Marty’s photo of the day #4258: I know some followers of my posts cringe whenever I post snakes or other animals that don’t fit into the “warm and cuddly” category. But I’m a college speaker and author largely because I’m a wildlife advocate. All animals have value, and that includes snakes. Snakes, for instance, are important for rodent control. They actually help to keep your grocery bill down.
And what’s the first thing you thought when looking at this photo? I know: “Snake attack!”
Wrong! You are looking at Lara Flynn Boa, also known as Little Snake. Lara Flynn Boa is the daughter of my twenty-two-year old rainbow boas, Adam and Eve. Back in 2001, I bought Eve from a breeder in Ohio. Even though snakes probably don’t get lonely, I purchased Adam from that same breeder a few months later to give Eve a companion. Rainbow boas are supposed to be difficult to breed in captivity, so I kept the couple together in a large rainforest-like terrarium.
Well, Adam and Eve didn’t read the snake-care manual and started fucking like rabbits. They had several litters before I had to get the lovebirds separate apartments. Each litter was between 15 and 30 babies, but fortunately a reptile store in California bought the entire litters for a really nice price.
When Eve gave birth for the last time before I separated her from Adam, there was a runt in the litter. That little snake wouldn’t eat and I didn’t feel it was ethical to sell her. After all, she would likely die soon. If she were a wild snake, her job would have been to be food for predators while her brothers and sisters escaped.
Finally, after much encouragement, that runt, Lara Flynn Boa, started to eat. She’s now eleven-years-old and is still a runt, coming in at five-feet-long, while Adam and Eve are two feet longer than she is.
I shot this photo of Lara Flynn Boa last night. No, she’s not pissed off and trying to bite me. Instead, she’s in the midst of a very long yawn. It’s exhausting being a snake!
That concludes today’s snake lesson and story time. And remember: snakes are our friends!