The Great Escape

We get our snakes out every day they aren't digesting or in shed. It's got so they wait at the door to their cages and I open it and put my arm out and up the come. People who say they have no brain and no thought have no idea. This will probably piss some folks off but I just don't see the point in keeping an animal locked in a small space that you can't even see them for their entire lives. My husband and I really enjoy our 'snake TV'. Watching them explore and move around at night. Their cages are in the alcove where the TV used to be hence the name

I love letting Shesha (3 m.o. ball python) explore. I feel that it is good for him, he always shows active tongue flicking and seems very curious when he is out. I wish I could let him roam about a bit more but due to the two cats that we have (and the two young children for that matter) he is never more than a few inches from me. So far, the cats haven't shown any agression towards him. One of them actually seems more scared of him than anything. Our older cat had a run in with a wild snake about a year ago and seems to have never forgotten it, so he will just watch wide-eyed and seemingly disapprovingly from across the room. Our kitten it a bit more predatory though. I guess if nothing else, the cats ensure there is no risk of escape while he is out lol.

I just hope it isn't somehow stressful or overly exhausting for him being wrapped around my hands and arms as opposed to on the ground. I worry sometimes that the fact that he is not an arboreal snake, and that holding him is essentially on par with being in branches, might be unpleasant for him somehow. For the most part though he is pretty calm and seems content to be held. The other day I actually held him for the majority of the time that I was cleaning his tank. I did beg my hubby to hold him while I sprayed the cleaner since I couldn't have him in the same room. He has been getting more comfortable with handling Shesha in general, but is still nervous to hold him for prolonged periods of time. I was pretty impressed though that I was able to manage the cleaning with Shesha in one hand and my other hand occupied. Gotta love bps for not being so slithery, they are just so easy to manage.

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Originally Posted by calmolly1

We get our snakes out every day they aren't digesting or in shed. It's got so they wait at the door to their cages and I open it and put my arm out and up the come. People who say they have no brain and no thought have no idea. This will probably piss some folks off but I just don't see the point in keeping an animal locked in a small space that you can't even see them for their entire lives. My husband and I really enjoy our 'snake TV'. Watching them explore and move around at night. Their cages are in the alcove where the TV used to be hence the name

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We take our out all the time too. If I sit in the snake room for about 5 minutes over half of them come out to the front of their enclosure and go straight to where it opens. I'm of the opinion that some don't just want to sit in a tiny dark hole waiting for rodents to stop by. We have an OG female that I'm not even sure has ever been in her hide. She's always at the front of the tank laying until we come in. Then it's back and forth waiting to get out.

Ok. I am all for getting your snakes out and handling them, mixing things up and giving them some exercise... But, purposely letting your snake get out of it's enclosure(whatever that may be) and then losing it for 2 days seems ridiculous and totally irresponsible. Snakes, and ball pythons specifically, are known for escaping and hiding. They can easily hide, get stuck and injure themselves. Your snake probably seemed cold and dry because you let it get into an unhealthy situation. It WAS cold an it WAS dry.

I work with every one of my animals every single day. Dogs, parrot and snakes. My number one priority is always their safety. If the animals might get into an unsafe situation and I can't keep my eye on them then I put them away.

Glad to see I"m not the only one who treats his snake like a pet.

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Originally Posted by calmolly1

We get our snakes out every day they aren't digesting or in shed. It's got so they wait at the door to their cages and I open it and put my arm out and up the come. People who say they have no brain and no thought have no idea. This will probably piss some folks off but I just don't see the point in keeping an animal locked in a small space that you can't even see them for their entire lives. My husband and I really enjoy our 'snake TV'. Watching them explore and move around at night. Their cages are in the alcove where the TV used to be hence the name

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Yes! When he's out I'll turn off the tv and lower the lighting so he's more comfortable, and because he's more fun and entertaining than whatever police procedural might be on.

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Originally Posted by TXpythons

Ok. I am all for getting your snakes out and handling them, mixing things up and giving them some exercise... But, purposely letting your snake get out of it's enclosure(whatever that may be) and then losing it for 2 days seems ridiculous and totally irresponsible. Snakes, and ball pythons specifically, are known for escaping and hiding. They can easily hide, get stuck and injure themselves. Your snake probably seemed cold and dry because you let it get into an unhealthy situation. It WAS cold an it WAS dry.

I work with every one of my animals every single day. Dogs, parrot and snakes. My number one priority is always their safety. If the animals might get into an unsafe situation and I can't keep my eye on them then I put them away.

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I was freaking out! I didn't purposely lose him, I turned my back for a minute and he disappeared.
This is my first snake and first pet, there's been a lot of learning going on both for me and for the young ball python, and I definitely learned to not take my eyes off him when he's out of the enclosure.

Molly & Steve
0.1 normal BP 'Precioucess'
0.1 BCI 'Luna'