Tag: ball python

The Serpentine Cemetery

Today fucking Sucks. Earlier this Year My 14 year Old Colombian Boa Constrictor Adabeese Died of Old Age leaving Me rather Devastated. The Silver Lining was I still had My Ball Python Named Monty (an Ode to The British Comedy Troupe Monty Python) to Focus My Time and Attention which Helped Me to deal with Adabeese’s Unfortunate but Unavoidable Demise.

Tragically enough I found Monty Dead in His Cage presumably also due to Old Age. And to Add Insult to Injury Monty looked Happy, Healthy, and Bright Eyed Yesterday, just to End Up Dead Today. That’s the One Problem with Owning Snakes (and Reptiles in General) is Being Utterly Undomesticated They have the Natural Instinct of the Wild which dictates One Hide all Illness. In the Wild a Sick Animal is an instant Bullseye on its back as far as Predators are concerned (Example Wolves in Alaska will Target the Feeble and Elderly or the Sick/Injured Members in a Herd of Elk)

This simply mean Bottom Line You Won’t Know There is Something Wrong Until it’s too Late if Disease is a Factor. In this case as I said earlier Monty’s demise was Age Related One would assume since Upon inspection Monty didn’t display any of the Usual Characteristics of Disease, but then again I have No Idea what was going on Inside of Monty. I can only do an exterior inspection and use only Visual Observations, But I know enough about Reptiles having Owned Quite a Few Through Out My Life time (A Couple of Iguana’s, Ball Python, Blue Tongued Skink, Anoles, Colombian Python, and Bearded Dragon. Plus working for Veterinarians who worked with treated Exotics was a BIG PLUS).

I Don’t expect Anyone but Other Snake/Reptile Owners to be able to Empathize with the Passing of a Pet Reptile such as My Snake(s). Reptile Owner’s are the Only Ones Who actually and Truly understand the Profound Bond that Forms between a Pet Reptile and Its Owner. I’m a Man of a Thousand words That has real trouble keeping His opinions to Himself and His Mouth Shut. And Still I Can’t Explain it, its hard to put Feelings into Words Sometimes (unless its one of the Major Ones like Love, Anger, Happy, Hateful)

Anyway I didn’t finish the Post I planned on Posting Today as I am at a Loss since Discovering Monty’s Passing Earlier Today, YET Life Goes on and So Do I. So Until Tomorrow I bid You A-due.

Thanks for Understanding,

 By Les Sober

A Peak Behind a Particular Pet Store’s Policy

It was a couple of years ago at this point that I walked into a particular Pet Store which I’d love to call out, and name said Pet Store but I won’t. Why You ask? The answer is I don’t want to run ANY RISK of some asshole reading this, and narcing Me out so then I get sued by this Pet Store for Slander/Defamation of Character.

Anyways I walked into this Pet Store because My Ball Python (Monty and if you get the reference give yourself a pat on the back. The Pet Store had one annoying issue which was even though they didn’t/don’t work on commission get right up in your fucking face like some possessed Used Car Salesman soon as you set a single foot on the floor.

This Employee (who I wouldn’t name here either, but I honestly have no idea what his actual name was/is) was a Assistant Manager or perhaps an actual Manager. He of course came striding up to me with a greasy fake smile that made him look like a fucking Child Molester on Meth and asked Me what I was looking for. I told Manny I was there for a couple of Mice, and Manny cut Me off at the knees. As soon as I said Mice I was going to get the fucking whole rigamarole about being a Snake Owner. What I mean by that is Manny cut me off to ask if the Mice were for Pets or Food and I of course said food.

At this time Pet Stores were considering what to do about the growing Public Opinion on the subject of Reptile Owners feeding live Rodents to their Pets. I won’t take but a moment to address this happy load of Horseshit. First off REPTILES EAT RODENTS, its a fucking FACT OF NATURE. You don’t fault a Nile Crocodile for killing a fucking Wilda Beast do you?!

