Pet snake story!

Stricknine, the unfortunate Boa Constrictor.

Stricknine was the name of a Boa Constrictor my husband owned
when we were dating many many moons ago. Bob took the snake
out with him often in those days. He would wrap him around his
neck and take Stricknine for a walk. Stricknine was about four feet
long so there was no danger of him hurting Bob or anyone else really.
I had never had any experiences with snakes and I was nervous at
first. It did not take me long to be comfortable handling Stricknine
and I enjoyed petting him. I thought he would be slimy but he was
not, actually he was smooth. The snake seemed to like being held.

Boa Constrictors will only eat live food. Bob had to buy mice for
him to eat. Stricknine's home was a ten gallon fish tank. Bob
would throw the mouse in the tank and Stricknine would attack
it and swallow it whole. You could watch the whole process through
the glass. It took some time until eventually all you saw was a bulge
in the snake. Stricknine only needed to be fed every couple of weeks.

Another thing that would happen was that he would shed his skin. It
was strange to see that also because the skin came off nearly whole.
That is what Boa Constrictors do.

Stricknine was not covered in his tank and one day somehow he got
out of the tank. Bob lived in an apartment in a house with about four apartments. Bob looked everywhere for Stricknine and did not find
him. Bob was bummed out when he lost the Stricknine.

Four months later another tenant was down in the basement of the building for some reason and spotted Stricknine. This tenant called
the police who called the fire department. While they were all down
in the basement concerned about how they would handle the situation another neighbor of Bob's Betty came by. Betty knew Stricknine so
she told the police and firemen that she knew the snake and that she would return him to his owner. When Bob got home from work that
day she gave him back to Bob.

It was obvious that Stricknine had not fended for himself very well
during his absence. He was very dry and listless. Bob put him in the bathtub and put damp clothes on him. The next step was to try to get
him to eat so Bob put a mouse in the tub with him. Well poor Stricknine did not have the strength to eat and the mouse ended up chewing on
the snakes tail. Not long after that Stricknine died.

The reason I tell this story is to point out that you have to be careful
when keeping this type of pet. You must make sure that they are
secure in their habitat. Stricknine was used to being fed in captivity
and and did not fair well caring for himself. If you are thinking of
getting a pet Boa Constrictor keep in mind that they can get loose.
If your pet does get loose not only could the circumstances be dire for your pet but it could also cause fear to people who do not know that
your pet wouldn't hurt them.


If you have a pet snake or reptile or are thinking of getting one and
you are considering shopping online here are a few places you can
visit that offer supplies for your kind of pet. Worldwidesnakes is a
place that specializes in snakes so they have a large selection of
items you may need or want for your pet. You will also find reptile supplies at Petswarehouse. If you choose to explore Jefferspet you
will find supplies of many other kinds of pets that aren't reptiles.