... At least I am able and willing to learn. And have the means and interested to do so. Thank the stars for Google.
So, I have a huge male (? I was told) snake. I was told he is a RTB.
A guy that works at Petco (blocks from our home, so we are there often) asked me to help the other day. Apparently, his brother fancies himself a snake guy (I mistyped that at first to say "snakey guy", heh... that was probably more accurate!), and was slowly killing a RTB though neglect. He got his brother willing to give the snake to a better home or something, and he could not take it for some reason or another (the story is fading in my mind...). I am known at the pet stores as a snake lover, herp/rep advocate, invert-aholic, and responsible pet owner. The worker asks if I "know anyone" that will take the snake, and gives me a desperate and longing look that said "please, will YOU take this snake".
I have read care sheets on RTBs. I have known a few. We belong to a regional Herptile Keepers Association, and have a plethora of experiences available to us to learn from. All that aside, we are still really unprepared and a bit in shock at this large and beautiful new snake in our bedroom.
So, I went to pick him up tonight. On the phone, the brother tells me that the snake is really hungry.... has not eaten in many months because he cannot afford the rats.
I get to the apartment, and the wife lets me in (the guy was at work). She was nice, and seemed relieved to see the snake leaving. There were two HUGE tanks with snakes in them. I am sorry to say that I don't even know what kind they were, because I hardly gave them a glance... I was too hyper-focused on the RTB coming home with us. There were probably big boa constrictors, both "normal" patterned. They were in huge tanks on cat litter, no water bowls.
The apartment was a mess. There was a large dog, TONS of tanks and cages, and general human mess. The place also had a particular smell in addition to cigarette and rat/dirty cage. The crack/meth pipe on the coffee table explained that. There were many rats and rat cages. When I asked about why the snake had not been fed, she informed me that those were all pet rats, not food for the snakes.
I guess that the wife was not comfortable handling the snakes. I stuck my hand inside of the tank (which, other than the snake, had cat litter as a substrate, and a paper tube - that's it... there was a lamp, which I found out upon getting home had a regular 100 watt household light in it, not a heat lamp of any type.... the light was rusted into the fixture and I ended up throwing the whole lamp away). I hoped for the best when picking the snake up, knowing that it may very well bite me. He did not. He tried to get away, but had no interest in striking. He was REALLY REALLY cold... like, uncomfortably cold to my skin to the touch. I put him inside of a pillow case, and we loaded up and went home.
Once home, I noticed that the tank was sporting broken glass on one side, mold inside of the substrate, and that there were SHARP raised staples inside of the tube (that was totally gross, too...).
I cleaned my friggin' heart out. I then set up a really nice "spur of the moment" habitat. We made makeshift hides, good substrate, a really nice heat lamp/UV light, water dish, etc. He hissed and hissed a few times while I held him, but I made sure to look him over well... he has a lot of scars. He never did try to strike, and chose instead to ball himself up tight. Our ball python acts like a RTB, and our RTB is acting like a BP. Figures.
His scales are very dry and raised. There is one spot that looks like a tiny puncture wound, but could be a crack due to dryness I guess. No doubt I will get him vetted, but I want to take a week for him to settle and feed first.
He is set up finally and very secure in one of the hiding spots. He is balled up on the hot side of the tank.
I will put photos up soon.
Poor biiiig fella
Now for a name... I am sure I will come up with something soon.
And now time to read every thread on all of the forums I can find... and care sheets until my eyes bleed. I want to be a last stop for this snake, and the last thing in the world I want to do is be another person harming him. It is time he gets all of his snakey needs met, right?
So, I have a huge male (? I was told) snake. I was told he is a RTB.
A guy that works at Petco (blocks from our home, so we are there often) asked me to help the other day. Apparently, his brother fancies himself a snake guy (I mistyped that at first to say "snakey guy", heh... that was probably more accurate!), and was slowly killing a RTB though neglect. He got his brother willing to give the snake to a better home or something, and he could not take it for some reason or another (the story is fading in my mind...). I am known at the pet stores as a snake lover, herp/rep advocate, invert-aholic, and responsible pet owner. The worker asks if I "know anyone" that will take the snake, and gives me a desperate and longing look that said "please, will YOU take this snake".
I have read care sheets on RTBs. I have known a few. We belong to a regional Herptile Keepers Association, and have a plethora of experiences available to us to learn from. All that aside, we are still really unprepared and a bit in shock at this large and beautiful new snake in our bedroom.
So, I went to pick him up tonight. On the phone, the brother tells me that the snake is really hungry.... has not eaten in many months because he cannot afford the rats.
I get to the apartment, and the wife lets me in (the guy was at work). She was nice, and seemed relieved to see the snake leaving. There were two HUGE tanks with snakes in them. I am sorry to say that I don't even know what kind they were, because I hardly gave them a glance... I was too hyper-focused on the RTB coming home with us. There were probably big boa constrictors, both "normal" patterned. They were in huge tanks on cat litter, no water bowls.
The apartment was a mess. There was a large dog, TONS of tanks and cages, and general human mess. The place also had a particular smell in addition to cigarette and rat/dirty cage. The crack/meth pipe on the coffee table explained that. There were many rats and rat cages. When I asked about why the snake had not been fed, she informed me that those were all pet rats, not food for the snakes.
I guess that the wife was not comfortable handling the snakes. I stuck my hand inside of the tank (which, other than the snake, had cat litter as a substrate, and a paper tube - that's it... there was a lamp, which I found out upon getting home had a regular 100 watt household light in it, not a heat lamp of any type.... the light was rusted into the fixture and I ended up throwing the whole lamp away). I hoped for the best when picking the snake up, knowing that it may very well bite me. He did not. He tried to get away, but had no interest in striking. He was REALLY REALLY cold... like, uncomfortably cold to my skin to the touch. I put him inside of a pillow case, and we loaded up and went home.
Once home, I noticed that the tank was sporting broken glass on one side, mold inside of the substrate, and that there were SHARP raised staples inside of the tube (that was totally gross, too...).
I cleaned my friggin' heart out. I then set up a really nice "spur of the moment" habitat. We made makeshift hides, good substrate, a really nice heat lamp/UV light, water dish, etc. He hissed and hissed a few times while I held him, but I made sure to look him over well... he has a lot of scars. He never did try to strike, and chose instead to ball himself up tight. Our ball python acts like a RTB, and our RTB is acting like a BP. Figures.
His scales are very dry and raised. There is one spot that looks like a tiny puncture wound, but could be a crack due to dryness I guess. No doubt I will get him vetted, but I want to take a week for him to settle and feed first.
He is set up finally and very secure in one of the hiding spots. He is balled up on the hot side of the tank.
I will put photos up soon.
Poor biiiig fella
Now for a name... I am sure I will come up with something soon.
And now time to read every thread on all of the forums I can find... and care sheets until my eyes bleed. I want to be a last stop for this snake, and the last thing in the world I want to do is be another person harming him. It is time he gets all of his snakey needs met, right?