SLURPEE SURPRISE

One of the great things about my job is you never quite know what each day is going to bring. I always try to stress to people we interview for Animal Care positions that they must be adaptable and able to deal with whatever comes along, whether it is a member of the public phoning to tell us that a seagull is stuck in the ice on the pond (what am I supposed to do with that one?!), a man turning up at the door with a bag full of bed bugs that he had been handed by the people renting his apartment! And he wants identified. Or even just the plaintive phone call from a member of our external affairs office who has a bug in their office and they are scared! There is never a dull moment. Yesterday I was walking past the front desk when a member of the visitor services staff handed me a large 'Slurpee' cup - some one left this! Well I think thank you is somewhat inadequate in this situation! Apparently some one had been gardening and found this little guy in the undergrowth! So they bought it to us. Normally we do not accept waifs and strays but they had basically just left it so we didn't really have an option. So my Slurpee Surprise was a severely dehydrated and rather malnourished, newborn Ball Python!
He is a delightful little creature, believe it or not, the skin of a newborn snake feels incredibly soft and silky rather like a human baby (I know, for you non-snake people, you are not convinced but it is true!). The first thing he did when I set up a tank for him was take a huge drink of water. With a bit of TLC he is now eating, has shed all the bits of skin that were stuck to him and looks much healthier. I have found a new home for him with an experienced Herp person and in the mean time he is sleeping and eating and getting his strength up.
(Sorry for the sub standard photos!)

Photo Credits - CJT