Accidental BP owner :)

[Wolfchan]

Hello all! I work in a large animal shelter where we deal mostly with dogs, cats, and rabbits, but we do take in all stray animals from one of the neighboring cities. That can get....entertaining. In the time I've been working there, I've seen a pig, turtles, chickens, parrots, a tarantula, and a wide array of more unusual critters coming through.


Last week we got a skinny rooster and a ball python. He (I'm calling him a male, no actual idea) is about 18" long, came in with a lot of bruising and a small laceration, and while he's at an ok weight (slightly thin, but not alarming), he feels a little...flabby. Needs to tone up. Luckily, we do have some snake-savvy folks at work who got him set up in a hospital cage and got his laceration treated.

Then I got back from my weekend. I picked him up. I was sunk. I've had a lot of snakes, but mostly colubrids. BPs passed under my radar for years....but this guy caught my eye. He's a lovely little guy. When I asked the rescue/foster department if I could have him, the gal's eyes lit up and I was informed that I would be doing them a huge favor since my taking him meant that they didn't have to contact any rescues to come get him.

He's home now. I had enough stuff lying around to put together an OK setup, I found the "How to set up a BP" thread here and ordered the rest of what I need on Amazon. He's clearly about to shed and no doubt stressed from escaping wherever he was, getting injured, winding up in the shelter and then coming home with me, so I'm only handling him to treat his wound and otherwise letting him settle in. Still, he's surprisingly bold and has been out and about for at least a few hours every day that I've had him. I'll offer a F/T mouse once he sheds.

My fiancee is pretty smitten with him too, and he named the little guy Mocha.

[treaux]

Congrats on your new pet! I feel bad for how many normal BPs I see in rescues and it's nice to see one getting a nice home after being through what looks like a rough time. BPs are wonderful little creatures and still my favorite snakes and I wish I had the space and time to adopt them all myself.

He's a good looking little fellow! Looking forward to some more pics once he's settled.

[Wolfchan]

Thank you! Just a quickie update, I got some proper hides from Reptile Basics and he retreated from view and has been hiding ever since, hopefully resting up for a nice shed and a meal soon after.

[redshepherd]

Congrats and that's awesome you took him in! He sounds comfortable and happy now.