What is wrong with people?

[RepTylE]

I got into snakes almost exactly a year ago after keeping lizards for a decade. I had read alot about snakes and I had a good sized storehouse of knowledge about them. I got a ball python because I thought that was a good species to start with. I picked a good one because Shriek has been a joy since day one. Last fall I bought a little IJ carpet python from Zoe Stevens and the same thing, Khan has been a joy as well.

Now, in the past four months I have adopted/rescued two snakes that have been poorly kept and/or abused.
First one is Fugg a suri redtail boa that was starved and reputed to be a biter. I have been feeding her (she was supposed to be a reluctant feeder but eats like a pig) and I have handled her and she is as docile as a snake can be. She is just the best.
The second one is a stunted ball python that is just ready to come out of intensive care at a friend's home. This poor creature had wounds on his back from rodent bites and had dead skin stuck all over his body. He was so listless but since has eaten twice. I have every hope that he comes around and turns into a good snake too.

So the point of my post is this, why in hell can't anyone stick with their commitment to take care of their animals? I do, I take great pains to take the best care of my animals. I have acquired two snakes that were on their way to death from poor care. Free snakes yes and damn nice ones but I would rather see the original owners take care of their responsibilities instead of having them handed over to me. Better yet if the idiots didn't buy the snake in the first place.

Sorry for the rant but this is a real sore point with me. I am sure that there are many members on this site that have similar attitudes and experiences.

[snakehunter]

bc_ and balls are one of the most mistreated snakes, shelters ALWAYS have a few in care

[Simon]

I hear ya..

a couple of years ago I went to a pet store and saw this poor little ball python...it had wounds all over...but there was one on his back that was really bad. You can actually see bones of the poor little one. I also noticed that the lower part of the body from that wound on wasn't moving at all.
I asked the pet store why this is. Well this is what they told me. They sold this poor little ball python to this idoit and the stupid idoit tried to feed it a live mice. He left if there for a couple of days thinking that the ball python must have ate the mouse....but a couple of days later he went back to the enclosure and saw blood, the badly wounded ball python and a live mouse....

So instead of being smart and taking it right to the vet he took it back to the stupid pet store. The pet store took it back and said 'well if we're able to heal it back we'll resell it then'
It would be alright for me IF they were actually doing something to help it. BUT the pet store wasn't being any smarter to the idoit too. Cause they put the wounded ball in a rack system that you can see through with NO hides...just news paper and water bowl...so the ball doesn't feel secure and its wounded...thats smart.

So I offered the pet store to take it to a reptile vet and take a look at it. Guess what the first thing they said to me was? "Well we are not going to be responsible for the vet bill though. If you are willing to pay for the bill, go ahead and take the ball python"

Anyway...
so I took the ball python to a vet and an x-ray had to be done cause the lower part of it wasn't moving at all. It was literally dragging the body along. After the x-ray we found out that the nerve cells and the bone structure on that part of the wound was so bad that there is no cure for the poor little one. So we finally decided that we have to put it down.

Even though I only spend maybe 3 hours with it, my heart hurted a lot for that little one...

So yeah there are a lot of mistreated snakes around...
mostly because of uneducated people and thinking that 'Hey lets go get a snake...that'll be cool' kind of thing.

Sorry after reading your post I had to rant a bit here too...

[jungleguy]

its all about responsibility..

[RepTylE]

Well slot of people seem to put live food in thinking that being live with movement there will be a feeding response from a fasting snake. I have no problem with feeding live but I would never leave a snake unattended when I use that method.
I know that life is busy for everyone but if you arre that busy why consider taking on added responsibility? I am as busy as anyone but my animals have been and always will be a priority in my life.

[munchy]

watch out man i dont think the mods allow abbreviated profanity...

[Kevin McRae]

I'm glad in Winnipeg,MB there are very few if any snakes in animal shelters, I've only seen iguanas there once.

Too bad people don't care for there ANIMALS properly

[da_illest]

let's find the owners, stick them in a cage, starve them, when we do feed them bear, give them the bear live for them to kill so we can then cook it, and give them messed up temps with no clothes... they'll never do it again

[meow_mix450]

really its the people who sell it to them and petstores that buy from the breeders. But not all can be blamed by them, cause the owner should have done researched before obtaining such an amazing animal

Meow