Second as I wrote PREVIOUSLY there are Dead Frozen Rodents for sale (a half assed attempt to solve the growing tension as Reptile Owners prepared to go head to head and toe for toe with the General Public over the issue) BUT it requires all kinds of nasty prep work because they Reptile will only eat its Prey if its either alive or has just died mere moments ago. You won’t  find a Zoo Staff feeding Frozen TV fucking Diners to their Lions and  other Big Cats housed there would you?!! If you don’t get what I’m saying here just think about it for a few minutes.

Instead of acting like a self righteous, judgmental piece of ignorant shit in gauged Me in a conversation pertaining sole to My wanting Live Mice to feed a hungry snake. It is pertinent that I mention here for those of you who aren’t aware Male Rats / Male Mice fight constantly which results in serious injuries, I mean think about how sharp their teeth are (not to mention they also have 5 sets of claws so having those are well handy in a fight.) Manny went on to mention that they had the issue with their Stock of Mice/Rats.

See No Pet Store is going to pay a $40-$60 for an initial Vets Visit for a $1.99 Mouse or $4.99 Rat. They also aren’t going to have their employees medicating the injured Rodents with liquid Antibiotics for 7-14 days while applying Topical Ointment. Now on the other hand they also can’t sell the injured Rodents because No One would buy one, No One wants damaged goods. So what can They do about it. At this point in time One Major Pet Store Chain Stopped carrying Live Rodents altogether while another simply decided not to sell Male Rodents as their the aggressive sex. Yet that is Now and this was back When.

Manny continued on to tell me that the Pet Store would be willing to sell Me the injured Mice at a Discount because as far as the business was concerned some money beats no money, but it had to be on the Down Low as the Pet Store didn’t want to upset the General Public. Manny went on to mention that this Pet Store’s policy was if they couldn’t unload them at a discount to Reptile Pet Owner’s they would crate them back up and send them to be Euthanized I’m sure they got a deal for bulk.

I took Manny up on the Back Door Deal of unloading injured Mice for profit and promptly left. I returned a few weeks later again in need of a few Live Mice to feed My Snake (well one of them, it was the Ball Python again as it were.) ,and because of the semi shady grey area the Pet Store was operating in I asked for Manny much like meeting your Pot Dealer at their place of employment. Turned out that Manny wasn’t working that day so another Employee asked how they could help me? Not wanting to possibly get into a heated confrontation with this Employee on the subject of feeding Reptiles Live Rodents (or Prey Animals) I figured fuck it and just went for it.

I told the Employee about My previous arrangement with Manny and it went over like a Pregnant Nun in Church as some would say.They Employee was first and foremost on of those impractical Anti-Live Feed People so that was no help. Second while the grimace on her fucking face showed her disgust for Reptile Owners on the issue of Live-Feed her eyes where busy narcing her out. Her eyes told Me that she damn well knew about the injured Rodent Unofficial Policy, BUT she also knew it was her job to totally deny it. And thats exactly what she did she feigned Shock and Disbelief at what I had said, and then informed no such policy existed (and if Manny did make a deal he was acting on his own, an employee gone rouge if you will.)

I respond by tell the Employee that I didn’t believe a fucking thing she said, and that as far as her personal views on Live Feeding that she needs to keep them to her fucking self (at least while on the job AT A FUCKING PET STORE LIKE AN ASSHOLE) I then told her the issue was far from fucking over and left.

If your pissed I didn’t name this Pet Store I can tell you this. This National Pet Store Chain’s Name STARTS WITH PET and ends in Well you can figure it out based on that I’m sure (or damn well close enough.)

Thanks for Reading,

Les Sober 

Our Animal Farm

I’m definitely what people would call an Animal Lover, and yes the cliche is true I love Animals and Despise People. I started to think about all the different pets I have had the pleasure of sharing my chaotic life with over the years, and for prosperity (Mine) decided to do what I do and make a list. I decided to use a timeline format to help grouping and increase clarity. First is the species followed by the pets name.

