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  1. #1
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    Eulogy from a lousy snake owner.

    22 years. Who would have guessed when I purchased you at 18 years old, I'd be regretting your passing as I approach 40. I was a lousy owner for the most part, and I'm sorry.

    Your tank was alway bare. White paper for substrate, 1 rock, some water dishes and a cave to hide in. At least it was pretty roomy and I kept it more or less clean.

    I barely regulated the heat. You temperature fluctuated wildy over the years as I moved you from the homes of various girl friends, buddies, (since my parents wouldn't let me keep you) and my own long list of appartments, condos all the way up to my current address. You had years where the house you lived had an ambient temprature of 75 degrees to basements where it spent most of the time in the mid to low 60s with nothing but your heat mat under your cave. Yet you never got sick.

    Humidity was never even considered in passing. Occasionally if you had a bad shed I'd wet you down and help you get the pieces off.

    Your feeding schedule was probably just short of abusive. 2 mice every other week was the plan, but it rarely worked that way. Sometimes it was lack of a measly 5 bucks for mice, sometimes it was forgetfulness, ashamedly sometimes laziness. All of this and yet you somehow stayed healthy and stuck it out for all of my adult life.

    Three days ago, feeling bad that I let three weeks go by without feeding you I picked up your mice and fed you as usual. The next day I noticed you were sort of sitting half in half out of your cave, which was sort
    of odd, but you were responsive and seemed fine. Yesterday, three days after feeding you, I came home that night to an awful smell and what appeard at first glance a murder scene in your tank that turned out to be a mostly digested, regurgitated mouse. You'd never done that before. When I picked you up to clean out your tank, I knew that things were bad. You moved odd and lethargically, and kept bobbing your head in an strange way. I finished cleaning and put you back next to the spot over your mat and under the heat lamp. But I could tell it was already near the end. 2 Hours later you were gone.

    My daughter and I buried you this morning in the front yard out in the cold, New England, October rain before dropping her off for shcool and heading to work. You've been around so much longer than she has. Longer than I've known my wife. Longer than I've known most of my current friends. I bought you as I was starting college and now say good bye to you with my six year old and myself at the threshhold of age 40.

    I was bad owner. But I'll miss you. You were my last and final attempt at reptile rearing. I'm obviously not cut out for it. Sorry you were stuck with me for 22 years while I figured that out.

    Snake (Snakey) - Ball Python
    1989 - October 26th, 2011
    Last edited by Duncan; 10-27-2011 at 11:58 AM.

  2. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Duncan For This Useful Post:

    akjadlnfkjfdkladf (11-22-2011),decensored (11-29-2011)

  3. #2
    BPnet Veteran Ch^10's Avatar
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    RIP Snakey.

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    Duncan (10-27-2011)

  5. #3
    BPnet Veteran Melody's Avatar
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    Re: Eulogy from a lousy snake owner.

    God speed old guy
    -Melody

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    Duncan (10-27-2011)

  7. #4
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    may he rip

    Sorry for your lost....But im glad you knowlegded your mistakes it takes a strong person to see & admit your flaws,for that i respect you, even if the animal lived in poor conditions.Chin up & i hope there a snake heaven for him...

  8. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to scale_fever For This Useful Post:

    aldebono (10-27-2011),Duncan (10-27-2011),Skittles1101 (10-27-2011),Slashmaster (10-27-2011)

  9. #5
    BPnet Royalty ballpythonluvr's Avatar
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    Re: Eulogy from a lousy snake owner.

    So sorry for your loss. The fact that you admitted to your mistakes says a lot about your character. May you find peace and comfort through this difficult time.

  10. The Following User Says Thank You to ballpythonluvr For This Useful Post:

    Duncan (10-27-2011)

  11. #6
    Registered User Strick's Avatar
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    Could there be a message here? RIP Snakey
    1.0 Normal
    1.0 Spider
    0.1 Pastel
    0.1 Pinstripe
    0.1 Mojave

    0.1 Bearded/Lizzy

  12. The Following User Says Thank You to Strick For This Useful Post:

    Duncan (10-27-2011)

  13. #7
    Registered User QuiccStrike911's Avatar
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    is this for real?......(if so im terribly sorry)
    Last edited by QuiccStrike911; 10-27-2011 at 03:02 PM.
    0.0.1 normal ball python
    1.0 jungle carpet python
    1.0 dumerils boa

  14. The Following User Says Thank You to QuiccStrike911 For This Useful Post:

    Duncan (10-27-2011)

  15. #8
    BPnet Veteran DemmBalls's Avatar
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    Re: Eulogy from a lousy snake owner.

    Very sorry to hear! I'm sure he could have had a much worse home too...
    -Jordan

    Balls
    0.1 Pinstripe.............................1.0 DH Lavender Snow
    0.2 PH Lavender Albino.............0.1 Bumblebee
    0.1 Pastel PH Ghost..................1.0 Pastel Het Ghost
    0.2 PH Ghost (Twins)................1.0 Cinnamon
    0.1 Het TSK Axanthic................1.3 Mojave
    0.1 Het Albino..........................1.0 Albino PH Pied
    1.1 Het Pied.............................1.0 Dinker
    1.2 Normal...............................1.0 Pastel Lesser

    Boa
    0.1 Super Salmon Het Sunglow


    Check us out at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Dem...13090085417762

  16. The Following User Says Thank You to DemmBalls For This Useful Post:

    Duncan (10-27-2011)

  17. #9
    BPnet Veteran tcutting's Avatar
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    Re: Eulogy from a lousy snake owner.

    Quote Originally Posted by ballpythonluvr View Post
    So sorry for your loss. The fact that you admitted to your mistakes says a lot about your character. May you find peace and comfort through this difficult time.
    find peace knowing he lived 22 long years.

    and sorry for your loss.
    1.0 Normal Ball Python
    1.0 Normal Het Orange Ghost Ball Python
    0.1 Mojave Ball python
    0.1 Orange Ghost Ball python
    0.1 Orange Ghost Het Caramel Ball python
    0.1 Spotted Python
    1.0 Jungle Carpet Python

  18. The Following User Says Thank You to tcutting For This Useful Post:

    Duncan (10-27-2011)

  19. #10
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    Re: Eulogy from a lousy snake owner.

    Quote Originally Posted by QuiccStrike911 View Post
    is this for real?......(if so im terribly sorry)
    Totally. I'm not usually that sentimental, but on my way in to work this morning I just had a strong desire to write something about my snake, and to articulate my sadness as well as my guilt. I have to admit I was surprised I found my self tearing up as I typed, which was awkward given I share my office space with 4 others.

    I have never been to this site, and simply selected the first Google result for "Ball Python forum" since I felt this would be one of the best bets for people to read about him and have some understanding, as well perhaps put myself out there in front of people who actually love and care for their pets much better than I did. (Not that I didn't love him, I did, I was just chronically irresponsible) It makes me feel better and worse at the same time.

    After reading many of the other posts here I regret that so many who did everything right lost their pets after several years, or even months, while I, despite my neglectful ways lucked into an animal that lived so long.

    Anyway, thanks for all your comments. And more importantly to me, for taking the time to read about "Snake"... (my daughters the one who dubbed him "Snaky", to me he was always just "Snake". I hope despite his inconsistent caring he had a generally good life.

  20. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Duncan For This Useful Post:

    DemmBalls (10-27-2011),Jessica Loesch (11-22-2011),Melody (10-29-2011),Skittles1101 (11-29-2011)

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