I bought a snake at the Mid Atlantic Reptile Show. Sunday at the show I noticed that on Outback Reptiles table, there was a super skinny snake labeled as a "ghost" that had scars on it and it just looked like crap! I assumed it was an import snake. I tried to ask the people working the tables about this snake but was rudely cut off and walked away from. Finally after going around and around with the people behind the table I threw them some money and took the snake. There was no way that, that snake was going to stay with them in that kind of condition. I was shocked!
Since I've worked with imports before I was just going to handle this snake as I would with a fresh import. Got him home, put some PAM down, and put him in a smaller tub and stuck him in a darker place of my quarantine room. He took the longest drink I've ever seen a snake tank before. It was almost 10 minutes worth of drinking. After he settled in a bit more I offered him a African soft furred rat, he gobbled it right up. I then gave him a mouse wich he grabbed up right away too.
I sent Outback a email in hopes maybe that they could tell me something more about this snake since it was apparent that no one working Outbacks tables knew anything about most of the snakes for sale. The reply I got back was this "It was a animal that was a long term captive that we took in on trade. He was bred heavily this season and came to us a little thin. He did take a small live rat for us while he was here."
Poor guy! Seems like he didn't get a break from breeding nor any food. This poor guy is so skinny and a snake doesn't become into this kind of condition over night or even weeks. MONTHS and MONTHS is more like it. UGH. Who ever had him didn't give a care about his well being and was probably just trying to see if they could prove him out. I highly doubt he is a "ghost", but just looks like a faded greenish colored normal to me. I'm surprised Outback even stuck him out for sale with this current condition.
Anyways he is now has settled in quite nice for me, even though he is meaner then a whip. No one can say he got to this current condition because he wouldn't eat. He ate one adult mouse and one adult African soft furred rat the evening I bought him on Sept 20th. He since then has eaten two small rats each Saturday Sept 26th and today for me within seconds of dropping the rats in his tub. So he has eaten 6 prey items in the three weeks I've had him.
Nothing more gross then being able to feel and see a snakes backbone and feeling it's ribs. I'm still waiting for him to give me some poop so I can take it to my herp vet to make sure he is clear of any internal parasites.
I do not know what to name this guy but I'm glad that I did get him.
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