Growing Up Age: 3 Days Old to 18

A Golden Retriever: Tasha (My Dad’s 1st Dog)

DSH Cat: Little Bit (My Mom’s Cat)

Lhasa Apso: Chuzzle (Suffered chronic ear infections that led to an aggressive and undesirable behavioral problems, but we stuck by him just the same until his natural demise.)

Age 19 years old to 27 years old:

Maincoon Mix: Al (Alize) (was a 5 week old kitten rescued from a dumpster and deflated by hand by a neighbor of mine)

PitBull: VooDoo (Was the last puppy of a litter my co-worker was selling, but her landlord found out and demanded she rid the residence of all Puppies)

Lhasa Apso Mix: Jimbo (I became Jimbo’s Owner abandoned him at the kennel I was working at.)

Iguana: Tribe (A rescue, his previous owner was some kid who ended up going to collage and stuck the unwilling parents with the Iguana)

Bearded Dragon: Drivil (was re-homed to me again due to the fact the child wanted it and the parents ended up taking care of it though they obviously didn’t want to>)

 

Ages 27 years old to Current Age:

Iguana: Gizmo (was captured in the wild by a co-worker who asked me to iguana sit and then ditched him with me)

Pug/Boston Terrier Mix: Rascal (Adopted from Animal Shelter)

Maine Coon (cat): Big Kitty (Was a rescue from an Animal Shelter)

African Chameleon: Not Sure if he/she came with a name. (It was a re-homing as the previous owner bought it as an impulse buy and had decided perhaps that wasn’t the best idea he had ever had.)

Blue Tongue Skink (Lizard): Hook (Hook got his name due to a previous owners neglect that led Hook to self cannibalize, he ate all 4 of his legs, which over the following years became to regenerate. He was re-homed because his owner was suffered a severe head injury while serving in the Military)

Rat: Snafoo (Snafoo spelled this way is short for Snake Food which is what it was intended to be yet the snake gave it a get out of jail card if you will.)

Adabeece: Colombian Rainbow Boa Constrictor (Re-Homed because the owner had to move back home and her parents wouldn’t allow the snake sanctuary)

Monty: Ball Python (Again Re-Homed to me when I worked in a Veterinarians Office because the owner couldn’t treat the snakes chronic dry skin issue. Monty had made a full and significant recovery and if currently fat and happy.)

Love Birds (2): Frick and Frack (I received the love birds from an owner who had accumulated too many to handle appropriately.)

Mollies (fish): Too Many Too Name Individually (Were given to me when a friend of mines shitty girlfriend made him get rid of them.)

Ferrets: Judas (found wondering the streets by a dumpster by some kid who brought him into the Vet’s office I was working at.)

Kabuki: My Wife Bought Him for Me and to give Judas a playmate.

Frankenstien: Came from a co-worker at the Vets office My wife worked at

BooBoo: Re-homed by a friend/co-worker at the Vet office my wife worked in.

Scarlet: Re-homed when her companion died.

English Bulldog:Bubba (We got Bubba when his owner decided he didn’t give a flying fuck about the Dog because he was old and had old man issues, and the Vet I worked for took custody of Bubba from the owner to prevent further neglect, and I ended up bring him home the end.)

DSH Cat: Inky (Was my Wife’s Cat, a package deal who was a stray from the mean streets of NJ)

DSH Cat: Bradshaw (we ended up re-homing Bradshaw to a dear friend because he and Inky actually tried to kill one another, proof animals are capable of hate.)

Hermit Crabs: Various Absurd Names like “The Monster Clint”(I got obsessed with hermit crabs and had a 300 gallon tank that was empty so I decided to convert it into a Hermit Crab “City”)

2 Snapping Turtles: Mrs. Snaps and Mr. Chomps (I ended up rehoming the turtles to a neighborhood acquaintance who had vast experience and love working with wild animals. Last I heard she was feeding them raw Chicken.)

French Bulldog: Dozy (was re-homed to us by a breeder and dogs how pro who decided that she wanted to back to breeding and showing Boxers so she retired all her French Bulldogs, Dozy was a prolific champion who I heard many other dog show people were happy to see go.)

