Tantrum

Yesterday afternoon, I saw that Topkapi's much was quite dirty, so I decided to change it. Problem was, I had no much left. Well, paper towels would not be such a bad idea, right? Oh, foolish, foolish human.
It seemed like I'd dipped her body in acid. As soon as I put her down on the QUILTED, very soft, paper towels, she flinched back and began to circle around her cage, hoping for an exit. Even this morning she still looked as uncomfortable as a snake can look.
It's only for today, Topkapi. Tonight I'll bring clean mulch.
I wish she'd get used to it, though, because paper is so much easier to clean. Way more convenient.
Oh, well. Whoever said keeping snakes was easy.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 36

Finally! I've been trying to log in the whole day but my Internet connection was a bit psychotic today.
OK, well, everyone ate today. I'm so happy, they are all curled up and enjoying their full bellies. I actually thought I was going to have to endure a lot of reptilian attitude because I changed every one's mulch yesterday and that always provokes hissy fits. Coral wanted to strangle me when she took one whiff of the clean, unscented fir chips. Sorry Coral, but I needed to clean your cage.
Topkapi was not happy either but she has grown used to my shuffling her substrate around.
Talulah has shed and she was starving today. A little, poor, orphan snake who hasn't eaten in, oh, I don't know, just one week! You are not going to collapse of malnutrition, Talulah. I'm sorry I did not have a mouse waiting the minute you finished shedding, jeez.
These snakes.

New Year Cleaning

It's already been a long week and it's only Tuesday.
Yesterday I spent the day cleaning the library/snake room after I found some fleas in there. Fleas don't do anything to snakes except annoy them, but since my babies are extra picky when it comes to their environment, I felt guilty enough to take it upon myself to clean.
I moved all the tanks to my parent's room and you had to see the faces on some of the snakes. Looking at me as if I had lost my mind. Barbossa u=just cringed in a corner. But at least now they are more comfortable, I hope.
I was supposed to have a lesson today but my teacher called to cancel because he is sick. I have all this time on my hands and I am bored. Are you bored?

Lazy Sunday

This is what Topkapi does on Sundays. One of these days she's going to ask for a cup of coffee and the paper. Yes, she is under my covers with her head on my pillow, enjoying the "feel of cotton". I guess it makes sense, about a year ago I knit a little blanket for Barbossa in a beautiful white, soft yarn, which I put in his cage when it gets a bit cold. Topkapi does not have one. So, of course the most reasonable thing is to let her take over my pillows. Just plain common sense. So I just sit next to her reading and enjoying some serpentine company.
I'm going to change Talulah's and Tybalt's cage today. Since they are so little, they don't have mulch in their cage, they have paper towels. Mulch looks very pretty but it is a pain to change and for little babies like the sand boas it is actually dangerous. As I've mentioned I feed them frozen mice, or in their case pinkies (which are baby mice) so when they thaw they are obviously wet. The mulch can get attached to the wet fur and they can end up swallowing it. For the bigger snakes it is no problem, they can digest it but for the little ones it can get impacted in their stomachs. So, to avoid a meltdown on my part, because I like drama but not that much, I keep them in safe paper towels.
They have a small cage so it's easy to scrub it with a bit of soap. I have to make sure that it is very clean but it doesn't smell like soap, ammonia, alcohol, nothing that could create fumes once the heat lamp is turned on.
Snakes are really picky, if it's not obvious by now. When I clean their cages, all of them, and I mean all of them, throw a hissy fit. They do not want to touch the new paper towels or mulch and they try to crawl out of their cages. Barbossa slithers up his basket and curls up on top, refusing to let even the tip of his tail touch the alien mulch. After a few hours, they realize that it is not boiling lava and they calm down.
You would think they would be grateful. And, of course, usually the first thing they do is poop in a corner. Just to spice up my life.