Sorry it has been so long....

I have had a busy summer. A new job, and dealing with Jenny the Snake has been a constant challenge. I also found and rescued a clutch of baby opossums in August. They might not be to appealing to the eye when they grow up, but these little guys were pretty cute. There were 8 of them and miraculously, their mother's head was the only thing a car had struck. I thought she was still alive when I came across her and I was going to move her off the road. As I approached her, these little faces peered out from under her. I couldn't leave them there. Of course they were fierce. They hissed a lot but couldn't hurt anyone. I took them to Alchemy Acres in Salem, Ohio. That place is one of my favorite institutions in this county. They are better equipped for animals of this nature and said they would raise them and return them to the wild.

I finally got Jenny's cage finished. My wife is not happy because it literally takes up half the room. But Jenny has to be able to stretch out in order to reduce her stress. She is very smart and curious about everything. She knows where her cage door is and I find her sometimes waiting for me there or she comes to me when I open it. Her former owner did take good care of her, but she just got too big for him. I had no idea how hard it would be to find a suitable place for her so I think I have her for a while. She is very charming despite her size.

I will be updating this more often. Look for more articles to come soon. I have new little buddy named Ronald. He is a Pueblan milk snake (black, orange and white). Right now he is not too tame, and is the first snake to ever bite me. But things are going well and I hope to get him settled down soon. Thankfully snakes do not like the taste of latex.

Buddy Passed Away on June 11, 2009

Buddy was a really great corn snake. He was gentle and loved attention.
He never once offered to bite. Due to being owned by someone who
DID NOT KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF HIM, he was injured severely. Only about 8 inches of his body worked. I ended up helping him shed when he needed it. Feeding was a little harder, but then, he was such a fighter. He always tried and was usually successful. He started having trouble eating, and then would not eat at all. I had him at the vet last year and was told he didn't know how Buddy was alive then. He acknowedged that I took excellent care of him and that was probably why he had lasted as long as he did. On June 11, when I woke up, I noticed he hadn't moved from the night before and upon closer inspection realized he had passed . He will truly be missed. Especially by me.

Hermoine Makes a Lot of Friends

Ball Pythons are excellent snakes for pets. Hermione is so gentle. If she is afraid, she covers her head with her body and hides. My Jenny does that too. Sirrius, while small, is not afraid of anything so hiding isn't his style, but he avoids you.

The young lady with Hermoine in her hands is Amber. Amber hates snakes, but I introduced her to my Hermoine and she actually held her. By the time Hermoine was done charming her, Amber walked away with a better understanding of snakes, and she isn't as afraid of them as she once was. That's one down and millions to go. But I am determined. Snakes are waking up because it is spring. Please give them a chance this year. Let them do their job of keeping rodents out of your home. If you see one, back away slowly from it and go in another direction. They will not bother you. They want away from you as much as you want away from them. The environment needs them. We need them. Please don't slaughter them just because they are a snake.

Poisonous and Nonpoisonous Snakes in Ohio and How to Tell the Difference

There are many species of snakes in Ohio. Roughly about 24 or so. Out of all these snakes, only three are considered poisonous. That would be the Northern Copperhead, the Eastern Massasauga, and the Timber Rattler.
Copperheads have bitten more people in the U.S. than any other snake. Luckily the amount of venom injected in a single bite is not enough to be fatal in a healthy adult. However it is extremely painful. You can easily find them in rocky, wooded hillsides. When encountered, they usually retreat, but if aroused, they can vibrate their tales and strike wildly.
The Eastern Massasauga is also called the Swamp rattler and Black snapper. It has been recorded in more than 20 Ohio counties. However, sightings are rare and this snake is designated STATE ENDANGERED. They are usually very sluggish and don't offer to bite unless thoroughly aroused. Their venom is highly toxic. However, it has small fangs and does not inject enough to be fatal.
Finally, the Timber Rattler is the most dangerous snake in Ohio because of its large size. They can reach lengths of 6 feet. Luckily, most Timber Rattlers are mild in disposition and simply try to crawl away when encountered. If aroused enough they will defend themselves. These snakes are also designated as STATE ENDANGERED.