English BullDog: Wally (Re-homed to us when his owner realized he was working more and more which left less and less time for Wally who was stuck in his crate too much for too long.)

DLH Cat: KiKi (Was re-homed to use by an owner who could no longer keep her)

DSH Cat: Mouse (We got Mouse when a dear friend died, Mouse had both her eyes removed at 6 weeks of age due to brutal ulcers that were destroying her eyes.)

DSH Cat: Scooter (Belonged to the same dear friend, BUT was snuck into our house while we were away by our friend. Scooter spent the first part of his life with us holed up in a bedroom closet. He since has broken out of his shell to the point I wish sometimes I could put him back in.)

Miniature Dachshund: Lolly (Lolly came to us from a breeder, see Lolly is white which is synonymous with birth defects. Lolly is completely Deaf and 1/2 blind, but the happiest little fucker I have ever seen.)

DSH Cat: Schmoo (Named for the constant meow meets scream that she made as a kitten. My wife found Schmoo crying under a bush outside our house while hanging Christmas Lights.)

2 Lab/Rottweiler Mixes: Dingus (Gus for Short) and Nymh (Dingus and Nymh are brother and sister puppies we found sitting on the side of a dirt road notorious for illegal Dog Dumping. After we drove past them my Wife called my attention to the review mirror where I saw the Pups chasing after our car for all it was worth.)

 

Thats That for now until another Misfit falls into our laps.

Thanks for the Read as Always,

Les Sober

 

Reticulated Python Propaganda & Mathematical Biology

 Floridans blame their new wild reticulated python population problem on irresponsible reptile (in this case snake) owners. This shared belief has even led to the ownership and sale of reticulated pythons becoming illegal in the state of Florida. This hypothesis is based on nothing more than amateur speculation with no actual truth.

DON’T GET ME WRONG HERE there shitty snake owners for sure (as in any group their always a few fuck ups) who are irresponsible and when the snake becomes to big or unwanted they release their pets into the wild.

But heres the reality of the situation based on both basic mathematics and simple science. See even with decades of asshole owners releasing their pets into the wild it can’t account for the booming breeding population Florida faces today, simply too few and far between (not to mention the unknown ratio of males to females released) So the question still remains  how did these snakes get into the wilds of Florida and become a epidemic of sorts? Essentially where did the come from because obviously Medusa didn’t shave her head recently.

The summation of the situation can be said in just one word HURRICANES.  Hurricanes have plagued Florida since Florida was born ,but its the coasts in particular I’d like to draw your attention to. As one can imagine being surrounded on 3 sides by water there quite a few port of calls which are miles of stacked shipping containers, giant cranes and massive cargo ships( the size of a small city) in Florida to say the least. Over the years in the world of exotic pets the demand for reticulated pythons as pets grew and since reticulated pythons are not native to Florida (or America) they had to be shipped in on cargo ships. Figured it out yet?

Over decades of hurricanes ports of call have not only been hit but suffered millions of dollars in damages. So now it all comes down to simple math, hurricanes hit a port of call(s) where there shipping containers filled with who knows how many thousands of reticulated pythons being imported as pets. Now due to the hurricane(s) those containers opened allowing their contents to escape. Unfortunately with the huge amount of snakes that escaped combined with the fact that Florida is a semi tropical state it happened to be a perfect environment for not only the snakes to survive but thrive ,and that means an established adult breeding population.

Bottom Line: Hurricanes fucked up imported shipping containers in a semi tropical state, allowing reticulated pythons to escape unknown thousands at a time. Thats what fucked Florida up plain and simple.

IT WASN’T THE COMBINED RESULT OF INEPT SNAKE OWNERS RELEASING THEIR UNWANTED PETS SO GET OFF OUR (SNAKE OWNERS) COLLECTIVE COCKS ONCE AND FOR FUCKING ALL.

Thanks for your time and thats it.