Tequila Comes Home!

It was with extreme pleasure that Mike and I announce that the long awaited adult female boa, Tequila, arrived safe and sound in Toledo today!

Tequila as some of you may remember is a 8 foot or so BCI that Jamie Glass took in back in September of 05. She had previously been with the same owner for 11 years and was a very beloved pet. Mike and I were very honored when Jamie agreed that we'd make a nice forever home for this lovely big girl (she weighs approx. 35 lbs). As best as anyone can figure doing the math, Tequila is about 15 years old, making her birth likely in 1993.

Here she is coming out of her shipping bag after her flight from Newark to Toledo today - very nice and calm....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...pingbag04-.jpg

Checking out her new digs.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...se04-23-08.jpg

Bella seems to be not quite sure what this new pet is....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...therout04-.jpg

We decided to try to build Tequila a custom enclosure and stole the idea of rehabbing a large walk-in closet in our livingroom from a dear friend of mine that does the same to create huge adult iguana enclosures. Here's what we started with.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...nalCloset2.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...nalCloset1.jpg

Basically a junk closet in our livingroom. It has wonderful dimensions for a big boa though being 6 feet long by 3.5 feet deep by 9 feet high.

The original door.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ClosetDoor.jpg

After some fast work with the saw.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...DoorCutOut.jpg

Plexiglass installed on the top two cut outs to allow for light to enter and to help trap rising warmth.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ilaDoortop.jpg

Rubber covered heavy mesh installed on bottom two cut outs to allow for good ventilation.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...Doorbottom.jpg

There is also a large shelf up high (replaces the two you see in the original picture, that Tequila can rest on and which will have an auxillary heat lamp in a protective case for the cooler months. We should have her complete climbing appartus installed soon which is basically a system of thick PVC pipes and Y joints covered in astroturf. At that point she can then take advantage of multiple heights and the full vertical 9 feet of her enclosure. :)

The floor which is hardwood is protected by a double thickness of rubber pool liner and then a good thick layer of cypress mulch for her bedding. The door has a lock installed that only Mike and I carry the key for.

The way the cupboard is built she can come look at us and view the livingroom activities but if she wants some privacy she can just go hang out on the left side of the closet (more than half of it) where she's shielded from view and direct light. Hopefully she'll enjoy that.

So far she seems content, lazily checking out her enclosure, peeking at us through the lower mesh occasionally and of course, she dropped a big urate because heck you can't have a perfectly clean enclosure! LOL

Jamie, thank you again for entrusting Tequila to us. We are so thrilled to share our lives again with a big female boa. Sure hope she enjoys Red Wings hockey! :D

Congrats on your new big girl Jo :banana:

PS: The closet/enclosure is a great idea! :gj:

Thanks Deb! Like I said I totally stole (with permission LOL) this idea from my friend who rescues iggies. Trying to find huge enclosures or build them can get a bit much so she came up with this idea of using junk cluttered closets for wonderful large multi-level caging. :)

Jo,

I'm glad I could finally get her to you! I am sure she will be very happy in her new home! I'll miss her after spending the last 4 years with her, but she couldn't have gone to a better home!

Jamie

Congrats! She's a good lookin girl. The closet idea is awesome. Approx how long is she?

What an amazing idea for an enclosure!!! Talk about recycling!!!
Congrats to you and Mike for adopting such a special girl! You're really awesome Jo...my hero! :P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jglass38

Jo,

I'm glad I could finally get her to you! I am sure she will be very happy in her new home! I'll miss her after spending the last 4 years with her, but she couldn't have gone to a better home!

Jamie

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Awww thanks Jamie! Mike is beyond stoked to have a big boa to hang out with again and I know I'm already in love with the big old girl. She's having a real blast stretching and checking out things and seems to really like the mesh part where she can view the whole room. We keep catching her peeking at us but if she sees us watching her she'll duck down a bit (probably isn't sure if we are friends or foes quite yet LOL).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by waltah!

Congrats! She's a good lookin girl. The closet idea is awesome. Approx how long is she?

