disgusted with myself

[lacy_black]

I haven't touched any of my snakes since I got bit in april *sigh* my bf thinks i'm being stupid but I'm afraid of them now.

 

[zebraflavencs]

Hey now... we all get a bit "gun shy" when bitten, tossed off, fallen off, you get the idea. Just go slowly until you are back in the saddle so to speak.
Janie.
*BIGGGG HUGGGGG*

 

[lacy_black]

I made it worse... its been so hot around here high 80's to mid 90's and I never thought to check the temps in the cages... 1 of the baby red tails I bought mike died If I wasn't such a chicken i'd have been keeping a better eye on things.

 

[zebraflavencs]

Oh ! That is so awful for you ! But please don't bash yourself... Just calm down and set to it.
Janie.
*BIG HUG*

 

[Dave94]

It's probably happier not being handled

 

[lacy_black]

tbh dave I found that statement rude and uncalled for. Just because you're of the opinion that snakes dislike being handled doesn't mean everyone, actually pretty much everyone else, agrees with you. And yes I am upset that I can't tho I will be working with them after my fiance get's home. I lost 1 the other day and your statement upset me more then I already was so please stay away if you can't be sympathetic or at least polite.

 

[Twobeardieguy]

You need to get back on that saddle!!! Me id stay off!!!! Good luck!!! :wink:

 

[Eventide]

Hey, it's hard! I've been bitten by almost all of mine at least once, but even then, I have this one who bites me almost every time I handle her...which isn't often, because I know she's nippy, so I'm always nervous handling her!

It's okay; you'll slowly get back to normal handling again. :-]

 

[herpfreak]

I'm so sorry about the red tail. I imagine it must be pretty hard to start handling again after a tag. I agree with Janie, don't push yourself. If using gloves and / or a snake hook would make you feel any better, do.

 

[nrich]

I'll admit that I've been the same way with my kingsnake. She didn't just tag me, she latched on and wouldn't let go. It didn't even really hurt, but I'm still totally gun shy. I've only held her once since then for some major cage cleaning (it's been well over a month now) and I did it with gloves. I feel like a total wimp because I know the gloves will protect me, but I just can't seem to make myself do it. My little sister won't have anything to do with her now either, which is a shame because she really used to love wrapping it around her neck and walking around the house.

 

[lacy_black]

Did a major rearrangement of the animals last night. Put the snakes out in the foyer on the big wooden shelf I had built back when it was supposed to become 4 dragon cages. All the hamsters and rats are now 2 rooms away so hopefully they won't be constantly acting hungry (freaks me out).
I swear I'm like the biggest screw up lately :lol: found out I accidently mis sexed 2 hamsters 1 male was in a bin with 4 females and 1 female was in with 3 males. Sooooooo I had to put 1 female in another bin of her own cuz she popped last night, and I need to buy more bins, water bottles and wheels today to seperate the other 4 females who're all about to pop. At least i'll have more then enough food for the snakes :lol: considering every litter i've had so far was 14+ including last night she had 15. Luckily in a week I can feed off about 4 hamster pups between Cocoa the king and Nakita the red tail. Soon i'll have another friend moving in (long as the landlord don't find out :lol: ) and she adores my snakes so she'll be helping me too.Literally her idea is if she gets bit by an animals "oh well come here baby let me pet you again" I've seen her do it before, I think shes a bit crazy

 

[lacy_black]

I don't understand...what in the world is going on but I've been checking every day to make sure everyone is looking good (because I lost Nakita a few weeks ago) and I fed the 2 small ones tuesday morning.
This morning got up, did the check and *poof* Blade, the other red tail is dead.
Told Mike absolutely no more snakes. Besides the unholy smell when they die, it just makes me feel horrible when I find another one.
This is 4 in 2 years who have died. Isis my baby died of old age, she was a mexican kingsnake, 13 years old. Terri was a cornsnake, 6 years old approximately but she was a rescue so I really had no idea. And now both red tails I had just bought a few months ago. They were only about 6 months old when died.

I'm over my fear of the balls but I still can't look at Coco without that shiver, which is fine, shes not mine :lol:

 

[Momto3boys]

I would get a necropsy done.

Did you properly quarantine your new snakes?? I hope its not something that's going to go through them all, I would definatly get the necropsy though, that way you know what is killing them.

 

[lacy_black]

I know what killed 3, only the last 1 was confusing and they'd been seperate for the 1st month they were here. I'm just wondering if it was the fact that i'd never had a baby before that somehow I was doing things wrong Even tho I read a ton on multiple sites and was going by the guidelines. Everyone else is fine, never had any trouble but those red tails we're so different from my balls.

And necropsy is definately out, body is already gone and even if we had kept it for some odd reason I need a tooth pulled so my money has to go to the dentist.

 

[herpfreak]

An unexplained death, especially in a boa, is a bad sign. Boas are suspected to be natural carriers of inclusion body disease (IBD); a highly-contagious virus without a cure that kills snakes very slowly and painfully. It can take months, sometimes years, for symptoms to appear in a snake.

Keep a close eye on the other snakes. Symptoms of IBD include the inability to right itself when flipped on its back and "stargazing"; tilting its head back and often opening its mouth, as if it is watching the stars.

Don't get too worked up; boas are very different from pythons and definitely take some getting used to.