First Snake on Saturday!

[Bogertophis]

Bogertophis! - She sounds like she's had a fantastic life with you! And you sound pretty handy with building. Ideally I'd like a nice custom cabinet to keep my snake(s) in. I don't have access to powertools besides my drill, but I hear Lowes will cut wood for you if you give them measurements. Or maybe I could rope my carpenter nephew into helping me out with his table saw.

I'll keep my eyes peeled. If I see a spotted python, I'll try to snap a pic for you! ...

I've been making my own "tank tops" for many years...not hard, & yes, Home Depot or Lowes (& most other lumber stores) will cut wood for you, so if you can nail or turn a few screws to fit the sides together, that's about all there is. I staple the screen ("hardware cloth") onto the wood frame, then add screen molding (to match the pieces of wood in the frame) over that so it looks professional & doesn't give me splinters or jabs from the screen. I have a few tools (drill, jigsaw, etc) but I'm no carpenter. I used to finish furniture (bought unfinished) or re-purpose other furniture (turned some into snake enclosures too)- I like being creative. You can also just buy screen tops in Petco. You'll need metal shears to cut the hardware cloth if you ever decide to make a tank top.

I hope you get to meet a spotted python. I actually think the normal markings are more attractive than the "granite phase" btw, but for mine, it was about getting her out of that guys house to a safe place where she could eat f/t in peace. Even though she was air shipped to me across the state, she was looking for food & ate 3 f/t pinkies the same afternoon she arrived. She was looking for more too, but I made her wait. And of course I didn't handle her at all, I just watched as she settled in to explore & digest.

BTW, I made a deal with the guy...since he was going to kill her anyway, but I had no way to be sure she was healthy (since she "wasn't eating"), I told him "what do you have to lose? I'll pre-pay the shipping & if she is OK- healthy- I'll buy her from you" so that's what we did...he shipped her & I paid him after. Of course I also rubbed it in what a great appetite she has. (I couldn't help myself.) I'd done some reading on these...in the wild, they feed on tiny lizards first, & only "graduate" later to small rodents, as they gain skill & size...that's why she didn't want live pinkies, she was instinctively afraid of them...it's normal for spotted pythons.