I'm currently on 9 juvenilles, 1 yearling, a brazillian rainbow boa, albino burmese python, and 3 iguanas.
And here's what's going to happen tonight: 1 adult iguana being given to a local school, 1 baby iguana going to the daughter of a friend, last baby being kept by me (for now). I came to the decision that I can't take care of so many animals properly. I've been ill for a couple months, and while all my animals are still healthy, I realised that it's unfair to spend so little time (or even at some points, thought) on them.
So, am cutting back to 12 snakes, and won't be getting any more until I: 1) am sure my remaining fussy feeders are ok, 2) have invested in bigger/better containers for the ones I do have, and 3) sit down and think about exactly what morphs I want instead of just seeing a pretty snake and thinking 'must have!' Also, contingency plans must be made. As I said, I've been ill, and while I could just about manage to keep the tanks clean, feed and water everything, it was to a much sloppier degree than I was happy with. If you're a single like me and don't have herp mad mates around you, what are you going to do if you find yourself in similar circumstances?
Anyway, I guess I'm just saying that my mindset has changed in the last couple months. To simplify: it used to all be about me, I want this morph, I must get such-and-such a snake. Now it's all about the animals, which is how it should be. I'm just glad I reached this perspective before I was drowning in snakes which weren't getting enough care and attention.
Confession over
