Introductions...

So, snakes.

I don't know what comes into you minds when you think of this creature, whether it's disgust, fear, loathing, respect, or a beautiful pair of pumps. The majority of people, when faced with the idea of a snake, or God forbid an actual live one, is either to take two huge steps back or calmly find a way of excusing themselves from the vicinity. Not to say that there aren't many people out there who love them, in fact, snake-keeping is becoming quite a popular hobby. All you have to do is put on Animal Planet and count how many shows have reptiles in them (yes, mostly the venomous kind) to realize that there is a growing interest in these incredible beings.
There I go, gushing away already.
But I don't want to talk in generalities. I love all snakes and could write about them forever, but I want to introduce my snakes, my seven babies.
Now, I have only been keeping snakes for about three years, so I am most definitely not an expert. If you want answers on snake behavioral patterns, biological data, or info on veterinary care you are screwed. I am just writing about probably the most spoiled snakes on the planet and how adorable and, dare I say it, cuddly they are.
These are my particular snakes, so I am not responsible for the bad tempered ones out there, and they certainly exist, so with these animals a healthy amount of careful respect is never out of place. With that said, here is my roll call ( I will add pictures when I have good ones to post)

My first snake Topkapi is a ball python. She is the queen in my snake kingdom. She is the only snake that I've actually bought so far, all the other ones have been adoptions. They've pretty much been dropped on my doorstep, think pink and blue bassinets, Disney style. Topkapi was tiny and feisty. She used to snap at anything that moved, but she has completely mellowed out.

My next baby is Barbossa, a beautiful male red-tailed boa constrictor. This is the shyest snake ever. I've had him for almost three years and he is still unsure if I am about to hit him with a club or pet him. Barbossa was his original name, but I kept it when I adopted him because he loves water, so what's more appropriate than a pirate's name?



This is my shy baby

Next is CocoRosie, a copper colored everglades rat snake. She is older than the others and she knows how beautiful she is. She has her own way of doing things, and watch out if you try to stop her. I adopted her and another of my snakes from a member of the Venom One team here in Miami, who are the people who usually run to save you, no matter where in the US, after you've been bitten by a venomous snake. And, by the way, a bunch of really cool people.

Then we have another ball python, a male named Damascus. He is still a little baby, but he is so tame it's ridiculous. It's amazing the difference between Topkapi at his age and him.

After that we have two Sand Boas who are siblings. The female is Talulah and the male is Tybalt. They share the same enclosure and are inseparable. These type of snakes are really interesting, they have a rough tail and snout, which they use to dig in the sand. They are gorgeous and sweet as can be.

The last so far, the other one I've gotten from the Venom One member, is Coral, a milk snake who I am convinced is running for World's Fastest Snake. Once I grab her, she does not stop moving. She is amazing and probably the most challenging snake I have so far, because of how incredibly fast she is.

Well, there they are, the "Fearsome Seven" who make my life unbelievably more amusing and who have introduced me to the astounding world of snakes.