Tequila Out for Exercise (Very Pic Heavy)

We've been promising pics of Tequila out for an evening's fun so finally got a bunch tonight. We also got to finally get a proper length measurement on her.....8 feet 10 inches! :)

Checking out the small bookcase in our livingroom.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...g08onfloor.jpg

We think this might be her first experience with stairs.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...tairsAug08.jpg

She quickly figured out the stairs but was cautious and careful, peeking over each step before proceeding (all 16 stairs including both corners - it took awhile! LOL). She's a big, mature boa who has the the wisdom to go with it and seemed to want to make sure she was safe before proceeding to the next stair....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...tairsAug08.jpg

Relaxing on our king size bed after her big journey up the stairs....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...zeBedAug08.jpg

Awww what a face......
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...aFaceAug08.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...onBedAug08.jpg

Relaxing with Mike on the big bed.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...aMikeAug08.jpg

Back downstairs she went for a nice slither down our long central hallway (one of her favorite places to stretch out that big, long body of hers) - Mike did carry her back down the stairs (big spoiled snake! LOL)....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...eHallAug08.jpg

Time to go back in. Surprisingly unlike a lot of boas she's quite good about going back into her home. We just open her door, point her head that way and she's quite happy to head back to home base in her slow, graceful way.....

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...kHomeAug08.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...FloorAug08.jpg

Peeking out her mesh window.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...rHomeAug08.jpg

After a good drink, she started the big climb up to her basking shelf.....

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...bingAug081.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...bingAug082.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...bingAug083.jpg

Ahhhhhhhhh.....relaxing under her evening heat lamp....time for a good big rest after her evening of fun and excitement.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...stingAug08.jpg

She's a doll Jo!

I love the pictures! Thank you much for sharing!:gj:

Great pics Jo, hows is it to handle a snake that size, is she pretty good about you lifting her up and handeling her? I would love to have a boa like that..

Wow. I love how big she is! I also love how you guys take care of her so well, it really looks like you make your snake a part of your family which is awesome.

Love It! :P She looks like she's having a good time ;) She's beautiful!

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Originally Posted by V1L3 DiaL3cT

She's a doll Jo!

I love the pictures! Thank you much for sharing!:gj:

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Glad you enjoyed them! We love having Tequila in our lives. I've been promising Jamie (who we adopted Tequila from) for ages to do a proper evening picture taking session so tonight was finally the night. :)

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Originally Posted by Broseph

Great pics Jo, hows is it to handle a snake that size, is she pretty good about you lifting her up and handeling her? I would love to have a boa like that..

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Thanks Joe. She's absolutely excellent to handle. It's obvious this 16 year old snake was always handled beautifully and has never developed a fear of human interactions. She's quite heavy and of course all muscle so quite an armful but she doesn't struggle or fuss at all when lifted or moved around. She's not at all head shy. We've found she doesn't like her tail touched and will flinch away if you do that so we avoid messing with her back end as much as possible.

Because of her size we do make it house policy that both Mike and I are present when she's out of her enclosure (which is padlocked at all other times). Also when one of us is cleaning, and therefore below her on her basking shelf, the other is keeping an eye on her. She's never show us any aggression but we feel it's important to work safely with her (and model that for our kids).

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Originally Posted by envy_ld50

Wow. I love how big she is! I also love how you guys take care of her so well, it really looks like you make your snake a part of your family which is awesome.

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Her enclosure is right in our livingroom (all the boa's and the milksnake are in the livingroom) so she's right in the thick of things and often watches us from various places in her home. The funniest part is when she goes nose to nose through the mesh with either the cat or dog. They haven't got a clue what to think of her and she seems equally as fascinated with them. They are never allowed to interact though other than through that door. If Tequila is out, the cat and dog are both locked securely away.

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Originally Posted by lenastorms

Love It! :P She looks like she's having a good time ;) She's beautiful!

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Thanks so much, we think she's just a gorgeous girl! She seems to enjoy her exercise time and never shows a bit of stress or a fear response to anything.

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Originally Posted by Broseph

Great pics Jo, hows is it to handle a snake that size, is she pretty good about you lifting her up and handeling her? I would love to have a boa like that..

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Actually, I should have also said something else about handling Tequila. Other than the technical side of handling what for Mike and I is the biggest snake we're ever likely to own, there is also an incredible emotional aspect to it.

I think I now understand why people like Kevin and Kara or Brian are so fascinated with their giant snakes. There is something so awe inspiring, so humbling almost about having this almost 9 foot snake lay beside you or gracefully slither over you. Feeling her body with her incredible powerful muscles but she's relaxed, she's not afraid....it's just....amazing! That this snake who could hurt us if she wanted to, is chosing to trust us, is intelligent enough to know we mean her no harm....well even for gabby talkative me, it's just pretty hard to put into words just how very incredibly cool that is!

We'll never be able to own a retic or a burm or an anaconda, but through Tequila we are getting a taste of the wonderful world of bigger snakes. :)

She's an extremely impressive snake! Great pictures, Jo! Looks like Tequila had a blast!

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Originally Posted by JLC

She's an extremely impressive snake! Great pictures, Jo! Looks like Tequila had a blast!

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Thanks Jude! We were pretty impressed with her measurement let me tell you LOL. We knew she was likely over 8 feet but hadn't been able to get a true measurement on her before tonight. Darn girl is almost 9 feet! :O

Thank goodness she's a sweetie and that's due in large part to both her original owner who had her for most of her life, then to Jamie and Amy who had her for almost 3 years. She's so very obviously been a beloved animal that's never been given a reason to fear people or known a day of bad care. It's so nice for our family to benefit from all those years of dedicated snakekeeping that have resulted in this lovely snake with her big but gentle ways.