My name is Charlotte, I'm 17 years old, and on an impulse I went to my local Garden Centre to buy some fish for an old aquarium I have. My friend wanted to look at some reptiles and things so I begrudgingly went along.
Standing on my tip toes I looked into tanks at baby mud turtles and red kneed tarantulas, blue tongued skinks, and baby bearded dragons. And amongst all that chaos was a small box.
I asked the attandant what was in it and he opened the display case, pulled out the faunarium and lifted half of a coconut shell to show me the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
A juvenile Royal Python, male, and coiled tightly with his head tucked into his body. I can honestly say I have never seen anything so beautiful in all my life. I was in love. Just moments before I had been looking at corn snakes and wondering if a reptile ws a good idea and thinking to myself that I didnt want a big snake like a Python. I thought they were all the same, lazy and unattractive and dull. I couldnt have been more wrong.
This little guy took my breath away, I felt instantly attatched to him, and when the gentlemen at the centre told me I could handle him I thought my chest would explode with excitement. So I reserved him.
I then spent the whole of the evening begging my parents to let me have him, knowing full well that in 2 days time, he would be weighed and measured and his price would double, and I would have no hope of owning him at all. I hoped and prayed theywould say yes, but my father told me I had forced his hand and said I would never have my own pet now.
Anyway, the next day I begged him to come with me, just to see him, so he did. I asked the guy at the counter if he would please take the remaining Ball Python out so I could see him again, and I watched happily as the man handed him to my dad, and I saw my old man start to smile...
(I appologise for the bad quality of these pictures)
My New Little Treasure...Un-named And As Yet Un-registered, But Fondly Referred To As Monty...