Thought I'd pop in to say hello after a very long absenteeism. I hope everyone is doing well, and that it's been a successful couple of years for you all.

As for me, well, long story short, I've had a bad year with snakes.

I lost my old Corn, Druid back in September, 2008. He was my first snake and what really got me hooked on the hobby. We're completely unsure as to what caused his passing, but it was sudden. One day, he was fine, the next I came to clean enclosures and he was limp and gasping for air. He died shortly thereafter. We had a carbon monoxide leak around that time, and I wonder if that had anything to do with it.
It was hard to say goodbye to an animal that has been with me for so long.

Just last week, I also lost my very special, very loved big adult female BRB, Lola, before I had a chance to get any little ones from her. She was possibly the most docile, friendly, good-natured serpent that I ever had the pleasure of knowing. I took it pretty hard, even though I knew losing her was a possibility after battling a mystery illness with her for several months. Neither the vet nor myself ever figured out what was wrong. It started with a secondary infection that we combated with a few different antibiotics. Bloodwork was normal. Fecals were normal. Swabs were in the normal range.
She would go on fasts that would last for weeks. It went on like this for some time. She'd give me hope by eating and gaining weight, and then go on an other fast where she would drop any gained weight rapidly.
Finally, one day I simply found her limp in her hospital tank. She was already gone.
I have no idea how old she was, as she was a surprise birthday gift from the hubby and already robust and full grown at the time. I had her in my care for two years. Perhaps it was age?
But I could speculate forever...

Despite these horrible tragedies, I learned from them. I will henceforth be purchasing only young/juvie animals, so that I can be completely aware of how they are being raised, their overall health, and how old they are.

On to happier news, I found out back in January that I'm going to be a mum to a bouncing baby boy! I'm looking very forward to teaching my son about the animals I love, and cultivating an interest in the hobby in the next generation.

Long-winded, I know... so have some pictures to make up for it:

Quetzal




-----
Danielle



Herps:
1.0 BRBs
1.1 BCI
1.0 Southern White-Lipped Pythons
1.1 Black Milksnakes

[ Show Entire Thread ]