A couple weeks ago I took an 18" black rat snake out of my neighbor's house. My son wanted to keep it, so we set it up in a tank with a "secure" lid. A week later I went to see how the snake was doing and found it had escaped. Checked the room and couldn't find it.
So another week goes by and my spouse comes busting into the bedroom at 5:30 AM (she goes to work early), waking me from a peaceful sleep screaming "THERE'S A SNAKE LOOSE IN MY HOUSE? I'M LIVING WITH A SNAKE RUNNING LOOSE IN THE HOUSE?"
My son, not having the wisdom I've accumulated in 17 years of marital bliss, has told his mother the snake got out.
My explanations of "small", "non-venomous" and "they don't really 'run' " don't appease her. She convinces me that I should get up and find the snake. So I check a number of obvious places (Honey... I can do a better job of finding the snake if you let go of my ear) but find nothing. After enduring a vicious verbal caning, I get on with my day. (Hey.. wait a minute... maybe my son does know what he's doing ... clever lad).
Another week goes by and my wife again disturbs my peaceful slumber in the morning because there's something on the rec room floor in the basement. I go down to find two piles of cat barf, which isn't unusual. However, this is different. Generously mixed in with the usual partially digested cat food are black and white and red chunks of something that looks suspiciously like snake, especially the piece with the two eyes and a mouth.
Fortunately, I have a strong stomach because this stuff is not like the usual cat upchuck. Much more colorful, plenty of blood and slime, and a much stronger odor, kind of jiggles and falls apart when one tries to pick it up (sorry, no pictures). Gives me a flashback to camping as a kid and Dinty Moore Stew.
Well, gotta go ... lunchtime.
One question though. When my spouse says "NO...MORE...SNAKES...IN...THE...HOUSE!!!", does that mean I need to wait at least a month before I get another snake, or should I wait a bit longer?
So another week goes by and my spouse comes busting into the bedroom at 5:30 AM (she goes to work early), waking me from a peaceful sleep screaming "THERE'S A SNAKE LOOSE IN MY HOUSE? I'M LIVING WITH A SNAKE RUNNING LOOSE IN THE HOUSE?"
My son, not having the wisdom I've accumulated in 17 years of marital bliss, has told his mother the snake got out.
My explanations of "small", "non-venomous" and "they don't really 'run' " don't appease her. She convinces me that I should get up and find the snake. So I check a number of obvious places (Honey... I can do a better job of finding the snake if you let go of my ear) but find nothing. After enduring a vicious verbal caning, I get on with my day. (Hey.. wait a minute... maybe my son does know what he's doing ... clever lad).
Another week goes by and my wife again disturbs my peaceful slumber in the morning because there's something on the rec room floor in the basement. I go down to find two piles of cat barf, which isn't unusual. However, this is different. Generously mixed in with the usual partially digested cat food are black and white and red chunks of something that looks suspiciously like snake, especially the piece with the two eyes and a mouth.
Fortunately, I have a strong stomach because this stuff is not like the usual cat upchuck. Much more colorful, plenty of blood and slime, and a much stronger odor, kind of jiggles and falls apart when one tries to pick it up (sorry, no pictures). Gives me a flashback to camping as a kid and Dinty Moore Stew.
Well, gotta go ... lunchtime.
One question though. When my spouse says "NO...MORE...SNAKES...IN...THE...HOUSE!!!", does that mean I need to wait at least a month before I get another snake, or should I wait a bit longer?
I had that happen it hid under the couch and one day is slithered out on the carpet and my grandma screamed! I wasn't there are the time so my grandpa caught it. They it escaped again! When my grandpa was giving it water he opened the lid and didn't notice it got out. Then i saw it around the baseboard and caught it. Then it contunued to escape till i got reptile clamps to hold the lid on tight.
