(no subject)
Sunday, as per usual, I went to the store and got food for Xerxes, my python. Now he eats a large rat once a week-which is a decent sized meal for him. Curiously, when I put the rat into his enclosure, he didn't make any moves for it. He moved around inside his water bowl, but didn't get into his hunting/striking mode.
This was an especially daring rat, too. Normally, I put the food on the shelf of the enclosure while Xerxes rests on the bottom. Usually he has to climb to get dinner-something he does immediately. This rat wasted no time dropping down to the bottom floor-blissfully unaware of the massive serpent lurking in the depths. Still, the snake wouldn't pursue him.
I decided to ignore it until a couple hours later when I decided to check in. It was then that I noticed the milky film over the snake's eye-he was getting ready to molt, which explains the lack of action. I had made this mistake once, which ended up seeing the rat taking bites out of the defenseless snake's back(something they don't find on nature films).
Now, as anyone who has been bitten by a pet snake can tell you-putting your hand in the enclosure while food is actively roaming is like putting toothpicks in your skin and a little "free samples" sign next to them. But the risk was worth it, and the snake didn't make any sudden moves for me. After about 10 minutes, I caught the rat(who seemed insistent on staying there) and let him out the front door. He was another winner-as I'm sure all of his cagemates from earlier in the day won't be so lucky. Granted, he was probably going to be easy prey for the neighbor's cat, but that's for another day.
Fast forward to today. Upon returning home from work I was just fetching the mail and what do I see at the door? This same rat who I let loose two days prior. After not too much thought I decided that having a rat living by the front door is probably not a good idea for a couple obvious reasons. As I'm not inclined to kill an animal I had just saved(or any non-insect animal that I don't intend to eat), the only rational choice is to take him in. I already have the cage from my last similar decision, and plenty of leftover stuff, so it took no time to setup.
So...what should I name this one?
