The Cowardly Snake

I took this picture a few days ago, when the weather was warm enough to take Barbossa outside. He loves to travel all around the pool. I usually take a book and follow him around to make sure he doesn't get into any trouble. Sometimes he stays staring at the water for minutes at a time, almost hypnotized by it. Other times, he decides the water looks so nice he could go for a swim. He sticks his head under water and then tries to put his whole body inside. Only one problem...he can't swim. I have no idea why, since my other snakes are good swimmers. If you put Topkapi in a tub of water she floats easily and swims by whipping her coils around. It's actually quite beautiful. She hates it, but nevertheless, it's pretty to see. Barbossa sinks right to the bottom, but he seems to forget this and he keeps attempting to go swimming. I have to gently redirect him. He is quite stubborn though, so he will try at least three more times.
He loves the green hose in the picture, he follows it around and walks right next to it. The first time he saw it, however, he was a bit scared of it. If you couldn't tell by now, Barbossa is not known for his courage. You would think an animal that size (he is about 4 1/2 feet) would realize he could be a little more intimidating. But no, he is pretty cowardly, and anything new sends him into a panic. I remember one time my mom moved a pot from one side of the yard to the other, not a particularly frightening pot, one that he had seen a million times before. For about half an hour he kept trying to find ways to get as far away from it as possible. I finally had to move it back.
Barbossa ate two live mice yesterday, so today I will not be taking him out. His previous owner used to give him one mouse every two weeks, which is ridiculous. Now he gets two EVERY week, but even that amount doesn't seem to be enough in his opinion. After the second mouse, he raises his head and looks around asking for the next one. A few weeks ago I bought him three to see if he that would satisfy him. When he was done he kept asking for another one, so he is definitely just greedy, not dying of hunger. These animals...