Rescue question

RepTylE · 07-20-04, 05:34 PM

Okay I'm bored........ I recently rescued a very nice Suriname Redtail Boa. She has turned out to be the most calm and trustworthy reptile I ever saw. I can have her out and she just curls up on my lap or lays drapped around my shoulders. She has become my favourite now.

I was told at the time that I agreed to take her that she was very nippy and skittish and that for god's sake I should wear gloves to handle her. Well needless to say, I don't need gloves lol. I was wondering if anyone else ever adopted/rescued an animal that was reputed to be be wild and unmanageable only to find it to be one of the best animals they ever worked with.
Just curious........

thunder · 07-20-04, 11:52 PM

4 out of every 5 snakes i have rescued was said to be very aggressive. most of the time, they are just severely underfed.

RepTylE · 07-21-04, 05:56 AM

The ball python that I rescued has bite marks from being fed live mice. He took to feeding f/t and hasn't refused a meal yet. I hate to think of what happens to the snakes that don't have a caring person to take them. Probably on a slow starvation trip like both of mine were before I took them.

Samba · 07-21-04, 11:43 AM

Yes, I rescued an iguana whom the owner deemed "mean". Upon seeing this poor creature I could see no wrong in this animal. For two years he had been kept in a 20 gallon enclosure... this an almost 2 1/2 foot long lizard! I reached inside to pick it up and never had any problems since. The owner was amazed that it wasn't trying to 'kill' me. We became the best of buds and I took him everywhere with me. Unfortunately, the neglect he suffered during his first years of life was irreversable and two years after I first held him that day he passed away. I feel good in knowing that he was completely spoiled during his time with me, and that he learned humans are not bad animals.

I also have a Burmese python, who should be mean because of his past as well, but is the sweetest, most docile snake I've ever owned. I've had him for over 4 years now and have never been bitten (he's not even tried) and the last time he hissed at me was probably the week I got him.

I hope you and your snake enjoy a successfull relationship together... I'd love to see some pix too!

Kevin McRae · 07-21-04, 11:57 AM

Same with my iguana Samba, I was told that my iguana was a very aggressive lizard and we should never handle him, well when we first saw him, me and my dad gave him lots of rubs and scratches and he loved it!

He probaly wasn't mean to us when we handled him at home because we have a cage which is 6x5x6 rather then the cage they had him in a horizontal 100 gallon, and we fed him fresh greens anf fruits while they were feeding him iguana pellets.

We even bring him to school sometimes........and soon to petland.

RepTylE · 07-21-04, 11:59 AM

Thanks for your response too Samba. I guess that my point of starting this topic was to see some happy ending stories. I have been lucky with my rescues so far and they have incuded all animals but insects so far. I even found a poor baby redeared slider in a mud puddle during a thaw in the wintertime if you can believe it. Someone must have put her there to die knowing that it would freeze again soon! Had her for almost 8 years before i placed her in a new home and she grew to be huge.

Kevin McRae · 07-21-04, 12:06 PM

Thats great Reptyle!

Samba · 07-21-04, 03:10 PM

Awesome stories, guys! Maybe reptiles can sense 'good' people and 'bad' people and they react accordingly. Very interesting! =)

RepTylE · 07-21-04, 07:21 PM

I think that real herp people are just more at ease with reptiles and don't put out a nervous vibe. The animals sense that and are at ease too.