Hi,

Thanks Sooooo much for all the good advice. Especially about a feeding enclosure. That is a good idea. Question though, will that stress a new snake? I was told to let it be for a week, feed it, then let it be for another week before handling. Is this correct? Will putting it in a different box be okay to do? Also, I was planning on having a smaller box for travel, can this double for feeding or would the snake know he was in his feeding box and get too excited?



Also, about my older snakes. I had 2 die. My first one, and I think my 2nd or third one. The rest escaped because they were little devils and I guess they found a way out of the lids I thought were secure. Actually.. here's the story of them all



Elfy (garter snake). okay i miss this snake terribly he was the best. My first snake. I must have been... 8? i had been looking for a snake and i got lucky one day and walked by one on a gravel road. This snake was injured. had some kind of head and neck injury. It's tongue stuck out. Every night for i dunno how long i dipped it's tongue in water and then onto a paper towel. Eventually he sucked it back into his mouth. he was always a good eater. He had a really bad habit tho. Everynight around 11 pm he would get out of his cage. My dad would hear him thump down to the floor. Once retrieve he would stay in the cage until the next night. Well one day my dad got tired of it and put masking tape aorund the lid. BIG mistake. we found elfy hanging from the tape in the morning. We cut him out and got it off, but he died a few weeks later. No more masking tape!



The next one i had, was a few years later, and was a smooth green snake from the pet store. This was a very docile snake, but for the wrong reasons (so I found out) Grease Lightning was his name. He would curl around my fingers or toes for hours on end while i read or was on the computer. Then, he developed black spots. Most likely an internal parasite. I (think, tho it was quite a few years ago so i don't remember exactly) that i contacted a vet and he said to treat him for mites and put some oil on him to kill the mights etc. I did, but unfortunately he died. I have a feeling he was wild caught.



I then had a rough green that we caught in my backyard. my aunt and i caught him. He was VERY lively and managed to escape and go out the front door (we think) before we could house him or anything. But that was okay by me as he wasn't very friendly.



I had a ribbon snake, that escaped, even though we secured the lid. Don't know how that happened.



All of those snakes were within 3 or 4 years of each other. I was between the ages of 8 and 12 I'm pretty sure.



Then years later there was Dani, had a good cage etc ate well. Loved baby toads. I was in the process of moving at the time and when i went back to the old house for a weekend i had to leave her at the new house, she wasn't there when i came back.



Yea, that's the story of my snakes. Also the reason I want a bigger snake as they can't get out of such tiny holes. I learned a lot from those little snakes, and don't think I'll ever use aquariums for snakes again!!!



Anyway, Thanks again for the information it was great!

- Jules

[ Show Entire Thread ]