2025 is the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac. TaiwanPlus went out to spend some time with the cold-blooded critters to explore their world and gain a deeper understanding of the often misunderstood serpent.
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00:00Hi Phillip, 新年快乐!
00:02Hi, Happy New Year!
00:03Can you explain why you're holding a snake?
00:05Well, I thought about bringing this little fella around with me
00:08because it's the year of the snake.
00:10Well, you're in luck because actually I was born in the year of the snake.
00:13But I don't really understand much about the Chinese Zodiac.
00:16Let me tell you more about it.
00:18The snake is one of the twelve creatures in the Chinese Zodiac.
00:22Since they're cold-blooded, people born in this year
00:25are sometimes seen as being more reserved or introverted.
00:28But it's also believed they carry a lot of passion on the inside
00:32and can be ambitious, adventurous and sensitive.
00:36Can you explain a bit what snakes mean in Taiwanese culture?
00:39Well, I know someone who can tell you.
00:45So we're going to meet Professor Du, who is an expert with snakes.
00:51Hello, Professor Du!
00:54Professor Du Mingzhang has been studying reptiles for over 40 years.
00:58He says that in Taiwan, snakes traditionally have a pretty good reputation.
01:03Rice farmers see one species as the son of local guardian spirits
01:07and won't hurt these snakes.
01:09And the Taiwan indigenous people, similarly,
01:12keep a respectful distance from the venomous 100-paced snake,
01:15which they see as their ancestor.
01:18But Professor Du says humans in general have extreme reactions to snakes.
01:49According to Professor Du,
01:51people's feelings towards snakes have a complicated origin.
01:54He says experiments using baby humans and monkeys
01:57show they don't fear snakes the first time they see them.
02:19But the professor says there's more to snakes,
02:22and some of them make good pets.
02:48Snakes are actually very gentle.
02:50Because they're gentle and don't get nervous,
02:55they don't rush around,
02:57that's why they develop into pet snakes.
03:01So it seems snakes are really misunderstood in the world,
03:04and here in Taiwan as well.
03:06Well, I know a place where people can get to know them more.
03:08Let's go!
03:19Oh my god!
03:21Look at it, it's huge!
03:23It's moving now.
03:26Professor Du runs this snake cafe that he opened in 2023.
03:30He rotates the snakes between the cafe and a farm
03:33so they have time to rest and feed.
03:35There are about 30 in this room alone.
03:38Du wants people to come and get up close and personal with the snakes.
03:48Once you get used to them,
03:50you won't be able to imagine the mistakes they make.
03:54But the undisputed star of the cafe is a Burmese python
03:57Professor Du adopted seven years ago.
04:00If you touch it, it'll get stuck.
04:02It's too fat, right?
04:04It was this big when I first came.
04:06It was two meters long.
04:07It's this big now after seven years.
04:09It's 4.8 meters long and 75 kilograms.
04:13Professor Du does not let customers pet this snake,
04:16but not because it's dangerous.
04:18He says Burmese pythons are also calm and docile.
04:30Spending the day with Professor Du,
04:32Sandy and I learned a lot about snakes,
04:34but I needed more.
04:36Okay, so today you've taken me to a snake farm.
04:39Now we're here at this snake cafe,
04:41but these are both places run by professionals.
04:44So what is it like owning a snake as a pet?
04:47Does this mean you need more snakes?
04:49Yes, always.
04:50While you're in luck,
04:51I have a few friends who are holding a snake year festival.
05:05These owners have gathered with their cuddly cold-blooded pets
05:09to celebrate the coming snake year.
05:11This is our family's pet.
05:13It's called Gluttony.
05:14It's quite a good snake.
05:16It lets people touch it and play with it.
05:19You can just touch it.
05:21I think it's quite important to me.
05:23It's my treasure.
05:25But I have other smaller snakes.
05:27This is the biggest one.
05:29Around the Lunar New Year,
05:30people often buy pets on that year
05:32because they say they can bring them good luck.
05:34So can we expect more people to buy snakes in the new year?
05:38But snake breeder Ryan Wu says
05:40snakes can be easier to keep than more traditional pets
05:44because they don't need walks and they don't make noise.
05:47But keeping a pet is not easy.
05:49It's a lifelong commitment to their well-being.
05:51These misunderstood animals are more than just a good luck charm
05:54in the year of the snake.
05:56Patrick Chen, Chris Ma, Phillip Rosado, and Sunny Chi
05:58for Taiwan Plus.
06:07Taiwan Plus