My experiences as a snake owner and as a snake enthusiast. With a healthy potpourri of other stuff...




Monday, January 31, 2011

Barbossa's Tantrum

Barbossa is refusing to eat. He has finished shedding and he should be hungry but nope, nothing doing.
I got him two mice yesterday, naively hoping he'd get over whatever it is that is bothering him, but he coiled back in horror at what I'd placed in front of his eyes. I tried again today and the same thing. What's wrong, Barbossa? Is it that I'm not walking you outside as much as you like? But it's cold, and you'll get sick if I take you for a stroll, or slither, around the pool. You'd be a boa popsicle. I'm sorry you don't like winter, if there was a way for me to make the days hot and humid the way you like them, I would, but I do not possess that skill. Please eat. Please, please, please, please, please, please eat.
Don't make me worry like that.

In other news, I went to see Black Swan on Saturday, and oh, wow. It is one of the best, most gorgeous films I've seen in a long while. Some of the imagery really stays with you. If you get a chance, go see it.

Friday, January 28, 2011

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.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Sense of Security

Everyone is in his or her cage. I think it's been 5 days since the last escape. I think we have improvement, don't you?

Barbossa is still mid-shed so he is hiding underneath his towel. Did I mention it's a Little Mermaid towel? Every time I see him, his serious-looking head peeking out from underneath Ariel's red hair, I have a giggling fit. He's probably not amused, but it was the only towel I had on hand.
Talulah is also not done shedding, but she should look all beautiful in a couple of days.
Not much going on, really, which I'm not to comfortable with. I'm used to being on my toes, chasing after one or another tail slinking into inconvenient places.
We'll see what my babies are planning.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Sunny Morning

I found Coral! Yay! She was curled up in the lining of my laptop leather bag. She actually made a hole in the leather, don't ask me how, and she was hiding away laughing as I searched the room. She is back in her cage and she ate with gusto on Friday. I now have a cardboard piece folded into the sliding door so she can't move it anymore. I'm sure she'll figure out a way, but for now I have bested her.
Sad, isn't it?




That is Topkapi enjoying a Sunday morning on my bed. Paper? Coffee? Anything you require, Topkapi? I know, a mimosa!



"Will you just put the camera away and let me sleep!"

Okay, okay.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Responsibilities

My sister came yesterday with the news that one of the snakes at the center where she works is starving. STARVING. In captivity. It boggles my mind how something like this can happen. Well, maybe not so much because I know who runs the reptile division. The young man (I won't name names although I should) has said many times, and I quote "I hate reptiles". And yet, no one fires him, no one asks him for his feeding schedules, which is good for him because he doesn't keep any, no one does anything. Two snakes have already died in his care. How many more of them does it require for his supervisors to take charge of the situation?
My sister comes day after day, week after week telling me "well, he left without feeding them today" and I seethe at the words. I get stomach-aches of guilt if I am one day late in feeding my babies. We are keeping them in cages with the hope that we can give them safer lives, we trade freedom for steady meals. I just...I don't understand the mistreatment. If you don't care one iota for the poor creatures, then quit.
I told my sister that if they want, I can take care of the starving snake for a few weeks until she is back to the right weight, but I doubt they'll allow that. I have a freezer full of mice and patience by the bucket-full to coax her back into eating.

*whoo* Deep breath.

My precious ones are all doing beautifully (except for Ms. Coral who remains MIA). Topkapi has shed and looks like a movie star, Catherine Zeta-Jones style, while Barbossa is still mid-way through the process.
I took Damascus out yesterday and he is looking so chunky. Beautiful. I just want to snuggle against him, but he pulls back in disgust, a "human, away!" look in his eye.
Oh, well I must manage with my unrequited love.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Ninja Snake


No, I have not found Coral. That's just a picture of her I took the day before she so mysteriously said "screw this I'm going to Hogwarts" and disappeared. Where the hell is she? I've searched everywhere. Well, not everywhere, but some places seem highly unlikely to contain a snake. For example: the oven, the freezer, the top of the bookshelf, the toilet's water tank. Although with Coral who knows? She could very well be on top of the bookcase waiting for the perfect opportunity to spring down and scare me to death. If I suddenly stop writing, that's probably what happened.




Isn't she gorgeously evil looking?

Friday, January 14, 2011

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 35

What is going on with my snakes? It seems like everyday I find another one out of his or her cage! Am I not taking care of you as well as you'd like? Am I being inattentive, mean, cruel, am I starving you? Please guys and gals stay put!
Today it is Coral. I came into the library/snake room and found one of her doors slightly open, with a groan I looked. Of course, she was gone. She had finished shedding and decided it was time to take a trip, an adventure awaited. Yes, well, Coral, now you're running around without water and making me worry about the temperatures at night...Argh!
One of these days they are all going to get together and make an exodus out the front door. I'll walk in the next morning and see empty cages and Barbossa cowering in the corner, shell-shocked and remorseful. It could happen.
My angel Damascus ate. Odin did not seem too happy. I changed his cage for another tank and I think he is mad at me because he refused the pinky I offered him.

The juggling of seven ophidian relationships is taking its toll on me. Poor me.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Stressed Human

Barbossa is driving me bonkers! He doesn't want to eat! Argh!
I don't know of for some reason he decided it's time to hibernate, although he's never done it before. I don't know, why does he have to worry me like this?
Plus, I'm trying to take him out less because I don't want him to waste calories but he looks at me with reproach and starts pacing his cage in a show of excruciating boredom. I'm hoping maybe he's about to shed or something and I haven't noticed yer. Let's hope so.
I'm also sending a prayer for Tybalt to eat tonight. Since he just finished shedding, there's a very good chance he is starving, so we'll see.
As I always say, these snakes will lead me to drink.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Poker Face

It is so gloomy outside I had to muster up energy to type this up. Isn't it incredible how much effect weather has on our systems?
My snakes seem fine, though, depressing weather or not.
Tybalt shed last night and he is looking peckish, unfortunately I won't be able to get him food until Wednesday, so I'm going to see that little head darting up every time I come in the room.
Coral is almost ready to shed and is looking grumpy. I know she is all bluff, but she is a GOOD bluffer. She'd win poker tournaments in a jiffy. I want to take some more pictures of her so maybe in a day or two when she is more herself again I'll attempt a photo shoot. She is a trying model.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 34

Odin ate and Damascus ate. That was all for today since everyone else is in the midst of a shed.
I have to share something that happened the other day with Barbossa. It was a day or two after I'd done the cleaning in the snake room, and in the spirit of updating things I gave Barbossa a much bigger water bowl. OK, it's more of an unused glass casserole pan, but he doesn't know that. I thought it'd be great for him to lay in since he appears to be entranced by water. The only problem is that it's too big to allow room for the basket he also has in his cage. I decided to try it out and see how it went.
Well, it went badly. Barbossa loved the bowl but I saw him start pacing his cage. Yesterday I saw him looking up, longing in his eyes. I knew I'd screwed up and he missed his hiding place. But how to give him another one and keep the bowl he likes?
I put an old soft towel in there and hoped for the best. Apparently, he likes it. He's been hiding under it for the past day. Whew!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Shedding


Just wanted to share what Miss Topkapi looks like when she is shedding. You can see her blue eyes clearly, and that gray sheen on her scales.
She's still active, though, I guess she really trusts me to catch her if she falls.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

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?