Question:
Originally Posted by CologneJunkie That kinda breaks my heart a bit . I used to have a pet mouse... It gave me a twinge, because of the baby factor, I think. I straightened my mind out last night as, entirely by coincidence, I was eating shrimp cocktail. My full hypocrisy hit me between the eyes and I was embarrassed.
And yes, _R_$, we considered a corn snake momentarily, but they are sooo long and skinny--like a living hose. Pythons were a bit more expensive but we already had a 100 gallon aquarium from earlier hobbies and he seemed so fat and muscular--very sturdy. Our book says it will grow up to be three feet in three years, and it's about 16 inches now.
He can't get out of the aquarium now, even if the top was off, unless a cat took him for a house tour. His top will always be for his saftey--for example, Jon left the top off the mouse and I was thinking, "$#@% it, Katy's got another mouse," but no. Katycat had the same mouse (again, lovingly carried without harm.)
We just had to get the snake, bedding, a wire mesh top, and pinkies. And the little booklet on care.
Does one name a snake?

Answer:
As an aside, the Burmese Python problem in our Everglades is almost out of hand. No natural predators for that animal live there and many have been released/escaped into that habitat with disasterous results. They grow to about 18' in length and can take deer, mediums size crocodiles etc for lunch. Estimates now put them into the thousands in there and only lack of food will control the growing population I fear.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science...on-gator_x.htm
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Originally Posted by BrothaG Too funny, sorry for giving your thread this fashionable twist, Shycat. It sounds fascinating to have a snake as a pet, but I don't think I could ever handle the stress. Would be WAY too afraid it'd escape and attack me at night Check this link out!
http://www.anapsid.org/coloburm.html

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I have had a Ball Python, a Rainbow Boa, & a Milksnake. Had them for years in separate aquariums. My husband fed them because I am allergic to rodents. After several years, I had to give them up because of my rodent allergy. The reason I got them was that I had a terrible fear of snakes. I got over the fear and learned a lot about reptiles. I never in a million years thought I could get attached to a snake, but I still miss my Rainbow Boa.
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Answer:
Originally Posted by kbe
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Check this link out!
http://www.anapsid.org/coloburm.html I told you so!

Answer:
Originally Posted by kbe As an aside, the Burmese Python problem in our Everglades is almost out of hand. No natural predators for that animal live there and many have been released/escaped into that habitat with disasterous results. They grow to about 18' in length and can take deer, mediums size crocodiles etc for lunch. Estimates now put them into the thousands in there and only lack of food will control the growing population I fear.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science...on-gator_x.htm
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Check this link out!
http://www.anapsid.org/coloburm.html
How horrible! That poor boy! Our snake may get as big as five feet, and at 14yr old Jon is 5'9", bearded, and an extremely muscular 200 pounds (absent mindedly does curls while on his computer) Sam is 12yr but is, of course, growing quickly at 5'3" and 115.
My cats, on the other hand, I had not spared a thought for!!!! They will never be big and strong! The little dog is only a foot tall, too. Snake will have to a locking slide door habitat in a couple of years--probably after the first escape for a cat snack.
Today, the snake had three pinkies. Jon did it all, thank you merciful God. Snake strikes fast as lightening. The third pinkie got dropped and Jon said "Well, it's going to have to just lay there.....I'm not getting my hand that close." Snake did not mind, he found said pinkie and picked it up and swallowed.
Snake is fascinating to watch.

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Originally Posted by Shycat Does one name a snake? Of course!

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I had names for all mine and the types I had don't get big. We are not talking danger here. The Rainbow Boa would only grow to six feet and it was the largest, but it was very small around. They were always fed in a different place from where I kept them so that they never saw fingers as food and I was never once bitten. My husband made the mistake of picking one up after he had handled a mouse and got bit, but it was so minor it did not even draw blood. We would make sure and hold them every day. They all got terrific homes because they were so good natured.

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Tip: If you don't want it to escape, either lock the mesh top to the cage with four locks (one each about three inches away from each corner) on a snap on cage, or place 3-5 dictionaries on top of the mesh. My cousin only had one escape once, and he learned how to prevent it since then. (He has about 15 reptiles, give or take five at any time.) The worst a ball python can do is bite you and give you a disease. If you go to the doctor after the bite, you'll be fine.
- Rich

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Shy, I gotta tell you something: I am normally not a very timid person, but I would be scared to get a python, or any snake. Had to double-read the whole thread searching for Ha-ha or Joke signs, but alas! Hope boys will have fun with their pet! And as we all know it, mom is the one who is stuck cleaning up!
Anyhow, here are my suggestions for names:
-- Milkshake (if it is white),
-- Pliskin (if it is not white).

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I had two 100 gal marine aquariums and I went to my dealer and he would not come to the front. He called me to the side of the store and showed me a blue ring octopus. He wouldn't take it out of the bag and he was waiting for his customer to take possesion of the bag. We sat in silence staring at the little tyke.
The blue-ringed octopus is the size of a golf ball, but its venom is powerful enough to kill humans. There is no known antidote.