I rescued a BP from an evil pet store.

[merkin]

I stopped by a store by the name of "World(s?) of pets" here in salt lake city, utah looking for frozen rats and some substrate. They didn't have anything I needed, but I cruised by their snake section and saw a sad group. They have an almost full grown RTB in a 20g. I looked at their "baby" ball python which was also in a 20g and he had unshed skin covering him and didn't look happy at all. I left the store in disgust and went home. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to save this poor guy. I ended up going back and buying him at which point the "sales representative" tried to give me a live rat to feed him.

I've been making sure to keep him hydrated and have been gently pulling off the unshed skin. His eyes are completely covered with caps which seems to make him very skittish and hostile. He was also pulled out of the tank with a glove which makes me think he hasn't been handled much at all.

My main concern is acclimating him to a good environment where he will allow me to handle him without biting and also how I can get him to eat f/t. The last question I have is whether or not there is anything I can do to punish this horrible store.


Thanks.
Marshall

[rachel132002]

I wouldn't pull the skin off, get a tub and fill it with sphagnum moss or the likes and let him use that as a moist hide or put him in a damp towel/pilow case and let him crawl through your hands in it as that eases the skin offm never dealt with eyecaps so I'll leave that to someone else.

With feeding, if he's always been on live it may be hard but just get a mouse/rat and warm it right through on a heatpad or with a hair-dryer until it's got a warm body temperature and then with forceps/tongs just wiggle it in front of him to try and entice a strike, if he doesn't go for it try leaving it in with him under a hide or in a small tub with him, if leaving it in the tank then make sure the whole feeding are including anywhere he may drag it to is covered with newspaper or kitchen towel as if you're using loose substrate like wood chippings etc it may get stuck to the food which isn't good. If the tub etc don't work next time when the mouse/rat is still frozen you can make a slit in the top of it's head so as it thaws it oozes out the brain a bit - gross i know but it adds scent and seems to work then put it with the snake in the SMALLEST tub it can fit in and leave it for a few hours in the dark and alone totally undisturbed. There's loooaddss of scenters you can use as I've had success with lots i.e steak blood, chicken soup, izard maker, mouse maker, tuna oil. You may have to resort to pre-kill but try and stay away from live as it only ever leads to problems IMO. Also don't handle him at all unless NECESSARY as it adds to their stress levels, I have a male who has eaten about 5 times sporadically in the past year so he's NEVER handled except for cleaning or weighing.

Nice job rescuing the snake!

Rachel.

	In My Opinon IMO = In My Opinion and IMHO = In My Honest Opinion

[Leatherface]

Good on ya mate!!! Most of the local pet stores around here at least "seem" to know what they are doing...ERRR well except for one that is and I no longer give them my business...

Good one

[merkin]

I should have been more specific about "pulling the skin off". I've been handling him with a wet towel and letting him pull it off himself. I will continue offering him f/t and if that doesn't work in and of itself i will try the scenting and not stress too much if he doesnt eat. as far as supporting the cause of the horrible pet store goes, i havent noticed them around before so i assume it's a startup and they're just out of their league as far as caring for a whole pet store full of animals. there wasnt anyone in the store when I was there so hopefully they go out of business before they continue to harm any sort of animals.

Thanks for all of your help. It's awesome to know there are people that care about something as "small" as snakes.

	Frozen/Thawed A rodent or other prey item that is frozen and then thawed to be fed to a reptile or other animal.

[Alika]

Oh geez... don't even get me started on that awful store. I went in there once before they moved and saw horrible things... cats and dogs stacked in cages on on top of another, so that when one animal deficated it fell down onto the animal below it... depressed birds with disgusting water, disgusting cages, and no toys... snakes in too small cages with no water... a pair of 3-4 ft. iguanas huddled together in a 30 gallon tank on the floor... brown... emaciated... with no visable food, no UVB, and only one small heat source... yeah. It made me sick.

The kid behind the counter couldn't have been more than 16 years old. He appeared to be the only employee in the store. He was screwing around with some friends, completely ignoring everything that was going on around him.

They've been open for over a year, at least, probably longer. They moved their location last spring. We got all excited when the store disappeared from it's old location, only to discover it had merely moved a few blocks east. I haven't been into the new store, but it doesn't surprise me that the practices haven't improved.

I walked out, made some phone calls, and never went back.

You can't save them all, and trying to only supports their business, like Lethargic said. It opens up the space as a torture chamber for them to bring another animal in to.

But now that you have the snake, I'm glad that his quality of life will be improving.

As for punishing the store... call the human society and/or animal control. Call the local newstations... they are often hard up for a good new story and will take whatever they can get. Call the papers. And most importantly, spread the word that it's a store that is best avoided.

	Ultra Violet Radiation B Ultra Violet Radiation B

[TekWarren]

I agree with Lethargic...purchasing an animal from a store isn't really rescuing it. Its supporting the further lack of care and husbandry for their future animals. Best thing to do as said is to NOT give them your business and voice your concern to employees or management.

[DannyBoy]

Quick note, since I am within a half hour of Salt Lake City, I have also had occasion to visit them. I have visited both the new store and the old one both located on 2100 South. What I saw is the same as has already been said. I do not remember the condition of the other animals, since this was about 6 months ago, but I do remember the reptile section of the store. Small cage space to reptile size ratio, unhealthy animals, and little to no water. Unfortunately most pet shops are about making the almighty dollar. Others may have a limited knowledge of different species of animals and a love for animals in general, but love without knowledge is still dangerous to the animals well being. In short if its not the dollar then it is a lack of proper husbandry knowledge.

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

Good job, I really like to hear these stories of snakes being saved. What did you have to pay to save this guy? I tried to warn the people at a local petstore that had a live weaned rat in with 3 ball pythons. 2 looked healthy and 1 had what I'm guesing about 2-3 sheds stuck on him. I told the people they needed to change their ways and they got #$%^&#$%^&#$%^&#$%^&#$%^&#$%^& and said they didn't need to listen to some kid. I told them I would be back to make them change their ways. I told the humane society and they said unless the animal is in imediate danger we can do nothing, I called the shop repetedly until I got the manager. I told him how rude they were and about there cruel ways and I went back a month or so later and most of the snakes were gone and the snakes that were there there said "Not for sale, under Observation" so I gues persistance does pay off. Good luck with the guy and I hope this store changes their ways soon. What I would do is put a rubermaid sandwich box in there with a hole in the side high enough up so the moss can be about 1/2 inch deep, really moist and add a lid. Put it over a warm spot and put the snake in tehre ocassionally and eventually he should start to use it regularly or as needed. I personnaly would not have gave any money to rescue this guy as the store will just use it again to buy another like with the same problems but you did the right thing and we are all proud. Good Job!!!