Sully was a newcomer

[hilabeans]

Hi mthompson, welcome to the forum!

I am very sorry for the loss of your first snake. I know the feeling well and your story is very familiar.

My 13 year old daughter had campaigned for a snake for months before I finally considered it. I found this forum and the two of us began researching ball pythons. We decided we didn't want the "pet rock" snake bps had a reputation of being, so we opted for a Russian Rat after several members here sang their praises.

We welcomed Bonsai into our home and fell instantly in love. For 2 months he was the sweetest thing and everything was going well. Then he stopped eating. Not a big deal for ball pythons, but a little unusual for colubrids. For weeks I started tweaking things here and there with his temps, got him to take a couple of live mouse pinkies, asked the advice of experienced owners and Russian Rat breeders, thought I was doing everything right by him - and then one day we found him stiff in his enclosure. He died in my hands.

I still remember my daughter sobbing in a heap on the floor, holding him in her hands and begging me to wake him up. It absolutely broke my heart. We felt sure it must have been something we did wrong, as new owners. We had a necropsy done and it ended up being a massive infection in his liver and kidneys. Those infections are slow growing and it's hard to know how he got it. Could've come from a bad feeder or he could have come to us sick from his breeder. Who knows.

We grieved his loss hard. But I knew if I didn't get another snake, my daughter would forever feel like it was something she did and like she couldn't be trusted with the responsibility of another snake. She was a WONDERFUL snake mom, and dang it - so was I! We were not irresponsible and I knew it, deep down, even though I felt so guilty.

So, after about a month, we dusted ourselves off and bought a ball python from a great breeder. Now we feel like the world's greatest snake parents that ever lived because Neptune has been absolutely perfect. Perfect eater, perfect shedder, perfect temperament, exactly what a happy & content little ball should be. We didn't change, we just got a healthy snake.

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That's a long story, but I wanted you to know you're not alone. That said, husbandry is the #1 reason why snakes don't thrive and die. So you have to know that everything is perfect there. With my ball python, I followed this - TO PERFECTION. He's in a 16 qt tub instead of 6, but that's the only deviation.

Spend a lot of time here. Read all of the stickies on husbandry and care. Ask tons of questions. Then, when you are ready, ABSOLUTELY get another snake!