey with snakes - from her initial fear of snakes, her first snake purchase, to her work in snake education and husbandry advancement. She shares details of how her first interaction with a snake led her to a journey with her own snakes, as well as beginning interactions with other people in order form a connection with them and snakes. Her passion for the therapeutic benefits that reptiles can bring to their keepers shows as she discusses the various mental health benefits that have been seen in both neurodivergent and non-neurodivergent individuals. Shira also discusses the Neurodiversity and Reptile Keeping Survey that she created in hopes of understanding more about what reptile keeping can offer neurodivergent people, leading to talk about the potential for overconsumption of reptiles and traits that neurodivergent people have for keeping reptiles more efficiently. SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/204-shira-loa/ SHOW SPONSORS: Visit The BioDude here: www.thebiodude.com  @TheBioDudeJoshHalter  CUSTOM REPTILE HABITATS: https://www.animalsathome.ca/crh JOIN US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/animalsathome CHECK OUT CUSTOM REPTILE HABITATS: https://www.animalsathome.ca/crh LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Survey: https://bit.ly/SnakeTherapySurvey https://www.youtube.com/@snake_therapy https://www.patreon.com/SnakeTherapywithShiraLoa https://shiraloametalwork.com/pages/snake-shed-metal-art-jewelry http://www.instagram.com/snaketherapy_shiraloa https://www.thelittlezoo.org/ We Discuss: 0:00 Coming Up 1:44 Welcome Shira - Her History With Snakes 5:05 Purchasing Her First Snake 8:59 From Fear to Fascination - How did it happen? 11:35 Shira’s Home for Snakes - 9 Total! 13:50 The Start of Snake Therapy 18:45 Interactions With Animals Is Therapeutic 21:25 Shira’s Work With The Little Zoo Non-Profit 23:20 Helping People Connect With Snakes 25:55 The Therapeutic Benefits That Snakes Can Give 28:32 Caring For Animals Helps With Mental Health 30:24 The Response From Social Media 32:35 The Bio Dude - Substrates and Diets 33:37 Neurodivergence & Reptiles 45:42 Neurodiversity and Reptile Keeping Survey 57:24 Reptiles Don’t Have To Just Be For “Reptile People” 59:43 Overconsumption of Reptiles 1:04:47 Neurodivergent Keepers Can Make Better Keepers? 1:07:18 The Content’s Purpose and Reach 1:11:13 Animal Welfare and Our Connections 1:14:05 Shira’s Next Projects 1:17:25 Shira Loa Metal Work 1:19:03 Closing Thoughts