So it started off as a joke....

[Bogertophis]

...I've never really thought/heard of someone freezing a deceased snake/pet in general while waiting for a burial, is this common practice...? Usually I would go straight to finding a spot.

Same here. Unless I wanted a lasting excuse to get out of cooking for potlucks...?

[AnnieHeart]

Never in my life

[PiperPython]

I would like to have my gtp's skeleton preserved and articulated on a branch - that's the plan

[Bogertophis]

I would like to have my gtp's skeleton preserved and articulated on a branch - that's the plan

That's both interesting & respectful. Good idea, IMO.

[Craiga 01453]

I mean, rattlesnake is really good...

I wouldn't eat one if I ever decide to make a "hot" collection and it died, though. I'm far too attached to any of my animals. I do enjoy myself a dark joke here and there, though!

I've never really thought/heard of someone freezing a deceased snake/pet in general while waiting for a burial, is this common practice...? Usually I would go straight to finding a spot.

I've had to freeze some pet fish in the past. Tough to put a shovel in the ground in New England during the winter.

- - - Updated - - -

I would like to have my gtp's skeleton preserved and articulated on a branch - that's the plan

That's be pretty cool actually. Neat idea.

[Alter-Echo]

I will freeze pets in the winter, here too the ground is too hard to shovel in the winter.

There were once tribes where eating a deceased love one was considered the highest form of respect.... food for thought.

[Bogertophis]

I will freeze pets in the winter, here too the ground is too hard to shovel in the winter.

There were once tribes where eating a deceased love one was considered the highest form of respect.... food for thought.

I hadn't considered the ground being frozen, it's been a while here in the south. I guess that makes sense, though it wouldn't do much for my appetite.

I've never consumed any kind of snake & never will: I consider rattlesnakes 'family' too, very much so. I've known & kept many for some 20 years.
Many years ago, I spent a year in South Korea, seeing people treat dogs as food...that was hard, & no, I never tried dog meat either. No way. But in cultures
that have so little & don't have the luxury of pets, I can also understand how wasteful they think we are, burying our pets, & even having them in the first place.

In that tribal context, it makes sense, but those are not my beliefs & culture & I'm not inclined to change. There were also cannibals who preferred non-family...
What in the past developed into a culture and justified as a means of survival is still a very tough 'sell' for me...I'm just not that hungry, or curious.

[Kroberts10]

I don’t think I could eat any of my pets. But I have had the debate of whether or not I would skin them, to put them to use and keep them around after death. Seeing how snakeskin is a very popular decorative bow backing. And many of our exotics on here are wild looking compared to many of the more local varieties commonly used. But it’s still the whole, could I get myself to skin out an animal I’ve kept for them last 20+ years.

Kyle


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[Skyrivers]

Same here. Unless I wanted a lasting excuse to get out of cooking for potlucks...?

We did not have time to burry her until yesterday evening.

We said out good byes to Lucy yesterday. Don't worry, we did not eat her. I would never eat a pet. She will be worm food as soon as she defrosted. We drove to a animal sanctuary that was an hour and half away. Was the only place we could think to burry her. She will be missed. RIP.

[Bogertophis]

We did not have time to burry her until yesterday evening.

We said out good byes to Lucy yesterday. Don't worry, we did not eat her. I would never eat a pet. She will be worm food as soon as she defrosted. We drove to a animal sanctuary that was an hour and half away. Was the only place we could think to burry her. She will be missed. RIP.

Burying our pets doesn't always mean they are "worm food" either. When I lived in the desert, I had to bury a few over the years & went to the back of my
farm-fenced property in an undisturbed area. I had 3 acres & the acre around the house had chain link fencing that my dogs couldn't escape from...I'm sure
they'd have dug up a buried snake. Well, farm fencing leaves something to be desired...turns out the local coyotes dug them up...but hey, I do believe in
recycling & I held no grudges...I like coyotes, actually. But you won't find ME eating or skinning any pets, nor consuming or wearing any of their "relatives".

The problem for me with using the skin for decoration is that it sends the wrong message to most people & it's not too practical using labels saying "this animal
died of natural causes, no wildlife was harmed in making this [whatever]." Where I live now, my dogs are only in my back yard, so any deceased snakes have
been buried in my peaceful garden in the front yard where nothing has disturbed them & only I know they're there. Whenever you wear or use the skin (or fur
or teeth of animals, etc) no matter how respectfully it's meant to be, others may see & want to copy the "look", only they don't wait for a "natural death".