Yeah. See, I don't have the good sense god gave me sometimes. My common sense is, at best, fleeting. Yet, I can navigate the NYC Subway, study a map and remember it, and cook a damn fine meal any day.
A recent addition to my home is a pet we will call, Miss Snake. Uh, yeah ... I have a paralyzing fear of snakes, but I now have to care for and feed one on a regular basis as FABbrother has flown the coup for a few months.
Miss Snake, a red tailed boa.
While I can't seem to pass up one damn meal, Miss Snake eats once every few weeks. She has experienced some serious upheaval in life recently what with moving from FABbrother's house, to the rent's and now to the top of my bookshelf. I hear it takes a snake a few days and even longer sometimes to adapt to a new environment. I play with her every few days. Her tank temperature is steady at about 85 degrees. She has water and a clean tank. I think that's all she needs, right? I'm seriously very open to any suggestions and/or tips on caring for a RED TAILED BOA.
If you are a reptile, you will eat on Saturday's in my home. I got her a new box, she eats in a cardboard box to avoid any territorial-ness with her tank. I warmed the box first. I thawed the small rat, but, due to an aborted feeding attempt last week, and a thawed rat being refrozen, the rats were stuck together and today's thawing caused a little tearing of the fur. Is this a deterrent? I don't know.
Please, fill my comment box with snake-care tips!
I calmly dig her out of the tank and she crawls over my hand and through my fingers and I talk to her in a baby-like cooing voice telling her she is beautiful, a good little snakey, yes you are, pretty little girl.
I innocently (by innocently, i mean, utterly stupid and senseless) placed the ceramic-bulbed reptile heat lamp, heat-side down on my bookshelf. We're talking about a particle-board Target bookshelf.
Just, keep this little tidbit in mind and keep reading.
I put her in the box, the apartment is relatively quiet, no shadows in the box, rat ready at hand. After poking at the rat and pointing it towards her a few times, she showed some interest but soon looked away. After moving away from it twice, I took the rat away and trashed it. Miss Snake then hung-out on my hand for a few minutes and then returned to her tank. I closed the lid and went to wash my hands.
My parents arrived.
Joanne came over.
I changed into my baseball game clothes.
I thought I smelled something a little... woodsy? hummm.....
I went to the tank to replace and adjust the heat lamps and found that the main heat lamp had been left face down on a wood shelf!!!
Who the hell could be so absent-minded goddammit?
Durrrr..... me?
Why stop there? In a demonstration of even further insanity, I touched the shelf! It burned my hand I tell you! OUCH. Yeah!
Some people are into wood-burning as a craft. Me? Just dumb-ass homeowner error.
With my bookshelf smoldering, I had a semi-panic attack and did what any logical adult would do... I screamed for my Daddy. With visions of a bookshelf a-flame ... I thought to get a few ice packs and put them on the burn. We put ice on burns on people, right? So, why not on my shelf?
The smoldering died down, my bookshelf cooled off under the ice packs and off we went to the ballgame. All's well that ends well, eh?
Tomorrow? I have to visit PetCo for a few small rats. Ick.
I swear ya'll !! This is a damn fine exhibit of my love for my brother.
GOD.
Comments