CHACONIAC's Blog

Hello everyone:

Craig Wall's recent story on an escaped snake reminded me of my own misadventures with a reptilian pet. When I was in high school I had a lovely 4-foot snake, a South American reticulated boa constrictor. It was a good-natured animal that subsisted on a diet of a live mouse every week or two. At some point the local pet store caught on to why I was routinely coming in to buy a single mouse...and they refused to sell me anymore. Being a resourceful child I managed to trap a wild field mouse, a little brown creature. But when I tossed the wild mouse in with the snake...the mouse beat the stuffing out of the snake! When I checked back a few minutes later I found the snake curled up in a corner with bleeding scratches! This critter had fought valiantly and I set him free. But the snake had been permanently traumatized...after that he would not touch any mouse that had even a hint of brown on him...he associated the brown ones with food that fought back.

The snake was quite the escape artist too...I once found him after weeks on the lam, curled up inside a stereo speaker. Eventually he got away and disappeared for good at a friend's house...my pal was supposed to be watching him while I was on vacation and forgot to put the brick on top of the cage. After that their cleaning lady carried a golf club and insisted on wearing shin guards for months...she eventually quit. The snake never did turn up.

Here's to the many creatures great and small that we have loved...and lost.

Lilia