Prodigal Daughter

Yes, I know I've been MIA for a few weeks, but I've just been swamped with getting ready for a recital with my teacher's studio. Tahnkfully, that happened Friday and it went well.


That's a picture of me right after the recital. Can you spot the relief and exhaustion?

In the interim, Coral managed to escape and get found all in the space of a week. She was strolling around the kitchen's window sill, ejoying her freedom. My mom found her.

I might, MIGHT get a carpet python baby. A bunch of reptiles were confiscated from someome one trying to smuggle them in and they were handed over to the Wildlife Center (the reptiles, not the people. Although how fun would that be? Locking criminals up with George the Bald Eagle)If no one claims then, legally, in the next 90 days, anyone is free to take them.
We'll see what happens.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 49

Coral ate again! Yes! I think she's not angry with me anymore because I keep her safe in a cage. She's spending more time in her hiding place, so obviously she's becoming a bit more used to captivity. Or she's planning something major, involving smoke bombs and lasers glass cutters. Who knows with her?

Damascus ate also, with his usual gusto, while Talulah and Tybalt ate on Wednesday, so they are curled up with full bellies.
Topkapi didn't eat last week, I don't know why, so I'm hoping tonight she'll take the mouse. She's a grown snake, so it's not a big deal for her to miss a week, but still it makes me worry.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 48

Coral ate!!! Yay! I guess she saw that I was feeling a bit sick today so she took pity on me. Thank you Coral, you made my day.

Damascus shed and he looks fabulous, a reptilian movie star. He really needs head shots and things. Can you imagine him, gripping a pen with his tail and scribbling his autograph for adoring admirers? I'd be the first in line.
Well, I'd probably be the only person in line. But never mind.

Barbossa did his walking around the pool, like always. he always looks so happy when he walks around the pool. No matter how hot or humid it is outside, his joy at being in the open air makes up for any discomfort I might feel.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 47

So Coral is again not wanting to eat. I think she's throwing a little tantrum becasue I've not allowed her to escape again. She ate two weeks ago, so I'm not panicking yet, but I do want her to start taking the mice again.

Damascus ate, he's shedding but he doesn't seem to care. He atr without issue, by baby.

This morning I cleaned Tybalt and Talulah's cage because they are really messy snakes. They poop or pee and then slither across it, so that there are streaks everywhere. I don't get it. None of my other babies are that messy. Huh. At least they don't complain when I change their paper towels, which is good.
They've both been eating like angels, well, if angels had sharp teeth and strangled prey.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 46

Tybalt continues to want to eat frozen/thawed mice, so I am tap-dancing for joy. Talulah, of course, ate, as did Damascus.

So, Coral is somewhere loose in the house, yet again. She managed to grow hands to slide the glass door open, even with my elaborate cardboard lock. How does she do this?! She's hiding somewhere laughing maniacally at my futile attempts to track her down. I've checked in all the places she's hidden before, but nothing. She's too smart for me. Coral, why do you do this to me?

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 45

Ok, so today was a short feeding day. I'd fed Talulah and Tybalt (who is eating like a greedy little monster) on Wednesday when my sister brought the live pinkies, so I officially had just Coral, Damascus and Odin to feed. Topkapi is shedding so no mice for her.
Damascus ate with no problem, bless his little reptilian soul, but Coral also decided to begin shedding without warning me (I don't really know how she would have done that, but nevermind)so I had to give her mouse to Damascus also. Not a problem for him.

Next was Odin, who is sick. He keeps throwing up his food and I am beyond worried at this point. He's getting fluids but I need him to eat. He always looks hungry but can't seem to keep anythig down. I've checked and rechecked the temperature and humidity in his cage and nothing is off.
Warning: ye of weak stomachs, read no more.

Today I had an idea. I'd been feeding him pinkies that were a little bit bigger than the previous batch which made me think maybe they are too big for him. So, using my little head, I chopped the pinkie in half. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, chopped it in half with a kitchen knife, Ok, this was a frozen/thawed mouse, not a live one. I had visions of PETA knocking on my door.
Odin took it gladly, so now I'm just praying that he can digest it. I really, really hope so.
My poor little sick baby.

Missing Pinkies

My sister had trouble bringing the pinkies home last night, so I wasn't able to feed the newly hungry Tybalt. I'm going to attempt tonight with frozen mice, and hopefully he'll be so hungry he won't care.