Nonpoisonous snakes are far more numerous in Ohio. But many are often mistaken for their more toxic relatives. Of all these snakes, the Black Rat Snake is the one most commonly slaughtered. My snake, Sirrius Black, is a Black Rat Snake. I am taking out into the public this summer to show any one who will listen that he is harmless and very beneficial. His main diet is rodents. With him around, there will not be mice or rats chewing on your electric wires or putting holes in your walls. I hope you come out to meet him and my other snakes and see that they are truly amazing and beautiful creatures.

Jenny- A Second Look

This is Jenny's first time really being handled since I got her. She has been a little cranky, hissing and hiding her head. She has had to get used to a lot. Neecha

for example. Neecha is a noisy Rottweiler. I have been opening her enclosure every day and touching her lightly and talking softly to her. Mostly she buries her head in her coils and does her best
to look invisible.

Jon makes it look easy to handle her, but it wasn't at all. She is a lot of snake. You can see by the pictures that she is long(7'8") and bigger around than my hand. Once we got her out, she became very curious about her new surroundings and looked at everything.

As it turns out, she has a great disposition, though we handle her with great care. Certainly, I will not be getting her out alone. We finally obtained a rat big enough to make her a decent meal, and when she captured it, it was shocking, though impressive. She was lightning fast. In one second, she had the rat wrapped three times over. I learned a whole new respect for her just watching her catch and eat her dinner. I don't feed live, it may be nature's way,but in my home I am able to stop any needless suffering. I knock them out with CO2. Caring for her has been a learning experience . As long as she is handled responsibly she should make a fine ambassador for her kind this summer.

We will be at Thompson Park this summer!

Ya, it's cold right now, but spring is almost here, and summer isn't far behind. June 20 will be the first time I have my snakes out at Thompson Park for everyone to meet. I have 4. Buddy, a corn snake. Hermoine, a ball python. Sirrius Black, a black rat snake. And finally, Jenny, a red tail boa constrictor.

Please come out and meet them. I know that once you do, you will feel differently about snakes. Hermoine is such a nice snake. Meeting her alone should change your mind. She is short and stubby, but very sweet tempered and curious. She wants to see everything. Maybe once you meet these guys, you might think twice about running over a snake trying to cross the road. I have seen that happen a few times and I believe it is heartless. They do serve a vital and important role in nature. Without them, the world would be overrun with rats and mice for example. So, remember, June 20, 2009, at 4pm-Thompson Park- to meet me and my 4 snake friends so you can make them your friends, too.

Meet Jenny, An Owner Surrender

Sometimes you have no choice but to find a new home for your pet. There are many reasons for this. Maybe you are moving, or circumstances have somehow changed for you and you can no longer keep your friend. That was the case with Jenny, formally known as Mitten. I like Harry Potter names so I changed Mitten's name to Jenny Weasley. Her owner and his wife just had a new baby. Since Jenny is 7'8" long and weighs about 55 lbs, they were not comfortable having her there any more. Considering her head is close to the size of my hand, I can see why it would make them uncomfortable. She is large and because of her size alone, she is intimidating. However, as we have handled her, I have discovered she is quite tame. While we have been wary of her, she has been terrified of us, her new surroundings, being jostled around in two different cars, temperature changes, new voices and sounds-all have been thrust on her all at once. And she has not offered to bite even once. In fact, she tries to hide her head down below the loops of her long body. It truly softened my heart toward her. I am going to do everything I can to help her settle down and relax. I don't know yet what my future plans are for her. Her size makes it difficult to re home her. I may be able to use her this summer when I take my snakes out into the public to show people snakes are not so bad. Not that anyone would be allowed to hold her (or that they could. She is huge.) But seeing her and maybe touching her might help people to understand snakes better and soften their hearts, too. I will keep you updated on her progress. She is a learning experience for me and what I learn, I will pass on to you.