Letting go

This was our first actual attempt at breeding snakes. And now the time has come to let my young slither the coop. They are two and a half months old, and most breeders would have already sold them buy now. I've been advertising them at the local pet shop, but only for about a week. I wanted to make sure they were good, established eaters before sending them to what I hope will be their forever home.

Forever home. That's what bothers me. I worry that their new owner will be a moron. It's harsh, I know, but I worry the snake will not receive the proper care. That they won't provide for their needs, and that they will die. My husband lives by 'out of sight, out of mind.' I don't live that way.

I watched these guys hatch, I held them as we moved them to their temporary home. I cleaned their tank, I purchased their food and watched them learn how to eat, how to sustain. I've watched them grow, oh how fat as sassy they are now! And one I call Stripe, such an aggressive little guy he is, not mellow and laid back like his siblings. He's a climber, he hates being on the floor of the tank. He gets as high up as he can go and dangles from the branches. As you can see, I'm attached.

Our first buyer is coming Sunday to pick out his new snake. In our brief conversation about snakes, I started nit picking the things that he said. I've already started to worry. Of course each buyer will be told that the option for us to take them back is always on the table, regardless of the shape they are in. I would hope they wouldn't be unhealthy, but we've nursed a many back to health, and I'll do it again if it will save them.

Of course the keeping them all is not an option. Right now we have ten snakes, seven of which are ball pythons. Time, money and not to forget space--is an issue, and while feeding them hopper mice isn't expensive now, it won't be long before they're feeding on more expensive meals and we draw the line at breeding prey.

My husband has insisted I make a better flyer than what I have posted, so that is my project for this weekend. And on Sunday, I'll wave goodbye to one of these guys. But you can bet I'll steer him away from Stripe.