Everyone is in their cages *cough Coral cough* and they all looks pretty happy. Odin still has not eaten, though, which is freaking me out. I'm soaking him in a disinfectant for reptiles just in case it's a bacteria or something that's bothering him and he's also getting fluids. I hope he starts eating again soon. I'm worried.

Sofa Explorations

Topkapi is on the couch right now, crawling all over. We usually put something ont he couch so the dogs don't get on it, and today we have a bar stool lying sideways. She's loving it! She's crawling all over the legs and hanging off it, like a pirate looking for land. She's just so adorable. Now, she is crawling onto the side table, so I'm going to have to go stop her or she'll disappear under the couch.
Last night I caught Coral trying to sneak out. As soon as she saw me she ducked under her paper towels, but I saw her! She's such a meenie, she has everything she needs in her cage, why does she have to try to make it out?
Barbossa still has not shed, but it should be any day now. In a little it O'll be taking him out for a walk around the pool.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 43

Coral is still in her cage, halelujah! She ate a pinkie and a mouse today, so she must be quite happy. See Coral, captivity is not quite so bad.
Talulah of course ate, but Tybalt did not. I had my sister give him fluids, although she says he looks fine. She says I'm exaggerating (who, me?) and to stop worrying. He'll eat when he's good and ready, like Barbossa.
Now, I have to go feed Topkapi, or she'll start whining.

Bounty Hunters

My mom found Coral yesterday!
She came into my room as I was about to get up and told me she was beneath the sink. She saw her but could not make herself grab her. Coral is a bit intimidation, although she is more of a bully than anything else.
So, of course, by the time I made it downstairs, and I mean the few seconds it took me, she was of course gone. Yeah. Just picture the two of us, neither my mom nor I were fully awake, hunting a multi-colored snake through the many bottles of detergents and cleaners. The funny thing is that mom told me Coral had been wrapped around the jar where I defrost the snake's mice on feeding day. She smelled it out!
We found her in the cupboard next to the sink, hiding underneath a bunch of cloth napkins. She didn't even bother striking or hissing.
One for the humans! Yay!!
Now let's see how long it takes her to escape again.
Anyone want to put money on it?

Prison Break

Coral has disappeared again. Ok, now I'm convinced something's up. I checked her cage and the doors were closed, so she could not have escaped through there. There's some other way she's making it out, I guess I'm going to have to tear the cage apart to look for the defective glass pane. Argh!

Topkapi shed and she looks so much better. The mold whatever she had on her tail is gone, so Neosporin works! Yay! She ate on Friday so she is back to normal.
Barbossa, however, has still not had a single morsel to eat. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm going to keep trying, but if he doesn't eat soon, he's getting fluids. That's it, I've decided.

The Traveller

My sister found Coral last night!
She came into my room in the middle of the night proclaiming her miraculous find. She'd heard some noises in her room and decided to investigate, and lo and behold, Coral was enjoying a stroll through her floor.
Ok, here's the thing you need to know: sister's room is downstairs. So Coral exited the snake room, trailed down huge wooden stair steps, and managed to cross the family room to get to my sister's room.
All that while avoiding the many other animals that run around the house at one point or another.
It's flabbergasting. I bow down to your cunning and courage, Coral.

Barbossa and the Evil Syringe

I'm going to make the attempt to feed Barbossa tonight. He still hasn't eaten, which has put me in a mild state of panic. The other day I tried to give him Nutrical, which is a perfect dietary supplement for pretty much any animal,including snakes, and I think he almost died of fright.
I'd diluted it in water so that I could give it to him by syringe instead of forcing it down his throat in one huge chunk.
Yeah...I had more of it on me than I managed to get in Barbossa's stomach. What a mess. My floor is still sticky.

Coral is still a no-show, by the way. I've looked everywhere. She's probably hiding somewhere, laughing as I pass near her a hundred times a day. Evil, evil snake.

On the Loose

It's been a crazy bunch of few days, but all my babies are just fine.
One teeny tiny little thing...Coal has managed to thwart my security efforts and is on the lam.
That's right boys and girls, a snake pried apart my state-of-the-art folded piece of cardboard, which I'd placed in between the sliding glass doors, and has Houdini-ed (ha, I've created a verb) her way out.
I was so happy, it'd been months without an escape, but I guess she was just biding her time. Lulling my defenses before she STRUCK with her clever reptilian mind.

