Our rescue story.

[medusa]

Back around December 20, of 2003 one of our neighbor's, who also had a ball python, came over to us with this huge ball python(well huge to us, our ball, Verdi, was still young - just over a year old). I'd guess she was 4 feet or so. She said she found her in the middle of the street. We couldn't believe someone would abandon this beautiful creature in the middle of December! She almost froze to death. Our son named her (we are assuming at this time its a her) Medusa. She has quite a few scars on her and was terrified of people so we believe whoever had her mistreated her. For the first month only my husband held her - a little more each day. He put up with her hissing and bowing up - but she never bit him. After she was comfortable with him, I started holding her as well. Again, took about a month and then we did the same with our son. One of her eyes is a little cloudy and she misses the mouse quite a lot while feeding. I help her out, though, sometimes I would pick her up and aim her at the mouse or just dangle the mouse right in front of her. She has no problems then. She was big enough to eat rats but she won't go near them. I think those scars she has are from rats that were allowed to chew on her during unattended feedings. So we just feed her one mouse at a time until she is full. She has become the sweetest and most loving snake. When my son was in 6th grade, his science teacher wanted me to bring his snake (Verdi) in to show the class. On that day Verdi was in the middle of serious shedding. So I took Medusa instead. She was an angel. She let every kid hold her at least once before she balled up saying she'd had enough. We love her (or it may be a he after seeing some mating rituals) and would never give her up!
That's our rescue story - probably a little too long but I still love to tell it.

[Viper]

Gina at Heart of Gold Rescue recently took in an 8 foot Burmese Python that was left in a bag next to a dumpster in an apartment complex overnight. He was in pretty much the same condition.

A couple of things as a follow up to your post...

* If you like you can bring your new family member by sometime and I can probe him/her for you and let you know what sex it really is.

* In referring to "unattended feedings" I presume, by the sound of it, you feed live. Please reconsider doing so if this is, indeed, what you're doing. Most serious reptile keepers feed frozen/thawed. Feeding f/t not only prevents your beloved and valued reptile being bitten/disfigured, but it also prevents the passing on of mites, worms, and other parasites. Freezing the rodent for ten days will kill anything that may be infesting it.

* Losing a snake's eye to a rodent sucks
* Having your snake contract intestinal parasites sucks
* Mite infestation sucks

Just trying to help.

[LadyViper]

Glad to hear a happy ending for a poor lost snake. almost all of my lizards where adoptions/rescues. They are all very loved too, I understand how you feel.
Sounds like your whole family has done a wonderful job working with him/her.

[medusa]

We did try to start out with pre-killed. I had heard that was the safest and the best but they refused them. I gave about 8 or 9 tries over a span of 2 months or so each time. Only Kaasha, when we first got her, would eat a pre-killed, her first meal. Then she started refusing them. I think she likes the attack. She's kind of the agressive one when it comes to feeding. She always goes for the head and hits it so hard I can hear it crack. That is one little lady who really wants her food! And I know a lot can happen quick but I never take my eyes off the mouse until its dead.