Our newest family member is our pretty ball python, Akasha. She was given to us by my very dear friend because she could no longer care for her. Her house holds four kids, two adults, two cats, two dogs, two snakes, and two bearded dragons, not to mention the guests and visitors. Nope, she's not planning to build her own arc here to save us all from the flood. She's just got a big and well loved family. Though most of the animals are the responsibility of the whole family, she feels a personal responsibility for each and every one, just like she does her children. Unfortunately, Akasha is a very needy snake. She needs handling as regularly as possible the more frequent, the better, and as my friend has so many animals and kids to be responsible on top of a busy work schedule, she just couldn't keep up with it anymore.
Now, I have to admit, I now have even more respect for this friend as a pet owner. It's sadly rare that pet-parents realize when they're no longer able to do the best job possible for their pets and make the difficult decision to re-home them. It's not an easy thing to do, filled with guilty feelings over not being able to love your dear pet enough, but in the end, it's better. If you can't care for your pet, it should be with someone who can. That's the mistake I made with Sneaky a year ago. I gave her to the care of a friend until I could care for her again, and instead of returning her, I got was informed that Sneaky was getting ready to lay eggs, and that she had been relocated...half way across the country.
Unlike that friend, I've told Akasha's owner that she's free to take Akasha back at any time. She's a beautiful snake, though quite small for a ball python, and I do love her, but she's got to go where she belongs. I understand my friend can't care for her right now, but some day she may be able to again. It will be sad to let her go when that day comes, but there will be other snakes. There's always other animals looking for good care and a good home.
Akasha really is a beautiful snake. She's quite small for a ball python, and apparently hasn't grown since my friend has own her. She's one of the most skittish ball pythons I've ever seen, as ball pythons tend to have a reputation of being rather mellow and placid. She warms up to me quickly when I handle her, and seems to like just about everyone in the house well enough, though she's still a little skittish with the kids. Who can blame her? They move really fast and she's not always expecting them to be so close! Thankfully, her instinct is to hide rather than bite, and she really is good natured.
I have to wonder, though, if she will get any bigger. I know ball pythons typically grow to somewhere between three and five feet long, however, I think she couldn't be much more than two feet. I could be wrong. Females, as Akasha is, tend to be longer than males, and if that's the case, why hasn't she grown? She's hungry. She eats well. So why isn't she growing. I have to wonder what kind of treatment she had before my friend was given her. I don't even know how old she is. I have to wonder if she's already full adulthood and simply hasn't grown due to starvation or mistreatment under a different owner.
Still, Akasha has come to our home, from another very good home. Whatever she'd been through before my friend had her, she was treated very well with my friend. A snake couldn't ask for a more wonderful family! I know she'll be treated well and cared for here. I look forward to our happy times together. Welcome, Akasha, to our wonderful home. You will be loved here very much!
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