Help! Snake sitting some unfamiliar species

You better be careful and not get too attached to her…… lol! :wink::blush::frog::lizard::snake:

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Even if I did, she couldn’t stay. My health means owning any large species like that is a rather big risk to me. Once she reaches adult size, even just holding her would be a potential disaster that could result in joint dislocations for me.

However, while she’s small, she’s welcome to stay and be one of my spoiled charges.

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Ok I understand. You want what is best for you and your kids. But you are certainly helping out in this case! :blush::frog::lizard::snake::wink:!

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Seems everyone is currently thriving, as the smaller KSB & the Carpet are both now in blue. Can’t wait to see the bright, fresh colours!

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Just an observation, owning an animal does not necessitate having to hold the animal. Carpets are one of the number of species that make fantastic display-only animals

Not saying this as a means to pressure you into keeping this specific animal, but offering it out there to you so that you do not potentially shut yourself off from something that you would greatly enjoy keeping simply for the sake of keeping :+1:t4:

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Thank you for that, @t_h_wyman! If it was just that, I’d totally consider it, but there are other factors involved as well. One of the main ones is there is just no way I could give her the space she’ll need as an adult, and that’s not fair to her. I also live with family who, while they enjoy my collection to a degree, are not snake people and would not tolerate an animal of her probable adult size.

I’m always open to being the friend who will watch & pamper my friend’s scaly family when they need me, though. At any size.

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Everybody ought to be so blessed as to have a friend like you, Jess! You’re really an inspiration. Thank you. :blush: :heart: :clap:

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Thank you, @caryl, for the encouragement :grin:

In an awesome update, the smaller KSB & Carpet both shed. The latter is doing great with desensitization and handling since I changed things up to account for her neuro instability. She has even stopped repeatedly striking every time I open the cage door. The weather is less aggressively cold now, so it’s much easier to keep the enclosures at proper temps.

There is no end date to their time here at the moment, so I’ll keep feeding and training regularly. I need to do updated weights soon. I’m just happy to see them all thriving, especially since I had no idea what I was doing when they first got here.

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I am so happy these scaly babies are doing good for you Jess.

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Me, too. I’m hoping that the Carpet has put on some weight, she was looking thin when she first got here, but she’s starting to fill out a bit now.

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That is amazing to hear. Just make sure she doesn’t get too heavy because you don’t want to stress her out more than she needs to be.

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She won’t, she’s on an appropriate feeder size and schedule. It’d just be natural gaining at this point.

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That’s good. I think that you got her handed :wink:.

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@noodlehaus it sound like you took on a big challenge and came out on top. You learned a lot, your new friends are happier and healthier. I have to give you a lot of credit for everything you have done. Most people would never have don’t what you did. Most would just keep feeding and not improving and adjusting to make things better.

I don’t deal with these so I did not want to interfere with you help you was looking for. There has been one thing on my mind since I started reading this back when you first posted. I hate to say it. I am wondering if the owner will be able to keep up with what you have done or go back to their original ways. Or even want them back. It almost sounds like they really don’t have the time to care for them like they really need. And unfortunately, that can happen to any of us. (I am no way saying they are bad people or should not have them). I just always try to see all sides of things so I don’t get focused in one direction then stuck at the last minute.

It seem like you are the type of person that would never let things go back the way they were. Sometimes we can’t always control things once out of our hands.

Congratulations on everything you have done.

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Tbh, I wonder what will happen, too, but I give everyone a chance. I’ve known this person for years, we’ve worked with animals together, I know they’re more than capable. I also know the last year or so has been very tumultuous in their life, and they are dealing with things they haven’t had to previously.

Right now they are in no place to take the animals back, so everyone will be with me for the foreseeable future. I have told them everyone is welcome to stay here as long as need be, until they manage to get to a place where they can come home. I have also offered, and will continue to, that if they do decide they’re not capable of keeping these three, that I will help find them suitable new homes. I’ve kind of been thinking ahead on this one, since I know for sure I don’t have the ability to keep at least one of them permanently.

Thank you for the concern and the encouragement, I try to do my best, even if I can’t make everything perfect.

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@noodlehaus you are doing a great job. We need more people like you.

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Update time: Got new weights on everyone today. 2 of 3 gained, while the other lost a bit, but that was due to issues with appropriately sized feeder supply. The Carpet has gained a whopping 38g since the second week of December and looks more robust. We’re also making progress on handling, did a solid 10 minute session and this time she actually settled and just used me as a perch for a while. Still got peed on, but have yet to be bitten, so that’s still a win.

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Yay! So happy to see this update. I am stoked that the carpet is doing so well. Thank you for doing this Jess.

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I just want to give them and their owner the best foundation to work off of. Who knows, maybe returning a more chill, socialized python will spur her owner to interact with her more. Many months ago I was actually asked to try and socialize her because I have experience with bitey, and I know the striking is a big part of why she doesn’t really get handled. Hard to bond with an animal you’re afraid to even try and hold.

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Bit of a crazy update: got a message not long ago. About a year and a half ago, my friend had a KSB escape. Looked all over for it, never found.

Apparently today, friend’s family member was doing work on the broken boiler and found said missing snake. Alive. So as long as she makes it the next 24-48 hours, seems I’ll have a fourth little one under my care.

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