Yes, it's overly dramatic, so what?

In other news, I took some cool pictures of Topkapi this morning which I wanted to post up, but I think I'll devote a whole post to the beauty that is Queen Topkapi. She would not appreciate sharing a page with Coral's craziness.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 39

It's been such a good feeding day today, everyone ate with gusto.
I have to share how Coral ate though, because it boggles the mind. When I opened her cage she was in her tree, or really, half out of her tree because she doesn't fit anymore. I tried to pull her out but she is ridiculously stubborn, so I took out the whole tree along with her into the feeding container. She took the mouse in that position! I couldn't believe the laziness!
How do they come up with these things?

Oh, by the way, on the right you'll see a badge that will lead you to a petition to stop rattlesnake roundups, so if you could take the time to sign it, I will give you a million dollars. OK, no I won't, but I'll be grateful.

Members of the Hefty Club

I had these fabulous pictures of Damascus that I wanted to post but I just realized my sister took my camera's memory card. Argh!
Oh well, you'll have to wait another day to see my reptilian movie star. My mom saw him the other day and couldn't believe he was the same snake I used to hold in one hand.

Talulah and Tybal are looking great. She is almost twice his girth, and takes full advantage of it, pushing him away whenever she wants a particular spot in their cage. She's a bit of a bully. I have to separate them when they eat or she'll steal his mouse. Feisty.

Coral has shed and is looking around for food. She'll have to wait until Friday, not a huge deal when she's as fat as she is right now. The other day she tried to curl up inside her tree and she couldn't fit. The embarrassment, Coral!

Baking for Venom One

It's been a busy bunch of days. I've been doing a lot of writing and typing, so forgive the long silences.
All my babies are doing wonderfully, they all ate this past Friday (except for Barbossa.
Tomorrow I'll be doing something quite interesting. My sister bought me two baking molds, one in the shape of an alligator and the other one of a snake, so I'm going to bake some cookies for the Venom One team. If you don't know who these people are, my Gods you are missing out! They are the division of the fire department that will come to your rescue if you get bitten by a venomous snake. They fly to anywhere in the country, toting antivenin, ready to see you through the horrible experience.
Apart from that, I've also adopted two of my snakes from Lisa, a member of the unit. She gave me CocoRosie, my darling, and Coral, my lightning bolt.
So, yes, I'll be sending them some yummy cute stuff to eat. I have to remember to double or triple the recipes I use. They are fire-fighters, after all.

Powers

So we're back to square one with Barbossa. Well, maybe not quite square one because he did eat last week, but still. I don't know what he expects me to do, call the winter away and make it nice and balmy so he can walk outside? I do not have those powers Barbossa!

Coral is shedding so she is looking mighty scruffy. She's still laying by the door waiting for someone to forget there's a wee snake in there, but that's not going to happen. And even if she does manage to get out I know her secret hiding place. Mwahahahaha.
Pathetic, huh?

I am baking some yummy stuff, spice muffins, so if you are interested in getting the recipe, hop on over to Carabosse's Bakeshop, link on the right.

Feeding Frenzy Friday Part 38

Coral is shedding yet again. You know what that means, she's eating a lot! I think I'm going to have to put her on a bit of a diet, for a few weeks at least so that she doesn't run the risk of exploding.
Topkapi just finished eating. She gave me such a smack when she struck, my hand actually jerked back. She's getting so strong.


Odin is eating beautifully, as is Talulah. All I have to worry about is Barbossa on Sunday. Since it's turned cooler and I've not been able to take him out walking, who knows.

Missions

Coral has been giving me evil looks recently. She paces and gazes (rhyme!) around her door, seeing if there's any possible way she might escape. For now, I think I have her thwarted, although give her some more days and she'll probably pull a Mission Impossible. She's probably been watching the movies to get ideas.
Can you imagine, a snake watching TV, remote gripped between coils? Too cute.

I just came back from a lesson and I am tired tired tired. I'm debating whether to bake today or do leave it until tomorrow. By the way, I've been putting all my recipes with pictures in the link on the right: Carabosse's Bakeshop. Stop by and see the yumminess.