CASSANDRA

[FourFeathers]

Here's Cassandra!

Elaphe taeniura
aka
Vietnamese Blue Beauty
(Ratsnake)










She's 9 feet 4"

[gozetec02]

9'4" I have never seen such a beautiful snake. I bet its a whole different thing to see her in person though. She must be very slender. Are they a Colubrid or a boid. I know nothing about these snakes.

[JLC]

She's a colubrid. And a gorgeous one, at that! I think she's prettier every time I see pictures of her, Marcus. Does she live up to that infamous Beauty temperment? Do age and size help calm them down like with most boids?

[FourFeathers]

We adopted Cassandra from the local reptile humane society last December.

When we got her, she was extremely defensive, striking at anything that moved, biting me every chance she was given.

I've been working with her and today, for the first time, I was able to reach in (gently) and remove her from her enclosure, without gloves, pulled her out to take these pictures, and she didn't strike or threaten me one time. She did prepare for striking a few times, but she never did.

And to top it off, at one point, she kept coming up to me, "sniffing" me and just kept checking me out. I just stayed still and let her do what she needed to do to feel comfortable. And you'll never guess what she did.

She pulled her head up to my knee, and laid her head on my knee and just sat there. She stayed there for the longest time and allowed me to gently pet her.

Now, this may never happen again, but it did today. After a while, she decided that was enough, recoiled, but didn't strike, allowed me to carefully pick her up and put her back in her home, where she posed for the last two shots above.

It was incredible. You'd have had to have seen her temperment last December compared to now to really appreciate the difference.

[Smynx]

You must be doing a great job with her, Marcus. Keep up the good work. She is a gorgeous snake.

[JLC]

That's an awesome story, Marcus! An excellent example of what consistent, gentle handling and proper husbandry can do for an animal! I'd be very interested in updates as the months go!

[beaglegod]

That Blue Beauty is smokin hot FF! Cassandra is one sexy snake.

[steelsack]

And from a shelter no less! You one lucky mo fo! Sounds like she found a great home and a commited keeper. Good job and great story on the improved temperment 8)