My husband and I got a BP for our son's 6th birthday present (we also have a 3 yr old boy). Needless to say, we all love him/her! It's almost been 3 weeks and I am amazed at the personality and charm of "Mr. Snake."

We thought long and hard about what kind of pet to get. My son wanted something he could handle that didn't just sit there (e.g. a frog). I wanted something w/out fur or feathers (allergies). I was eyeing the BP's at the second pet store we went to, not sure if my husband would go for it. After holding various herps, we settled on the BP. The pet store employee seemed very knowledgable and has one herself (also with young kids). We asked for the "tamest" BP and seem to have gotten him/her. (We are not sure of sex yet, but I will assume he's a male going forward....)

We are taking him to the vet tomorrow for a well visit, etc.

Since we brought him home, we have done lots of book and internet research. We are very happy to have him as a member of our family and fascinated by him. So here goes my initial questions...

He ate a F/T fuzzy three days after moving in with us, but has not eaten since. He seems close to shedding soon, but we are not sure when that will be since we have never witnessed this process before. He is getting wrinklier, duller in sheen, and his eys are turning bluish. We have given him a few warm baths to help keep him hydrated (one day, I noticed a dent in his eye and figured he was dehydrated - it looked better a few hours after a bath).

We have been misting his tank a few times a day to keep the humidity up (over 70%) to help with the upcoming shed. I noticed that when I put him back in the tank after changing his water and misting, he drinks water off the glass of the tank. Now I see he does this every time. Does this mean he is not drinking from his water bowl? I am worried about him staying hydrated if he only drinks off the glass. Do you think he doesn't like the plastic fake rock bowl? Or should we put plants in that can hold moisture for him to drink off of? Any ideas would be appreciated.

I know I am new to the BP world, but I have always been mystified by snakes. I find that I totally adore Mr. Snake and enjoy handling him. He is amazingly friendly, calm, and adjustable to the different personalities of the household. Though he was very tame when we brought him home, he seems to have gotten even more comfortable with us and no longer shies away from having his head touched.

My husband swears that Mr. Snake loves me the way he nestles my collar bone, etc. I know cats and dogs are capable of love. My question is... are BP's capable of loving a human? I saw some posts that handling a BP is for the enjoyment of the person, not the snake. Are there other opinions out there? Mr. Snake seems to look for me to take him out if I open the tank and move stuff around then start to close the tank up again. He seems to have this, "Hey, aren't you taking me out?" attitude. He especially seems to like nighttime handling when the kids are sleeping (quieter house and kids don't hold him); and he is more active. I get the feeling he doesn't want me to put him back too soon at night.

Also, he seems to particularly like his head, chin, and tail stroked. I can see that if I run my fingers along his side, toward his underside, he has a ticklish reaction wave down his body as I touch him.

I'd appreciate any thoughts on the subject of human-snake love and affection. I might be naive, but I might also be a snake worshipper!

I am glad to be on the forum and welcome all and any comments. I never knew how much I could love a BP!!! He is so cool!!! We are so lucky to have gotten such a great guy.

-Melissa