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I think Jamie estimated her at about 8 to 8.5 feet. Once she's all settled in we'll try the old string down the spine thing and see if we can get a length on her.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by starmom

What an amazing idea for an enclosure!!! Talk about recycling!!!
Congrats to you and Mike for adopting such a special girl! You're really awesome Jo...my hero! :P

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Thanks for your kind thoughts. Mike really missed the big boa we fostered a couple of years back and has always talked of finding another big female boa in need of a home. Tequila was the right snake at the right time - we're very glad Jamie decided we're the right home. :)

Aww! What a doll! :D Again...GREAT closet idea :gj:

Your a closet snake lover! :rofl: *Cheesy drum roll* :rolleyes:

Omg Laura, keep your day job girl! :rofl:

I cannot believe I forgot to post these two pictures!

Mike wrangling the big girl right after she came out of the transport bag....

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...a2-4-23-08.jpg

Tequila decided the photo shot was over and well....left!....just off she went....sorry done now....off to my enclosure...toss me a rat....see ya's! She had Mike laughing at her determination and strength.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...a104-23-08.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Omg Laura, keep your day job girl! :rofl:

I cannot believe I forgot to post these two pictures!

Mike wrangling the big girl right after she came out of the transport bag....

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...a2-4-23-08.jpg

Tequila decided the photo shot was over and well....left!....just off she went....sorry done now....off to my enclosure...toss me a rat....see ya's! She had Mike laughing at her determination and strength.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...a104-23-08.jpg

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SNORT!!! :8: Ok! :oops:

Great pics Jo! She's a real bigin'!!!!

She looks amazing Joanna (and Jamie!!!)

It looks like she's really going to love her new home, and Mike's positively beaming!!!

Thanks Robin! We're all excited about her.

Tequila is learning two things about her new home (and she's literally got me laughing out loud)....

1) a big fat butt boa cannot hang on the inside knob of her enclosure door....a big fat butt boa will fall off the knob and look silly doing so!

2) attempting to slither straight up the inside walls is achieved only to about 2/3 of a boa body....at that point a boa learns about gravity.....gravity sucks!

:rofl:

Aw I'm gonna miss the big girl! You guys take good care of Miss Tequila! :P

Not true hon she mangaed to use the door knob to get her big self up onto the shelf it just amazing that she mangaed it.

That is quite a nice snake and a really clever idea for an enclosure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Laooda

Your a closet snake lover! :rofl: *Cheesy drum roll* :rolleyes:

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buwhahahhahahahah!!!!!

I missed this thread - I'm so glad Tequila has come home...she looks great! I agree, Mike looks pretty darn happy to have a big ol' boa girlie to wrangle again...=D

Get ready to hear lots of "thump-thump-thump" in the night...I can't tell you how many times I've raced to our snake nook because I swear I hear Lourdes rearranging the furniture in the room ("I'm just slithering Mom...sheeesh"). :D

Congrats on that beautiful girl Jo and Mike! I'm sure she'll be more than happy in her new home.

Laura you're a riot, and should seriously consider a career change! :rofl: :giggle: :gj:

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Originally Posted by darkangel

Aw I'm gonna miss the big girl! You guys take good care of Miss Tequila! :P

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We sure will, Amy.

At this point Miss Tequila has fallen in love with her high perch resting shelf and seems to be enjoying life from that vantage point.

Thanks for all the good wishes folks. We're just thrilled to have her here and are looking forward to getting to know this big, lovely lady boa. :)

Neato! Your husband is a natural snake wrangler, Jo; can tell from the pics :) Isn't it awesome to have a snake-lovin' sweetie? I love your closet-cage creation too.

Thanks Jen. Mike really missed having big Rauri to hang out with so having even bigger Tequila around will be a great joy for him.

She seems to be developing a nice routine of using her lower and upper levels. She's figured out pretty quickly how she can retreat to privacy when she wants it or if she wants to watch us she can either check us out through the upper plexiglass or have a good tongue flick at us through the lower mesh. She's been out a couple of times already and is just being a big doll baby as far as temperment goes. :)

That is so great!!!!! Now we both have one!!!!! Tequila, is, of course, probably about 2 to 3 feet longer than my Sam and doubtless heavier. She is lovely!!!!! I can't wait until Sam gets that big. So now Mike has someone to watch sports with again, that is good. (Just remind him where Rauri learned some of her more colorful phases)
Do does this mean Camp Hiss and Slither is open full time now? Tequila can be a camp counselor!!!!!!!

Thanks Mina! Camp's pretty quiet these days with just the little 07 female boa, Morgaine, as our only camper right now. :)