Albino Billy
New member
Taceas said:And Holly, there really is definitely no need to get so defensive. Mary Beth and everyone else mean well, it just happens to be a passionate opinion different than yours. Which at least around here we embrace the ability to express ourselves like that. It's a luxury we enjoy compared to some "other" forums where the moderators tell you what you can and cannot say. That's what makes us different, we can agree to disagree most times.
I don't disagree that Mary Beth means well and is most definitely compassionate about snakes and losing them. As I have stated several times in my posts, my whole family is watching the power polls for lost pet signs and what-not. I am not just sitting back saying, "Finders keepers." I am NOT that kind of person. In my heart of hearts, yes, I would love to keep this snake and give it a good home. But even after spending the money I have to set up a nice viv for it, I would gladly give him back to his rightful owner should he/she go looking for it. I have stated that on my posts already. What I did disagree with is the extreme in which Mary went to critisize me for keeping this snake and going out of my way to give it a luxerious life. It was insinuated that she would hope if her daughter got away from her that because she is pretty, someone would keep her. That is when I got snippy or defensive. Being an animal lover and most importantly, a mother, I took offense to being called a thief. I would not take someone else's pet nor their child if I thought it was attractive. The put downs continued until I got snippy. I have no problem with freedom of speech and if someone has an opionion, share it with the world. But do not judge my morals or my charactor because you think I would keep the snake just because it was attractive. Stupid me thought it was just a yellow rat snake out soaking up some heat and I was going to relocate it until my brother freaked out over the phone telling me to NOT turn it loose that it must have been a pet someone dumped or it had escaped. He told me what I needed to do to give it a nice home and he said it sounded like an albino rat or corn. That is why I posted to begin with, I wanted to find out exactly what it was and get some more advice. Being ridaculed constantly and given a list of a cheaper way to keep the snake was absurd to say the least. Because I wanted to put the snake in a nice vivarium and make it a little fancier than some would do is not a crime. I did not want to get a plastic tub or a Walmart bowl. I set up a super nice viv that I would hope would make the snake comfortable. I am 37 not 12 and I can take critisism. If I were doing something wrong, I would hope everyone on this forum would yell, "No Holly! Don't feed the snake that!" Or, "NO! Don't put that kind of heat source on him!" But to be rudely critisized when she didn't know what measures I have taken or would take to make sure the snake was found was just plain wrong. I said at the very beginning that I would post a sign at the clubhouse. Every resident out here HAS to go to that clubhouse to pay our monthly association dues. So, they will all see the notice but like I said, no one out here has owned this snake. I will continue to look at the papers and signs out by the road. If the owner shows up, I want visitation if the owner doesn't, I will assume full resonsibility for the well being of this snake...
In the end, while I may not go all out and post flyers or ads in the local paper, I would at least glance at the Lost & Found for a month or so in case someone posts something. I know I'd like to think that if someone found my pet they would at least try a little bit to find me. I'm not going to look down on you if you don't do it either. We're all human and all have the same "finders-keepers" desires sometimes. But I know with me, I'd be guilty if I didn't make some attempt.
Misty, I would hope you wouldn't look down on me unless I came on here and blatantly said I would NOT look for the owner or said I was just going to turn it loose and hope that it survives the wild. Snakes are not dogs and do not go home after wandering the streets for a few days. Someone posted that if I hadn't taken the snake in, it might be back with it's owner by now. I highly doubt that seeing as though the people out here who have come in contact with snakes have killed them without even finding out if they are poisonous or not. That blows me away! I have told everyone out here that if they come across a snake, to PLEASE call me day or night and I will do my best to catch it and relocate it but to please not harm the snake. I have tried to educate them about the greatness of having our slithery friends out here to keep down rodent population and even some poisonous snake population.
Thank you for the advice about the stool sample and I will definitely get that book. It would be very interesting reading. This is the first morph snake I have come across so, I didn't know what it was, I just knew it looked like a yellow rat in the dark.